Biographical History

The Tanner family synonymous with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints originated with John Tanner (1778-1850), a successful businessman in New York and part-time Baptist minister who later joined the church and donated all the assets of his business helping pay for the Church's early debts. From his lineage, there came many individuals who played a prominant role in the Church: from Mormon Battalion members Myron and Albert Tanner to Apostles of the Church including Fancis Marion Lyman.

The Tanner family of Mormon history begins with John Tanner. Born in 1778 to a farming family in Rhode Island. After taking up his father's business after his father's death in 1800, he moved to Greenwhich, New York where he married his first wife Tabitha Bentley (who died in 1801) amd his second wife Lydia Stewart, had 12 children with her, and soon got his left leg infected after protecting his son from a dog that was going to attack him. In 1818 the family moved to Bolton, NY, where he was able to turn his father's farming business into a sucessful business while he tried unsuccessfully to find a cure to his infected left leg. This quest for a cure continued until 1832, where he came across missionaries Simeon and Jared Carter. After recieving the gospel, he was baptized in Lake George and his leg was miraculously cured of its infection.

After his baptism, John Tanner worked to help build the church in a variety of ways. In 1834, he not only helped outfit his sons John and Nathan to assist in Zion's Camp, but in December his family moved in Kirtland, OH in the knick of time to use his assets to pay off the $2000 debt from the construction of the Kirtland Temple. On top of this, he paid an additional $43,000 to help the Church financially. On top of this, he also served a mission to the Eastern United States, assisted in helping members of the church in migrating to Utah, etc.

When looking at John Tanner's posterity, many of them helped the Church out in many major ways. While his sons Myron and Albert served in the Mormon Battalion during the USA's war with Mexico in the 1840s, others of his distant relatives served in various major Church positions including apostles (Francis Myron Lyman, Richard Roswell Lyman, N. Eldon Tanner), etc.

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