Alvin R. Dyer

Alvin R. Dyer



First Quorum of the Seventy
October 1, 1976 (1976-10-01) – March 6, 1977 (1977-03-06)
Called by	Spencer W. Kimball

Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
January 18, 1970 (1970-01-18) – October 1, 1976 (1976-10-01)
Called by	Joseph Fielding Smith
End reason	Position abolished

Counselor in the First Presidency
April 6, 1968 (1968-04-06) – January 18, 1970 (1970-01-18)
Called by	David O. McKay
End reason	Death of David O. McKay

LDS Church Apostle
October 5, 1967 (1967-10-05) – March 6, 1977 (1977-03-06)
Called by	David O. McKay
Reason	David O. McKay's discretion^[1]
Reorganization at end of term	No apostles ordained^[2]

Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
October 11, 1958 (1958-10-11) – October 5, 1967 (1967-10-05)
Called by	David O. McKay
End reason	Called as a counselor in the First Presidency

Personal details
Born	Alvin Rulon Dyer (1903-01-01)January 1, 1903 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Died	March 6, 1977(1977-03-06) (aged 74) Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Cause of death	Stroke
Resting place	Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park 40°41′52.08″N 111°50′30.12″W / 40.6978000°N 111.8417000°W / 40.6978000; -111.8417000 (Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park)
Spouse(s)	May E. Jackson
Children	2
Parents	Alfred L. Dyer Harriet Walsh

Alvin Rulon Dyer (January 1, 1903 – March 6, 1977) was an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and served as a member of the church's First Presidency from 1968 to 1970.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dyer was ordained as an apostle on October 5, 1967, (but was not added as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) and subsequently was set apart as a counselor in the First Presidency to church president David O. McKay. After McKay's death in 1970, Dyer was returned to a position as an Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, and later to the First Quorum of the Seventy when it was reconstituted in 1976. Dyer is the only person in the history of the LDS Church to be ordained to the office of seventy after having been ordained to the office of apostle.

Life

Raised in Utah, Dyer was an accomplished baseball player as a youth, but put baseball aside to serve as a missionary for the LDS Church in the Eastern States Mission from 1922 to 1924. In 1926, he was married to May Elizabeth Jackson in the Salt Lake Temple.

After his mission, Dyer had the opportunity to play professional baseball, but declined the offer because he would have to play on Sundays.^[3] Instead, he studied mechanical drafting and technical engineering in order to become a sheet metal journeyman. He later managed the heating and air conditioning department of Utah Builders Supply. Eventually, he formed the Dyer Distributing Company which he owned until 1954, when he dissolved all his business interests upon being called to full-time service as a mission president in the church.

Alvin R. Dyer's grave marker

In addition to his service as a general authority, Dyer served in many capacities within the church, holding such positions as bishop and stake high councilor. He served as president over the Central States Mission of the church beginning in 1954, and over the European Mission from 1960 to 1962. While leading the European Mission, Dyer was an enthusiastic supporter of Henry D. Moyle's Baseball Baptism Program that accelerated the rate of baptisms among young people. He told the missionaries, "you can teach ... everything that a person needs to know to be baptized in this Church in less than three minutes.^[4]

Aside from his business and church activities, Dyer was active in both the Missouri Historical Society and the Jackson County Historical Society. He authored a book on LDS Church history in Missouri, The Refiner's Fire, Historical Highlights of Missouri (Deseret Book, 1960).

In 1961, Dyer taught that the reason most negroes were prohibited from being ordained to priesthood offices was because they were descended from Cain and thus were a "cursed lineage".^[5] Church president Spencer W. Kimball announced the end of these restrictions in 1978.<ref

In August 1967, McKay resolved to appoint Dyer as one of his counselors. McKay made the decision without consulting his other counselors Hugh B. Brown and N. Eldon Tanner. The appointment caused some tension between Brown and Tanner and the newly called Dyer over what Dyer's role would be and whether his calling was as a counselor "to" the First Presidency or "in" the first presidency.^[6]

In 1972, Dyer suffered a stroke that limited his activity. He died at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1977.

Notes

↑ Dyer was ordained and added as a counselor in the First Presidency. Dyer was never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but he retained the apostleship throughout the remainder of his life.
↑ Because Dyer was not a member of the First Presidency or the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when he died, his death did not result in any new apostles being called.
↑ "Elder Alvin R. Dyer Dies," Ensign, May 1977, p. 119.
↑ Quinn, Michael. "I-Thou vs. I-It Conversions: The Mormon 'Baseball Baptism' Era" (PDF). Sunstone. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
↑ "For What Purpose?," Missionary Conference, Oslo, Norway, March 18, 1961, printed in The Negro in Mormon Theology, pp. 48–58.
↑ Bergera, Gary James (2006). "Tensions in David O. McKay's First Presidencies". Journal of Mormon History. 33. |access-date= requires |url= (help)

External links

Members of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Presidents of
the Church

