Church Historian and Recorder (usually shortened to Church Historian) is a priesthood

Priesthood (LDS Church)

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of humankind...

 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. His office gathers history sources and preserves records, ordinances, minutes, revelations

Revelation (Latter Day Saints)

Latter Day Saints teach that the Latter Day Saint movement began with a Revelation from God . They also teach that revelation is the foundation of the church established by Jesus Christ and that it remains an essential element of His true church today...

, procedures, and other documents. The Church Historian and Recorder also chairs the Historic Sites Committee and Records Management Committee, and may act as an authoritative voice of the church in historical matters.

History

This office is based on revelations to Joseph Smith, Jr. calling for keeping records and preparing a church history. Oliver Cowdery

Oliver Cowdery

Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...

, the first in this position, originally recorded meeting minutes, patriarchal blessings, membership information, priesthood ordinations, and a kind of narrative church history. 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.

In 1972, the Church Historian's Office was renamed to become the Historical Department. In 2000, this department was merged with the Family History Department to become the Family and Church History Department. On March 12, 2008, the Church Historian separated again from the Family History Department to become the Church History Department.

While the majority of Church Historians and Recorders have been general authorities of the church, there have been some exceptions to the practice.

Assistants

Church Historians and Recorders have often been assisted by individuals called to the position of Assistant Church Historian. Research assistants and other personnel are also usually employed within the Church Historian's Office, but the Church Historian and Assistant Church Historian(s) are the only ones to hold priesthood callings.

Chronology of Church Historians

In the following tables, general authorities are listed in bold.

No.	Dates	Church Historian	Recorder	Notes
	1830–1831	Oliver Cowdery Oliver Cowdery Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of... (Acting)	office held by Church Historian	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 John Whitmer John Whitmer was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates...	office held by Church Historian	Whitmer was called to be the Church Historian by a revelation to Smith, which is now Doctrine and Covenants Doctrine and Covenants The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...  section 47. He was the first official historian of the Latter Day Saint church.
2	1835–1837	Oliver Cowdery Oliver Cowdery Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...	George W. Robinson George W. Robinson George Washington Robinson was the first secretary to the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...  (1837)	Beginning in 1837, the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder were separated
3	1838	John Corrill John Corrill John Corrill was an early member and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and an elected representative in the Missouri State Legislature...	George W. Robinson George W. Robinson George Washington Robinson was the first secretary to the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...	Corrill and Higbee were both called to this position at the same time. Corrill apostatized from the church later that year.
4	1838–1840	Elias Higbee Elias Higbee Elias Higbee was an associate of Joseph Smith, Jr., a leader of the Danites, and an official historian and recorder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.-Biography:...	George W. Robinson George W. Robinson George Washington Robinson was the first secretary to the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...
5	1840–1841	Robert B. Thompson Robert B. Thompson Robert Blashel Thompson was an associate of Joseph Smith, Jr., a Danite and leader in the Latter Day Saint movement, and an official historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints....	Elias Higbee Elias Higbee Elias Higbee was an associate of Joseph Smith, Jr., a leader of the Danites, and an official historian and recorder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.-Biography:...
6	1841–1842	James Sloan	Elias Higbee Elias Higbee Elias Higbee was an associate of Joseph Smith, Jr., a leader of the Danites, and an official historian and recorder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.-Biography:...

In 1842, the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder were merged.

