Joseph F. Smith
Encyclopedia
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. (November 13, 1838 – November 19, 1918) was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was the last president of the LDS Church to have personally known the founder of the Mormon faith, Joseph Smith, Jr., who was the brother of his father Hyrum Smith
.
Hyrum Smith
and his second wife Mary Fielding
, a British
convert to the Church who married Hyrum after the death of his first wife, Jerusha Barden Smith. In addition to her two children, Mary Fielding Smith raised the six children from the union of Hyrum and Jerusha.
on November 13, 1838. Just a few days before he was born, his father Hyrum had been taken prisoner under the auspices of the Missouri Executive Order 44 (infamously called the "extermination order"). At point of bayonet
, Hyrum was marched to his home in Far West
and ordered to say farewell to his wife. He was told that his "doom was sealed" and that he would never see her again. Hyrum was still in custody in Liberty Jail
, Missouri when his son Joseph Fielding was born. He was named after his uncle, Joseph Smith
, and his mother's brother Joseph Fielding
. His mother and maternal aunt Mercy Fielding Thompson fled with their children to Quincy, Illinois
early in 1839, and later they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois
when the majority of the members of the Church settled there. Hyrum was later permitted to escape from Liberty Jail and he joined his family in Nauvoo. Joseph F. Smith stated as an adult that he had memories of Nauvoo, and could recall his uncle, the prophet Joseph Smith, and events that occurred at his uncle's home; he was nearly six years old when on June 27, 1844, Joseph's uncle and father were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois
.
among the trees on its banks, without wagon or tent, while the city was bombarded by mobs. His mother was later able to exchange their property in Illinois for a wagon and team of oxen. Joseph and his family, along with many other Mormons, fled the American Midwest. The seven-year-old Smith drove the team of oxen, with his family, to the Latter Day Saint encampment at Winter Quarters, Nebraska
.
While at Winter Quarters, Smith and another boy named Thomas Burdick were out on horseback some distance from the settlement, watching the cattle graze. They saw a band of twenty or thirty American Indians ride into the valley on the other side of the cattle. Burdick rode back to camp to get help while Smith rode toward the Indians and got between the Indians and the herd before the Indians reached the cattle. Smith was able to turn the herd to head back toward the settlement, and coupled with the noise and arrival of the Indians, started a stampede (saving the herd from the Indians). He was still riding with the herd at full speed when two Indians picked him up off of his horse from either side and dropped him to the ground. A company of men from the encampment then arrived and were able to chase away the fleeing Indians and recover the herd, but Smith's horse was stolen.
Smith and his family remained at Winter Quarters until the spring of 1848 when Smith drove his mother's wagon across the plains to Utah
.
in 1847, Joseph's mother Mary Fielding Smith worked with her sister and brother to raise the two widows' families, as well as continuing to care for Hyrum and Jerusha's younger children. Mary Fielding Smith died in 1852, apparently of pneumonia
, leaving Smith an orphan at the age of 13. Smith reported that he was devastated by his mother's death, and relied upon the emotional support and help of Brigham Young
and his stepfather Heber C. Kimball
. Even with the support of his older half-brother John Smith
, Joseph assumed primary responsibility for his young sister, Martha Ann, and subsequently left school in 1854. His leaving school was closely linked to his resistance of an attempt by the teacher to whip Martha.
(designated the Hawaiian Islands
after acquisition as a territory of the United States) under the direction of Apostle Parley P. Pratt
. Smith was ordained an elder by George A. Smith
on April 24, 1854 and received his endowment
at the Endowment House
that same day. He then traveled to San Bernardino, California
where he worked to earn money for passage on a ship to San Francisco. In the San Francisco area, possibly in what is now Fremont, California
on the farm of John Horner
, he was again employed in agricultural pursuits seeking to earn money for passage to Hawaii.
Smith successfully learned the language of the Hawaiian people and reported great success in four years of missionary work on the islands. Besides serving with various American companions on his mission he also had two Hawaiian companions, Paake, who was a property manager for some of Jonathan Napela's property, and Lalawaia. He sent the first part of his mission on Maui
, but later presided over groups of branches on the island of Hawaii and then over all LDS Church units on Molokai
.
Smith's recall to Utah Territory
1857 was largely a result of the conflict known as the Utah War
. He traveled overland from San Francisco to San Bernardino and then north through modern Las Vegas on his return. He finally arrived back in Utah in February 1858. Shortly after this, Smith joined the territory's militia, named the "Nauvoo Legion
", and spent several months patrolling the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains
. Later in his tour of duty, he served as chaplain of Colonel Heber C. Kimball's
regiment
, with the rank of captain. After tensions between the church and the federal government abated, Smith assisted his relatives in their return to northern Utah from areas in southern Utah, where they had taken their families for safety.
During the 1858–1859 session of the Utah territorial legislature Smith served as the sergeant-at-arms. In 1859 he married his first wife, Levira Smith. In the LDS Church, Smith was ordained a seventy in March 1858 and a high priest and a member of the Salt Lake Stake high council in October 1858.
