In 1875, Wells travelled to Europe as a Mormon missionary and worked primarily in Germany and Switzerland.

In April 1893, Wells was chosen as a member of the seven-man First Council of the Seventy.

In 1896, he succeeded Anthon H. Lund as the president of the European Mission of the church, headquartered in Liverpool, England.

Golden Kimball in 1938, Wells became the senior president of the Seventy, a position he held until his own death in 1941.

Wells died in Salt Lake City from colon cancer;[1] he had been a general authority of the church for almost 50 years.