Junius Free Wells (June 1, 1854 – April 15, 1930)State of Utah Death Certificate
/ref> was the first head of the

Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association The Young Men (often referred to as Young Men's) is a youth ministry, youth organization and Auxiliary organization (LDS Church), official program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Its purpose is to assist the church ...

, an organization which is today the

Young Men organization The Young Men (often referred to as Young Men's) is a youth organization and official program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Its purpose is to assist the church's Aaronic priesthood-aged young men in their growt ...

of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He also was a magazine founder, an author, and the chief organizer of the LDS Church's efforts to build a number of historical monuments in the early 1900s.

Early life and education

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, Wells was the son of LDS Church leader

Daniel H. Wells Daniel Hanmer Wells (October 27, 1814 – March 24, 1891) was an American apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and the 3rd mayor of Salt Lake City. Biography Early life Wells was born in Trenton, New Yor ...

and his fourth wife, Hannah Corrilla Free. He studied at the

University of Deseret The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

. On 17 June 1879 Wells married Helena Middleton Fobes.

Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association leadership

In 1875, church president Brigham Young organized the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. The first implementation of the organization was in the

Salt Lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per litre). ...

13th Ward, with Junius F. Wells as president. Among his counselors was Heber J. Grant. In 1876, Young selected Wells to lead the organization throughout the church. In 1880,

John Taylor John Taylor, Johnny Taylor or similar may refer to: Academics *John Taylor (Oxford), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, 1486–1487 *John Taylor (classical scholar) (1704–1766), English classical scholar *John Taylor (English publisher) (178 ...

released Wells from his duties and revised the leadership of the YMMIA, appointing Wilford Woodruff as the general superintendent. After Wells's release, the church's organization for young men would be led by general authorities of the church until 1935.

''The Contributor'' and other works

Wells was also the founding editor and publisher of '' The Contributor'', an independent publication that sought to represent the YMMIA and the church's equivalent organization for young women. Wells continued in these roles until 1892, when the magazine was purchased by the Cannon family and

Abraham H. Cannon Abraham Hoagland Cannon (also reported as Abram H. Cannon) (March 12, 1859 – July 19, 1896) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Personal history Cannon was born in S ...

became the editor and publisher. ''The Contributor'' ceased publication in 1896. Wells was also the author of eleven biographies, including those of

John C. Frémont John Charles Frémont or Fremont (January 21, 1813July 13, 1890) was an American explorer, military officer, and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from California and was the first Republican nominee for president of the United States in 1856 ...

Thomas L. Kane Thomas Leiper Kane (January 27, 1822 – December 26, 1883) was an American attorney, abolitionist, philanthropist, and military officer who was influential in the western migration of the Latter-day Saint movement and served as a Union Army colon ...

Charles C. Rich Charles Coulson Rich (August 21, 1809 – November 17, 1883) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He led one of the first groups of Mormon pioneers west from Illinois under the leadership of Brigham Young after Joseph Smith's mur ...

, James A. Garfield, and

Orson Pratt Orson Pratt Sr. (September 19, 1811 – October 3, 1881) was an American mathematician and religious leader who was an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints). He became a member of the ...

. He also authored numerous articles and short stories, the majority of which appeared in ''The Contributor''.

Mormon historical monuments

In 1884, Wells visited the birthplace of church founder Joseph Smith in Sharon, Vermont, and conceived a plan to build a monument to the Mormon prophet. Under the direction of

Joseph F. Smith Joseph Fielding Smith Sr. (November 13, 1838 – November 19, 1918) was an American religious leader who served as the sixth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was the nephew of Joseph Smith, the founde ...

, Wells oversaw the construction of the

Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial The Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial is a granite obelisk on a hill in the White River Valley near Sharon and South Royalton in the U.S. state of Vermont. It marks the spot where Joseph Smith was born on December 23, 1805. The monument was erect ...

in 1905. The monument was dedicated by Smith on December 23, 1905, the 100th anniversary of Joseph Smith's birth. Wells also was the chief organizer in having a monument erected by the church to the Three Witnesses in Richmond, Missouri, in 1911. Other works created by Wells included the Hyrum Smith monument created in Salt Lake City in 1918. From 1921 to 1930 Wells was Assistant Church historian. Among other works in this position he arranged for the purchase of the class plate negatives of George Edward Anderson's work.

Junius F. Wells Award

In 2005, the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation created the Junius F. Wells Award, to be awarded to individuals who promote the purposes of the Foundation.

Award recipients

*2005:

Gordon B. Hinckley Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...

Junius F. Wells Award
Shaun D. Stahle
"Preserving the past: President Hinckley honored with Junius F. Wells Award"
'' Church News'', 2005-05-21. *2006:

Karl Ricks Anderson Karl Ricks Anderson (born 1937) is a Latter-day Saint historian whose specialty is the Kirtland period in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement. He is a brother of Richard Lloyd Anderson and they were the second recipients of the Junius ...

and

Richard Lloyd Anderson Richard Lloyd Anderson (9 May 1926 – 12 August 2018) was an American lawyer and theologist of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was a professor of church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University (BYU). His book ''Inves ...

*2007:

M. Russell Ballard Melvin Russell Ballard Jr. (born October 8, 1928) is an American businessman and religious leader who is currently the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He has ...

*2010:

Florence S. Jacobsen Florence Smith Jacobsen (April 7, 1913 – March 5, 2017) was an American religious leader associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who served as the sixth General President of the Young Women's Mutual Impro ...

R. Scott Lloyd
"Life of building: Florence S. Jacobsen honored for preserving Church sites"
'' Church News'', 2010-05-01.

Missionary service

As of 1919 Wells was serving as the chief assistant to

George Albert Smith George Albert Smith Sr. (April 4, 1870 – April 4, 1951) was an American religious leader who served as the eighth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Early life Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territor ...

in running the British and European missions.Woodger, Mary Jane. ''Against the Odds: The Life of George Albert Smith''. p. 137 He also served another mission to Britain.

Death

Wells died in the Hotel Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, at age 75.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Junius F. 1854 births 1930 deaths People of Utah Territory American Latter Day Saint writers American magazine editors Editors of Latter Day Saint publications General Presidents of the Young Men (organization) Official historians of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Writers from Salt Lake City Young people and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints People from Salt Lake City Latter Day Saints from Utah