George Quayle Morris (February 20, 1874 – April 23, 1962) was a member of the

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles A quorum is the minimum number of members of a group necessary to constitute the group at a meeting. In a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature), a quorum is necessary to conduct the business of ...

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church) from 1954 until his death. Morris was born in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th st ...

, to Elias Morris and Mary Lois Walker.

George Teasdale George Teasdale (8 December 1831 – 9 June 1907) was a Mormon missionary and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Teasdale was born in London, England. Teasdale was ...

, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, ordained George Q. Morris a Seventy on September 13, 1899. Morris was called on a mission to

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

in 1899, and served there until 1902. He was set apart as a president in the Second Quorum of Seventy August 19, 1904. He served as president of the Eastern States

Mission Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

from 1948 to 1951. Morris married Emma Ramsey (1878–1964) on June 29, 1905; they had three daughters: Marian, Margery, and Helen. Morris was a businessman. He was president of Elias Morris and Sons, a company involved in tile and gravestone production. He was president of Purdential Savings and Loan Association. He was heavily involved with the Boy Scouts as well.''Ogden Standard-Examiner'' obituary for Morris
/ref> From 1935 to 1937, Morris was the First Assistant to Albert E. Bowen, the Superintendent of the

Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association The Young Men (often referred to as Young Men's) is a youth organization and official program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Its purpose is to assist the church's Aaronic priesthood-aged young men in their growt ...

(YMMIA). In 1937, when Bowen became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Morris succeeded him as YMMIA Superintendent. Morris held this position until 1948, when he was succeeded by

Elbert R. Curtis Elbert Raine Curtis (24 April 1901 – 20 May 1975) was the ninth general superintendent of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1948 to 1958. He was succeeded in the le ...

. Morris became a general authority of the LDS Church on October 6, 1951, when he was appointed an

Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commonly shortened to Assistant to the Twelve or Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, was a priesthood calling in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1941 to 1976. As the title suggest ...

. Morris was ordained an

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

and became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 8, 1954, aged 80. He was selected and ordained by church president David O. McKay. Morris replaced

Matthew Cowley Matthew Cowley (August 2, 1897 – December 13, 1953) was an American missionary in New Zealand and then served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1945 until his ...

in the Quorum, who had died the previous December. Morris was the oldest person in church history to become an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Morris died on April 23, 1962, aged 88, in

. He was buried at

Salt Lake City Cemetery The Salt Lake City Cemetery is a cemetery in northeastern Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, that is one of the largest city-operated cemeteries in the United States. Description The cemetery is located north of 4th Avenue and east of N Street ...

. His vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve was filled by N. Eldon Tanner.

References

1874 births 1962 deaths American general authorities (LDS Church) American Mormon missionaries in England American Mormon missionaries in the United States Apostles (LDS Church) Counselors in the General Presidency of the Young Men (organization) Mission presidents (LDS Church) Religious leaders from Salt Lake City 19th-century Mormon missionaries 20th-century Mormon missionaries Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles General presidents of the Young Men (organization) Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Latter Day Saints from Utah {{LDS-stub