Louis A. Bertrand

Louis Alphonse Bertrand (born John Francis Elias Flandin) (January 8, 1808 – March 21, 1875) was an early leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in France.

Bertrand was born near Marseilles, France. He early went into trade and traveled abroad. In 1848, he was in Paris and a member of the Revolutionary Committee of 1848. He was then sent into prison for three months. At this time he changed his name to protect his wife and child.

After the revolution Bertrand edited "Le Populaire". In 1850, he met John Taylor and shortly thereafter was baptized a member of the LDS Church. He then worked on the translation of the Book of Mormon into French.

Bertrand was involved in the publication of the church periodical "L'Etoile du Deseret". In 1853, he was serving as a missionary in Jersey. While there he taught Victor Hugo, but in Bertrand's assessment Hugo was "too full of revolution to think much about the gospel of Jesus Christ". [McClellan, Richard D., "Louis A. Bertrand" in Garr et. al "Encyclopedia of Latter Day Saint History", p. 100]

In 1855 Bertrand emigrated to Utah Territory. In 1859, he returned to France as the LDS Church mission president. In 1864, he went to Utah Territory again. His wife did not join the LDS Church and remained in France.

Notes

References

*McClellan, Richard D., "Louis A. Bertrand : one of the most singular and romantic figures of the age", (Provo, Utah: Honors Thesis, 2000). Complete biography located in Special Collections at Harold B. Lee Library and Church Archives

*McClellan, Richard D., "Bertrand, Louis A." in Garr, Arnold K., Donald Q. Cannon and Richard O. Cowan ed., "Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History", (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 2000) pp. 99–100

*McClellan, Richard D., "Not your average French communist Mormon : a short history of Louis A. Bertrand" in "Mormon Historical Studies", Fall 2000, (Utah: Mormon Historic Sites Foundation, 2000) pp. 3-24

*McClellan, Richard D., "President Louis Bertrand and the Closure of the French Mission, 1859-1864" in Donald Q. Cannon and Brent L. Top "Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History, Europe, (Provo, Utah: BYU, 2003) pp. 23-46