Show II 11 I JUST HISTORY J 0 I By Py ALBERT F. F PHILIPS I Elias Ellas Higbee who with John Corrm Corrill was mas as appointed church historian historian his his- torian at the general conference held In Far West Vest Mo 1 on April G 6 6 1838 was a native of New He was driven from Missouri by a amob amob mob and subsequently settled in I I Commerce Ill afterwards Nauvoo and he was appointed one of the committee to superintend building of the Nauvoo 1 temple which office olce he retained and maintained until his death which occurred In Nauvoo Nau- Nau oo 00 on June 8 8 1843 He was se selected selected selected se- se to accompany the Prophet Joseph to Washington D. D C. C as a delegate from the church to the federal government and on his re return return return re- re turn was appointed superintendent of the r Nauvoo temple Combination of this work added so many re responsibilities responsibilities re- re upon him that he was unable to give gie much of his time to writing church history It was said said of him that he had endured much persecution for the gospels gospel's sake both in Missouri and elsewhere and that in his official capacities he ho was always Just and and trustworthy and manifested great zeal for prosperity prosperity pros pros- perRy of the church He was the I first historian appointed from the organization of the church to 1843 that did not become an apostate In 1840 at the general conference I of th the church held in Nauvoo on onI I October 3 Robert Thompson Thomp Thomp- son was appointed general church recorder in succession to George W. W Robinson who removed to Iowa He was a native of or England born bornat bornat bornat at Driffield October 1 I 1811 OrigInally OrigInally he was a Methodist 1 and for fora a of ot years he Was a minister minister min mm- min min- ister of that denomination then in 1834 he emigrated to upper Canada and there left the church of his early life lie being confirmed and nd baptized baptized bap bap- into the L L. D. D S S. S church b by Parley P. P Pratt in May 1836 Ordained Ordained Or Or- an elder in 1836 he returned 1 to Kirtland 0 O. when he lie was designated designated des des- a a. missionary to upper Canada Canada Canada Can Can- ada and after aCter a sojourn there was again called to Missouri 1 going to I Far West Vest Later when the Saints I moved to Nauvoo he lie accompanied II them and became a scribe to the I Prophet Joseph FIRST COLONEL Recorder Thompson was the first I I colonel of the Nauvoo legion In l Ia May 1841 1841 with Don Carlos Smith he lie edited the Times and Seasons t His partner was stricken ill on August Au- Au i later gust 7 1 and died and twenty days I Recorder Thompson wast was s stricken t r i c k en n w with i th the dise se d a-d J s stricken t r i c k en n w with i th the dise se d a-d J I same disease adI and died 27 21 1841 In that he I was the chief officer of the legion he requested that he be laid away j I without any military procession I James Sloan followed Recorder a and d Clerk Thompson being Selected se se- se his successor at a geneVal geneal ene al conference in m the grove at Nauvoo on October 2 2 1841 and b became came cameI I general church clerk and he filled I j the position until 1843 when he lie heI was sent on a a. mission to Ireland I He lie was appointed the first city re recorder recorder recorder re- re corder of Nauvoo on February 1 I I 1840 and later became secretary of the oo au Nauvoo legion and in September Septem Septem- 1 ber er 1842 when the office of notary public was created by the city council of Nauvoo Elder Sloan was elect elected d to fill the position Then he was sent on a mission to Ireland and when the general Conference of the British mission mission- was held In Liverpool on von April 6 G 1844 he represented rep represented I resented two fifty-two members of the church in Ireland On his return to Iowa he ho mixed in politics to th the nd that when the county officers officers of of- of Pottawatomie county were I appointed In March 1848 he was appointed clerk derk of the district SUCCEEDS SLOAN l When hen he left on a mission to Ireland a special meeting meeting- of the church authorities was held T July 30 1843 at which Willard Villard Richards was appointed general church hurch recorder in m succession to Sloan Recorder Richards had returned from his mission to England in August 1841 and in December 13 of the same year eat ear he was appointed by Joseph Joeph Smith as general recorder for for forthe the temple and also as private secretary secie- secie tary and general clerk cleric to the prophet While practicing medicine in Massachusetts in 1835 he ran ran across the Oie Book of or Mormon and so firmly was he lie convinced d of the teachings according to church history history history his his- tory that he sold out and removed to Kirtland O. O In 1837 he went on on ona ona a mission to the Eastern states re returning returning returning re- re turning on June 11 when he lie immediately immediately im immediately im- im mediately accompanied Orson Hyde and Heber C. C Kimball on a mission to England and on his return was appointed recorder for the Temple as a stated He was also recorder of the he city of Nauvoo clerk of the municipal court clerk and member of the city council He remained recorder of the temple to June 28 1842 when he turned over the office offic to William Clayton and left Nauvoo Nauvoo Nau- Nau July 1 1 1842 on a visit to the New England states from which he returned on October 20 1842 and andOn andon andon on December 21 1842 he was appointed appointed ap appointed ap- ap pointed by the prophet as private secretary and historian while white Wil Wil- ham liam Clay Clayton Ion was retained as as Temple Temple Tem Tern pie recorder and clerk of the prophets prophet's temporal business lie He lieI was a member of the band of pIoneers pioneers pio plo I who reached Salt Lake in 1847 and on his return to Winter Inter Quarters Quarters he was elected 1 secant second counsellor counsel counsel- lor br to Brigham Young Recorder Richards was secretary of state in the provisional state of ot Deseret and when the territory of or Utah was created by act of at congress congress congress con con- gress he did a good share of the business of the secretary and presided presided presided pre pre- pre pre- sided over the council of the legislature legislature legis legis- lature for tor the same period He was also postmaster of oC Salt Lake City and died In office He was at one onetime onetime one onetime time the editor and proprietor of the Deseret News and general historian historian his his- I torian for the whole church and I church recorder It was when he was appointed and sustained a as an general church recorder and historian historian historian his his- torian for tor the church that the office I of general church recorder and I torian were combined and vested In one known as the historian for the church In the office ottice of oC the secretary of state in the state capitol capitol capi- capi tol hangs an oil painting of ot Willard Richards which was presented the state one year ago ago b by relatives |