In 1860, at 22 years of age, Smith was sent on a mission to Great Britain
. He and his cousin Samuel H. B. Smith drove mule teams over the plains to Winter Quarters to help pay their way. Shortly after arriving in England, Smith was made the conference
president in Sheffield. Among the members of the LDS Church in that city was William Fowler
; Smith was present at the meeting where Fowler's hymn "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
" was first sung. After a short time, Smith was appointed to the pastorate, an office that seems to have only existed in the British Mission and only for a short time, in which position he presided over the Sheffield as well as four other adjacent conferences. In all he served for 3 years, the last part under mission president
George Q. Cannon
when he was sent on short assignments to both Denmark
and France
. Smith left England in June 1863. After a short stay in New York to earn enough money to cross the plains he went west and from Nebraska on served as the chaplain of an LDS wagon company bound for Utah.
Smith had only been home for a short while when he was called to accompany Ezra T. Benson
and Lorenzo Snow
, William W. Cluff
and Alma T. Smith on a second mission to the Sandwich Islands
to correct the problems caused by Walter M. Gibson
. He acted as principal interpreter for the apostles, and after Gibson was excommunicated, Smith was left in charge of the mission. Smith returned home in the winter of 1864–1865.
Smith had a notable experience during this mission. The group anchored their boat in a rough channel in order to go ashore, proposing that the party should land using the freight boat. Smith was strongly opposed to this, saying that the boat was unfit for the rough waters and that there was a great danger of capsizing. He offered to go ashore alone to obtain a boat fit to transport the party, to which they refused. They were persistent however, chiding him for his waywardness, with one leader even saying, "Young man, you would better obey counsel." He then reiterated his impression of danger, imploring them not to go, but they insisted, so he asked that they leave their satchels, clothes, and valuables and permit him to stay. They reluctantly consented and set out for land. Partway there, the freight boat was overturned by the rough water about 20 or 30 feet deep, and Lorenzo Snow
nearly drowned in the ocean. Snow's unconscious body was recovered, and on shore they were able to resuscitate him. Due to Smith's actions, all of their belongings were saved.
, a wife of church apostle George A. Smith
.
Smith also served as a clerk in the Endowment House
, being in charge after the death of Brigham Young
, until it was closed. His latter mission to Hawaii was largely prompted by the fact that Smith held this position: since he had in his possession the records of the Endowment House, Smith's arrest was deemed by the federal government as likely to open the way to many more prosecutions for polygamy.
Smith served seven terms in the Utah territorial House of Representatives, specifically 1865–1870, 1872, and 1874. He was a member of the Salt Lake City Council for many years and in this position was a key advocate of setting up city parks. He was thus one of the people involved with the establishment of Pioneer Park and Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. In 1868 and 1869 Smith served as a member of the Provo
city council. Smith served as a member of the Territorial Council, essentially the equivalent of the upper house of the legislature, in 1880 and 1882. He also served in as president of a state constitutional convention in 1882. Like many other potential state constitutions for Utah the one produced by this convention did not go into effect because Congress refused to grant Utah statehood.
Smith also served as a LDS Church representative on boards of many Utah businesses.
– 18 December 1888 St. Louis, Missouri
), daughter of Samuel Harrison Smith. When Joseph F. Smith left on his mission to England the next year, his companion for the entire journey over and at least part of his time in Sheffield was Levira's brother Samuel. Joseph and Levira had no children. Seven years later, Brigham Young directed Smith to take a plural wife
. Levira gave her permission for this; she was present at the marriage of Joseph F. and Julina, and she was a longtime friend of Julina's. Levira's not having children and the influence of some of Levira's relatives who were antagonistic to the LDS Church caused her to decide to go to California and divorce Smith in 1868.
Smith ultimately adopted five children and fathered forty-three children. Thirteen of his children preceded him in death: Mercy, Leonora, Sarah Ellen, Heber, Rhoda, Alice, Hyrum, Alfred, Albert, Robert, Zina, Ruth, and John. His adopted son Edward also preceded him in death.
One of Smith's granddaughters, Amelia Smith, married Bruce R. McConkie
, who later became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
After Smith's first mission to Hawaii
at age fifteen, he served in the Salt Lake Stake High Council in 1859, and in 1864 began working in the Church Historian's Office as a "recorder" for the Endowment House
, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the First Presidency
. By the time he was called to the apostleship in 1866 at the age of 27, he had served three separate missions for the church. (Hawaii
1854–57; Great Britain
1860–63; Hawaii
1864)
On July 1, 1866, Smith was ordained an apostle by Brigham Young
and sustained as a counselor to the First Presidency, where he served until Young's death. However, he was not sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles until the church's October conference of 1867. On February 28, 1874, he left for his second mission to England, serving as President of the European Mission
from 1874 to 1875, returning home upon the death of First Presidency member George A. Smith
. He was then called to preside over the Davis Stake until he left again in the spring of 1877 for his third mission to England. When news arrived of the death of Young, Smith was released and sent home. The following year he served an Eastern States Mission with Orson Pratt
, visiting noteworthy places in the history of the church in Missouri
, Ohio
, New York
and Illinois
. During this trip they met with and interviewed David Whitmer
.
