Janath Russell Cannon (October 28, 1918 – July 5, 2007) was a counselor to Barbara B. Smith in the general presidency of the

Relief Society The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 18 ...

of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Cannon was also a prominent missionary in the church and was among the first to preach to

black people Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in s ...

in Africa. Born in Ogden, Utah, Janath Russell was educated at

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant as a female seminary, it is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, an unofficial g ...

. In 1941, she married Edwin Q. Cannon in the Salt Lake Temple. From 1971 to 1974, Cannon and her husband served in the church's

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Mission, while he was the mission president. Upon their return to Utah in 1974, Cannon became the first counselor to Smith in the general presidency of the church's Relief Society. Cannon served in this capacity until 1978, when she was released so that she and her husband could become the first missionaries of the church to preach in "black Africa". They — along with Rendell and Rachel Mabey — preached in Nigeria and Ghana,

baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

hundreds of converts, and established 27 branches of the LDS Church in Nigeria and Ghana. The first convert baptized in Nigeria was

Anthony Obinna Anthony Uzodimma Obinna (April 15, 1928 – August 25, 1995), born in Umuelem Enyiogugu in Aboh Mbaise, (local government area of Imo State, Owerri) in Nigeria, was the first convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) ...

. In the late 1980s, Cannon and her husband were the directors of the LDS Church's visitors' center in Nauvoo, Illinois. In 1989, they served as interim leaders of the church's Germany Hamburg Mission; during this time, the regular president of the mission was working on getting the church's

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

admitted to East Germany. From 1989 to 1992, Cannon was the matron of the

Frankfurt Germany Temple The Frankfurt Germany Temple is the 43rd constructed and 41st operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Located in the city of Friedrichsdorf, Germany, it was built with the same general architecture as the ...

, while her husband served as the temple president. Cannon was a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for 18 years and during this time edited the choir's newsletter, ''Keeping Tab''. Cannon was the editor or author of a number of books on LDS Church-related topics. Cannon died in Bountiful, Utah, and was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Publications

*Janath R. Cannon (ed.) (1991). ''Nauvoo Panorama: Views of Nauvoo Before, During, and After Its Rise, Fall, and Restoration'' (Nauvoo, Ill.: Nauvoo Restoration Inc.) *

Jill Mulvay Derr Jill Mulvay Derr (born September 8, 1948) was a senior research historian in the Church History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 2005 to 2011. She previously served as Managing Director of the Joseph F ...

, Janath Russell Cannon, and

Maureen Ursenbach Beecher Maureen Ursenbach Beecher (born March 19, 1935) is a historian and editor of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). She studied at Brigham Young University (BYU) and the University of Utah. She worked in the Hi ...

(2002). ''Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book)

References

Alexander B. Morrison Alexander Baillie Morrison (22 December 1930 – 12 February 2018) was a Canadian scientist, academic, and public servant and was a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1987 until his death. Prof ...

(1990). ''The Dawning of a Brighter Day: The Church in Black Africa'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book)
"Former LDS leader Janath Cannon dies
'' Deseret Morning News'', 2007-07-14, p. B8 *''2008 Deseret Morning News Church Almanac'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Morning News, 2007) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cannon, Janath R. 1918 births 2007 deaths 20th-century Mormon missionaries American expatriates in Nigeria American Mormon missionaries in Germany American Mormon missionaries in Switzerland American Mormon missionaries in the United States Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Cannon family Counselors in the General Presidency of the Relief Society Editors of Latter Day Saint publications Female Mormon missionaries Mission presidents (LDS Church) American Mormon missionaries in Ghana Mormon missionaries in Nigeria Tabernacle Choir members Mormonism and race People from Ogden, Utah People from Salt Lake City Temple presidents and matrons (LDS Church) Wellesley College alumni American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 20th-century American musicians Latter Day Saints from Utah