Donald Q. Cannon (1936- ) was a religion professor at Brigham Young University.

Donald Q. Cannon was born in Washington, D.C., on December 24, 1936, to Quayle Jr. and Fay Allred Cannon. He was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from East High School in 1954, after which he attended the University of Utah as a Ford Foundation Scholar, graduating with a B.A. in history in 1961.

He served as a missionary in the North German Mission from 1957 to 1959. In 1961, he received an M.A. in history from the University of Utah, and in 1967 received a Ph.D. in American Colonial History from Clark University.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1967 and was stationed at the Pentagon. In 1967, he was promoted to rank of Captain in Intelligence and awarded the U.S. Army Commendation Medal. Following his military service, he taught U.S. History at the University of Maine in Portland (1967-1973).

Donald Q. Cannon joined the LDS Church History and Doctrine Faculty at Brigham Young University in 1973. He taught LDS Church History and Doctrine and Covenants, as well as other courses. He has published over seventy articles and book reviews and twenty books on LDS Church History and doctrine, including the Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith's Teachings. He served as Associate Dean and Acting Dean of Religious Education at BYU. Cannon retired from BYU in 2007.

His LDS Church service includes high councilor, bishop, and a counselor in a stake presidency. He married JoAnn McGinnis in the Salt Lake Temple in 1960. They are the parents of six children: Brian (1961), Kelly and Sean (1964), Patrick (1971), Brendon (1973), and Erin (1974). He enjoys gardening, travel, and current events.