Elbert A. Smith
Encyclopedia
Elbert Aoriul Smith was an American
leader in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church). He was a member of the church's First Presidency
from 1909 to 1938 and the Presiding Patriarch of the church from 1938 to 1958.
, Illinois
, the son of David Hyrum Smith
and the grandson of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
. In 1900, Elbert Smith became a full-time missionary
of the RLDS Church.
On 18 April 1909, Smith's uncle Joseph Smith III
, who was the president of the RLDS Church, asked him to become one of his counselors in the church's First Presidency. Smith replaced R. C. Evans
, who had moved to Canada
and been given jurisdiction over the church there.
When Smith's cousin Frederick M. Smith succeeded Joseph Smith III as president of the church, Elbert Smith was retained in the First Presidency as a counselor. Smith moved to Independence
, Missouri
, after the church made the decision to move its headquarters there from Lamoni
, Iowa
. Smith remained as a member of the First Presidency until 7 April 1938, when Frederick Smith designated him as the Presiding Patriarch of the church. In 1946, Smith presented a revelation
to a World Conference
of the church in which he stated that God had selected Israel A. Smith to succeed Frederick Smith, who had recently died.
Smith remained in as Presiding Patriarch of the church until his resignation in 1958 for health reasons, when he was replaced by Roy Cheville
.
and the RLDS Church and about church organization and procedure. For many years he was also the editor of Saints' Herald, the official periodical of the RLDS Church. Among Smith's most well-known works is Restoration: A Study in Prophecy and Differences that Persist Between the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Utah Mormon Church.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
leader in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church). He was a member of the church's First Presidency
First Presidency (Community of Christ)
The First Presidency of the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is the church's highest-ranking priesthood quorum. It is composed of the president and two counselors, and they preside over the whole church under the principles of "theocratic...
from 1909 to 1938 and the Presiding Patriarch of the church from 1938 to 1958.
RLDS Church leadership
Smith was born in NauvooNauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, the son of David Hyrum Smith
David Hyrum Smith
David Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader, poet, painter, singer, philosopher, and naturalist. The youngest son of Joseph Smith, Jr. and Emma Hale Smith, he was an influential missionary and leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was born approximately five months after the murder of...
and the grandson of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
. In 1900, Elbert Smith became a full-time missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
of the RLDS Church.
On 18 April 1909, Smith's uncle Joseph Smith III
Joseph Smith III
Joseph Smith III was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and Emma Hale Smith...
, who was the president of the RLDS Church, asked him to become one of his counselors in the church's First Presidency. Smith replaced R. C. Evans
R. C. Evans
Richard Charles Evans was a Canadian apostle and member of the First Presidency in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who became the leader of a schismatic sect that separated from the RLDS Church in 1918.Evans was born in St. Andrews in Argenteuil County, Province of...
, who had moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and been given jurisdiction over the church there.
When Smith's cousin Frederick M. Smith succeeded Joseph Smith III as president of the church, Elbert Smith was retained in the First Presidency as a counselor. Smith moved to Independence
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, after the church made the decision to move its headquarters there from Lamoni
Lamoni, Iowa
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,444 people, 818 households, and 428 families residing in the city. The population density was 761.1 people per square mile . There were 904 housing units at an average density of 281.5 per square mile...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. Smith remained as a member of the First Presidency until 7 April 1938, when Frederick Smith designated him as the Presiding Patriarch of the church. In 1946, Smith presented a revelation
Revelation (Latter Day Saints)
Latter Day Saints teach that the Latter Day Saint movement began with a Revelation from God . They also teach that revelation is the foundation of the church established by Jesus Christ and that it remains an essential element of His true church today...
to a World Conference
World Conference (Community of Christ)
World Conference is the highest legislative body in the Community of Christ and is empowered to act for the entire church. It operates according to a principle known as "common consent" and is presided over by the First Presidency...
of the church in which he stated that God had selected Israel A. Smith to succeed Frederick Smith, who had recently died.
Smith remained in as Presiding Patriarch of the church until his resignation in 1958 for health reasons, when he was replaced by Roy Cheville
Roy Cheville
Roy A. Cheville was a religious leader, theologian and educator in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Community of Christ, as it is known today. Cheville graduated from Graceland University in 1921 with an Associate of Arts degree in liberal arts and religious education...
.
Author and editor
Smith was a prolific author of books and tracts about the history of the Latter Day Saint movementHistory of the Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement within Christianity that arose during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century and that led to the set of doctrines, practices, and cultures called Mormonism and to the existence of numerous Latter Day Saint churches...
and the RLDS Church and about church organization and procedure. For many years he was also the editor of Saints' Herald, the official periodical of the RLDS Church. Among Smith's most well-known works is Restoration: A Study in Prophecy and Differences that Persist Between the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Utah Mormon Church.
Family and death
Smith married Clara Abigail Cochran in Lamoni, Iowa on 4 September 1895. They were the parents of three boys, two of whom survived to adulthood. Smith died at Independence, Missouri at the age of 88.Publications
- Elbert A. Smith (1908). An Instrument in His Hand (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1908). The Minister who was Different (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— and David H. SmithDavid Hyrum SmithDavid Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader, poet, painter, singer, philosopher, and naturalist. The youngest son of Joseph Smith, Jr. and Emma Hale Smith, he was an influential missionary and leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was born approximately five months after the murder of...
(1911). Hesperis, or, Poems By Father and Son (Independence Mo.: Herald House) - Elbert A. Smith (1911). The Church in Court (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1913). A Plea for the Golden Rule (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1913). Duties of Branch Officers Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1916). Joe Pine Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1920). Corner Stones of the Utah Church (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1920). Square Blocks and Other Sermons and Articles (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1922). Timbers for the Temple;: A Story of Old Nauvoo in Days of her Glory (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1924). The True Philosophy of Church Government (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1925). In the Beginning God Created: And 3 Other Radio Sermons (Independence, Mo.: RLDS Church)
- —— (1927). What Latter Day Saints believe about God (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1930). Utah Mormon Polygamy. Its Belief and Practice (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1935). Church Court Procedure: With Suggested Forms to be Used when Preparing and Hearing Cases (Independence Mo.: RLDS Church)
- —— (1941). Faith of our Fathers Living Still (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1941). What Latter Day Saints Believe about Marriage and the Home: With Chapters on the Divorce Problem (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1943) Differences that Persist Between the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Utah Mormon Church (Independence Mo.: Herald House) [reprinted by Kessinger Publishing in 2004, ISBN 1417975741]
- —— (1943). Exploring the Church (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1946). On Memory's Beam: The Autobiography of Elbert A. Smith (Independence Mo.: Herald House) [re-published in a 1959 revised edition as Brother Elbert]
- —— (1946). Restoration: A Study in Prohecy (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1948). Prophetic Warnings in Modern Revelations (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1950). Evangelists and Patriarchs;: Their Work and Calling (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- —— (1950). Zion Builders' Sermons;: A Series of Doctrinal Sermons Addressed to the Young People of the Church (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
- ——, F. Henry EdwardsF. Henry EdwardsFrancis Henry Edwards was a British leader in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...
and Herbert M. Scott (eds., 1951). Compendium of the Scriptures Including Texts of the Standard Books of the Church (ndependence Mo.: Herald House) - Elbert A. Smith (1951). Blue Pencil Notes (Independence Mo.: Herald House)
External links
- "The Stewardship of Priesthood" : sermon delivered by Smith on 5 January 1927