Howard W. Hunter


Howard William Hunter was an American lawyer and was the 14th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1994 to 1995. His nine-month presidential tenure is the shortest in the church's history. Hunter was the first president of the LDS Church born in the 20th century and the last to die in it. He was sustained as an LDS apostle at the age of 51, and served as a general authority for over 35 years.

Early life

Hunter was born to John William and Nellie Marie Hunter in Boise, Idaho. His father, who was not a Latter-day Saint but joined the church in 1927, would not allow Hunter to be baptized until he was 12; Hunter was ordained to the Aaronic priesthood several months after he turned 12. He was the second person to become an Eagle Scout in the state of Idaho.
In March 1923, the Boise Ward, where Hunter had been a member since his baptism, was split, and he ended up in the new Boise 2nd Ward. It initially met in a Jewish synagogue that was provided free of charge. When calls were issued to build the Boise LDS Tabernacle, Hunter was the first to pledge money for the building, offering $25.
Hunter had a love for music and played the piano, violin, drums, saxophone, clarinet, and trumpet. He formed a band called Hunter's Croonaders, which played at many regional events and on a cruise ship to Asia.

Professional career

In 1928, Hunter tried a system where he would publish train and bus schedules and charge for advertising, placing them in hotels. The project worked moderately well in such cities as Nampa and Twin Falls, but it failed in Pocatello, Idaho. After this failure, Hunter moved to southern California.
In California, Hunter initially worked in a citrus factory and in shoe sales. After a few weeks he secured a job at a Bank of Italy branch on April 23, 1928. Hunter studied at the American Institute of Banking while working for the Bank of Italy. Besides working in banking, Hunter was still playing the saxophone for dances on a regular basis.
In November 1930, Hunter was involved in booking for the merger of the Bank of Italy with the Bank of America of California to form the Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association. Shortly after, Hunter took a position as a junior officer with the First Exchange Bank of Inglewood. This bank was taken over by the state of California and placed in receivership in January 1932. For the next two years, Hunter filled several odd jobs, including working as a bridge painter and a laundry detergent peddler. In 1934, he managed to get a position as a title examiner with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. In 1935, Hunter began his studies at Southwestern Law School and eventually had a successful career as a lawyer.

Leadership in the LDS Church

Prior to his call as an apostle, Hunter held several leadership positions in the LDS Church. He was the first president of the church's Pasadena California Stake, where he had also served as a bishop.
Hunter became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1959. He filled a vacancy in the Quorum created when apostle Henry D. Moyle was added to the First Presidency following the death of Stephen L Richards, a counselor in the First Presidency. As an apostle, Hunter led church negotiations to acquire land in Jerusalem to build the BYU Jerusalem Center, which he dedicated in 1989.
In 1970, when Joseph Fielding Smith became president of the church, Hunter succeeded Smith as Church Historian and Recorder. Hunter held this position until 1972, and was succeeded by Leonard J. Arrington.
In November 1985, when Ezra Taft Benson became President of the Church, Hunter was named Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve; this was in recognition of the infirmity of Marion G. Romney, who had succeeded as President of the Twelve by seniority. Hunter became President of the Quorum of the Twelve upon Romney's death in 1988.
Hunter became President of the Church in June 1994 following the death of Ezra Taft Benson. Hunter retained Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson as counselors in the First Presidency. He offered a conciliatory message at his initial news conference, saying, "To those who have transgressed or been offended, we say, 'Come back.'"
Some of Hunter's contributions as church president include the creation of the church's 2000th stake and the drafting of the "", which was released the year after his death. As president of the church, Hunter encouraged and emphasized Christ-like living and temple attendance. He dedicated two temples, the Orlando Florida Temple and the Bountiful Utah Temple, shortly before his death.
Hunter's teachings as an apostle were the 2016 course of study in the LDS Church's Sunday Relief Society and Melchizedek priesthood classes.

Leadership in other LDS Church-owned endeavors

Hunter served in several LDS Church assignments not directly related to ecclesiastical matters while a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Brigham Young University and closely involved with the founding of the J. Reuben Clark Law School. He also was a member of the Board of Trustees of the New World Archaeology Foundation, chairman of the board of the Polynesian Cultural Center, and president of the Genealogical Society of Utah.

Attempted hostage incident

While preparing to speak at a CES fireside being held at Brigham Young University's Marriott Center on February 7, 1993, Hunter was confronted by Cody Judy, who rushed onto the rostrum and threatened Hunter and the audience of 15,000 to 17,000. Judy carried a briefcase that he claimed contained a bomb and held what appeared to be a detonator-like device. Judy demanded that Hunter read a three-page document that supposedly detailed God's plan for Judy to lead the church, which Hunter refused to do. The audience spontaneously sang "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet", during which students from the audience, and then security personnel, overtook Judy. After Judy was taken away, Hunter delivered his prepared remarks, a talk entitled,

Health problems and death

When Hunter was four years old, he was stricken with polio, which afflicted his back so that he was never able to bend forward and touch the ground again.
While President of the Quorum of the Twelve, Hunter developed major health problems that continued for the remainder of his life, including a heart attack, broken ribs from a fall at general conference, heart bypass surgery, bleeding ulcers, and kidney failure. Hunter was admitted to LDS Hospital on January 9, 1995, for exhaustion and was released on January 16. While hospitalized, it was discovered that Hunter was suffering from prostate cancer that had spread to the bones.
Hunter died at age 87 in his downtown Salt Lake City residence as a result of the cancer. With him at the time of his death were his wife, Inis; his nurse, who had been attending him; and his personal secretary, Lowell Hardy. Funeral services were held on March 8, 1995, at the Salt Lake Tabernacle, under the direction of Gordon B. Hinckley, Hunter's counselor in the First Presidency and the President of the Quorum of the Twelve. Hinckley replaced Hunter as president of the LDS Church. Hunter was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. On October 14, 2007, at her home in Laguna Hills, California, Inis Hunter died of causes incident to age.

Personal life

In June 1928, Hunter met Clara May "Claire" Jeffs, a young woman from Salt Lake City and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 10, 1931. The Hunters' first son, William, died a year before Hunter started law school. While he was in law school, they had other two sons, Richard and John, who lived until adulthood and both became attorneys. After the death of Hunter's first wife in 1983, he married Inis Stanton in 1990 while president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Legacy