Orson Ferguson Whitney (1 July 1855 – 16 May 1931), born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1906 until his death. Early life Whitney was the son of Horace K. Whitney and Helen Mar Kimball. Whitney's father, Horace, had set type for the original publication of the Deseret News and worked as a printer with the newspaper for 21 years. Background Whitney was a politician, journalist, poet, historian and academic. In 1878, as a young man, Whitney began a career in writing with the business office of the Deseret News, later becoming a reporter and the city editor. Whitney served as a missionary for the LDS Church for a time in Pennsylvania and Ohio. During a mission in Europe for the LDS Church from 1881 to 1883, he acted as editor of the church publication Millennial Star. In 1896 and 1897, Whitney taught English and theology at Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah. In 1899, Whitney accepted the position of Assistant Church Historian and served in that position until he was called as an apostle. Whitney was also involved in the politics of Salt Lake City and Utah. He served on the Salt Lake City Council in 1880, acted as City Treasurer from 1884 to 1890, and served as a State Senator in 1898, and again in 1901. Personal life Like many early Mormons, Whitney practiced polygamy. Whitney had two wives (simultaneously), having married the second in 1888. After the 1890 Manifesto on polygamy, Whitney became a strong supporter of the policy ending polygamy. Writing Whitney produced the lyrics to several LDS Church hymns, including "The Wintry Day, Descending to Its Close" (music composed by Edward P. Kimball) and "Savior Redeemer of My Soul" (music by Harry A. Dean); these hymns appear as numbers 37 and 112, respectively, in the current edition of the LDS Church hymnal. Whitney's historical works, although detailed, well researched and presented, are written from a Latter-day Saint perspective; one 21st-century historian has commented that they are "locked in the ironclad orthodoxy" of Mormonism. In June 1888 (and published the following month in The Contributor), Whitney delivered a speech entitled "Home Literature"; the speech is widely credited with proving both permission and impetus for Mormon literature and is the source of the sentence, "We