Today in Mormon History - Jan 07

N. Eldon Tanner is first active Mormon to serve non-U.S. government in position equivalent to U.S. Cabinet. He serves as Minister of Lands and Mines in government of Canada-s Premier until 1952. Next Mormons of ministerial rank are Manuera Benjamin Riwai-Couch of New Zealand (for Maori relations and also Postmaster General) in 1978 and Baitika Tuom of Kiribati in 1983. (1)
-- 75 years ago today - Jan 7, 1937

[Joseph Smith] Joseph B. Brackenbury is the first Mormon to die on a proselytizing mission and the first martyr (poisoned by anti-Mormons). Mormons also make an unsuccessful effort to raise Brackenbury from the dead. Church historian and apostle George A. Smith later calls this an "attempted resurrection." (2)
-- 180 years ago today - Jan 7, 1832

[Utah] Apostle Francis M Lyman's diary begins recording month-long nervous breakdown of Heber J Grant, his successor as Tooele Stake President. Physician diagnoses Grant's condition as "nervous convulsions" and warns that condition could lead to "softening of the brain," if Grant continues his stressful pace of activity. Grant becomes apostle ten months later and is first LDS leader with diagnosed history of emotional illness. (3)
-- 130 years ago today - Jan 7,1882

1 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower
2 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 7: Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power
3 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Appendix 5, Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1848-1996, http://amzn.to/extensions-power