Stayner Richards (December 20, 1885 – May 28, 1953) was a

Mormon missionary Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—widely known as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and commu ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and was a general authority of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) from 1951 until his death. Richards was born in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, Utah Territory. He was the brother of Stephen L Richards, who would become an apostle in the LDS Church, and the grandson of Willard Richards, who was also an apostle. From 1908 to 1910, Richards was a missionary for the LDS Church in the United Kingdom. From 1916 to 1928, Richards was the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the Highland Park Ward of the LDS Church in Salt Lake City. He was a stake president in the church from 1937 to 1949. From 1949 to 1952, Richards was the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the British Mission of the church. In October 1951, while he was acting as the mission president, he became an

Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commonly shortened to Assistant to the Twelve or Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, was a priesthood calling in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1941 and 1976. As the title of t ...

. As a mission president he helped select the property for the planned

London England Temple The London England Temple (formerly the London Temple) is the 12th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and is located in Newchapel, Surrey, England. Despite its name, it is not located within Londo ...

. Richards was an Assistant to the Twelve until his death from

pancreatitis Pancreatitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a large organ behind the stomach that produces digestive enzymes and a number of hormones. There are two main types: acute pancreatitis, and chronic pancr ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

.State of Utah Death Certificate
/ref> He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery. Richards was married to Jane Foote Taylor and was the father of six children. One of their children was the hymn composer G. William Richards.

Notes

References

*''2005 Deseret News Church Almanac'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News, 2004) p. 74 * *

D. Michael Quinn Dennis Michael Quinn (March 26, 1944 – April 21, 2021) was an American historian who focused on the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was a professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) from 1976 until ...

“They Served: The Richards Legacy in the Church,”
'' Ensign'', January 1980, p. 25

External links

Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: Stayner Richards
*
Stayner Richards's diary
from a
L. Tom Perry Special Collections

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Stayner 1885 births 1953 deaths 20th-century Mormon missionaries American Mormon missionaries in England American general authorities (LDS Church) Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Deaths from pancreatitis Latter Day Saints from Utah Mission presidents (LDS Church) Religious leaders from Salt Lake City Richards–Young family