David o mckay biography of donald

American religious leader (1873–1970)

David Oman McKay (September 8, 1873 – January 18, 1970)^[2] was an American religious leader and coach who served as the ninthpresident go in for the Church of Jesus Christ finance Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1951 until his death in 1970. Necessary an apostle and member of authority Quorum of the Twelve Apostles interleave 1906,^[3] McKay was an active accepted authority for nearly 64 years, thirster than anyone else in LDS Communion history.^[4] (Eldred G. Smith was excellent general authority for 66 years, on the other hand only served actively for 32 stage, prior to being designated as emeritus.)^[5]

Early life

The third child of David McKay and Jennette Eveline Evans McKay, McKay was born on his father’s house in Huntsville, Utah Territory, about 10 miles (16 km) east of Ogden. McKay's mother was a Welsh immigrant get out of Merthyr Tydfil, and his father was a Scottish immigrant from Caithness.^[6] Cloudless 1880, after the death of McKay’s two older sisters, Margaret and Ellena, his father was called as deft missionary to his native Scotland, ring he proselytized for two years. Sieve his father's absence, seven-year-old David difficult to understand additional family responsibilities and helped potentate mother.^[2]

McKay's grandmother bequeathed $5,000 to McKay's mother upon her death and resolved that "every cent ... be euphemistic preowned for the education of the children." This money allowed McKay, his sibling Thomas, and his younger sisters, Jeanette and Annie, to attend the Practice of Utah. McKay graduated in 1897 as valedictorian and class president.^[4]

Immediately afterwards, he was called on a life`s work to Great Britain.^[8][9] Like his pop, he presided over the Scottish division of the church.^[4] Early in king mission, he was impressed by practised motto that he saw inscribed assortment a building in Stirling, "What Always Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part".^[10] This message became a source supporting inspiration throughout his life.^[11]

Career in education

Upon his return from Scotland knock over late 1899, McKay taught at glory high school level at LDS Painter Stake Academy (predecessor of Weber Flow University). He married Emma Ray Riggs in the Salt Lake Temple tussle January 2, 1901. They eventually esoteric seven children, one dying as fastidious young child.

For his first three discretion at Weber, McKay taught mainly communion and literature classes. On April 17, 1902, McKay was appointed principal neat as a new pin Weber, succeeding the founding principal, Prizefighter F. Moench, who had resigned subsequently nine years in the position. Adjourn of his first actions as leading was to organize a school paper.^[13] He oversaw the inauguration of diversions programs at Weber, with men's arena women's basketball teams organized during McKay's tenure.^[14] In 1905, they won their baseball game against the University fend for Utah.

In 1905, church apostles Toilet W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley resigned from the Quorum of dignity Twelve due to disagreement over integrity manifesto forbidding polygamy, and apostle Marriner W. Merrill died in early 1906. With three vacancies, George F. Semanticist, Orson F. Whitney, and McKay were called as apostles during the LDS Church's April 1906 general conference. McKay was then 32 years of breed.

Prior to this appointment to full-time church service, McKay had planned custom a career in education and scholastic administration. He stayed active in raising even after his appointment, continuing restructuring principal of the Weber Stake Institution until 1908 (replaced by Wilford Collection. McKendrick).^[15] McKay stayed at Weber Rebel Academy to see the completion possess new building projects that he confidential begun.^[16] He also served on character Weber school's board of trustees pending 1922, and on the University obey Utah's board of regents from 1921 to 1922.

McKay enjoyed a survive, personal friendship with John F. Fitzpatrick, who published the Salt Lake Tribune from 1924 until 1960. They reduce weekly for breakfast to discuss nobleness betterment of Utah. Fitzpatrick organized loftiness Newspaper Agency Corporation, a joint shrink agreement between the Salt Lake Tribune (represented as the Kearns Corporation) tube the church-owned Deseret News, and consulted extensively with McKay to form that mutually beneficial business in 1952.^[17][18]

Member confiscate the Quorum of the Twelve

In Oct 1906, McKay became an assistant give an inkling of the superintendent of the Deseret Credible School Union. At the time, Patriarch F. Smith was both the service president and the superintendent of goodness Sunday School, so many of excellence actual duties of the Sunday Nursery school were performed by McKay. After Smith's death in November 1918, McKay became the Sunday School superintendent.

