2026 Church History Department Research Grants
The Marion D. Hanks collection, 1873, 1904–2018 (MS 31743) is now available to research in the Church History Catalog. This extensive collection contains thousands of documents kept and created by Elder Hanks and offers a window into the life of a devoted teacher, missionary, Church leader, and community servant whose influence reached across decades of Church and public service. Known for his captivating speaking ability, warm and compassionate ministry, and contagious love of the gospel, Elder Marion Hanks impacted a generation of Latter-day Saints who heard his testimony of Jesus Christ and witnessed the impact of his Christlike service.
About Marion D. Hanks
Marion Duff Hanks, known by family and friends as “Duff,” was born on October 13, 1921, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Stanley Alonzo Hanks and Maude Frame Hanks. His middle name honored his maternal grandmother, Helen Duff Dick Frame. Marion Hanks was the youngest of seven children, and his early years were shaped by both hardship and faith. When he was only two years old, his father passed away from a burst appendix.
During his formative years, Elder Hanks’s mother instilled in him an unshakeable love for the gospel. He developed an immense love for the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, and immersed himself in gospel teachings. This gospel devotion would direct him throughout his life and Church responsibilities.
Sports and Education
Elder Hanks attended West Junior High and West High School, where he excelled in both baseball and basketball. Though baseball was arguably his best sport, he set it aside to deliver newspapers and help support his family. During his high school years, he played on the school’s basketball team, which went on to win the local championship.
As graduation approached, Elder Hanks set his sights on attending Brigham Young University. He wished to study under BYU English Professor Harrison R. Merrill, whose writings he greatly admired, but Merrill’s sudden death changed Elder Hanks’s collegiate course to the University of Utah, where he studied law and joined the basketball team.
Missionary and Navy Service
In 1942, Elder Hanks accepted a call to serve in the Northern States Mission, which included the Great Lakes states and parts of Iowa. Known as a diligent and hardworking missionary, Elder Hanks’s mission president soon called him as the manager and spokesman for the Ladies Sextette, a group of sister missionaries who shared the gospel through music and testimony. This opportunity developed his ability for speaking and sharing the gospel with people, especially large groups.
After completing his mission in 1944, Elder Hanks served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was appointed LDS group leader at the San Diego Naval Training Center and later served as acting chaplain aboard the USS PCE-868, a submarine-chasing patrol craft escort. He detested war, yet he served his country to the best of his abilities and was a shining example of following Christ to others around him.
Family Life
While stationed in Hawaii, Elder Hanks met Maxine Christensen, whose family lived in Oahu. Maxine and her family were also members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their courtship lasted four years.
The two were sealed in the Laie Hawaii Temple on August 27, 1949, shortly after Elder Hanks completed law school. Together they raised five children.
A Passion for Teaching
Following his military service, Elder Hanks began teaching seminary at West High School and later served as a Temple Square guide from 1946 to 1962. During this time, he proposed adding a replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s Christus statue to Temple Square to help visitors better see the Church’s belief in Jesus Christ—a recommendation that continues to bless visitors today.
He also taught the first early morning seminary class and went on to teach institute at the University of Utah. Teaching, mentoring, and testifying of Christ remained central to his ministry throughout his life.
Church Service and Leadership
On October 4, 1953, at only 31 years old, Elder Hanks was called as a member of the First Council of the Seventy. He later served as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1968–1976) and as a General Authority Seventy (1976–1992), including two terms as the President of the Presidency of the Seventy.
During his decades of Church service, Elder Hanks was known for his warmth, compassion, and ability to connect deeply with others. He presided over the British Mission (1962–1964) and later served as president of the Salt Lake Temple (1982–1985).
On October 3, 1992, Elder Hanks was given emeritus General Authority Seventy status, which he held until his death on August 5, 2011. He was 89 years old.
Service Beyond the Church
Elder Hanks’s influence extended well beyond Church assignments. He served on the United States of America President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the President’s Citizens Advisory Committee on Children and Youth, and the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He also sat on the boards of Weber State University and Southern Utah University and served as Rotary Club president from 1977 to 1978.
Elder Hanks never turned down the opportunity to speak, traveling extensively to engage with various groups around the country and across the globe. His family would often drop him off at the Salt Lake City International Airport on Monday and pick him up the following Saturday, only to repeat the routine the next Monday.
Elder Hanks’s ability to engage his audience while speaking drew in many listeners. He also exuded mercy and love, which endeared many who felt undervalued or vulnerable to him. Whether he spoke at general conference, a sacrament meeting, a missionary gathering, or to Temple Square visitors, he had a special way of sharing the gospel in simple and personalized ways.
About the Collection
The Marion D. Hanks collection contains journals, correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, minutes, reports, and notes documenting his life and ministry. The materials cover his experiences as the following:
Missionary in the Northern States Mission (1942–1944).
Guide, assistant director, and director of Temple Square (1946–1965).
Teacher and administrator in the Church Education System (1946–1970).
General Authority (1953–1992).
Mission president in the British Mission (1962–1964).
Member of the Church Board of Education (1962–1980).
Managing director of Melchizedek Priesthood Mutual Improvement Association (1972–1976).
President of the Salt Lake Temple (1982–1985).
US Navy serviceman during World War II.
Managing director of LDS Student Association and his ministry to LDS singles.
Active participant in the Boy Scouts of America, national youth programs, and civic service.
Discover the Collection
Researchers and historians can now access the Marion D. Hanks collection (MS 31743) digitally through the Church History Catalog. The collection joins other digitized materials from General Authorities, providing a richer understanding of Latter-day Saint history in this last dispensation.
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