Robert B. Thompson

American journalist

Robert Blashel Thompson (October 1, 1811 – August 27, 1841)^[1] was an associate of Joseph Smith Jr., a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement, a Danite, and an official historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Thompson was born in Great Driffield, England on October 1, 1811.^[2] He joined the Methodists at an early age and participated in preaching in Yorkshire. In 1834, Thompson emigrated to Upper Canada and settled in Toronto.^[3] In May 1836, he was baptized a member of the Church of the Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt. On July 22, 1836, Thompson was ordained an elder in the church by John Taylor.^[1]

Thompson moved to Kirtland, Ohio, where the majority of Latter Day Saints were gathering, in May 1837.^[2] He married Mercy Rachel Fielding in Kirtland on June 4, 1837.^[4] Later that month, the couple traveled to Upper Canada as missionaries for the church. They returned to Kirtland in March 1838.^{[citation needed]} They had one child, Mary Jane Thompson.^[1] The Thompsons traveled to Far West, Missouri with the family of Hyrum Smith in May 1838.^[2]

While in Missouri, Thompson was a Danite and participated in the 1838 Mormon War. He was standing next to apostle David W. Patten when Patten was killed at the Battle of Crooked River.^[5]

In March 1839, Thompson was the clerk to the disciplinary council convened by Brigham Young that excommunicated a number of prominent Latter Day Saints, including George M. Hinkle, Sampson Avard, John Corrill, W. W. Phelps, Frederick G. Williams, Thomas B. Marsh, and others.^[6] At a conference of the church in May 1839, Thompson, Almon W. Babbitt and Erastus Snow were appointed to be a traveling committee that was charged with "gather[ing] up and obtain[ing] all the libelous reports and publications which had been circulated against the Church."^[7]

When the Latter Day Saints were forced to leave Missouri, Thompson moved to Quincy, Illinois.^[2] He then moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, where he worked as a scribe for Joseph Smith.^[1]

On September 15, 1840, Thompson delivered the funeral oration at the funeral of Joseph Smith Sr., the presiding patriarch of the church.^[8] In October 1840, Thompson succeeded Elias Higbee as official Church Historian, and in November of that year, Thompson and Higbee together drafted a petition to the United States Congress for redress of the grievances of the Latter Day Saints from their experiences in Missouri.^[9]

Thompson was a colonel and an aide-de-camp in the Nauvoo Legion.^[10] He became Associate Editor of the Times and Seasons newspaper in Nauvoo.^[1] Due to the unhealthy conditions in the offices of the Times and Seasons,^{[citation needed]} Thompson and Don Carlos Smith both died from pneumonia in August 1841.^[1] He was survived by his wife and daughter and was buried at the Smith Family Cemetery in Nauvoo.^[11]

Thompson wrote the words to a hymn called "See, the Mighty Angel Flying", which is included in the 1985 English-language LDS Church hymnal as hymn number 330.

External links

Robert B. Thompson receipt fragment, 1840 August 18, Vault MSS 76 Series 1 Sub-Series 5 Item 29, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
Robert B. Thompson receipt for Elias Higbee, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
Robert B. Thompson receipt for Hyrum Smith, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f McCune, George M. (1991). Personalities in the Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith–History. Salt Lake City, Utah: Hawkes Publishing. p. 140. ISBN 9780890365182.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Robert Blashel Thompson — Biography". The Joseph Smith Papers. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
^ Andrew Jenson, Latter Day Saints Biographical Encyclopedia 1:284.
^ Biography of Mercy Rachel Fielding Thompson, The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed December 28, 2011)
^ D. Michael Quinn (1994). Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power (Salt Lake City: Signature Books).
^ Joseph Smith (B. H. Roberts ed.) 1902. History of the Church 3:283–284.
^ Joseph Smith (B. H. Roberts ed.) 1902. History of the Church 3:345.
^ Joseph Smith (B.H. Roberts ed.) 1902. History of the Church 4:191–197.
^ Joseph Smith (B. H. Roberts ed.) 1902. History of the Church 4:237, 250–251.
^ Joseph Smith (B.H. Roberts ed.) 1902. History of the Church 4:411.
^ "Robert B. Thompson", findagrave.com.

Official Church Historian and Recorder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Church Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder	Cowdery (1830–31, acting) Whitmer (1831–35) Cowdery (1835–37)
Church Historian^[a]	Corrill (1838) Higbee (1838–40) Thompson (1840–41) Sloan (1841–42)
Church Recorder^[a]	Robinson (1837–40) Higbee (1840–42)
Church Historian and Recorder	W. Richards (1842–54) G.A. Smith (1854–71) Carrington (1871–74) Pratt (1874–81) Woodruff (1881–83, acting) Woodruff (1883–89) F.D. Richards (1889–99) Jenson (1899–1900, acting) Jaques (1899–1900, acting) Lund (1900–21) J.F. Smith (1921–70) Hunter (1970–72) Arrington (1972–78)

Church Historical Department ^[b]
Church Historian	Arrington (1978–82) Durham (1982–85) Larsen (1985–97)
Executive director^[c]	Carmack (1989–91) Dunn (1991–93) Nadauld (1993–96) Jensen (1996–98) Carmack (1998–99) Dunn (1999–2000) Christofferson (2000–04) Jensen (2004–05).

Church Historian and Recorder^[d]
Church Historian and Recorder	Jensen (2005–12) Snow (2012–19) Curtis (2019–)

Notes
^ ^a ^b In 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.

Notes

^ ^a ^b In 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.