Eldred G. Smith
Encyclopedia
Eldred Gee Smith holds the position of patriarch emeritus to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and held the calling of Patriarch to the Church of the same church between 1947 and 1979. In 2009, Smith surpassed Joseph Anderson
as the oldest-lived general authority
in the history of the LDS Church, and in January 2011 he surpassed David O. McKay
as the longest-serving general authority in LDS Church history.
Eldred Smith was born in Lehi
, Utah
. His father was Hyrum G. Smith
, who was Presiding Patriarch of the LDS Church between 1912 and 1932. Eldred Smith is a great-great-great-nephew of Joseph Smith, Jr.
At the time of Eldred's birth, a new Presiding Patriarch was usually chosen based on the principle of patrilineal succession
. However, instead of choosing Eldred to replace his father, Church President Heber J. Grant
appointed Eldred's cousin Joseph Fielding Smith
to be Presiding Patriarch in 1942. After Joseph Fielding Smith's request to be released was granted by Church President George Albert Smith
in 1946, Eldred was selected as the next Presiding Patriarch.
Eldred Smith graduated from LDS High School
in Salt Lake City and then the University of Utah
. From 1926 to 1929, he served as a LDS Church missionary
in the Swiss-German Mission
. Smith later served in several church positions, including as a member of a high council and as bishop of the 20th North Ward in Salt Lake City. From 1944 to 1946, Smith lived in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
while working on the Manhattan Project
and served as president of the LDS Church branch in Oak Ridge during this time.
Smith and his wife, the former Jeanne Ness, were the parents of five children.
Smith was ordained as the Presiding Patriarch of the LDS Church in 1947 and served in that position for the next 32 years. He regularly spoke in the twice-yearly church general conferences
but was only rarely assigned to visit local stakes of the church.
During his tenure as Presiding Patriarch, Smith's primary duty was to travel to areas of the world where there were no patriarchs in order to bestow patriarchal blessing
s upon worthy Latter-day Saints.
In 1979 Smith was released from active duties and designated patriarch emeritus. The reported reason for this change was the increase of availability of stake patriarchs throughout the church. As was announced by the Church in General Conference: "Because of the large increase in the number of stake patriarchs and the availability of patriarchal service throughout the world, we now designate Elder Eldred G. Smith as a Patriarch Emeritus, which means that he is honorably relieved of all duties and responsibilities pertaining to the office of Patriarch to the Church."
Today, Smith is an emeritus
general authority
of the church. He remains an ordained patriarch and is still permitted to give patriarchal blessings. However, he is no longer sustained
by the church as a "prophet, seer, and revelator
" as he was from 1947 to 1979. On 9 January 2007, Smith celebrated his 100th birthday
. He is only the second general authority
in the history of the church to reach the age of 100, the first being Joseph Anderson
, who died in 1992 at the age of 102.
The church has not stated whether or not it will appoint a new Presiding Patriarch upon Smith's death.
Joseph Anderson (Mormon)
Joseph Anderson was the secretary to the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1922 to 1970 and was a general authority of the church from 1970 until his death....
as the oldest-lived general authority
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
in the history of the LDS Church, and in January 2011 he surpassed David O. McKay
David O. McKay
David Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
as the longest-serving general authority in LDS Church history.
Eldred Smith was born in Lehi
Lehi, Utah
-Attractions:Lehi Roller MillsLehi Roller Mills was founded in 1906 by a co-op of farmers. George G. Robinson purchased the mill in 1910, and since then it has remained in the family. It is run today by grandson R. Sherman Robinson....
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. His father was Hyrum G. Smith
Hyrum G. Smith
Hyrum Gibbs Smith was Presiding Patriarch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1912 until his death.- Biography :...
, who was Presiding Patriarch of the LDS Church between 1912 and 1932. Eldred Smith is a great-great-great-nephew of Joseph Smith, Jr.
At the time of Eldred's birth, a new Presiding Patriarch was usually chosen based on the principle of patrilineal succession
Lineal succession (Mormonism)
Lineal succession was a doctrine, largely abandoned in many denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement, whereby certain key church positions are held by right of inheritance. Most frequently the offices connected with lineal succession are those of the President of the Church and the Presiding...
. However, instead of choosing Eldred to replace his father, Church President Heber J. Grant
Heber J. Grant
Heber Jeddy Grant was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained an apostle on October 16, 1882, on the same day as George Teasdale...
appointed Eldred's cousin Joseph Fielding Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith (presiding patriarch)
Joseph Fielding Smith was presiding patriarch and a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1942 until 1946....
to be Presiding Patriarch in 1942. After Joseph Fielding Smith's request to be released was granted by Church President George Albert Smith
George Albert Smith
George Albert Smith, Sr. was the eighth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-Early life:...
in 1946, Eldred was selected as the next Presiding Patriarch.
Eldred Smith graduated from LDS High School
LDS High School
LDS High School was a secondary school located in Salt Lake City, Utah operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The school was closely associated with Latter-day Saints' University, the last vestiges of which are now LDS Business College...
in Salt Lake City and then the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. From 1926 to 1929, he served as a LDS Church missionary
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in the Swiss-German Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
. Smith later served in several church positions, including as a member of a high council and as bishop of the 20th North Ward in Salt Lake City. From 1944 to 1946, Smith lived in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 27,387 at the 2000 census...
while working on the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
and served as president of the LDS Church branch in Oak Ridge during this time.
Smith and his wife, the former Jeanne Ness, were the parents of five children.
Smith was ordained as the Presiding Patriarch of the LDS Church in 1947 and served in that position for the next 32 years. He regularly spoke in the twice-yearly church general conferences
General Conference (LDS Church)
General Conference is a semiannual world conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held in April and October, where members gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to instruction from Church leaders...
but was only rarely assigned to visit local stakes of the church.
During his tenure as Presiding Patriarch, Smith's primary duty was to travel to areas of the world where there were no patriarchs in order to bestow patriarchal blessing
Patriarchal blessing
In the Latter Day Saint movement, a patriarchal blessing is a blessing or ordinance given by a patriarch to a church member. Patriarchal blessings are modeled after the blessing given by Jacob to each of his sons prior to his death...
s upon worthy Latter-day Saints.
In 1979 Smith was released from active duties and designated patriarch emeritus. The reported reason for this change was the increase of availability of stake patriarchs throughout the church. As was announced by the Church in General Conference: "Because of the large increase in the number of stake patriarchs and the availability of patriarchal service throughout the world, we now designate Elder Eldred G. Smith as a Patriarch Emeritus, which means that he is honorably relieved of all duties and responsibilities pertaining to the office of Patriarch to the Church."
Today, Smith is an emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
general authority
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of the church. He remains an ordained patriarch and is still permitted to give patriarchal blessings. However, he is no longer sustained
Common consent
Common consent is a democratic principle established by the Latter Day Saint movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., who taught in 1830 that "all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith." As it is most frequently used by the Church of Jesus Christ of...
by the church as a "prophet, seer, and revelator
Prophet, seer, and revelator
Prophet, seer, and revelator is an ecclesiastical title used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is currently applied to the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles...
" as he was from 1947 to 1979. On 9 January 2007, Smith celebrated his 100th birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
. He is only the second general authority
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
in the history of the church to reach the age of 100, the first being Joseph Anderson
Joseph Anderson (Mormon)
Joseph Anderson was the secretary to the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1922 to 1970 and was a general authority of the church from 1970 until his death....
, who died in 1992 at the age of 102.
The church has not stated whether or not it will appoint a new Presiding Patriarch upon Smith's death.