After Young's death, Smith was named second counselor in the First Presidency to church president John Taylor in October 1880, serving from 1880 to 1887. He later served as second counselor to president Wilford Woodruff
(1889–1898), and as second counselor to president Lorenzo Snow
(1898–1901). Smith was sustained as first counselor to Snow on the death of first counselor George Q. Cannon
, but, as President Snow himself died only four days later, Smith never served in this position. He succeeded Snow as president
of the Salt Lake Temple
and served in this capacity until 1911, when he transferred this responsibility to Anthon H. Lund
.
Smith also served as editor of the Improvement Era
and Juvenile Instructor
, and general superintendent of the Sunday School
and Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association.
Smith felt it was important for Utah to become a state, and thereby eliminate the ongoing federal supervision of the Utah Territory
. Following the official discontinuance of new plural marriages
by Wilford Woodruff
in 1890, and the dissolution of the Mormon People's Party
in 1891, Smith championed the anti-polygamy Republican party in Utah.
as President of the Church on October 17, 1901. This was ratified by a special conference and solemn assembly of the priesthood on November 10, 1901. He chose as his counselors John R. Winder
, a native of the United Kingdom, and Anthon H. Lund
, a native of Denmark
. After Winder died, Lund became the First Counselor and Smith's second cousin John Henry Smith
became the Second Counselor.
Joseph F. Smith gave more influence to the Presiding Patriarch of the church than had any president since Joseph Smith, Jr. The church's presiding patriarch, John Smith
, was his elder half-brother.
Joseph F. Smith was the first church president to travel outside of North America while president of the church. In 1906 he went on a tour to Europe.
One of the first issues he faced was the ongoing difficulties for the Church due to the practice of plural marriage. As Church President, Smith supported Mormon Apostle Reed Smoot
's candidacy for the U.S. Senate. But Smoot's election was contested on the grounds that he was an officer in the Church. The Senate investigation
again focused national attention on Mormon marriages and political influence. Additional attention was given to Smith because of his opposition to the re-election of Utah's senior U.S. Senator, non-Mormon Thomas Kearns
. Following his appearance before a Senate panel in 1904, Smith took steps to prevent any surreptitious continuation of church plural marriages. On April 6, 1904, Smith issued the "Second Manifesto
." He also declared that any church officer who performed a plural marriage, as well as the offending couple, would be excommunicated. He clarified that the policy applied world-wide, and not just in North America. Two members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, John W. Taylor
and Matthias F. Cowley
, resigned in 1905 following the second manifesto. Smith, however, continued to live with his plural wives after the 1890 and the 1905 manifestos. In 1906, Smith was brought to trial on a charge of unlawful cohabitation
with four women in addition to his lawful wife; he pleaded guilty and was fined $300, the maximum penalty then permitted under the law.
Smith's seventeen year administration made efforts toward improving the Church's damaged relationships with the federal government and related issues dealing with the Church's financial situation. The administration acquired historic sites, constructed numerous meetinghouses, and expanded the church system of educational academies and universities. He also oversaw a continued growth in Church membership.
Smith died of pneumonia
in Salt Lake City on November 19, 1918, and was succeeded by President Heber J. Grant
. Due to the widespread influenza
pandemic of 1918–1920, a graveside service, rather than a public funeral, was held. Smith was interred in the Salt Lake City cemetery on November 22, 1918.
Smith is often remembered as church president for the construction and dedication of Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial
in South Royalton, Vermont
on December 23, 1905 and the Seagull Monument
at Temple Square
in Salt Lake City, Utah
on October 1, 1913. In 1913, Boy Scouting became the official youth activity program for the church's young men. During much of his presidential tenure, Smith oversaw the planning and construction of the Laie Hawaii Temple
in Lā'ie, Hawai'i
, one of his part-time residences. Smith died at Salt Lake City on November 19, 1918, a year before the Hawaii Temple was to be dedicated. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
. Smith left a body of religious writings often used in discussing church doctrine and religious conduct.
Funded by Lorenzo N. Stohl, the sermons and writings of Joseph F. Smith were compiled by John A. Widtsoe
, Osborne J.P. Widtsoe, Albert E. Bowen
, Franklin S. Harris
and Joseph Quinney. In 1919, the "Committee on Study for the Priesthood Quorums of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" had this work published as the book Gospel Doctrine, for use as instruction for Melchizedek priesthood quorums of the church.
Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the older brother of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr....
.
