Theodore M. Burton
Encyclopedia
Theodore Moyle Burton was a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and one of the main leaders of the Genealogical Department of the church in the 1960s. Under his direction the department expanded its operations, largely through the opening of many more Family History Centers.
Burton was born in Salt Lake City, Utah
. From 1927 to 1930 he served as a missionary
in the Swiss-German Mission
of the LDS Church. As a youth, Elder Burton became the first Eagle Scout in the Pioneer Stake.
In 1933 he married Minnie Susan Preece. In 1934, Burton received a masters degree from the University of Utah
, where he became a Sigma Chi
. He worked for the treasury attache at the U.S. embassies in both Vienna
and Berlin
. He later taught at Carbon College and Utah State Agricultural College
. He then went to Purdue University
where he earned a Ph.D.
in chemistry
in 1951. He returned to Utah State, but in 1957 was called as president
of the West German Mission of the church.
In 1960, Burton was called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
. He served in this position until it was disbanded in 1976; at this time he was transferred to the First Quorum of the Seventy. Burton had served for a time as bishop of the Logan 4th Ward prior to becoming a mission president.
Burton served as president of the European Mission of the church and later as the Area
Supervisor in Europe
.
As director of the Genealogical Department, Burton initiated the translation of materials into languages other than English. He held the title of Executive Director of the Family History Department from 1972 to 1978. He also negotiated the contracting out of microfilming work to a private company in 1967 and then its later resumption as a function of the church department.
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and one of the main leaders of the Genealogical Department of the church in the 1960s. Under his direction the department expanded its operations, largely through the opening of many more Family History Centers.
Burton was born in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. From 1927 to 1930 he served as a missionary
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in the Swiss-German Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
of the LDS Church. As a youth, Elder Burton became the first Eagle Scout in the Pioneer Stake.
In 1933 he married Minnie Susan Preece. In 1934, Burton received a masters degree from the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, where he became a Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
. He worked for the treasury attache at the U.S. embassies in both Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He later taught at Carbon College and Utah State Agricultural College
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
. He then went to Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
where he earned a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in 1951. He returned to Utah State, but in 1957 was called as president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the West German Mission of the church.
In 1960, Burton was called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commonly shortened to Assistant to the Twelve or Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, was a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1941 and 1976...
. He served in this position until it was disbanded in 1976; at this time he was transferred to the First Quorum of the Seventy. Burton had served for a time as bishop of the Logan 4th Ward prior to becoming a mission president.
Burton served as president of the European Mission of the church and later as the Area
Area (LDS Church)
An area is an administrative unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions...
Supervisor in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
As director of the Genealogical Department, Burton initiated the translation of materials into languages other than English. He held the title of Executive Director of the Family History Department from 1972 to 1978. He also negotiated the contracting out of microfilming work to a private company in 1967 and then its later resumption as a function of the church department.
Sources
- Allen, James B., Jessie L. Embry and Kahlile B. Mehr. Hearts Turned to the Fathers: A History of the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1894-1994. Provo: BYU Studies, 1995.
- Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint Church History, p. 156-157
- 2005 Deseret News Church Almanac, p. 79.