(November 14, 1799 – October 25, 1838) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was killed at the Battle of Crooked River and is regarded as a martyr by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He is referred to twice in the LDS Church’s Doctrine and Covenants—once in section 114 and posthumously in section 124.
Patten served several short missions for the church, and was one of the first missionaries to visit the southern United States. Two days after his baptism, Patten was ordained an elder by Elisha H. Groves, and soon after sent on a mission to Michigan Territory. On this trip, he was accompanied by another recent convert, Joseph Wood. Together, the two traveled for 23 days without much food or money, instead relying on nearby families for sustenance and a place to sleep. This assignment lasted «a short season,» during which time Patten baptized his wife. Healing was a distinctive feature of Patten’s missionary labors. Abraham O. Smoot said that «he never knew an instance in which David’s petition for the sick was not answered. Patten described some accounts of his healing: «Jesus called upon me to lay hands on [Brother] Coltrain who accidentally burned his hand and he received no harm. Brother William Smith had a pain in his eye and I laid my hand on him in the name of Jesus Christ and the pain left him.
Patten was ordained a high priest by Hyrum Smith on September 2, 1832.
After Patten’s death, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles did not have twelve apostles again until 1841, when Lyman Wight was ordained. Between Patten’s death and Wight’s ordination, John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, and Willard Richards had been ordained and added to the Quorum to replace Patten and apostles who had been excommunicated.