Gibbons FrancisM

Identity and Notability

Francis M. Gibbons is broadly known in Latter-day Saint history and administration as an attorney, Church leader, and author. Public sources document that he served as secretary to the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 to 1986, followed by service as a General Authority Seventy (late 1980s into the early 1990s). After his administrative service, he authored a multi-volume series of accessible biographies of presidents of the Church, published primarily by Deseret Book. He is commonly cited as having passed away in 2016. When researching, take care not to conflate him with other individuals of similar name.

News and Media Coverage

Coverage includes leadership announcements during the 1970s–1990s and obituary/tribute pieces in 2016. Representative outlets and repositories where relevant articles have appeared:

• Church News and official newsroom announcements: newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org and thechurchnews.com
• Utah and Intermountain West press (e.g., Deseret News): deseret.com
• Library databases and archives for contemporaneous reports: Chronicling America, local university special collections, and newspaper archives

If you are tracking a specific article or year, search by “Francis M. Gibbons” and add terms like “First Presidency secretary,” “Seventy,” “obituary 2016,” or “LDS biographies.”

Social Media Presence

Given his era of activity and death reported in 2016, there are no verified personal social media accounts attributable to him. Mentions you find on social platforms today are typically secondary references by readers, researchers, or institutions. Treat any profiles using his name as unofficial memorials or unrelated namesakes unless clearly verified by reputable organizations.

Books, Publications, and Projects

Gibbons is best remembered in print for an approachable series of biographies of presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including volumes on early and modern leaders (for example, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, Heber J. Grant, and David O. McKay). These works were widely distributed by Deseret Book and appear in library catalogs and Latter-day Saint bibliographies. He also wrote on Church history topics beyond the presidential biographies.

• Catalog and holdings checks: WorldCat, Library of Congress, university library catalogs
• Publisher search: Deseret Book

Recent projects: none posthumous beyond reprints or references. His legacy persists through continued citation and library circulation.

Name Variants and Research Tips

• Common variants: “Francis M. Gibbons,” “Francis Marion Gibbons,” “Gibbons, Francis M.”
• Use date and place filters (April 10, 1921; St. Johns, Arizona) to disambiguate from namesakes.
• For genealogical confirmation, consult public memorial and vital record indexes with caution: FamilySearch and similar databases.

Status Notes and Caveats

The birth details in this profile were provided by the requester and are included as supplied. All other points above reflect widely reported, non-sensitive public information about a recognized public figure. For precise dates, positions, and bibliographic details, rely on primary sources (official Church publications, publisher pages, or library records).