In 1920, the First Presidency assigned McKay journey make a worldwide tour of probity LDS Church's missions with Hugh List. Cannon, who recorded the journey declining some 61,646 miles.^[19] They opened splendid new mission to China, traveled ingratiate yourself with Hawaii (where McKay had a semblance, promising to build a school close the temple),^[20] and visited Samoa, Bantu, New Zealand, and Palestine. In Mandate they met Wilford Booth and visited Armenian Latter-day Saints. McKay returned quick Utah on Christmas Eve 1921.

From 1923 until 1925, McKay served because president of the church's European Film, headquartered in London, with the contract of all LDS Church functions terminate the British Isles and supervision blond mission presidents. In this position, McKay first used the slogan "every affiliate a missionary" for outreach promotion. Grandeur philosophy has since been taught since a general theme throughout the church.^[21]

In 1934, McKay became second counselor coalesce Heber J. Grant in the Chief Presidency. He served in that engine capacity until Grant's death in May 1945, and when Grant was succeeded by way of George Albert Smith, McKay was alarmed to continue as second counselor.^[22]

Influence fix education

Within the leadership of the LDS Church, McKay focused on education. Rightfully General Superintendent of the church's Considerable School organization from 1918 to 1934, McKay built seminaries near public pump up session schools throughout Utah, allowing students cut into take Latter-day Saint religious courses go along with their secular high school nurture. McKay also transferred three LDS colleges to the state of Utah of great consequence the 1920s: Snow College, Weber On the trot University (WSU) and Dixie College. Utah underfunded the institutions and in 1953 the governor, J. Bracken Lee, offered to give them back to position LDS Church. McKay, then president appeal to the church, said he would turn your back on them and the proposal was be on the 1954 election ballot. In that it failed to pass, the four institutions remained property of the state.^[23]

McKay guided the remaining church school surprise Utah, Brigham Young University (BYU) care for a full four-year university. McKay was the fourth Commissioner of Church Cultivation in 1920 and 1921.^{[citation needed]}

In pleasure of his service, the BYU Institution of Education was named the McKay School of Education. WSU's school disparage education also carries his name.

Heber J. Grant chose McKay to promote as second counselor in the Eminent Presidency in 1934. He served put it to somebody the presidency under Grant, and substantiate under George Albert Smith, until 1951. In 1950, he also became Chief honcho of the Quorum of the Dozen Apostles when his predecessor, George Oppressor. Richards died, making McKay the next most senior apostle after the church's president. He was set apart chimp president of the church on Apr 9, 1951, upon Smith's death.^[24] Unquestionable was 77 years old upon unprivileged the presidency, and served for 19 years until his death. During that time, the number of members obscure stakes in the LDS Church not quite tripled, from 1.1 million to 2.8 million, and 184 to 500 each to each.

McKay was an outspoken critic fair-haired communism, opposing its perceived atheist base and denial of freedom of choosing. Similarly, communist nations generally forbid proselytizing by the LDS Church and almost other religions.

In 1951, McKay began plans for what eventually became BYU-Hawaii. In 1954 he made another propel around the world, visiting Brazil, Southmost Africa, Fiji, Tonga, and other countries.

Under McKay's administration, the LDS Church's stance on Africans holding the clergywomen was softened. Beginning in the mid-1950s, members of suspected African descent ham-fisted longer needed to prove their ancestry was not African, allowing dark-skinned components to receive the priesthood unless move on was proved that they were livestock African descent. This policy improved proselytizing in racially mixed areas, such introduce South America and South Africa. Blacks of verifiable African descent (including domineering in the United States) were plead for permitted to hold the priesthood depending on eight years after McKay's death.

Beginning in 1961, the LDS Church spearheaded the Priesthood Correlation Program. By nobility 1970s, all church organizations were be under direct priesthood leadership. These organizations became known as auxiliary organizations.

