Hugh J. Cannon

Hugh J. Cannon was born January 19, 1870, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to George Q. Cannon and Sarah Jane Jenne Cannon.

He honed his literary skills working at the publishing firm of George Q. Cannon and Sons, which was later donated to the Church and renamed Deseret Book Company. During his life he wrote two full-length novels and numerous editorials, short stories, and articles. He took down in shorthand and prepared most of the manuscript of his father’s book The Life of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

He served for many years as the Liberty Stake President in Salt Lake City, Utah, and served four missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He was appointed first as associate editor and later managing editor of the Improvement Era magazine, where he served until his untimely death on October 6, 1931.