Junius F. Wells
Encyclopedia
Junius Free Wells was the first head of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, an organization which is today the Young Men organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He also was a magazine founder, an author, and the chief organizer of the LDS Church's efforts to build a number of historical monuments in the early 1900s.
Born in Salt Lake City
, Utah Territory
, Wells was the son of LDS Church leader Daniel H. Wells
and his fourth wife, Hannah Corrilla Free.
organized the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. In 1876, Young selected Wells to lead the organization. In 1880, John Taylor released Wells from his duties and revised the leadership of the YMMIA, appointing Wilford Woodruff
as the general superintendent. After Wells's release, the church's organization for young men would be led by general authorities of the church until 1935.
became the editor and publisher. The Contributor ceased publication in 1896.
Wells was also the author of eleven biographies, including those of John C. Frémont
, Thomas L. Kane
, Charles C. Rich
, James A. Garfield, and Orson Pratt
. He also authored numerous articles and short stories, the majority of which appeared in The Contributor.
and conceived a plan to build a monument to the Mormon
prophet. Under the direction of Joseph F. Smith
, Wells oversaw the construction of the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial
in 1905. The monument was dedicated by Smith December 23, 1905, the 100th anniversary of Joseph Smith, Jr.'s birth. Wells also was the chief organizer in having a monument erected by the church to the Three Witnesses
in Richmond, Missouri
in 1911.
created the Junius F. Wells Award, to be awarded to individuals who promote the purposes of the Foundation.
Born in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, 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....
, Wells was the son of LDS Church leader Daniel H. Wells
Daniel H. Wells
Daniel 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 his fourth wife, Hannah Corrilla Free.
Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association leadership
In 1875, church president Brigham YoungBrigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
organized the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. In 1876, Young selected Wells to lead the organization. In 1880, John Taylor released Wells from his duties and revised the leadership of the YMMIA, appointing Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
as the general superintendent. After Wells's release, the church's organization for young men would be led by general authorities of the church until 1935.
The Contributor and other works
Wells was also the founding editor and publisher of The Contributor, an independent publication that sought to represent the YMMIA and the church's equivalent organization for young women. Wells continued in these roles until 1892, when the magazine was purchased by the Cannon family and Abraham H. CannonAbraham H. Cannon
Abraham Hoagland Cannon , born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
became the editor and publisher. The Contributor ceased publication in 1896.
Wells was also the author of eleven biographies, including those of John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
, Thomas L. Kane
Thomas L. Kane
Thomas Leiper Kane was an American attorney, abolitionist, and military officer who was influential in the western migration of the Latter-day Saint movement and served as a Union Army colonel and general of volunteers in the American Civil War...
, Charles C. Rich
Charles C. Rich
Charles Coulson Rich was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, James A. Garfield, and Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles...
. He also authored numerous articles and short stories, the majority of which appeared in The Contributor.
Mormon historical monuments
In 1884, Wells visited the birthplace of church founder Joseph Smith, Jr. in Sharon, VermontSharon, Vermont
Sharon is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. It had a population of 1,411 at the 2000 census. The town is home to The Sharon Academy.-History:...
and conceived a plan to build a monument to the Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
prophet. Under the direction of Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, Wells oversaw the construction of the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial
Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial
Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial is a granite obelisk on a hill in the White River Valley near Sharon and South Royalton, Vermont that marks the spot where Joseph Smith, Jr. was born on 23 December 1805. The monument was erected by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , which recognizes...
in 1905. The monument was dedicated by Smith December 23, 1905, the 100th anniversary of Joseph Smith, Jr.'s birth. Wells also was the chief organizer in having a monument erected by the church to the Three Witnesses
Three Witnesses
The Three Witnesses were a group of three early leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement who signed a statement in 1830 saying that an angel had shown them the golden plates from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon and that they had heard God's voice testifying that the book had...
in Richmond, Missouri
Richmond, Missouri
Richmond is a city in Ray County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,797 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ray County.-Geography:Richmond is located at...
in 1911.
Junius F. Wells Award
In 2005, the Mormon Historic Sites FoundationMormon Historic Sites Foundation
The Mormon Historic Sites Foundation is an independent organization that seeks to contribute to the memorialization of sites important to the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
created the Junius F. Wells Award, to be awarded to individuals who promote the purposes of the Foundation.
Award recipients
- 2005: 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...
- 2006: Karl Ricks AndersonKarl Ricks AndersonKarl Ricks Anderson is a Latter-day Saint historian whose specialty is the Kirtland period in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement. He is a brother of Richard Lloyd Anderson and they were the second recipients of the Junius F. Wells Award from the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation in...
and Richard Lloyd AndersonRichard Lloyd AndersonRichard Lloyd Anderson is an emeritus professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University . His book Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses is widely considered the definitive LDS work on this subject... - 2007: M. Russell BallardM. Russell BallardMelvin Russell Ballard, Jr. is an American businessman and a religious leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called to serve in the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1985. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Ballard is accepted by the church members as a...
- 2010: Florence S. JacobsenFlorence S. JacobsenFlorence Smith Jacobsen was the sixth general president of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1961 to 1972.-Early years:...