Biography
Smith was the son of PatriarchPatriarch (Mormonism)
In the Latter Day Saint movement, Patriarch is an office of the Priesthood whose main duty is to give Patriarchal blessings to church members. It is considered to be either an office of the Patriarchal Priesthood or the Melchizedek priesthood...
Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the older brother of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr....
and his second wife Mary Fielding
Mary Fielding Smith
Mary Fielding Smith Kimball was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, the second wife of LDS Church leader Hyrum Smith and the mother of Joseph F. Smith....
, a British
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...
convert to the Church who married Hyrum after the death of his first wife, Jerusha Barden Smith. In addition to her two children, Mary Fielding Smith raised the six children from the union of Hyrum and Jerusha.
Early life
Smith was born in Far West, MissouriFar West, Missouri
Far West, Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri.-Foundation and early history:The town was founded by Missouri Mormon leaders, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer in August 1836 shortly before the county's creation. The town was platted originally as a square area,...
on November 13, 1838. Just a few days before he was born, his father Hyrum had been taken prisoner under the auspices of the Missouri Executive Order 44 (infamously called the "extermination order"). At point of bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
, Hyrum was marched to his home in Far West
Far West, Missouri
Far West, Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri.-Foundation and early history:The town was founded by Missouri Mormon leaders, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer in August 1836 shortly before the county's creation. The town was platted originally as a square area,...
and ordered to say farewell to his wife. He was told that his "doom was sealed" and that he would never see her again. Hyrum was still in custody in Liberty Jail
Liberty Jail
Liberty Jail is a former jail in Liberty, Missouri, USA where Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of Latter Day Saint movement, and other associates were imprisoned from December 1, 1838 to April 6, 1839 during the 1838 Mormon War...
, Missouri when his son Joseph Fielding was born. He was named after his uncle, Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith was founder of what later became known as the Latter Day Saint movement or Mormons.Joseph Smith may also refer to:-Latter Day Saints:* Joseph Smith, Sr. , father of Joseph Smith...
, and his mother's brother Joseph Fielding
Joseph Fielding
Joseph Fielding was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. He served as the second president of the British Mission , coordinating the activities of missionaries in sections of the United Kingdom and parts of Europe. He was the brother of Mary Fielding, the second wife of Hyrum Smith,...
. His mother and maternal aunt Mercy Fielding Thompson fled with their children to Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
early in 1839, and later they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo, 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...
when the majority of the members of the Church settled there. Hyrum was later permitted to escape from Liberty Jail and he joined his family in Nauvoo. Joseph F. Smith stated as an adult that he had memories of Nauvoo, and could recall his uncle, the prophet Joseph Smith, and events that occurred at his uncle's home; he was nearly six years old when on June 27, 1844, Joseph's uncle and father were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois
Carthage, Illinois
Carthage is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,725 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hancock County. Carthage is most famous for being the site of the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844.- History :...
.
Winter Quarters
Smith's family remained in Nauvoo until September 1844, at which time his mother took their family and fled the city, camping on the west side of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
among the trees on its banks, without wagon or tent, while the city was bombarded by mobs. His mother was later able to exchange their property in Illinois for a wagon and team of oxen. Joseph and his family, along with many other Mormons, fled the American Midwest. The seven-year-old Smith drove the team of oxen, with his family, to the Latter Day Saint encampment at Winter Quarters, Nebraska
Winter Quarters, Nebraska
Winter Quarters was an encampment formed by approximately 2,500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they waited during the winter of 1846–47 for better conditions for their trek westward. It followed a preliminary tent settlement some 3½ miles west at Cutler's Park. The...
.
While at Winter Quarters, Smith and another boy named Thomas Burdick were out on horseback some distance from the settlement, watching the cattle graze. They saw a band of twenty or thirty American Indians ride into the valley on the other side of the cattle. Burdick rode back to camp to get help while Smith rode toward the Indians and got between the Indians and the herd before the Indians reached the cattle. Smith was able to turn the herd to head back toward the settlement, and coupled with the noise and arrival of the Indians, started a stampede (saving the herd from the Indians). He was still riding with the herd at full speed when two Indians picked him up off of his horse from either side and dropped him to the ground. A company of men from the encampment then arrived and were able to chase away the fleeing Indians and recover the herd, but Smith's horse was stolen.
Smith and his family remained at Winter Quarters until the spring of 1848 when Smith drove his mother's wagon across the plains to 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...
.
Utah childhood
After arriving in Utah TerritoryUtah 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....
in 1847, Joseph's mother Mary Fielding Smith worked with her sister and brother to raise the two widows' families, as well as continuing to care for Hyrum and Jerusha's younger children. Mary Fielding Smith died in 1852, apparently of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, leaving Smith an orphan at the age of 13. Smith reported that he was devastated by his mother's death, and relied upon the emotional support and help of Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
and his stepfather Heber C. Kimball
Heber C. Kimball
Heber Chase Kimball was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Latter Day Saint church, and as first counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his...
