Robert D. Foster

Robert D. Foster (14 March 1811 – 1 February 1878) was a 19th-century physician and an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, being baptized into the Church of Christ (later renamed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) sometime before October 1839. He was the son of John Foster and Jane Knibb. He was the brother of Charles A. Foster. Foster married Sarah Phinney on 18 July 1837 at Medina County, Ohio. Foster was baptized into the Church of Christ, and, in October 1839, he was ordained to be an elder of the church while living in Nauvoo, Illinois. Foster was then mentioned by name in a revelation dated January 19, 1841, in which Joseph Smith states that Foster should build Smith a house in Nauvoo:

Foster helped build and purchased stock in the resulting Mansion House.

Foster was appointed surgeon general in the Nauvoo Legion in March 1841 and he was a Regent of the University of Nauvoo from 1841 to 1844. He was also involved in the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge Foster helped write the June 7, 1844 issue of the newspaper

In a conversation with Abraham Hodge, Foster expressed regret at having played a hand in Joseph's and Hyrum's deaths.

Later life Foster was an apostle in the church formed by First Presidency member William Law.

In 1850, Foster moved to Canandaigua, New York and worked there as a physician. In 1860, he moved to Loda, Illinois, where he died on February 1, 1878. He was 67 years old.