Whitney, Orson F. (Orson Ferguson), 1855-1931

Author, historian, publisher, and an apostle in the Mormon Church.

From the description of Orson F. Whitney diaries, 1877-1931. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122553668

From the guide to the Orson F. Whitney diaries, 1877-1931, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)

Orson Ferguson Whitney was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Sunday, July 1, 1855 to Horace Kimball Whitney and Helen Mar Whitney. Leaving in Oct. 1876, he completed a one-year mission for the LDS Church. During the spring of 1877, Elder Whitney went alone to Northern Ohio, preaching, baptizing, studying the gospel, and writing for the Salt Lake Herald. Whitney returned to Utah in April 1878. Shortly after, he was employed by the Deseret News. In August of 1878 he was promoted to city editor of the Deseret News. On July 14, 1878, Orson F. Whitney was made bishop of the Salt Lake City 18th ward. During that winter (1878-1879) Bishop Whitney went on a preaching tour of Cache Valley, Utah. In the fall of the following year, on December 18, 1879, Whitney married Miss Zine Beal Smoot of Provo, Utah. Over the course of their twenty-year marriage Zine bore Orson nine children; Horace Newel (1880), Emily (1885), Helen Margaret (1887), Margaret (1889), Charles Byron (1891), Albert Owen (1893), the twins-Paul Van Cott and Virginia Clayton (1899), and Heber Kimball (1899). In February of 1880, Orson F. Whitney was called on a LDS mission to Europe to labor in the editorial department of the Millennial Star in Liverpool. He returned home to Salt Lake City on July 7, 1883 and resumed his position at the Desert News, but later resigned in December of 1884 to become the city treasurer. He was reelected every two years until 1890. During this time, and perhaps in secret, on July 24, 1888, in Colonia Diaz, Mexico, Orson took a second wife by marrying Mary Minerva Wells of Salt Lake City. Residing together at various time in Logan, Utah, they had two children; Murray Wells (1892) and Wendell Webb (1895). In 1896 Whitney accepted the chair of philosophy at Brigham Young College in Logan were he resided until July of 1897. On May 20, 1900, Zine Beal Smoot Whitney died. Later that year, on October 11, 1900, Orson and Mary were remarried in the Salt Lake Temple. In 1901, Orson sat in legislature pushing for the adoption of the Evan's Bill. In 1907 Orson was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. On May 16, 1931, Orson F. Whitney died at the age of 76.

From the description of Orson F. Whitney letters, 1868-1957. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 70969393

Orson F. Whitney (1855-1931) was a writer, editor, and ecclesiastical leader in Utah.

From the description of Orson F. Whitney poem, 1885. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 432135686