. Even with the support of his older half-brother John Smith
John Smith (1832-1911)
John Smith , was the fifth Presiding Patriarch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . His father was Hyrum Smith, the older brother of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism....
, Joseph assumed primary responsibility for his young sister, Martha Ann, and subsequently left school in 1854. His leaving school was closely linked to his resistance of an attempt by the teacher to whip Martha.
Missions and military service
At the age of fifteen, Smith was called to go on his first LDS mission to the Sandwich IslandsHawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
(designated the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
after acquisition as a territory of the United States) under the direction of Apostle Parley P. Pratt
Parley P. Pratt
Parley Parker Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
. Smith was ordained an elder by George A. Smith
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...
on April 24, 1854 and received his endowment
Endowment (Mormonism)
In Mormonism, the endowment is an ordinance designed to prepare participants to become kings, queens, priests, and priestesses in the afterlife. As part of the ceremony, participants take part in a scripted reenactment of the Biblical creation and fall of Adam and Eve...
at the Endowment House
Endowment House
The Endowment House was an early building used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to administer temple ordinances in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. From the construction of the Council House in 1852, Salt Lake City's first public building, until the construction of the Endowment...
that same day. He then traveled to San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
where he worked to earn money for passage on a ship to San Francisco. In the San Francisco area, possibly in what is now Fremont, California
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
on the farm of John Horner
John M. Horner
John M. Horner was a key figure in the early history of southern Alameda County, California especially what is now Fremont, California.Horner was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and first arrived in California on the ship Brooklyn in a group led by Sam Brannan in 1846...
, he was again employed in agricultural pursuits seeking to earn money for passage to Hawaii.
Smith successfully learned the language of the Hawaiian people and reported great success in four years of missionary work on the islands. Besides serving with various American companions on his mission he also had two Hawaiian companions, Paake, who was a property manager for some of Jonathan Napela's property, and Lalawaia. He sent the first part of his mission on Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, but later presided over groups of branches on the island of Hawaii and then over all LDS Church units on Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
.
Smith's recall to 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....
1857 was largely a result of the conflict known as the Utah War
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
. He traveled overland from San Francisco to San Bernardino and then north through modern Las Vegas on his return. He finally arrived back in Utah in February 1858. Shortly after this, Smith joined the territory's militia, named the "Nauvoo Legion
Nauvoo Legion
The Nauvoo Legion was a militia originally organized by the Latter Day Saints to defend the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, . To curry political favor with the ambiguously-political Saints, the Illinois state legislature granted Nauvoo a liberal city charter that gave the Nauvoo Legion extraordinary...
", and spent several months patrolling the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. Later in his tour of duty, he served as chaplain of Colonel Heber C. Kimball's
Heber C. Kimball
Heber Chase Kimball was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Latter Day Saint church, and as first counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
, with the rank of captain. After tensions between the church and the federal government abated, Smith assisted his relatives in their return to northern Utah from areas in southern Utah, where they had taken their families for safety.
During the 1858–1859 session of the Utah territorial legislature Smith served as the sergeant-at-arms. In 1859 he married his first wife, Levira Smith. In the LDS Church, Smith was ordained a seventy in March 1858 and a high priest and a member of the Salt Lake Stake high council in October 1858.
In 1860, at 22 years of age, Smith was sent on a mission to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. He and his cousin Samuel H. B. Smith drove mule teams over the plains to Winter Quarters to help pay their way. Shortly after arriving in England, Smith was made the conference
District (LDS Church)
A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the...
president in Sheffield. Among the members of the LDS Church in that city was William Fowler
William Fowler (Mormon)
William Fowler was the author of the popular Latter-day Saint hymn "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet".Fowler was born in Australia to an English father, John Fowler, and an Irish mother, Bridget Niel. His father was in the British military, and when Fowler was three his father was relocated to...
; Smith was present at the meeting where Fowler's hymn "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" is a hymn of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It has been sung at most general conferences of the LDS Church since it was published in 1863....
" was first sung. After a short time, Smith was appointed to the pastorate, an office that seems to have only existed in the British Mission and only for a short time, in which position he presided over the Sheffield as well as four other adjacent conferences. In all he served for 3 years, the last part under mission 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...
George Q. Cannon
George Q. Cannon
George Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
when he was sent on short assignments to both Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and 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...
. Smith left England in June 1863. After a short stay in New York to earn enough money to cross the plains he went west and from Nebraska on served as the chaplain of an LDS wagon company bound for Utah.
Smith had only been home for a short while when he was called to accompany Ezra T. Benson
Ezra T. Benson
Ezra Taft Benson was as an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-Early life:Benson was born in Mendon, Massachusetts, the son of John Benson and...
and Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
, William W. Cluff
William W. Cluff
William Wallace Cluff was an American Latter-day Saint missionary and leader in the 19th Century, and a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature....
and Alma T. Smith on a second mission to the Sandwich Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
to correct the problems caused by Walter M. Gibson
Walter M. Gibson
Walter Murray Gibson was an American adventurer and a government minister in the Kingdom of Hawaii prior to the kingdom's 1887 constitution.-Life:...