J. Smith Jr. (1830–44)
B. Young Sr. (1847–77)
Taylor (1880–87)
Woodruff (1889–98)
Snow (1898–1901)
J.F. Smith Sr. (1901–18)
Grant (1918–45)
G.A. Smith (1945–51)
McKay (1951–70)
J.F. Smith Jr. (1970–72)
Lee (1972–73)
Kimball (1973–85)
Benson (1985–94)
Hunter (1994–95)
Hinckley (1995–2008)
Monson (2008–)

First Counselors

Gause (1832)
Rigdon (1832–44)
Kimball (1847–68)
G.A. Smith (1868–75)
J.W. Young (1876–77)
Cannon (1880–1901)
J.F. Smith Sr. (1901)
Winder (1901–10)
Lund (1910–21)
Penrose (1921–25)
Ivins (1925–34)
Clark (1934–51; 1959–61)
S.L. Richards (1951–59)
Moyle (1961–63)
Brown (1963–70)
Lee (1970–72)
Tanner (1972–82)
Romney (1982–85)
Hinckley (1985–95)
Monson (1995–2008)
Eyring (2008–)

Second Counselors

Rigdon (1832)
Williams (1833–37)
H. Smith (1837–41)
Law (1841–44)
W. Richards (1847–54)
Grant (1854–56)
Wells (1857–77)
J.F. Smith Sr. (1880–1901)
Clawson (1901)
Lund (1901–10)
J.H. Smith (1910–11)
Penrose (1911–21)
Ivins (1921–25)
Nibley (1925–31)
Clark (1933–34; 1951–59)
McKay (1934–51)
Moyle (1959–61)
Brown (1961–63)
Tanner (1963–72)
Romney (1972–82)
Hinckley (1982–85)
Monson (1985–95)
Faust (1995–2007)
Eyring (2007–08)
Uchtdorf (2008–)

Additional
Counselors

Assistant Counselors	Cowdery (1837–38) H. Smith (1837) John Smith (1837–44) J. Smith Sr. (1837–40) J.W. Young (1874–76) Cannon (1874–77) B. Young Jr. (1874–77) Snow (1874–77) Carrington (1874–77)

Counselors	Lyman (1843–44) J.F. Smith Sr. (1866–77) J.W. Young (1873–77) Cannon (1873–74) B. Young Jr. (1873–74) Snow (1873–74) Carrington (1873–74) Isaacson (1965–70) J.F. Smith Jr. (1965–70) Dyer (1968–70) Hinckley (1981–82)

Third Counselors	Brown (1961)

Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

J. Smith (1829–44)^[1]
Cowdery (1829–38)^[1]^[2]
Whitmer (1829–38)^[1]^[2]
Harris (unknown–1837)^[1]^[2]
Marsh (1835–39)^[2]
Patten (1835–38)
B. Young, Sr. (1835–77)
H.C. Kimball (1835–68)
Hyde (1835–78)
McLellin (1835–38)^[2]
P.P. Pratt (1835–57)
Luke Johnson (1835–37)^[3]
Wm. Smith (1835–45)^[2]
O. Pratt (1835–81)
Boynton (1835–37)^[2]
L.E. Johnson (1835–38)^[2]
Page (1838–46)^[2]
J. Taylor (1838–87)
W. Woodruff (1839–98)
G.A. Smith (1839–75)
W. Richards (1840–54)
Wight (1841–48)^[2]
H. Smith (1841–44)^[1]
A.M. Lyman (1842–67)^[4]
Benson (1846–69)
Rich (1849–83)
L. Snow (1849–1901)
E. Snow (1849–88)
F.D. Richards (1849–99)
J.M. Grant (1854–56)^[1]
Wells (1857–91)^[1]
J.W. Young (1855–1924)^[1]
G.Q. Cannon (1860–1901)
J.A. Young (1864–75)^[1]
B. Young Jr. (1864–1903)
J.F. Smith, Sr. (1866–1918)
Carrington (1870–85)^[2]
Thatcher (1879–1909)
F.M. Lyman (1880–1916)
J.H. Smith (1880–1911)
Teasdale (1882–1907)
H.J. Grant (1882–1945)
J.W. Taylor (1884–1911)^[2]
M.W. Merrill (1889–1906)
Lund (1889–1921)
A.H. Cannon (1889–96)
M.F. Cowley (1897–1911)^[5]
A.O. Woodruff (1897–1904)
Clawson (1898–1943)
Smoot (1900–41)
H.M. Smith (1901–18)
G.A. Smith (1903–51)
Penrose (1904–25)
G.F. Richards (1906–50)
Whitney (1906–31)
McKay (1906–70)
Ivins (1907–34)
J.F. Smith Jr. (1910–72)
Talmage (1911–33)
S.L. Richards (1917–59)
R.R. Lyman (1918–43)^[2]
M.J. Ballard (1919–39)
Widtsoe (1921–52)
J.F. Merrill (1931–52)
Callis (1933–47)
Clark (1934–61)
A.A. Hinckley (1934–36)
Bowen (1937–53)
S.Q. Cannon (1938–43)
Lee (1941–73)
S.W. Kimball (1943–85)
Benson (1943–94)
Petersen (1944–84)
M. Cowley (1945–53)
Moyle (1947–63)
Stapley (1950–78)
Romney (1951–88)
L. Richards (1952–83)
Bennion (1953–58)
Evans (1953–71)
Morris (1954–62)
Brown (1958–75)
Hunter (1959–95)
G.B. Hinckley (1961–2008)
Tanner (1962–82)
Monson (1963–)
Dyer (1967–77)^[1]
Packer (1970–2015)
Ashton (1971–94)
McConkie (1972–85)
Perry (1974–2015)
Haight (1976–2004)
Faust (1978–2007)
Maxwell (1981–2004)
Nelson (1984–)
Oaks (1984–)
M.R. Ballard (1985–)
Wirthlin (1986–2008)
Scott (1988–2015)
Hales (1994–)
Holland (1994–)
Eyring (1995–)
Uchtdorf (2004–)
Bednar (2004–)
Cook (2007–)
Christofferson (2008–)
Andersen (2009–)
Rasband (2015–)
Stevenson (2015–)
Renlund (2015–)

