John S. Tanner (Mormon)


John Sears Tanner was the 10th president of Brigham Young University-Hawaii from 2015 to 2020. He previously served as first counselor in the General Sunday School Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , as president of the church's Brazil São Paulo South Mission and as Academic Vice President of Brigham Young University. Tanner is married to Susan W. Tanner, a former general president of the LDS Church's Young Women organization.

Biography

Tanner was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and grew up in Pasadena, California, one of 13 children born to William and Athelia Tanner. He served an LDS mission in Brazil. In 1974, Tanner received a bachelor's degree from BYU. While at BYU he met Susan Winder. They married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1974. He then began studies at the University of California at Berkeley where he received a Ph.D. in English in 1980.
Tanner began his academic career as an assistant professor at Florida State University. He has also been a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil. Bothered in Florida by the freedom that feminist and atheist colleagues had to speak about their beliefs, while he had to hold his tongue about his, as well as by his wife's homesickness for Utah, Tanner became a member of the BYU faculty in 1982. Tanner has focused much of his study on John Milton. His book, Anxiety in Eden

Music and poetry

Tanner wrote the words to "Bless Our Fast We Pray", which is hymn #138 in the 1985 English-language edition of the LDS Church hymnal. Tanner also wrote a "Sacrament Sonnet" that was published in Ensign in 1981.
Tanner was also involved with putting to music "Nephi's Psalm," from a chapter in the Book of Mormon. The first one, "I Love the Lord" was written to the tune of "Be Still My Soul" and has been sung at the Priesthood Session of both the October 1999 and April 2007 general conferences. His other adaption, "Sometimes My Soul," is based on the American folk tune "Poor Wayfaring Stranger." Tanner also wrote an article in Ensign on the power of hymns.
Tanner is also a published poet.