No.	Dates	Church Historian and Recorder	Assistant	Notes
7	1842–1854	Willard Richards Willard Richards Willard Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to church president Brigham Young in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death.Willard Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to...	office not yet created	Thomas Bullock Thomas Bullock (Mormon) Thomas Bullock was a Mormon pioneer and a clerk in the Church Historian's Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Bullock was born in Leek, Staffordshire, England...  was Richards' assistant (as was Charles Wesley Wandell), but the Assistant Church Historian priesthood calling wasn't given until Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death... .
8	1854–1871	George A. Smith George A. Smith George Albert Smith was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as a member of the church's First Presidency.-Childhood:Smith was born in Potsdam, St...	Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death... (1856–1871)	Woodruff was the first Assistant Church Historian.
9	1871–1874	Albert Carrington Albert Carrington Albert Carrington born in Royalton, Vermont, was an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained as an apostle on July 3, 1870.Carrington served in the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1869...	Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
10	1874–1881	Orson Pratt Orson Pratt Orson Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles...	Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
	1881–1883	Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death... (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 Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...	Franklin D. Richards (1884–1889)
12	1889–1899	Franklin D. Richards	John Jaques John Jaques (Mormon) John Jaques was a Latter Day Saint hymnwriter and missionary and an Assistant Church Historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....  (1889–1900) Charles W. Penrose Charles W. Penrose Charles William Penrose was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 7, 1904. Penrose was also a member of the First Presidency of the church under Church Presidents Joseph F. Smith and Heber J...  (1896–1904) Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for much of the early-twentieth century...  (1897–1941)	Penrose became a general authority when released as an Assistant.
	1899–1900	Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for much of the early-twentieth century...  and John Jaques John Jaques (Mormon) John Jaques was a Latter Day Saint hymnwriter and missionary and an Assistant Church Historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....  (Acting)		After Richards's death on December 9, 1899, no Church Historian was chosen until July 26, 1900.
13	1900–1921	Anthon H. Lund Anthon H. Lund Anthon Henrik Lund was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a prominent Utah leader.-History:...	Charles W. Penrose Charles W. Penrose Charles William Penrose was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 7, 1904. Penrose was also a member of the First Presidency of the church under Church Presidents Joseph F. Smith and Heber J...  (until 1904) Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for much of the early-twentieth century... Orson F. Whitney Orson F. Whitney Orson Ferguson Whitney born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from April 9, 1906 until his death.-Early life:...  (1902–1906) A. Milton Musser A. Milton Musser Amos Milton Musser was a Mormon pioneer who served in many church and community roles, including as an Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1902 until his death.-Early life:...  (1902–1909) B. H. Roberts (1902–1933) Joseph Fielding Smith Joseph Fielding Smith Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr. was the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 until his death. He was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who was the sixth president of the LDS Church... (1906–1921) A. William Lund (1911–1971)	Whitney became a general authority when released as an Assistant. Smith became a general authority in 1910, during Lund's tenure.
14	1921–1970	Joseph Fielding Smith Joseph Fielding Smith Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr. was the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 until his death. He was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who was the sixth president of the LDS Church...	Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for much of the early-twentieth century...  (until 1941) B. H. Roberts (until 1933) A. William Lund Junius F. Wells Junius F. Wells Junius Free Wells was the first head of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, an organization which is today the Young Men organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...  (1921–1930) Preston Nibley Preston Nibley Preston Nibley was an American religious leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and wrote several books on the church, including several pieces of devotional literature.-Biography:...  (1957–1963) E. Earl Olson (1965–1972)	Smith's tenure as Church Historian is by far the longest in church history.
15	1970–1972	Howard W. Hunter Howard W. Hunter Howard William Hunter was the fourteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1994 to 1995. His nine month presidential tenure is the shortest in the history of the Church...	A. William Lund (until 1971) E. Earl Olson
16	1972–1982	Leonard J. Arrington Leonard J. Arrington Leonard James Arrington was an author, academic and the founder of the Mormon History Association. He is known as the "Dean of Mormon History" and "the Father of Mormon History" because of his many influential contributions to the field.-Biographical background:Arrington was born in Twin Falls,...	Davis Bitton Davis Bitton -External links:*... James B. Allen James B. Allen (historian) James Brown "Jim" Allen is an American historian of Mormonism and was an official Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972–1979.-Biography:...  (1972–1979)	Arrington was the first non-general authority Church Historian since 1842, and the first to also be a professional historian. Arrington is reported to have lost the title of Church Historian in 1978, though he was formally released in 1982.
17	1982–1985	G. Homer Durham G. Homer Durham George Homer Durham was an American academic administrator and was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1977 until his death.-Early Life:...		Durham became Church Historian without formal public pronouncement by the church nor sustaining by the general church membership. Some claim his tenure as Historian began when Arrington lost the title in 1978, or when Durham became Managing Director of the church Historical Department.
18	1985–1997	Dean L. Larsen Dean L. Larsen Dean LeRoy Larsen has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1976 and was the eighteenth Church Historian and Recorder from 1985 to 1997.-Biographical background:...		Larsen was also the first Executive Director of the Historical Department, in which he was replaced by John K. Carmack John K. Carmack John Kay Carmack has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1984. He is currently an emeritus general authority and was the managing director of the church's Perpetual Education Fund....  in 1989. Larsen then moved on to other assignments, such as serving in the Temple Department and Area Presidencies and was not active in any historical role, though technically he was still the Church Historian until his release in 1997.
	1989–2005	Executive Directors of the Historical Department (acting)		While Larsen was still technically Church Historian, and afterward, others succeeded him as Executive Director of the Historical Department, and those men were sometimes referred to as Church Historians. This includes John K. Carmack John K. Carmack John Kay Carmack has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1984. He is currently an emeritus general authority and was the managing director of the church's Perpetual Education Fund....  (1989–1991), Loren C. Dunn Loren C. Dunn Loren Charles Dunn was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1968 until his death....  (1991–1993), Stephen D. Nadauld Stephen D. Nadauld Stephen Douglas Nadauld is an American academic and a former president of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Nadauld was also a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1991 to 1996....  (1993–1996), Marlin K. Jensen Marlin K. Jensen Marlin Keith Jensen has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1989 and has been the official Church Historian and Recorder of the church since 2005. He is the 19th man to hold that calling since it was established in 1830.- Biographical background...  (1996–1998), John K. Carmack John K. Carmack John Kay Carmack has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1984. He is currently an emeritus general authority and was the managing director of the church's Perpetual Education Fund....  (1998–1999), Loren C. Dunn Loren C. Dunn Loren Charles Dunn was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1968 until his death....  (1999–2000), D. Todd Christofferson D. Todd Christofferson David Todd Christofferson is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He has been a general authority of the church since 1993...  (2000–2004), Marlin K. Jensen (2004–present).
19	2005–	Marlin K. Jensen Marlin K. Jensen Marlin Keith Jensen has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1989 and has been the official Church Historian and Recorder of the church since 2005. He is the 19th man to hold that calling since it was established in 1830.- Biographical background...	Richard E. Turley Jr. (2008–)	In 2005, Jensen officially became the first Church Historian since 1997. He had been made Executive Director of the Historical Department the previous year, a position he also held in 1997 when Dean Larsen was released. Jensen later said he "really [didn't] know why the office went unfilled for a few years." Some of his accomplishments in this position are chronicled at Marlin K. Jensen - Church Historian.

External links

—— Summary of the role of the Assistant Church Historian.