Theodore B. Lewis

Theodore Belden Lewis (November 18, 1843 – July 20, 1899) was an early Mormon leader who was called and sustained to the Presidency of the Seventy, but never served in the office and was not set apart.

Lewis was born in St. Louis, Missouri and was orphaned at a young age. He attended Central College in Howard County and Fairview Academy.cite web |url=http://gapages.com/lewistb1.htm |title=Theodore B. (Belden) Lewis |accessdate=2008-04-05 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=Grampa Bill]

When the American Civil War broke out, Lewis joined the Army of the West and participated in the Battle of Booneville and later engagements before his December 19, 1861 capture by Union forces. He was paroled the next spring after serving in Gratiot Street Prison and began studying law.

Lewis moved to Utah Territory to teach in 1865 and converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the next year. He served a mission to the Southern States, then in 1870 began teaching at a school that later became Brigham Young Academy.

In the 1882 October general conference of the church, following the custom of the day, he was issued a surprise calling to become a Seventy and serve as one of the quorum's seven presidents. The congregation sustained him. However, as he was about to be set apart the next day, he reported he had already been ordained a high priest and was therefore not set apart, and never served in the quorum presidency.

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