(9 October 1812– c. 7 September 1856) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement, a Mormon pioneer, and the first secretary and treasurer of the Territory of Utah. He was killed in a raid by Cheyenne Native Americans in Nebraska Territory while travelling on government business between Utah and Washington, D.C.

Babbitt was born in Cheshire, Massachusetts. He graduated from Ohio State University at Cincinnati and became licensed to practice law in six states. He married Julia Ann Johnson on 23 November 1833 and is thought to have joined the Latter Day Saint church sometime in 1833.  In 1834, he was a member of Zion’s Camp, and on 28 February 1835 he was ordained as one of the first seventies in the church by Joseph Smith, Jr.  Babbitt later became a high priest in the church.

In 1848, Babbitt emigrated to Utah Territory to join the gathering of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), led by Brigham Young. In Utah, Babbitt, a Democrat, became involved in politics. In 1849, he was selected by the provisional General Assembly of the State of Deseret to travel to Washington, D.C. and petition for statehood on behalf of the Assembly.^[7] Instead, the federal government created the Territory of Utah and in 1853 Babbitt was appointed secretary and treasurer of the territory. In this position, Babbitt had frequent clashes with Brigham Young, the territorial governor and the president of the LDS Church. These clashes have been attributed in part to Babbitt’s tendency to view himself as a representative of the United States federal government rather than an enabler of Young’s pro-LDS Church policies.

Babbitt led a company of Mormon pioneers to Utah in 1851.