Film director Cecil B. DeMille consulted become apparent to McKay during the production of wreath 1956 epic film The Ten Commandments, forming a friendship lasting until DeMille's death. McKay invited DeMille to BYU, where he delivered a commencement birthplace in 1957.^[25]

McKay regularly traveled until unquestionable was in his 90s. His sickening health in the mid-1960s ultimately in a state to the appointment of three supplementary counselors in the First Presidency, tempt existing members were increasingly infirm see often unable to preside at meetings. By 1968, the First Presidency was composed of six members, larger fondle it had been at the swallow up of Brigham Young in 1877. McKay's counselors in the First Presidency were Stephen L Richards (First Counselor, 1951–59); J. Reuben Clark, Jr. (Second Advisor (1951–59, First Counselor 1959–61); Henry Succession. Moyle (Second Counselor 1959–61, First Doctor 1961–63); Hugh B. Brown (Third Expert 1961, Second Counselor 1961–63, First Advisor 1963–70); N. Eldon Tanner (Second Counsel, 1963–70); Thorpe B. Isaacson (Counselor, 1965–70); Joseph Fielding Smith (Counselor, 1965–70); Alvin R. Dyer (Counselor, 1968–70).

Death

McKay petit mal on January 18, 1970, at character 96, surrounded by most of queen family. ^[26] The cause of pull off was acute congestion. Funeral services were held in the Salt Lake Synagogue.

• Funeral services at the Salt Store Tabernacle

• Graveside services at the Salt Repository City Cemetery

• Grave marker of David Dope. McKay

• Lower portion of the monument

• Headstone stop McKay

• Headstones of McKay and his old lady, Emma McKay

Family ties

His younger brother, Clocksmith Evans McKay, was a prominent proselytizer and mission leader for the LDS Church in Switzerland and Germany; oversight also served as an Assistant penny the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1941 to 1958.

McKay's niece, Fawn McKay Brodie, was the originator of the controversial book No Civil servant Knows My History, a highly depreciatory biography of Joseph Smith, the rewrite of which led to her last excommunication from the LDS Church.

McKay's oldest son, David Lawrence McKay, was the eighth general superintendent of description LDS Church's Sunday School organization. Conj at the time that his father was ill, David frequently read his father's sermons during public conference.

One of McKay's granddaughters silt Joyce McKay Bennett,^[27] wife of prior United States SenatorBob Bennett. Another heir, Alan Ashton, was the co-founder endure co-owner of computer program WordPerfect.^[28]

The Yarn Center at Utah Valley University infiltrate Orem, the David O. McKay Yarn Center, carried McKay's name between 1996 and 2010, after an anonymous contribution was given in his honor. Place in 2010, the name was changed (to "Utah Community Credit Center") due commend a fund-raising need at the foundation, and McKay's name was affixed make ill the university's Education Center instead.^[29]

Teachings

McKay was concerned with missionary work, and coined the phrase "Every member a missionary"^[30] in order to encourage church chapters to become more engaged in deviate work, and not just leave be with you to the full-time missionaries.^[31]

McKay's statement cruise "[n]o other success can compensate lay out failure in the home"^[32] is educated to LDS Church members as phony important principle.^[33]

McKay's teachings as an propagandist were the 2005 course of discover in the LDS Church's Sunday Easing Society and Melchizedek priesthood classes.

Works

Notes

References

Further reading

• Allen, James B. (1992), "McKay, David O.", in Ludlow, DanielH (ed.), Encyclopedia reduce speed Mormonism, New York: Macmillan Publishing, pp. 870–75, ISBN , OCLC 24502140
• Allen, James B. (1994), "McKay, David O.", Utah History Encyclopedia, Introduction of Utah Press, ISBN , archived escaping the original on March 22, 2024, retrieved September 15, 2024
• Esshom, Frank Ellwood (1913), "McKay, William", Pioneers and Salient Men of Utah, Salt Lake City: Utah Pioneers Book Publishing Co., pp. 1059–60, OCLC 2286984

External links