Charles A. Callis

Charles Alber Callis (1865-1947) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1933 to 1947.

Elder Callis was born in Dublin, Ireland. When he was a child his father died and his mother then moved to Liverpool, England. It was in Liverpool that Elder Callis joined the Church. He was eight years old at the time he was baptized. The Callis family came to Utah in 1875 and initially settled in Bountiful. After two year, or when Charles was about twelve they moved to Centerville. At some point Brother Callis moved to Coalville in Summit County.

In the winter of 1892-1893, Elder Callis served a mission in Wyoming. At this point the Summit Stake, which included Coalville where Elder Callis then lived, extended into Wyoming with theoretical jurisdiction over much of the state. Since there was no organized mission in the state the stake presidency had taken it upon themselves to supervise the sharing of the gospel with God's children in Wyoming, and so Elder Callis's call and service were under the direction of the Summit Stake Presidency.

Later in 1893 Elder Callis was called to serve a mission in the United Kingdom. For part of his time as a missionary he was president of the Irish District, which included the entire island of Ireland.

In 1902, Elder Callis married Grace Pack, a daughter of Ward Eton Pack Sr. who served as president of the Hawaiian mission for a time.

Elder Callis spent much of his adult life serving as a missionary or mission president in the Southern States Mission. Charles and Grace Callis were first called as missionaries to serve in the Southern States mission in 1906. Elder Callis served as president of the Southern States mission from 1908 until February of 1934.

The Callises were the parents of eight children. Elder Callis studied law and was admitted to the bar primarily so he could defend missionaries in the mission when legal proceedings were brought against them.

In 1933 Elder Callis was called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was ordained an apostle by Heber J. Grant on October 12, 1933.

Elder Callis died at Jacksonville, Florida. He had gone there to organize the first stake in the Southeastern United States and died after the stake was organized but before he was able to return to Salt Lake City.

Sources

• Daniel H. Ludlow. Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Appendix 1, p. 1633
• LDS Church Almanac, 2008 Edition, p. 77
• Andrew Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 380