Orson F. Whitney was an apostle in the Mormon Church, poet, author, educator, newspaper editor, and Utah historian. teacher of religion and theology at Brigham Young College, in Logan, Utah. Born on July 1, 1855, in Salt lake City, Orson Ferguson Whitney was the son of Horace Whitney, the eldest son of Newell K. Whitney, who was a prominent Utah pioneer and the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also called LDS or Mormon Church). His mother was Helen Mar Kimball, the oldest living daughter of President Heber C. Kimball, another prominent figure in the history of Utah, an original Apostle of the Church, and a member of the First Presidency at the time of his death. During his lifetime, Orson F. Whitney rubbed shoulders with many prominent men and women, and the records he kept disclose that he had contact with early pioneers as well as with prominent people of more recent times. He recognized the difference between "school learning" and the knowledge that comes from one's own experience. As a young man, "Ort," as many of his friends called him, was an intense student, both inside and outside the classroom. He wanted to be an actor and spent many hours preparing for the stage by studying elocution, fencing, and grammar. Whitney claimed that in his youth he had little interest in writing or speaking, that he hated poetry, and that he lacked religious discipline. His mother, conceding at last to her son's desire for a dramatic career, agreed to sell a piece of land she owned to raise sufficient money for him to go to New York and continue his training and his career. Many months passed, however, and no one bought her land. Later, during General Conference, in 1876, Orson was jolted out of his seat when he heard an announcement that he had been called on a mission to the Eastern States. Elder Whitney later recalled that he accepted the call more out of pride than piety. His mother sold her land almost immediately after his acceptance of the call, and Elder Whitney then had sufficient money to embark on a missionary career which sparked in him a great interest in speaking and writing, helped him develop sensitivity and skill, and assisted him to achieve religious discipline. At the same time it would provide him with opportunities to act in different roles in life. During seventeen months in the mission field, Elder Whitney had many opportunities to develop his talents as a writer and a public speaker. He started a regular column of his missionary experiences in the Salt Lake Herald under the pen name Iago. He developed a deep commitment to the Church and the discipline necessary to serve. A year after he returned from his mission, at the age of 23, Orson was called to serve as the Bishop of the Eighteenth Ward. Young, unmarried, inexperienced, and by his own admission, a little frightened, he walked to the pulpit to accept the calling to preside over a ward of Youngs, Kimballs, Caines and Calders. He stated that he trusted that the Lord would help him qualify himself for the job. He served as bishop for 28 years. Within a year Bishop Whitney married Zina Beal Smoot, the daughter of Abraham O. Smoot. While bishop, Whitney worked as an editor for the Salt Lake Herald, served as a member of the City Council, was an active participant in the Home Dramatic Club, and wrote popular poetry. Due to his prominence as an orator, Orson F. Whitney was called upon to read the Manifesto in General Conference, which suspended the practice of plural marriage in 1890 and relieved to a degree some of the problems of the time. Much of the correspondence of the ensuing years is centered on the literary accomplishments of Orson Whitney. In 1890 he produced his first book, a biography of his grandfather, Heber C. Kimball, as well as numerous poems and articles for church publications. Also, in 1890, Whitney was chosen and commissioned by the Church to write his famous History of Utah, which was sponsored by Dr. John O. Williams and J. H. E. Webster. He produced two volumes of the work by 1894 and the third in 1898. A man of letters, he published a biography of Lorenzo Snow, an autobiography entitled Through Memory's Halls, and several books of poetry including his lengthy epic poem, Elias, An Epic of the Ages . He is also known for writing frequent defenses of literature. He was the first to articulate the vision of Mormon literature in his 1888 sermon, Home Literature . Orson F. Whitney was also well known for his political involvement, and he was considered to be the champion of Women's Suffrage in Utah. As a member of the Constitutional Convention, in 1895, he gave a very forceful address on the issue. In 1906, Orson Whitney received what he termed to be "the greatest honor that my life has ever known." He was called to be an Apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He filled three missions for the Church, his last presiding over the European Mission. In 1921, he was called to preside over the European Mission. Elder Whitney died May 16, 1931 at Salt Lake City, Utah at the age of 75.

From the guide to the Orson F. Whitney collection, 1871-1931, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)

Apostle in the Mormon Church.

From the description of Letter, 1885. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122322639

Member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles.

From the guide to the MS 1308 Orson F. Whitney papers 1868-1930. (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Church History Library)

From the guide to the MS 1302 Orson F. Whitney collection 1851-1931 (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Church History Library)

Apostle in the Mormon Church, poet, author, educator, newspaper editor, and Utah historian.

From the description of Orson F. Whitney papers, 1871-1931. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 367397100

Orson F. Whitney (1855-1931) was a writer, editor, and ecclesiastical leader in Utah.

