John R. Winder
Encyclopedia
John Rex Winder was a leader and general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
from 1887 to 1901, and First Counselor in the First Presidency
to Church President Joseph F. Smith
from 1901 until his death. He was well-known for his business abilities, and influenced Heber J. Grant
. He was also active in politics and the militia, fighting in the Utah War
and the Black Hawk War (Utah)
. When the church came under heavy persecution for their belief in plural marriage
, he held the church's assets to keep them from being seized by the federal government.
, England
. He worked in several trades as a youth, settling into a position as a shoe and leather man in his twenties in London
. There he married Ellen Walters in 1845. There also he was recruited to manage a shoe store in Liverpool
.
In the shoe store, he discovered The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and joined as a member. In February 1853, he and his wife set out to Utah to join the church there. He traveled across the Atlantic Ocean
, nearly succumbing to smallpox
on the way. He then traveled via steamboat up the Mississippi River
to St. Louis
, Missouri
, where he caught another boat leading up to Keokuk
, Iowa
. From there he traveled with a company of members heading towards Utah
under Joseph W. Young. They arrived safely on October 10, 1853.
John R. Winder also became a figure in politics and the militia in the territory
. He led the Nauvoo Legion
to stop the advance of Johnston's Army in the Utah War
of 1857. In the Black Hawk War (Utah)
, he fought as Adjutant General. He was the chief aid to General Daniel H. Wells
, and wrote up the expense report submitted to congress at the conclusion of the conflict.
John R. Winder also served as chairman of the People's Party
. His efforts to modernize the exercise of politics in the territory led from the church-dominated system to a two-party system
much like the national political system. Serving as a delegate to several state constitutional conventions
, he was an instrument in Utah Territory achieving statehood
.
called John R. Winder to serve as Second Counselor to Presiding Bishop
William B. Preston
on April 8, 1887. During this time, the federal government began to antagonize the church for its practice of plural marriage
. After the passage of the Edmunds-Tucker Act
in 1887, church leaders went into hiding and church assets were distributed to be kept from being seized. John R. Winder assisted many people on the run from the federal government, by helping to hide them or to post bail. His poplar farm on the south of the city served as a temporary Church headquarters for President John Taylor.
Church President Wilford Woodruff
approached John R. Winder, Charles W. Penrose
, and George Reynolds
to review and edit the manuscript of the 1890 Manifesto
. With the publication and announcement of the manifesto, federal persecution stopped.
Another significant contribution of John R. Winder during his tenure as Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric was his work on the interior of the Salt Lake Temple
. He managed the interior work to be done, and completed it much ahead of schedule. That earned him praise from leaders of the church. After the dedication, John R. Winder served as First Assistant to Temple President
Lorenzo Snow
. He remained in the presidency of the temple until his death.
He was called to the First Presidency
as First Counselor to President Joseph F. Smith
on October 17, 1901. One of the notable efforts of that administration was the legal fight to get Reed Smoot
seated as a senator in the Smoot Hearings
. They also published a proclamation called The Origin of Man in 1909 that clarified the Church's position on human evolution and reaffirmed that men are the children of God and were created by him.
Winder died on March 27, 1910 in Salt Lake City, Utah
of pneumonia
. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
. Anthon H. Lund
succeeded him as First Counselor in the First Presidency.
in 1845. With her consent, he married Hannah Thompson in Salt Lake City in 1855, Elizabeth Parker in 1857, and later, Maria Burnham in 1893. Through these women he bore 20 children.
Maria Burnham was from Fruitland
, New Mexico Territory
, where the LDS Church congregation was named the Burnham Ward because of her family's prominence in the early history of the area.
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
Presiding Bishop (LDS Church)
The Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a priesthood calling with church-wide authority. The Presiding Bishop is the highest leadership position within the church's Aaronic priesthood.-Presiding Bishopric:...
from 1887 to 1901, and First Counselor in the First Presidency
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
to Church President Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
from 1901 until his death. He was well-known for his business abilities, and influenced Heber J. Grant
Heber J. Grant
Heber Jeddy Grant was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained an apostle on October 16, 1882, on the same day as George Teasdale...