. He acted as principal interpreter for the apostles, and after Gibson was excommunicated, Smith was left in charge of the mission. Smith returned home in the winter of 1864–1865.
Smith had a notable experience during this mission. The group anchored their boat in a rough channel in order to go ashore, proposing that the party should land using the freight boat. Smith was strongly opposed to this, saying that the boat was unfit for the rough waters and that there was a great danger of capsizing. He offered to go ashore alone to obtain a boat fit to transport the party, to which they refused. They were persistent however, chiding him for his waywardness, with one leader even saying, "Young man, you would better obey counsel." He then reiterated his impression of danger, imploring them not to go, but they insisted, so he asked that they leave their satchels, clothes, and valuables and permit him to stay. They reluctantly consented and set out for land. Partway there, the freight boat was overturned by the rough water about 20 or 30 feet deep, and Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
nearly drowned in the ocean. Snow's unconscious body was recovered, and on shore they were able to resuscitate him. Due to Smith's actions, all of their belongings were saved.
Clerical and political career
Upon his return home, Smith was employed in the Church historian's office for a number of years. It was while working in this position he met his second wife, Julina Lambson, who was a niece of Bathsheba W. SmithBathsheba W. Smith
Bathsheba Wilson Bigler Smith was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement. She was the fourth general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a matron of the Salt Lake Temple, a member of the Board of Directors of Deseret Hospital, Salt Lake...
, a wife of church apostle George A. Smith
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...
.
Smith also served as a clerk in the Endowment House
Endowment House
The Endowment House was an early building used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to administer temple ordinances in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. From the construction of the Council House in 1852, Salt Lake City's first public building, until the construction of the Endowment...
, being in charge after the death of Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
, until it was closed. His latter mission to Hawaii was largely prompted by the fact that Smith held this position: since he had in his possession the records of the Endowment House, Smith's arrest was deemed by the federal government as likely to open the way to many more prosecutions for polygamy.
Smith served seven terms in the Utah territorial House of Representatives, specifically 1865–1870, 1872, and 1874. He was a member of the Salt Lake City Council for many years and in this position was a key advocate of setting up city parks. He was thus one of the people involved with the establishment of Pioneer Park and Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. In 1868 and 1869 Smith served as a member of the Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
city council. Smith served as a member of the Territorial Council, essentially the equivalent of the upper house of the legislature, in 1880 and 1882. He also served in as president of a state constitutional convention in 1882. Like many other potential state constitutions for Utah the one produced by this convention did not go into effect because Congress refused to grant Utah statehood.
Smith also served as a LDS Church representative on boards of many Utah businesses.
Marriages and family
On 5 April 1859, Smith married his sixteen-year-old cousin Levira Annette Clark Smith (29 April 1842 Nauvoo, IllinoisNauvoo, 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...
– 18 December 1888 St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
), daughter of Samuel Harrison Smith. When Joseph F. Smith left on his mission to England the next year, his companion for the entire journey over and at least part of his time in Sheffield was Levira's brother Samuel. Joseph and Levira had no children. Seven years later, Brigham Young directed Smith to take a plural wife
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
. Levira gave her permission for this; she was present at the marriage of Joseph F. and Julina, and she was a longtime friend of Julina's. Levira's not having children and the influence of some of Levira's relatives who were antagonistic to the LDS Church caused her to decide to go to California and divorce Smith in 1868.
Smith ultimately adopted five children and fathered forty-three children. Thirteen of his children preceded him in death: Mercy, Leonora, Sarah Ellen, Heber, Rhoda, Alice, Hyrum, Alfred, Albert, Robert, Zina, Ruth, and John. His adopted son Edward also preceded him in death.
- Julina Lambson (18 July 1849 - 10 January 1936). Married 6 May 1866. Julina was a nurse and midwife.
- Edward Arthur Smith (AdoptedAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
) (1 November 1858 Brampton, EnglandBrampton, DerbyshireBrampton is an area of Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Originally a village separate from the town, it became absorbed into it over time due to urban sprawl.- Entertainment :...
- 17 July 1911 Raymond, CanadaRaymond, AlbertaRaymond is a town in Warner County, Alberta, Canada. It is located in southern Alberta south of Lethbridge on Highway 52. Raymond is known for its annual rodeo and its large Mormon population...
) - Mercy Josephine Smith (14 August 1867 – 6 June 1870)
- Mary Sophronia Smith (7 October 1869 – 5 January 1948)
- Donette Smith (17 September 1872 – 15 September 1961)
- Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr.Joseph Fielding SmithJoseph Fielding Smith, Jr. was the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 until his death. He was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who was the sixth president of the LDS Church...
(19 July 1876 – 2 July 1972) - David Asael SmithDavid A. Smith (Mormon)David Asael Smith was a member of the presiding bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1907 and 1938 and was the first president of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir....
