Church Historian and Recorder (usually shortened to Church Historian) is a priesthoodcalling 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, 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.[2]
History
This office is based on revelations to Joseph Smith calling for keeping records and preparing a church history.[3]Oliver Cowdery, the first in this position, originally recorded meeting minutes, patriarchal blessings, membership information, priesthood ordinations, and a kind of narrative church history.[2] 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.[4] In 2000, this department was merged with the Family History Department to become the Family and Church History Department.[5] On March 12, 2008, the Church Historian separated again from the Family History Department to become the Church History Department.[6]
While the majority of Church Historians and Recorders have been general authorities of the church, there have been some exceptions to the practice.
Chronology
In the following tables, general authorities are listed in bold. The date ranges span from the sustaining date to the release date unless otherwise indicated.
Although Cowdery did not receive an official call to be Church Historian, he was Joseph Smith's scribe and was appointed to keep minutes and records in an early conference.[7] Therefore, he is widely regarded as the first unofficial Church Historian and Recorder.
Whitmer was called to be the Church Historian by a revelation to Smith,[8] which is now Doctrine and Covenantssection 47. He was the first official historian of the Latter Day Saint church.
Corrill and Higbee were both called to this position at the same time.[11] Corrill apostatized from the church later that year and was excommunicated in March 1839.[12]
In 1843, the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder were merged when Richards, already serving as Church Historian, was appointed Church Recorder. Although, he wasn't sustained by the general church membership until 1845.[18]Thomas Bullock was Richards' assistant (as was Charles Wesley Wandell[19]), but the Assistant Church Historian priesthood calling wasn't given until Wilford Woodruff.[20]
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.
Smith's tenure as Church Historian and Recorder is by far the longest in church history. He was released when he was called as President of the Church.
In 1972, the Church Historian's Office was renamed to become the Historical Department.[4] In 2000, this department was merged with the Family History Department to become the Family and Church History Department.[5] On March 12, 2008, the Church Historian separated again from the Family History Department to become the Church History Department.[6]
Arrington was the first non-general authority Church Historian since 1842 and the first to simply be Church Historian, instead of Church Historian and Recorder, since Willard Richards.[42] He was also the first in the position to be a professional historian. Arrington is reported to have lost the title of Church Historian in 1978,[43] though he was formally released in 1982.[39]
Durham became Church Historian without formal public pronouncement by the church nor sustaining by the general church membership.[39] Although, it was mentioned as an aside in General Conference.[45] 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.[46]
Larsen was also the first Executive Director of the Historical Department, in which he was replaced by John K. Carmack in 1989. Larsen then moved on to other assignments, such as serving in the Temple Department[49] and Area Presidencies[50][51] and was not active in any historical role, though technically he was still the Church Historian until his release in 1997.[48]
Executive Director of the Historical Department
Larsen was also the first Executive Director of the Historical Department, in which he was replaced by John K. Carmack in 1989. Larsen then moved on to other assignments, such as serving in the Temple Department[49] and Area Presidencies[50][51] and was not active in any historical role, though he was still technically the Church Historian until his release from the Seventy in 1997.[48]
While holding the office of Church Historian, and afterward, others succeeded Larsen as Executive Directors of the Historical Department.[46] During this time, these men stood in for the Church Historian and were sometimes referred to with that title.[52][53]
No.
Dates
Executive Directors of the Historical Department
Notes
12b
1989–91
John K. Carmack
Carmack was given the position of the department's Executive Director, but he was not called as the Church Historian.
Jensen retained his position as Executive Director when he was called to be Church Historian in 2005.[54] Since the office of Church Historian had been revived, after this time the Executive Director was no longer standing in as a substitute.
In 2005, Jensen 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 L. Larsen was released. Jensen later said he "really [didn't] know why the office went unfilled for a few years."[59] Some of his accomplishments in this position are chronicled at Marlin K. Jensen: Church Historian.
On January 10, 2012, the church announced that Snow, who was serving in the Presidency of the Seventy, would succeed Jensen as Church Historian and Recorder later in the year. On August 1, 2012, Snow assumed the new role and was released from the Presidency of the Seventy, while Jensen was then designated as an emeritus general authority in October 2012.[54] On April 10, 2019, the church announced that Snow would be released, effective August 1, 2019, and would be designated as an emeritus general authority in October 2019.[62]
On April 10, 2019, the church announced that Curtis, who had been serving as an Assistant Executive Director of the Church History Department, would replace Steven E. Snow as Church Historian and Recorder, effective August 1, 2019. Snow will be released from full-time service and designated an emeritus general authority in October 2019.[62] A Deseret News article published on August 3, 2022 confirmed the release of Curtis and the appointment of Kyle S. McKay to replace him.[65]
Lund, Anthon H. (1917), "Remarks § Church Historians", Eighty-eighth Semi-annual Conference Of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Report of the Discourses, Salt Lake City: LDS Church, pp. 10–12
^ abIn 1837 the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder were separated, but in 1842 these callings were again merged.
^Starting in 1978, the duties of Church Historians fell to the Executive director of the historical department.
^While Larsen was still technically Church Historian until 1997, others succeeded him as Executive Director of the Historical Department, and those men were sometimes referred to as the Official Church Historians.
^In 2005 the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder was restored.