Anthon H. Lund

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Anthon Henrik Lund (15 May 1844—2 March 1921) born in Aalborg, Denmark was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a prominent Utah leader.

Lund was born to unmarried parents and raised by his maternal grandmother until his emigration to the United States in 1862. Baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about the age of 12, he soon assisted the missionaries fulfilling his duties as both a teacher and then a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood in declaring the word of God. He arrived in Utah in September and settled in Sanpete County, following the tradition of many Scandinavian immigrants.

He was ordained October 7, 1889 to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles after the passing of President John Taylor, who died two years earlier. He was ordained along with two other apostles: Marriner W. Merrill and Abraham H. Cannon.

At the time of his ordination, Lund was the only monogamist among the Mormon leadership and throughout the turmoil of post-Manifesto polygamous marriages sanctioned by the LDS Church, Anthon repeatedly expressed restraint and concern over how the practice would be received by the United States. His emphasis on pragmatism and public relations influenced the Mormon transitional period of the early twentieth-century when Latter-day Saints finally abandoned polygamy, re-emphasized the Word of Wisdom, the Mormon law of health, de-emphasized the millennial coming of Christ, and stressed Mormonism's history as evidence of its divinity.

President Joseph F. Smith, selected Lund as second counselor in the Mormon First Presidency on October 17, 1901. There he served until April 7, 1910, when Smith called him as first counselor to replace John R. Winder, who died in March, 1910. Lund assumed a myriad of duties, including acting president of the Salt Lake Temple, Church historian, president of the Genealogical Society, and member of several writing committees to revise scripture and publications. Lund also participated in numerous businesses in Utah such as the Hotel Utah, the Amalgamated Sugar Company, and ZCMI.

After the passing of Joseph F. Smith, President Heber J. Grant called Lund again as first counselor on November 23, 1918. Lund also assumed the position of President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as he was second-most in seniority.

Anthon H. Lund died March 2, 1921 from a duodenal ulcer, an ailment which plagued him for many years. John A. Widtsoe was called to the quorum after his passing.

Preceded by Heber J. Grant	President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles November 23, 1918–March 2, 1921	Succeeded by Rudger Clawson
Preceded by Marriner W. Merrill	Quorum of the Twelve Apostles October 7, 1889–March 2, 1921	Succeeded by Abraham H. Cannon