Whitney was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Horace K. Whitney and Helen Mar Kimball. Whitney, an avid writer, academic, and historian, started his career at a young age by working for Deseret News. Whitney served a Latter-day Saint mission from 1881 to 1883 in England. A little over ten years later, from 1896 to 1897, he worked as the editor of the Millennial Star, the newspaper put out from the English mission field. Following his mission in 1883, Whitney married and achieved publication with several works, including a biography written about Heber C. Kimball, Whitney's maternal grandfather. Throughout his life, Whitney stayed involved in local politics and taught at Brigham Young College. In 1899, Whitney became the Assistant Church Historian for the Latter-day Saint Church. In 1906, Whitney was called to be a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles. He was ordained April 6, 1906 with George F. Richards and future Latter-day Saint president David O. McKay. Whitney served as an apostle until his death in 1931. He died due to health complications while inflicted with influenza. He was a month short of seventy-six years old at the time of his death.

From the guide to the Orson F. Whitney poem, 1885, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)

Orson Ferguson Whitney was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Sunday, July 1, 1855. His father, Horace Kimball Whitney was the eldest son of Newel Kimball Whitney, the second Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His mother, Helen Mar Whitney, was the eldest daughter of Heber Chase Kimball, one of the original Twelve Apostles and later a member of the First Presidency of the LDS Church.

Early in Orson F. Whitney's life, he was educated in the common schools of Salt Lake City and worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. Thereafter he attended the University of Deseret, now the University of Utah. His final year at the University (1873-1874) was followed by a one-year mission for the LDS Church in October of 1876. During the spring of 1877, Elder Whitney went alone to Northern Ohio, preaching, baptizing, studying the gospel, and writing for the Salt Lake Herald. Whitney returned to Utah in the spring of 1878, arriving home on the first day of April. Two weeks later he was employed by the Deseret News. In August of 1878 he was promoted to city editor of the Deseret News .

On July 14, 1878, Orson F. Whitney was made bishop of the Salt Lake City 18th ward. During that winter (1878-1879) Bishop Whitney went on a preaching tour of Cache Valley, Utah. In the fall of the following year, on December 18, 1879, Whitney married Miss Zine Beal Smoot of Provo, Utah. Over the course of their twenty-year marriage Zine bore Orson nine children; Horace Newel (1880), Emily (1885), Helen Margaret (1887), Margaret (1889), Charles Byron (1891), Albert Owen (1893), the twins-Paul Van Cott and Virginia Clayton (1899), and Heber Kimball (1899).

In February of 1880, a year-and-a half after their marriage, Orson F. Whitney was called on a LDS mission to Europe to labor in the editorial department of the Millennial Star in Liverpool. While on this mission, Whitney's second son Heber Kimball died, whom he had never seen. Whitney labored in England for three-and-a-half years, until his return home to Salt Lake City on July 7, 1883.

Upon his return, Whitney resumed his position at the Desert News, but later resigned in December of 1884 to become the city treasurer. He was reelected every two years until 1890. During this time, and perhaps in secret, on July 24, 1888, in Colonia Diaz, Mexico, Orson took a second wife by marrying Mary Minerva Wells of Salt Lake City. Residing together at various time in Logan, Utah, they had two children; Murray Wells (1892) and Wendell Webb (1895). In 1896 Whitney accepted the chair of philosophy at Brigham Young College in Logan were he resided until July of 1897.

On May 20, 1900, at the age of 41, Zine Beal Smoot Whitney died, leaving eight children in the care of her husband and his second wife Mary. Later that year, on October 11, 1900, Orson and Mary were remarried in the Salt Lake Temple. In 1901 Orson served in the state legislature pushing for the adoption of the Evan's Bill, a bill that sought to grant legal protection for plural marriages that occurred before statehood. In 1907 Orson was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a high calling within the LDS church. Thereafter, his spiritual profession required him to travel a great deal, often to various towns and cities across the United States.

Over the course of Orson's public career he published many articles and books, among them; Baptism-The Birth of Water and of Spirit, The Strength of the Mormon Position, Voices From the Mountains, Gospel Themes: a Treatise on Salient Features of Mormons, Popular History of Utah, History of Utah, The Life of Heber C. Kimball, and Through Memory’ Halls; The Life Story of Orson F. Whitney. In addition to publishing, during the 1920s Orson delivered spiritual lectures that were broadcasted live on Sunday evenings over KSL radio, Salt Lake City.

