N. Eldon Tanner

In Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History, N. Eldon Tanner is identified as “the practitioners-vs-priesthood pivot point in the institution’s relationship to expertise.” Kyle’s note captures the structural shift: “With N. Eldon Tanner, the Church began more to raise up those experts in the building of the kingdom vs subjecting them under the priesthood’s authority” — the gap between subject-matter competence and ecclesiastical authority becoming something the institution had to actively manage. In the book’s narrative he also appears alongside Spencer W. Kimball during the History Division episodes: he agreed with Arrington that a historian could write for both a church audience and the scholarly world, and he was present when Kimball, after deciding to lift the priesthood ban, “leaned over and put his hand on Eldon Tanner’s knee” and said “Eldon, go tell the world.” (Note: the same book separately discusses George Tanner, Arrington’s Institute of Religion teacher, and Jerald and Sandra Tanner, anti-Mormon publishers — distinct people from N. Eldon Tanner.)

Context: N. Eldon Tanner (1898–1982) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under four church presidents (McKay, Smith, Lee, and Kimball), known for bringing professional management discipline to the church’s finances and operations.

Where this appears

• Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History — the “practitioners vs priesthood” pivot in the Church’s handling of professional expertise; present at Kimball’s “go tell the world” moment.