Rufus K. Hardy
Encyclopedia
Rufus Kay Hardy was a prominent missionary
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand
and was a general authority
of the LDS Church from 1935 until his death.
Hardy was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory
. In 1897, church apostle John Henry Smith
ordained Hardy to be a seventy and set him apart
to be a missionary in New Zealand. Hardy served in New Zealand as a church missionary from 1897 to 1901. Hardy would return to New Zealand twice as the president
of the church's New Zealand Mission
from 1907 to 1909 and from 1933 to 1934.
In 1935, Hardy became a member of the church's First Council of the Seventy, and served in this position until his death in Salt Lake City from myocarditis
. He was married to Adelaide Underwood Eldredge and was the father of one daughter.
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and was a general authority
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 LDS Church from 1935 until his death.
Hardy was born in Salt Lake City, Utah 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....
. In 1897, church apostle John Henry Smith
John Henry Smith
John Henry Smith was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
ordained Hardy to be a seventy and set him apart
Setting apart
Setting apart is an ordinance or ritual in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whereby a person is formally chosen and blessed to carry out a specific calling or responsibility in the church....
to be a missionary in New Zealand. Hardy served in New Zealand as a church missionary from 1897 to 1901. Hardy would return to New Zealand twice as the president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the church's New Zealand Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
from 1907 to 1909 and from 1933 to 1934.
In 1935, Hardy became a member of the church's First Council of the Seventy, and served in this position until his death in Salt Lake City from myocarditis
Myocarditis
Myocarditis is inflammation of heart muscle . It resembles a heart attack but coronary arteries are not blocked.Myocarditis is most often due to infection by common viruses, such as parvovirus B19, less commonly non-viral pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi or Trypanosoma cruzi, or as a...
. He was married to Adelaide Underwood Eldredge and was the father of one daughter.