John Andreas Widtsoe (January 31, 1872 – November 29, 1952) was a Norwegian-American scientist, author, and religious leader who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1921 until his death in 1952.
Early life
Widtsoe was born on the island of Frøya in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. At birth his hand was attached to the side of his head, but he had an operation to correct this problem. When Widtsoe was two, his family moved to the Norwegian mainland city of Namsos. His father, also named John, died in February 1878. This left his mother, Anna, as a widow with two young sons to take care of: six-year-old John, and his younger brother Osborne Widtsoe. The family moved to Trondheim, where they were introduced to the LDS Church by a shoemaker.
In 1883, Widtsoe immigrated to the United States with his mother and brother. They arrived in Utah Territory in mid-November. Widtsoe was baptized a member of the LDS Church the following April.
Education
Widtsoe graduated from Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah. He attended Harvard University, graduating with honors in 1894.
In 1898, Widtsoe was ordained to the office of seventy and set apart to do missionary work in connection with his studies in Europe. He entered the University of Göttingen, Germany, and graduated with the degrees of AM and PhD in 1899. For part of his time in Europe, Widtsoe lived in Switzerland. The police wanted proof that he and his wife were married, and since they had neglected to bring their American wedding certificate with them, they were married a second time.