(24 May 1879 – 6 April 1952) - George Carlos Smith (14 October 1881 – 23 February 1931)
- Julina Clarissa Smith (10 February 1884 – 1 August 1923)
- Elias Wesley Smith (21 April 1886 Laie, Hawaii – 28 December 1970)
- Emily Jane Smith (11 September 1888 – 12 December 1982)
- Rachael Smith (11 December 1890 – 14 December 1986)
- Edith Eleanor Smith (3 January 1894 – 21 May 1987)
- Marjorie Virginia Smith (AdoptedAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
) 7 December 1906 – 17 November 1994)
- Edward Arthur Smith (Adopted
- Sarah Ellen Richards (24 August 1850 – 22 March 1915). Married on 1 March 1868. Sarah was a daughter of Willard RichardsWillard RichardsWillard Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to church president Brigham Young in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death.Willard Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to...
and his wife Sarah Longstroth.- Sarah Ellen Smith (5 February 1869 – 11 February 1869)
- Leonora Smith (30 January 1871 – 23 December 1907)
- Joseph Richards Smith (22 February 1873 – 2 October 1954)
- Heber John Smith (3 July 1876 – 3 March 1877)
- Rhoda Ann Smith (20 July 1878 – 6 July 1879)
- Minerva Smith (30 April 1880 – 24 January 1958)
- Alice Smith (27 July 1882 – 29 April 1901)
- Willard Richards Smith (20 November 1884 – 11 September 1972)
- Franklin Richards Smith (12 May 1888 – 25 December 1967)
- Jeanetta Smith (25 August 1891 – 27 January 1932)
- Asenath Smith (28 December 1896 – 3 August 1982)
- Edna Lambson (3 March 1851 – 28 February 1926). Married on 5 May 1871. She was the sister of Julina Lambson, who was also one of Smith's wives.
- Hyrum Mack Smith (21 March 1872 – 23 January 1918)
- Alvin Fielding Smith (19 July 1874 – 4 January 1948)
- Alfred Jason Smith (13 December 1876 – 6 April 1878)
- Edna Melissa Smith (6 October 1879 – 26 October 1958)
- Albert Jesse Smith (16 September 1881 – 25 August 1883)
- Robert Smith (12 November 1883 – 4 February 1886)
- Emma Smith (21 August 1888 – 28 December 1969)
- Zina Smith (11 October 1890 – 25 October 1915)
- Ruth Smith (21 December 1893 – 17 March 1898)
- Martha Smith (12 May 1897 – 7 August 1977)
- Alice Ann Kimball (6 September 1858 – 19 December 1946). Married on 6 December 1883. Alice was Heber C. KimballHeber C. KimballHeber Chase Kimball was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Latter Day Saint church, and as first counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his...
's daughter, and the twin of Andrew Kimball, father of Spencer W. KimballSpencer W. KimballSpencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
.- Charles Coulson Smith (AdoptedAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
) (19 November 1881 – 20 April 1933) - Heber Chase Smith (AdoptedAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
) (19 November 1881 – 29 December 1971) - Alice May Smith (AdoptedAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
) (11 October 1877 – 20 October 1920) - Lucy Mack Smith (14 April 1890 – 24 November 1933)
- Andrew Kimball Smith (6 Jan 1893 – 23 August 1951)
- Jesse Kimball Smith (21 May 1896 – 9 June 1953)
- Fielding Kimball Smith (9 April 1900 – 20 October 1974)
- Charles Coulson Smith (Adopted
- Mary Taylor Schwartz (30 April 1865 – 5 December 1956). Married on 13 January 1884. Mary was Agnes TaylorAgnes TaylorAgnes Taylor Rich Hoagland Schwartz was a Mormon pioneer who played a key role in helping her brother, LDS Church president John Taylor, evade authorities during the federal crackdown on polygamy in the mid-1880s. She was also the mother-in-law of later church president Joseph F. Smith and of...
's daughter and church president John Taylor's niece.- John Schwartz Smith (20 August 1886 – 3 August 1889)
- Calvin Schwartz Smith (29 May 1890 – 15 June 1966)
- Samuel Schwartz Smith (26 October 1892 Franklin, IdahoFranklin, IdahoFranklin is a city in Franklin County, Idaho, United States. The population was 641 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
– 10 May 1983) - James Schwartz Smith (13 November 1894 Franklin, IdahoFranklin, IdahoFranklin is a city in Franklin County, Idaho, United States. The population was 641 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
– 6 November 1950) - Agnes Smith (3 November 1897 – 9 March 1966)
- Silas Schwartz Smith (3 January 1900 – 23 April 1986)
- Royal Grant Smith (21 May 1906 – 30 May 1971)
One of Smith's granddaughters, Amelia Smith, married Bruce R. McConkie
Bruce R. McConkie
Bruce Redd McConkie was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972 until his death...