. He was also active in politics and the militia, fighting in the Utah War
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
and the Black Hawk War (Utah)
Black Hawk War (Utah)
The Black Hawk War, or Black Hawk's War, from 1865 to 1872, is the name of the estimated 150 military engagement between Mormon settlers in the Four Corners region and members of the Ute, Paiute, Apache and Navajo tribes, led by a local Ute chief, Antonga Black Hawk...
. When the church came under heavy persecution for their belief in plural marriage
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
, he held the church's assets to keep them from being seized by the federal government.
Early life
John Rex Winder was born December 11, 1821 to Richard and Sophia Collins Winder in BiddendenBiddenden
Biddenden is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village lies on the Weald of Kent, some five miles north of Tenterden. It was centre for Wealden iron industry and also of clothmaking. During the reign of Edward III some Flemish clothworkers settled in the area...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He worked in several trades as a youth, settling into a position as a shoe and leather man in his twenties in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. There he married Ellen Walters in 1845. There also he was recruited to manage a shoe store in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
In the shoe store, he discovered The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and joined as a member. In February 1853, he and his wife set out to Utah to join the church there. He traveled across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, nearly succumbing to smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
on the way. He then traveled via steamboat up the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, where he caught another boat leading up to Keokuk
Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. From there he traveled with a company of members heading towards Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
under Joseph W. Young. They arrived safely on October 10, 1853.
Utah life
Engaged in leather work, he was quite successful in several ventures. His business sense became recognized and eventually he found seats on several corporate boards. Of his ventures, one remains today: Winder Dairy. John R. Winder was generous with his wealth. The poor, orphans, and widows benefited greatly from his efforts.John R. Winder also became a figure in politics and the militia in the territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
. He led the Nauvoo Legion
Nauvoo Legion
The Nauvoo Legion was a militia originally organized by the Latter Day Saints to defend the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, . To curry political favor with the ambiguously-political Saints, the Illinois state legislature granted Nauvoo a liberal city charter that gave the Nauvoo Legion extraordinary...
to stop the advance of Johnston's Army in the Utah War
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
of 1857. In the Black Hawk War (Utah)
Black Hawk War (Utah)
The Black Hawk War, or Black Hawk's War, from 1865 to 1872, is the name of the estimated 150 military engagement between Mormon settlers in the Four Corners region and members of the Ute, Paiute, Apache and Navajo tribes, led by a local Ute chief, Antonga Black Hawk...
, he fought as Adjutant General. He was the chief aid to General Daniel H. Wells
Daniel H. Wells
Daniel Hanmer Wells was an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the third mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, United States....
, and wrote up the expense report submitted to congress at the conclusion of the conflict.
John R. Winder also served as chairman of the People's Party
People's Party (Utah)
The People's Party was a political party in Utah Territory during the late 19th century. It was backed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its newspaper, the Deseret News. It opposed Utah's Liberal Party.- Beginnings :...
. His efforts to modernize the exercise of politics in the territory led from the church-dominated system to a two-party system
Two-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
much like the national political system. Serving as a delegate to several state constitutional conventions
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
, he was an instrument in Utah Territory achieving statehood
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
.
General authority
Church President John TaylorJohn Taylor (1808-1887)
John Taylor was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1880 to 1887. He is the only president of the LDS Church to have been born outside of the United States....
called John R. Winder to serve as Second Counselor to Presiding Bishop
Presiding Bishop (LDS Church)
The Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a priesthood calling with church-wide authority. The Presiding Bishop is the highest leadership position within the church's Aaronic priesthood.-Presiding Bishopric:...
