George Albert Smith
Encyclopedia
George Albert Smith, Sr. (April 4, 1870 – April 4, 1951) was the eighth president
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
, Utah Territory
, Smith was one of nineteen children of Mormon
apostle John Henry Smith
and one of his plural wives, Sarah Farr. His grandfather
, for whom he was named, was also an LDS Church apostle as well as a cousin of Church founder Joseph Smith, Jr. John Henry Smith and George Albert Smith are the only father and son pair to have been members of the Quorum of the Twelve at the same time, having served in the Quorum together between 1903 and 1910.
Smith attended high school at Brigham Young Academy, graduating in 1884. He next graduated from the University of Deseret (later the University of Utah
) in 1888. In 1896, he had joined the Republican Party and campaigned for William McKinley
, who became President of the United States
. He also favored Theodore Roosevelt
, McKinley's successor.
While surveying for a railroad as a young man, Smith's eyesight was permanently impaired by glare
from the sun.
After 1903, Smith found his frequent travels debilitating, and began to show prominent symptoms of physical weakness. He was eventually diagnosed with lupus erythematosus
, a chronic debilitating autoimmune disease.
Smith was known for his patriotism, joining various American patriotic groups and was an ardent supporter of the Boy Scouts
. In 1934, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America awarded him the prestigious Silver Buffalo Award
. Smith was an avid genealogist
and family historian and was named National Vice President of the Sons of the American Revolution in 1922.
. The couple later had three children. Lucy had spent much of her time growing up in the household of her grandfather Wilford Woodruff
, and looked on him as almost more of a father than a grandfather. Smith's son George Albert Smith, Jr.
became a professor at Harvard Business School
.
Smith and his new wife Lucy were missionaries
in the LDS Church's Southern States Mission
under President
J. Golden Kimball
from 1892 to 1894. Smith was appointed mission secretary.
Smith was called to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1903. From 1920 until 1923 Smith served as president of the British and European Missions of the church. In this capacity, he preached in the United Kingdom
, Ireland
, France
, the Netherlands
, Switzerland
, and Germany
. From 1921 to 1935, Smith was the general superintendent of the church's Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. In 1935 he was succeeded in this position by Albert E. Bowen
.
With the death of President Rudger Clawson
, in 1943, Smith was sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
and served in the position for two years.
. When World War II
ended, Smith helped send supplies to Europe
and was also known for his efforts to revitalize missionary
work. He publicly denounced the activities and political influence of the American Ku Klux Klan
. Smith dedicated the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
on September 23, 1945. Over his lifetime, he traveled approximately a million miles fulfilling church assignments.
George Albert Smith was the first president of the church to visit Mexico
while in office. He went there to complete the reconciliation and return to the church of a group of apostate
Mexicans known as the "Third Convention
ists".
. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
.
President of the Church (Mormonism)
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. It was the office held by Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the movement, and the office assumed by many of Smith's claimed successors, such as Brigham Young, Joseph Smith III,...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Early life
Born in Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
, Smith was one of nineteen children of Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
apostle John Henry Smith
John Henry Smith
John Henry Smith was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
and one of his plural wives, Sarah Farr. His grandfather
George A. Smith
George Albert Smith was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as a member of the church's First Presidency.-Childhood:Smith was born in Potsdam, St...
, for whom he was named, was also an LDS Church apostle as well as a cousin of Church founder Joseph Smith, Jr. John Henry Smith and George Albert Smith are the only father and son pair to have been members of the Quorum of the Twelve at the same time, having served in the Quorum together between 1903 and 1910.
Smith attended high school at Brigham Young Academy, graduating in 1884. He next graduated from the University of Deseret (later 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...
) in 1888. In 1896, he had joined the Republican Party and campaigned for William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, who became President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. He also favored Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, McKinley's successor.
While surveying for a railroad as a young man, Smith's eyesight was permanently impaired by glare
Glare (vision)
Glare is difficulty seeing in the presence of bright light such as direct or reflected sunlight or artificial light such as car headlamps at night. Because of this, some cars include mirrors with automatic anti-glare functions....
from the sun.
