CHURCH HISTORIAN AND RECORDER

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'Church Historian and Recorder' (usually shortened to 'Church Historian') is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of the Church Historian and Recorder is to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of the church and its activities. While the majority of Church Historians and Recorders have been general authorities of the church, there have been some exceptions to the practice. For a time, the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder were separate, but in 1842 these callings were merged and now the Church Historian also acts as the Church Recorder. Church Historians and Recorders have often been assisted by individuals called to the position of 'Assistant Church Historian'.

Contents

Chronology of Church Historians

References

Chronology of Church Historians

No.	Dates	Church Historian '(general authorities in bold)	Assistants and Recorders '(general authorities in bold)	Notes
	1830–1831	'Oliver Cowdery' (Acting)		Although Cowdery did not receive an official call to be Church Historian, he was Joseph Smith, Jr.'s scribe and is therefore widely regarded as the first unofficial Church Historian and Recorder.
1	1831–1835	John Whitmer		Whitmer was called to be the Church Historian by a revelation to Smith, which is now Doctrine and Covenants section 47. He was the first official historian of the Latter Day Saint church.
2	1835–1837	'Oliver Cowdery'	George W. Robinson (Recorder, 1837)	Beginning in 1837, the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder were separated
3	1838	'John Corrill'	George W. Robinson (Recorder)	Corrill briefly served as Church historian before he apostatized from the church
4	1838–1840	Elias Higbee	George W. Robinson (Recorder)
5	1840–1841	Robert B. Thompson	Elias Higbee (Recorder)
6	1841–1842	James Sloan	Elias Higbee (Recorder)
7	1842–1854	'Willard Richards'	Thomas Bullock (Assistant)	In 1842, the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder were merged
8	1854–1871	'George A. Smith'	'Wilford Woodruff' (Assistant, 1856–1871)
9	1871–1874	'Albert Carrington'	'Wilford Woodruff' (Assistant)
10	1874–1881	'Orson Pratt'	'Wilford Woodruff' (Assistant)
	1881–1883	'Wilford Woodruff' (Acting)		After Pratt's death in 1881, no official Church Historian was chosen, but Pratt's assistant Woodruff acted as Church Historian until he was formally selected as such.
11	1883–1889	'Wilford Woodruff'	'Franklin D. Richards' (Assistant)
12	1889–1899	'Franklin D. Richards'	Andrew Jenson (Assistant, 1897–1899) John Jaques (Assistant, 1897–1899)
	1899–1900	Andrew Jenson and John Jaques (Acting)		After Richards's death in 1899, no Church Historian was chosen until 1900
13	1900–1921	'Anthon H. Lund'	'Joseph Fielding Smith' (Assistant, 1906–1921)
14	1921–1970	'Joseph Fielding Smith'		Smith's tenure as Church Historian is by far the longest in church history
15	1970–1972	'Howard W. Hunter'
16	1972–1982	Leonard J. Arrington		Arrington was the first Church Historian who was a professionally trained historian and was the first non-general authority Church Historian since 1842
17	1982–1985	'G. Homer Durham'
18	1985–1989	'Dean L. Larson'
19	1989–2001	'John K. Carmack'
20	2001–	'Marlin K. Jensen'

References

★ Howard C. Searle (1992). "Historians, Church", ''Encyclopedia of Mormonism'' (New York: Macmillan) p. 589–592.

★ Davis Bitton & Leonard Arrington (1988). ''Mormons and their Historians'' (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press).

★ Anthon H. Lund, "Remarks", ''Conference Report'', Oct. 1917.