Bryant S. Hinckley
Encyclopedia
Bryant Stringham Hinckley (July 9, 1867–June 5, 1961) was an American author, religious speaker, civic leader and educator. He served as a prominent mid-level leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the early 20th century. His books were primarily designed for a Latter-day Saint audience.
Hinckley was the father of Gordon B. Hinckley
, who would later serve as an apostle and the president of the LDS Church. His brother, Alonzo A. Hinckley
was also an Apostle. They were both half brothers of Edwin S. Hinckley
who was a prominent educator at Brigham Young University
. His father was Ira Hinckley
. He was named for Briant Stringham, an early judge and stock raiser in Utah.
Hinckley was the principal of the Latter-day Saint high school in Salt Lake City. During the first decade of the 20th century, he was the head of LDS Business College
. Hinckley had previously been the head of the Commercial Department at Brigham Young Academy. Today there is a scholarship at LDS Business College named after Hinckley.
Hinckley later served as the superintendent of the LDS Church owned Deseret Gym.
. He was Ira and Angeline's fifth child and was a full brother of Alonzo A. Hinckley
.
Hinckley married four times, his first three wives having predeceased him. In 1893, Hinckley married Christina Johnson (1870–1908). After Johnson's death, he married Ada Bitner (1880–1930) in 1909. After Bitner's death, he married May Green (1881–1943) in 1932. After Green's death, he married Lois Anderson (1889–1983) in 1944.
All of Hinckley's children were born to his first two wives, Christina Johnson and Ada Bitner.
, Hinckley was president of the Liberty Stake in Salt Lake City in the 1920s, which was then the largest stake in the church with about 20,000 members.
He also served on the general board of the LDS Church's organization for young men, the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. While on this board he moved for the adoption of the Boy Scout
program by the church. He had also been on one of the committees that led to the establishment of the Improvement Era
. Other members of this committee included B. H. Roberts and Reed Smoot
.
In the 1930s Hinckley was president
of the Northern States Mission
of the LDS Church, which was based in Chicago
. While serving in this position he tried to convince the leaders of the LDS Church to rebuild the Nauvoo Temple
. Also while in this position he represented the church at the dedication of the monument to the Mormon handcart pioneers
in Iowa City erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution
in 1936. That same year Hinckley organized the first branch of the Church in Lansing, Michigan
Also in this capacity he was involved in organizing the celebration of the centennial of Nauvoo in 1939.
. He won a contest to be the speaker at his commencement, and would be noted the rest of his life as a great orator. Among other speeches to church congregations he gave at least two talks at general conferences.
Hinckley also participated in giving talks in the church's "Church of the Air" program on KSL radio in the 1930s.
For a time there was a "Bryant S. Hinckley Award" given to recognize people for the service they had performed in boy scouts.
Inspirational materials:
Hinckley also wrote several articles for the LDS Church publication, the Improvement Era
.
Hinckley was the father of Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
, who would later serve as an apostle and the president of the LDS Church. His brother, Alonzo A. Hinckley
Alonzo A. Hinckley
Alonzo Arza Hinckley was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1934 until his death....
was also an Apostle. They were both half brothers of Edwin S. Hinckley
Edwin S. Hinckley
Edwin S. Hinckley was one of only two men to hold the position of counselor to the president of Brigham Young University. He was a prominent educator and geologist....
who was a prominent educator at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. His father was Ira Hinckley
Ira Hinckley
Ira Nathaniel Hinckley was an early Latter Day Saint leader who supervised the construction and maintenance of Cove Fort, a strategically placed fortification located about half-way between Salt Lake City and St. George, Utah. He was the father of author Bryant S. Hinckley and LDS apostle Alonzo A...
. He was named for Briant Stringham, an early judge and stock raiser in Utah.
Hinckley was the principal of the Latter-day Saint high school in Salt Lake City. During the first decade of the 20th century, he was the head of LDS Business College
LDS Business College
LDS Business College is a two-year college in Salt Lake City, Utah, focused on training students in business and industry. The college is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and operates under the Church Educational System and is associated with the Brigham Young University...
. Hinckley had previously been the head of the Commercial Department at Brigham Young Academy. Today there is a scholarship at LDS Business College named after Hinckley.
Hinckley later served as the superintendent of the LDS Church owned Deseret Gym.
Family
Bryant Stringham Hinckley was born to Ira Nathaniel Hinckley and his wife Angeline Wilcox Noble. Bryant's mother, Angeline, had been born in Livonia, MichiganLivonia, Michigan
Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's 9th largest...
. He was Ira and Angeline's fifth child and was a full brother of Alonzo A. Hinckley
Alonzo A. Hinckley
Alonzo Arza Hinckley was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1934 until his death....