After 1903, Smith found his frequent travels debilitating, and began to show prominent symptoms of physical weakness. He was eventually diagnosed with lupus erythematosus
Lupus erythematosus
Lupus erythematosus is a category for a collection of diseases with similar underlying problems with immunity . Symptoms of these diseases can affect many different body systems, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart, and lungs...
, a chronic debilitating autoimmune disease.
Smith was known for his patriotism, joining various American patriotic groups and was an ardent supporter of the Boy Scouts
Scouting in Utah
Scouting in Utah has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-History:...
. In 1934, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America awarded him the prestigious Silver Buffalo Award
Silver Buffalo Award
The Silver Buffalo Award is the national-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on a national basis, either as part of, or independent of the Scouting program...
. Smith was an avid genealogist
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
and family historian and was named National Vice President of the Sons of the American Revolution in 1922.
Marriage and family
On May 25, 1892, Smith married Lucy Emily Woodruff, the daughter of Wilford Woodruff, Jr., in the Manti TempleManti Utah Temple
The Manti Utah Temple is the fifth constructed temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Located in the city of Manti, Utah, it was the third LDS temple built west of the Mississippi River after the Mormons' great trek westward. The Manti Utah Temple (formerly the Manti Temple)...
. The couple later had three children. Lucy had spent much of her time growing up in the household of her grandfather Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
, and looked on him as almost more of a father than a grandfather. Smith's son George Albert Smith, Jr.
George Albert Smith, Jr.
George Albert Smith, Jr. was a professor at Harvard Business School who wrote several books on management practice and other issues....
became a professor at Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
.
LDS Church service
Just prior to his marriage to Lucy, Smith served as a Mutual Improvement Association missionary throughout many areas in Southern Utah.Smith and his new wife Lucy were missionaries
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 LDS Church's Southern States 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...
under President
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
J. Golden Kimball
J. Golden Kimball
Jonathan Golden Kimball was a prominent and well known leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as a member of the First Council of the Seventy from 1892 until his death in 1938. He is considered one of the most colorful and beloved of the Church's General Authorities...
from 1892 to 1894. Smith was appointed mission secretary.
Smith was called to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1903. From 1920 until 1923 Smith served as president of the British and European Missions of the church. In this capacity, he preached in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. From 1921 to 1935, Smith was the general superintendent of the church's Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. In 1935 he was succeeded in this position by Albert E. Bowen
Albert E. Bowen
Albert Ernest Bowen was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
.
With the death of President Rudger Clawson
Rudger Clawson
Rudger Judd Clawson was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 until his death in 1943...
, in 1943, Smith was sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In general, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve is the most senior Apostle in the church, aside from the President of the Church...
and served in the position for two years.
Administration as President of the Church
Smith became president of the church on May 21, 1945 with the death of Heber J. GrantHeber 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...
. When World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended, Smith helped send supplies to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and was also known for his efforts to revitalize 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...
work. He publicly denounced the activities and political influence of the American Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. Smith dedicated the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple is the tenth constructed and eighth operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Idaho Falls, Idaho it was the first LDS temple built in Idaho, and the first temple built with a modern single-spire design.The LDS temple...
on September 23, 1945. Over his lifetime, he traveled approximately a million miles fulfilling church assignments.
George Albert Smith was the first president of the church to visit Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
while in office. He went there to complete the reconciliation and return to the church of a group of apostate
Apostasy
Apostasy , 'a defection or revolt', from ἀπό, apo, 'away, apart', στάσις, stasis, 'stand, 'standing') is the formal disaffiliation from or abandonment or renunciation of a religion by a person. One who commits apostasy is known as an apostate. These terms have a pejorative implication in everyday...
Mexicans known as the "Third Convention
Third Convention
The Third Convention was a dissident group of Mexican Latter-day Saints who broke away from the main body of church authority in 1936 over a dispute about local governance and autonomy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico...
ists".
Death
Smith died in Salt Lake City from systemic lupus erythematosusSystemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
Salt Lake City Cemetery
thumb|The northern section of the cemetery at night, looking towards Salt Lake CityThe Salt Lake City Cemetery is in The Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. Approximately 120,000 persons are buried in the cemetery. Many religious leaders and politicians, particularly many leaders of The...
.