William B. Preston
William B. Preston (Mormon)
William Bowker Preston was the fourth Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1884 and 1907....
on April 8, 1887. During this time, the federal government began to antagonize the church for its practice of plural marriage
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
. After the passage of the Edmunds-Tucker Act
Edmunds-Tucker Act
The Edmunds–Tucker Act of 1887 was passed in response to the dispute between the United States Congress and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding polygamy. The act is found in US Code Title 48 & 1461, full text as 24 Stat. 635, with this annotation to be interpreted as Volume...
in 1887, church leaders went into hiding and church assets were distributed to be kept from being seized. John R. Winder assisted many people on the run from the federal government, by helping to hide them or to post bail. His poplar farm on the south of the city served as a temporary Church headquarters for President John Taylor.
Church President Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
approached John R. Winder, Charles W. Penrose
Charles W. Penrose
Charles William Penrose was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 7, 1904. Penrose was also a member of the First Presidency of the church under Church Presidents Joseph F. Smith and Heber J...
, and George Reynolds
George Reynolds (Mormon)
George Reynolds was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a longtime secretary to the First Presidency of the LDS Church, and a party to the 1878 United States Supreme Court case Reynolds v...
to review and edit the manuscript of the 1890 Manifesto
1890 Manifesto
The "1890 Manifesto", sometimes simply called "The Manifesto", is a statement which officially disavowed the continuing practice of plural marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. With the publication and announcement of the manifesto, federal persecution stopped.
Another significant contribution of John R. Winder during his tenure as Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric was his work on the interior of the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
. He managed the interior work to be done, and completed it much ahead of schedule. That earned him praise from leaders of the church. After the dedication, John R. Winder served as First Assistant to Temple President
Temple President
Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual capacity....
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
. He remained in the presidency of the temple until his death.
He was called to the First Presidency
First Presidency
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1832, and is the highest governing body of several modern Latter Day Saint denominations...
as First Counselor to President Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
on October 17, 1901. One of the notable efforts of that administration was the legal fight to get Reed Smoot
Reed Smoot (U. S. Senator)
Reed Owen Smoot was a native-born Utahn who was first elected to the United States Senate from Utah in 1903, and served as a Senator until 1933...
seated as a senator in the Smoot Hearings
Smoot Hearings
The Reed Smoot hearings were a series of Congressional hearings on whether the United States Senate should seat U.S. Senator Reed Smoot, who was elected by the Utah legislature in 1903...
. They also published a proclamation called The Origin of Man in 1909 that clarified the Church's position on human evolution and reaffirmed that men are the children of God and were created by him.
Winder died on March 27, 1910 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
Salt Lake City Cemetery
thumb|The northern section of the cemetery at night, looking towards Salt Lake CityThe Salt Lake City Cemetery is in The Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. Approximately 120,000 persons are buried in the cemetery. Many religious leaders and politicians, particularly many leaders of The...
. Anthon H. Lund
Anthon H. Lund
Anthon Henrik Lund 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.-History:...
succeeded him as First Counselor in the First Presidency.
Apostle?
Having never been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles prior to his call to the First Presidency, a rarity, there has been some dispute as to whether or not Winder was ordained an Apostle at the time of his appointment as first counselor. The LDS Church has no record of Winder being ordained to the office of Apostle.Family life
John R. Winder married Ellen Walters in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1845. With her consent, he married Hannah Thompson in Salt Lake City in 1855, Elizabeth Parker in 1857, and later, Maria Burnham in 1893. Through these women he bore 20 children.
Maria Burnham was from Fruitland
Fruitland, New Mexico
Fruitland is an unincorporated community in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States, on the north side of the San Juan River. It is immediately west of central Kirtland and north across the river from the Navajo Indian Reservation and Upper Fruitland. It is east of Waterflow.-History:The area...
, New Mexico Territory
New Mexico Territory
thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...
, where the LDS Church congregation was named the Burnham Ward because of her family's prominence in the early history of the area.