.
Hinckley married four times, his first three wives having predeceased him. In 1893, Hinckley married Christina Johnson (1870–1908). After Johnson's death, he married Ada Bitner (1880–1930) in 1909. After Bitner's death, he married May Green (1881–1943) in 1932. After Green's death, he married Lois Anderson (1889–1983) in 1944.
All of Hinckley's children were born to his first two wives, Christina Johnson and Ada Bitner.
Church service
Born in Coalville, UtahCoalville, Utah
Coalville is a city in Summit County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,382 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Summit County...
, Hinckley was president of the Liberty Stake in Salt Lake City in the 1920s, which was then the largest stake in the church with about 20,000 members.
He also served on the general board of the LDS Church's organization for young men, the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. While on this board he moved for the adoption of the Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
program by the church. He had also been on one of the committees that led to the establishment of the Improvement Era
Improvement Era
The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970....
. Other members of this committee included B. H. Roberts and Reed Smoot
Reed Smoot
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...
.
In the 1930s Hinckley was 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 Northern States 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...
of the LDS Church, which was based in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. While serving in this position he tried to convince the leaders of the LDS Church to rebuild the Nauvoo Temple
Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...
. Also while in this position he represented the church at the dedication of the monument to the Mormon handcart pioneers
Mormon handcart pioneers
The Mormon handcart pioneers were participants in the migration of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Salt Lake City, Utah, who used handcarts to transport their belongings...
in Iowa City erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
in 1936. That same year Hinckley organized the first branch of the Church in Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
Also in this capacity he was involved in organizing the celebration of the centennial of Nauvoo in 1939.
Speaking
Hinckley was also a popular speaker. He attended Brigham Young Academy where he studied under Karl G. MaeserKarl G. Maeser
-Brigham Young Academy:When Maeser arrived at Brigham Young Academy in 1876 it was dying. Enrollment had declined since Warren N. Dusenberry had started the school a few months before. There were only 29 students at the time of Maeser's arrival....
. He won a contest to be the speaker at his commencement, and would be noted the rest of his life as a great orator. Among other speeches to church congregations he gave at least two talks at general conferences.
Hinckley also participated in giving talks in the church's "Church of the Air" program on KSL radio in the 1930s.
Later life and recognitions
From 1940-1941 Hinckley served as the President of the BYU Alumni Association. While in this office he was responsible for the formation of the emeritus club, of which he later served as the leader.For a time there was a "Bryant S. Hinckley Award" given to recognize people for the service they had performed in boy scouts.
Publications
Biographies:- biography of church apostle Melvin J. BallardMelvin J. BallardMelvin Joseph Ballard was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was born in Logan, Utah Territory. His grandson, M. Russell Ballard, was also ordained an apostle.Prior to his birth, his mother had an experience that led her to believe...
. - Bryant Stringham and his People, Salt Lake City, UT,Stevents and Wallis, 1949.
- Heber J. GrantHeber J. GrantHeber 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...
: Highlights in the Life of a Great Leader published by Deseret BookDeseret BookDeseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
in 1951. - Daniel Hammer WellsDaniel H. WellsDaniel 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 the Events of his Time.
Inspirational materials:
- The Faith of Our Pioneer Fathers Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1959.
- Not by Bread Alone a compilation of inspirational stories aimed at helping teachers.
- That Ye Might Have Joy a collection of articles compiled by his children, used as a companion to Not by Bread Alone. Salt Lake City: BookcraftBookcraftBookcraft was a major publisher of books and products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:In 1940, LDS Church President Heber J. Grant asked the church's Improvement Era magazine to compile his sermons into a book called Gospel Standards. Compiler G...
, inc., 1958.
Hinckley also wrote several articles for the LDS Church publication, the Improvement Era
Improvement Era
The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970....
.
See also
- Gordon B. HinckleyGordon B. HinckleyGordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
: son - Richard G. HinckleyRichard G. HinckleyRichard Gordon Hinckley has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2005. In 2011, he became an emeritus general authority. He is the son of Gordon B. Hinckley, who was the fifteenth President of the Church.-Early life, mission, education:Hinckley was...
: grandson - Virginia H. PearceVirginia H. PearceVirginia Hinckley Pearce is an author and was a member of the general presidency of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1992 to 1997. Pearce is the daughter of Gordon B...
: granddaughter
External links
- BYU Magazine profile, fall 2006
- Speech given by Bryant S. Hinckley at the Salt Lake TabernacleSalt Lake TabernacleThe Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah along with the Salt Lake Assembly Hall and Salt Lake Temple.-History:...
while he was serving as President of the Northern States Mission. - BYU speeches, audio versions