Alvin R. Dyer

Alvin Rulon Dyer (January 1, 1903 – March 6, 1977) was an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a member of the church's First Presidency from 1968 to 1970.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, he was ordained as an apostle on October 5, 1967 (but was not added as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) and subsequently was set apart as a counselor in the First Presidency to David O. McKay. After the death of McKay in 1970, he was eventually returned to a position as an Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, and later to the First Quorum of the Seventy when it was reconstituted in 1976. Dyer is the only person in the history of the church to be ordained to the office of seventy after having been ordained to the office of apostle.

Life

Born and raised in Utah, Dyer was an accomplished baseball player as a youth, but put baseball aside to serve as a missionary for the church in the Eastern States Mission from 1922 to 1924. In 1926 he was married to May Elizabeth Jackson in the Salt Lake Temple.

After his mission, he had the opportunity to play professional baseball, but declined the offer because he would have to play on Sundays. Instead he studied mechanical drafting and technical engineering in order to become a sheet metal journeyman. He later managed the heating and air conditioning department of Utah Builders Supply. Eventually, he formed the Dyer Distributing Company which he owned until 1954, when he dissolved all his business interests upon being called to full-time service as a Mission President in the church.

In addition to his service as a general authority, he served in many capacities within the church holding such callings as bishop and stake high councilor. He served as president over the Central States Mission of the church beginning in 1954, and over the European Mission from 1960 to 1962.

Aside from his business and church activities, he was active in both the Missouri Historical Society and the Jackson County Historical Society. He authored a book on church history in Missouri, "The Refiner's Fire, Historical Highlights of Missouri" (1960).

In 1972, Dyer suffered a stroke that limited his activity. He died at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1977.