On May 16, 1931, Orson F. Whitney died at the age of 76. Mary M. Whitney died four years later on January 25, 1935

From the guide to the Orson F. Whitney Diaries, 1877-1931, (Utah State University.)

Orson Ferguson Whitney was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Sunday, July 1, 1855. His father, Horace Kimball Whitney was the eldest son of Newel Kimball Whitney, the second Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His mother, Helen Mar Whitney, was the eldest daughter of Heber Chase Kimball, one of the original Twelve Apostles and later a member of the First Presidency of the LDS Church.

Early in Orson F. Whitney's life, he was educated in the common schools of Salt Lake City and worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. Thereafter he attended the University of Deseret, now the University of Utah. His final year at the University (1873-1874) was followed by a one-year mission for the LDS Church in October of 1876. During the spring of 1877, Elder Whitney went alone to Northern Ohio, preaching, baptizing, studying the gospel, and writing for the Salt Lake Herald . Whitney returned to Utah in the spring of 1878, arriving home on the first day of April. Two weeks later he was employed by the Deseret News . In August of 1878 he was promoted to city editor of the Deseret News .

On July 14, 1878, Orson F. Whitney was made bishop of the Salt Lake City 18th ward. During that winter (1878-1879) Bishop Whitney went on a preaching tour of Cache Valley, Utah. In the fall of the following year, on December 18, 1879, Whitney married Miss Zine Beal Smoot of Provo, Utah. Over the course of their twenty-year marriage Zine bore Orson nine children; Horace Newel (1880), Emily (1885), Helen Margaret (1887), Margaret (1889), Charles Byron (1891), Albert Owen (1893), the twins-Paul Van Cott and Virginia Clayton (1899), and Heber Kimball (1899).

n February of 1880, a year-and-a half after their marriage, Orson F. Whitney was called on a LDS mission to Europe to labor in the editorial department of the Millennial Star in Liverpool. While on this mission, Whitney's second son Heber Kimball died, whom he had never seen. Whitney labored in England for three-and-a-half years, until his return home to Salt Lake City on July 7, 1883.

Upon his return, Whitney resumed his position at the Desert News, but later resigned in December of 1884 to become the city treasurer. He was reelected every two years until 1890. During this time, and perhaps in secret, on July 24, 1888, in Colonia Diaz, Mexico, Orson took a second wife by marrying Mary Minerva Wells of Salt Lake City. Residing together at various time in Logan, Utah, they had two children; Murray Wells (1892) and Wendell Webb (1895). In 1896 Whitney accepted the chair of philosophy at Brigham Young College in Logan were he resided until July of 1897. On May 20, 1900, at the age of 41, Zine Beal Smoot Whitney died, leaving eight children in the care of her husband and his second wife Mary. Later that year, on October 11, 1900, Orson and Mary were remarried in the Salt Lake Temple. In 1901 Orson sat in legislature pushing for the adoption of the Evan's Bill. In 1907 Orson was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a high calling within the LDS church. Thereafter, his spiritual profession required him to travel a great deal, often to various towns and cities across the United States.

Over the course of Orson's public career he published many articles and books, among them; Baptism-The Birth of Water and of Spirit, The Strength of the Mormon Position, Voices From the Mountains, Gospel Themes; a Treatise on Salient Features of Mormons, Popular History of Utah, History of Utah, The Life of Heber C. Kimball, and Through Memory’ Halls; The Life Story of Orson F. Whitney . In addition to publishing, during the 1920s Orson delivered spiritual lectures that were broadcast live on Sunday evenings over KSL radio, Salt Lake City.

On May 16, 1931, Orson F. Whitney died at the age of 76. Mary M. Whitney died four years later on January 25, 1935.

From the guide to the Orson F. Whitney Letters, 1868-1957, (Utah State University.)