Rudger Clawson

Rudger Clawson
edit data
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
March 17, 1921 – June 21, 1943
Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
November 23, 1918 – March 17, 1921
End reason	Became President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
October 10, 1901 – June 21, 1943
End reason	Death
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
October 6, 1901 – October 10, 1901
Called by	Lorenzo Snow
End reason	Dissolution of First Presidency upon the death of Lorenzo Snow
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
October 10, 1898 – October 6, 1901
Called by	Lorenzo Snow
End reason	Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency
LDS Church Apostle
October 10, 1898 – June 21, 1943
Called by	Lorenzo Snow
Reason	Death of Wilford Woodruff; reorganization of First Presidency
Reorganization at end of term	Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson were ordained following the deaths of Clawson and Sylvester Q. Cannon
Personal details
Born	Rudger Judd Clawson March 12, 1857 Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, United States
Died	June 21, 1943 (aged 86) Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Resting place	Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′37.92″N 111°51′28.8″W / 40.7772°N 111.858°W

Rudger Judd Clawson (March 12, 1857 – June 21, 1943) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1898 until his death in 1943. He also served as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1921 until his death and as a member of the First Presidency of the LDS Church for five days in 1901.

Biography

Clawson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory to Hiram Bradley Clawson and Margaret Judd of Canada.

While serving his mission in Georgia, he faced many challenges, not the least of which was the mounting anti-Mormonism in that sector. On July 21, 1879 were standing at Varnell Station, Georgia when they were surrounded by an angry mob of anti-Mormons. One of the mobbers shot and killed his companion, Joseph Standing. One of the mobbers then turned and pointed to Elder Clawson, and said, "Shoot that man!" Clawson coolly faced the mob and folded his arms. He exclaimed, "Shoot!" The mob soon dispersed in the face of young Elder Clawson's defiance and willingness to face the mob. He brought the body of his deceased missionary companion back to Salt Lake City, Utah where a public funeral was held in the Tabernacle. He became somewhat of a celebrity for his bravery that day.

August 1882 was a difficult time for Rudger Clawson. Clawson was the first practicing polygamist to be convicted and serve a sentence after the passage of the Edmunds Act.^[1] During the trial, one of his wives refused to testify against him. She was put in prison for contempt of court. Judge Charles S. Zane sentenced Clawson to the maximum possible penalty—he was punished with 3¹⁄₂ years in prison and a $1,500 fine. For his final words before being sent to prison, Clawson defended his right to practice his religion and challenged the court's ability to enforce a law aimed at destroying a particular establishment of religion in violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. His appeal was heard and rejected by the Supreme Court of the United States in Clawson v. United States. He was pardoned in 1887 by President Grover Cleveland mere months before his sentence was going to expire.

Clawson was ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 10, 1898. He was asked to serve as second counselor in the First Presidency under President Lorenzo Snow on October 6, 1901, but Snow died just four days later.

In 1904, the town of Kingsville, Emery County, Utah renamed themselves to Clawson, Utah in his honor after visiting the town to organize a ward.

That same year, Clawson married Pearl Udall.^[2]

Death

Clawson died from pneumonia at the age of 86 in Salt Lake City, Utah.^[3] He had served in the quorum for a total of 45 years. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Rudger Clawson's grave marker

Clawson family grave marker

Published works

• Larson, Stan (Ed.) (1993). A Ministry of Meetings: The Apostolic Diaries of Rudger Clawson. Signature Books. ISBN 0-941214-96-6.
• --- (1993). Prisoner for Polygamy: The Memoirs and Letters of Rudger Clawson at the Utah Territorial Penitentiary, 1884-87. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-01861-3.

Notes

References

• Hoopes, David S., Hoopes, Roy (1990). The Making of a Mormon Apostle: A Story of Rudger Clawson. Madison Books. ISBN 0-8191-7298-7.

