Thorpe B. Isaacson

Thorpe B. Isaacson was a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in the Presiding Bishopric, as Second Counselor to LeGrand Richards from 1946 to 1961 and then as First Counselor to Joseph L. Wirthlin from 1952 to 1961. He was sustained as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1961.

On October 28, 1965, he was sustained as a member of the First Presidency under Church president David O. McKay. At that time the First Presidency consisted of five members, including counselors Hugh B. Brown, N. Eldon Tanner, Joseph Fielding Smith and Isaacson, to accommodate the unprecedented growth of the Church and the slowing effects of age of the First Presidency. The effects of a stroke Isaacson suffered on February 7, 1966, made it difficult for him to serve fully, so another counselor, Alvin R. Dyer was added to the First Presidency to assist with Isaacson’s duties. He continued to serve in the First Presidency until January 18, 1970, when President McKay passed away. He resumed his service as an Assistant to the Twelve for the few months before his passing on November 9, 1970.

Isaacson was born on September 6, 1898, in Ephraim, Utah. He was educated at Snow Academy, Brigham Young University, Utah State University, and University of California, Berkeley. He was a school teacher, athletic coach, school district superintendent, and member of the Utah State University Board of Trustees. He also worked in insurance and real estate.

He and his wife, Lula, were the parents of two children.