John tanner lds biography channel

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Elder Tanner replied, “Brother Joseph, you are welcome to it.” The Prophet then laid his hands on Elder Tanner’s shoulders, saying, “God bless you, Father Tanner, your children shall never beg for bread.” Elder Tanner later aided in the building of the Nauvoo temple and received his second anointing there.

In the spring of 1846, John Tanner sold his farm at a nominal price and set out upon his journey with the Saints to the Rocky Mountains.

In the latter part of June 1848, Elder Tanner fitted out five teams and wagons and, with 18 months’ provisions, started for Salt Lake. Long before their discourses ended, a change came over the mind of Mr. Tanner, and when they closed the evening services, he invited them to his home.

These men engaged him in conversation until the hour of eleven o’clock.

He was conversant with the Bible and felt himself amply qualified to discuss such heresy as he thought the Latter-day Saints were propounding in their efforts to spread Mormonism.

When the hour for the meeting arrived, he took his place in his wheelchair directly in front of the elders whom he sincerely believed were impostors. About the middle of March 1840, he again gathered his effects and moved within four miles of Montrose, Iowa, where his daughter Sariah was born in July 1840.

He continued to live there for six years and greatly prospered.

At the April conference in 1844, he was called on a mission to the Eastern States. Here, he stopped for one year to recruit, and during that time, much prospered in his efforts. Walking back, he gave thanks to God for his complete restoration to health.

As soon as the Word of Wisdom was made known to him, he quit the use of tobacco, tea, coffee, and liquor and never touched them again throughout the remainder of his life.

He was now completely crippled financially. He told the missionaries he was then ready to be baptized, but that he would not be able to receive the ordinance due to his lameness. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on the 13th of October 1848, and located in South Cottonwood.

John Tanner died on April 13, 1850, in South Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah Territory, at age seventy-one.

On the 16th of July, he outfitted two of his sons, Albert and Myron, and sent them with the Mormon Battalion. Due to the persecution by mobs at this time, a number of Elder Tanner’s stock were stolen, and he was taken prisoner. Whereupon, Elder Jared Carter arose and commanded John Tanner in the name of Jesus Christ to arise and walk.