External resources

• The Martyrdom of Joseph Standing or, the Murder of a "Mormon" Missionary Nicholson, John. Deseret News Co., 1886.
• Grampa Bill's GA Pages: Rudger Clawson

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles Preceded by Anthon H. Lund President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles March 17, 1921–June 21, 1943 Succeeded by George Albert Smith Preceded by Abraham O. Woodruff Quorum of the Twelve Apostles October 10, 1898–June 21, 1943 Succeeded by Reed Smoot

v t e Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints J. Smith Cowdery Harris Whitmer Marsh Patten B. Young, Sr. H.C. Kimball Hyde M'Lellin P.P. Pratt L.S. Johnson Wm. Smith O. Pratt Boynton L.E. Johnson Page J. Taylor W. Woodruff G.A. Smith W. Richards Wight H. Smith A.M. Lyman Benson Rich L. Snow E. Snow F.D. Richards J.M. Grant Wells J.W. Young G.Q. Cannon J.A. Young J.F. Smith, Sr. B. Young, Jr. Carrington Thatcher F.M. Lyman J.H. Smith Teasdale H.J. Grant J.W. Taylor M.W. Merrill Lund A.H. Cannon M.F. Cowley A.O. Woodruff Clawson Smoot H.M. Smith G.A. Smith Penrose G.F. Richards Whitney McKay Ivins J.F. Smith, Jr. Talmage S.L. Richards R.R. Lyman M.J. Ballard Widtsoe J.F. Merrill Callis Clark A.A. Hinckley Bowen S.Q. Cannon Lee S.W. Kimball Benson Petersen M. Cowley Moyle Stapley Romney L. Richards Bennion Evans Morris Brown Hunter G.B. Hinckley Tanner Monson Dyer Packer Ashton McConkie Perry Haight Faust Maxwell Nelson Oaks M.R. Ballard Wirthlin Scott Hales Holland Eyring Uchtdorf Bednar Cook Christofferson Andersen

v t e Counselors in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Gause (1832) Rigdon (1832–1844) Williams (1833–1837) Cowdery (1837–1838) H. Smith (1837–1844) John Smith (1837–1844) Joseph Smith (1837–1840) Law (1841–1844) Bennett (1841–1842) Lyman (1843–1844) Kimball (1847–1868) W. Richards (1847–1854) Grant (1854–1856) Wells (1857–1877) J.F. Smith, Sr. (1866–1901) G.A. Smith (1868–1875) J.W. Young (1873–1877) Cannon (1873–1901) B. Young (1873–1877) Snow (1873–1877) Carrington (1873–1877) Clawson (1901) Winder (1901–1910) Lund (1901–1921) J.H. Smith (1910–1911) Penrose (1911–1925) Ivins (1921–1934) Nibley (1925–1931) Clark (1933–1961) McKay (1934–1951) S.L. Richards (1951–1959) Moyle (1959–1963) Brown (1961–1970) Tanner (1963–1982) Isaacson (1965–1970) J.F. Smith, Jr. (1965–1970) Dyer (1968–1970) Lee (1970–1972) Romney (1972–1985) Hinckley (1981–1995) Monson (1985–2008) Faust (1995–2007) Eyring (2007– ) Uchtdorf (2008– )

v t e Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Marsh (1835–1839) B. Young, Sr. (1839–1847) Hyde (1847–1875) Taylor (1875–1880) Woodruff (1880–1889) Snow (1889–1898) F.D. Richards (1898–1899) B. Young, Jr. (1899–1901) J.F. Smith, Sr. (1901) B. Young, Jr. (1901–1903) Lyman (1903–1916) Grant (1916–1918) Lund (1918–1921) Clawson (1921–1943) G.A. Smith (1943–1945) G.F. Richards (1945–1950) McKay (1950–1951) J.F. Smith, Jr. (1951–1970) Lee (1970–1972) Kimball (1972–1973) Benson (1973–1985) Romney (1985–1988) Hunter (1988–1994) Hinckley (1994–1995) Monson (1995–2008) Packer (2008– )