Robert L. Simpson

Robert L. Simpson was a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as the first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric from September 30, 1961 until April 6, 1972, when he was sustained as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and served until the position was discontinued on October 1, 1976. On that day he was sustained as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. he was granted emeritus status on September 30, 1989.

Simpson was born on August 8, 1915, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was reared in Southern California and graduated from Santa Monica City College. During World War II, he was trained in the Technical Training Communication program at Yale University and served in the US Air Force from 1942 to 1946. For close to 20 years he worked for a California telephone company as plant engineer, public relations supervisor, and head of the accounting office.

As a young man, Simpson served as a full-time missionary in the New Zealand Mission. He later presided over that mission. He served temporarily as president of the London Mission when the president became ill. He also served as general president of the Sunday School from 1986 to 1989. He served as president of the Los Angeles California Temple from 1980 to 1982. He also served as director of the St. George Utah Temple Visitors’ Center.

He and his wife, Jelaire, were the parents of four children. He died on April 15, 2003.