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Term ended by excommunication. ↑ Term ended by resignation. ↑ Term ended by removal of apostleship; was later excommunicated. ↑ Term ended by suspension of priesthood.

Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Anderson (1970–76)
Ashton (1969–71)
Bangerter (1975–76)
Bennett (1970–76)
Brockbank (1962–76)
Brown (1953–58)
Burton (1960–76)
Christiansen (1951–75)
Critchlow (1958–68)
Cullimore (1966–76)
Dyer (1958–67)
Faust (1972–76)
Fyans (1974–76)
Haight (1970–76)
Hales (1975–76)
Hanks (1968–76)
Hinckley (1958–61)
Isaacson (1961–65, 1970)
Komatsu (1975–76)
Longden (1951–69)
Maxwell (1974–76)
McKay (1941–58)
Morris (1951–54)
Packer (1961–70)
Perry (1972–74)
F. Richards (1960–76)
S. Richards (1951–53)
Romney (1941–51)
Sill (1954–76)
Simpson (1972–76)
Smith (1941–45)
Sonne (1941–76)
Stone (1972–76)
Tanner (1958–67)
Taylor (1958–76)
Vandenberg (1972–76)
Wirthlin (1975–76)
Young (1941–58)

General presidencies of the Young Men of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

General Presidents/Superintendents	Wells (1876–80) Woodruff (1880–98) Snow (1898–1901) J.F. Smith (1901–18) Ivins (1918–21) G.A. Smith (1921–35) Bowen (1935–37) Morris (1937–48) E. Curtis (1948–58) Bentley (1958–62) G.C. Smith (1962–69) Eldredge (1969–72) Backman (1972–74) Schaerrer (1977–79) Backman (1979–85) Featherstone (1985–90) Goaslind (1990–98) Dellenbach (1998–2001) Hammond (2001–04) Dahlquist (2004–09) Beck (2009–15) Owen (2015–)

First Counselors/Assistants	M. Hardy (1876–80) J.F. Smith (1880–1901) Grant (1901–18) Roberts (1918–22) Lyman (1922–1935) Morris (1935–37) J. Cannon (1937-45) Giles (1945-48) Stevenson (1948–58) Dyer (1958) G.C. Smith (1958–61) Ashton (1961–69) Hill (1969–71) G. Cannon (1972) L. Curtis (1972–74) Doxey (1977–79) Featherstone (1979–85) Pinegar (1985–89) Holland (1989–90) L. Curtis (1990–91) Dellenbach (1991–92) Nadauld (1992–96) Featherstone (1996–97) Stanley (1997) Dellenbach (1997–98) Hammond (1998–2001) Pace (2001–03) Robbins (2003–04) Burgess (2004–09) Gibson (2009–15) Holmes (2015–)

Second Counselors/Assistants	Badger (1876–80) Thatcher (1880–98) Grant (1898–1901) Roberts (1901–18) Lyman (1918–22) Ballard (1922–35) West (1935–37) Farnsworth (1937–45) Hatch (1945–48) R. Hardy (1948) King (1948–58) Ashton (1958–61) Scott (1961) Buehner (1961–67) Hill (1967–69) G. Cannon (1969–72) Blackman (1972) Goaslind (1972–74) McKay (1977–79) Pinegar (1979–85) Simpson (1985–86) Rector (1986–88) Harbertson (1988–89) M. Brough (1989–90) Dellenbach (1990–91) Nadauld (1991–92) Kendrick (1992–93) Featherstone (1993–96) Stanley (1996–97) Dellenbach (1997) Hammond (1997–98) Madsen (1998–2001) Condie (2001–03) Hallstrom (2003–04) Neider (2004–09) Ochoa (2009–13) Ridd (2013–15) J. Brough (2015–)

Additional Assistants	Roberts (1898–1901)

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 35977930 LCCN: n87847270

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Alvin R. Dyer

Life

See also

Notes

External links