, who later became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Church service
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
at age fifteen, he served in the Salt Lake Stake High Council in 1859, and in 1864 began working in the Church Historian's Office as a "recorder" for the Endowment House
Endowment House
The Endowment House was an early building used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to administer temple ordinances in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. From the construction of the Council House in 1852, Salt Lake City's first public building, until the construction of the Endowment...
, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the First Presidency
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
. By the time he was called to the apostleship in 1866 at the age of 27, he had served three separate missions for the church. (Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
1854–57; Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
1860–63; Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
1864)
On July 1, 1866, Smith was ordained an apostle by Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
and sustained as a counselor to the First Presidency, where he served until Young's death. However, he was not sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles until the church's October conference of 1867. On February 28, 1874, he left for his second mission to England, serving as President of the European 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...
from 1874 to 1875, returning home upon the death of First Presidency member George A. Smith
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...
. He was then called to preside over the Davis Stake until he left again in the spring of 1877 for his third mission to England. When news arrived of the death of Young, Smith was released and sent home. The following year he served an Eastern States Mission with Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles...
, visiting noteworthy places in the history of the church in 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...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and 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,...
. During this trip they met with and interviewed David Whitmer
David Whitmer
David Whitmer was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates.-Early life:...
.
After Young's death, Smith was named second counselor in the First Presidency to church president John Taylor in October 1880, serving from 1880 to 1887. He later served as second counselor to president 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...
(1889–1898), and as second counselor to president Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
(1898–1901). Smith was sustained as first counselor to Snow on the death of first counselor George Q. Cannon
George Q. Cannon
George Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
, but, as President Snow himself died only four days later, Smith never served in this position. He succeeded Snow as president
Temple President
Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual capacity....
of the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
and served in this capacity until 1911, when he transferred this responsibility to Anthon H. Lund
Anthon H. Lund
Anthon Henrik Lund 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 a prominent Utah leader.-History:...
.
Smith also served as editor of the Improvement Era
Improvement Era
The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970....
and Juvenile Instructor
Juvenile Instructor
The Juvenile Instructor was an official periodical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1901 and 1930. It was first published in 1866 as a private publication...
, and general superintendent of the Sunday School
Sunday School (LDS Church)
Sunday School is an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . All members of the church and any interested nonmembers, age 12 and older, are encouraged to participate in Sunday School.-Purpose:...
and Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association.
Smith felt it was important for Utah to become a state, and thereby eliminate the ongoing federal supervision of the 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....
. Following the official discontinuance of new plural marriages
1890 Manifesto
The "1890 Manifesto", sometimes simply called "The Manifesto", is a statement which officially disavowed the continuing practice of plural marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
by 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...
in 1890, and the dissolution of the Mormon People's Party
People's Party (Utah)
The People's Party was a political party in Utah Territory during the late 19th century. It was backed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its newspaper, the Deseret News. It opposed Utah's Liberal Party.- Beginnings :...
in 1891, Smith championed the anti-polygamy Republican party in Utah.
Church President
Smith was chosen by the twelve apostles and set apartSetting apart
Setting apart is an ordinance or ritual in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whereby a person is formally chosen and blessed to carry out a specific calling or responsibility in the church....
as President of the Church on October 17, 1901. This was ratified by a special conference and solemn assembly of the priesthood on November 10, 1901. He chose as his counselors John R. Winder
John R. Winder
John Rex Winder was a leader and general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric from 1887 to 1901, and First Counselor in the First Presidency to Church President Joseph F. Smith from 1901 until his death. He was well-known...
, a native of the United Kingdom, and Anthon H. Lund
Anthon H. Lund
Anthon Henrik Lund 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 a prominent Utah leader.-History:...
, a native of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. After Winder died, Lund became the First Counselor and Smith's second cousin 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...
became the Second Counselor.
Joseph F. Smith gave more influence to the Presiding Patriarch of the church than had any president since Joseph Smith, Jr. The church's presiding patriarch, John Smith
John Smith (1832-1911)
John Smith , was the fifth Presiding Patriarch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . His father was Hyrum Smith, the older brother of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism....
, was his elder half-brother.
Joseph F. Smith was the first church president to travel outside of North America while president of the church. In 1906 he went on a tour to Europe.
One of the first issues he faced was the ongoing difficulties for the Church due to the practice of plural marriage. As Church President, Smith supported Mormon Apostle Reed Smoot
Reed Smoot
Reed Owen Smoot was a native-born Utahn who was first elected to the United States Senate from Utah in 1903, and served as a Senator until 1933...
's candidacy for the U.S. Senate. But Smoot's election was contested on the grounds that he was an officer in the Church. The Senate investigation
Smoot Hearings
The Reed Smoot hearings were a series of Congressional hearings on whether the United States Senate should seat U.S. Senator Reed Smoot, who was elected by the Utah legislature in 1903...
again focused national attention on Mormon marriages and political influence. Additional attention was given to Smith because of his opposition to the re-election of Utah's senior U.S. Senator, non-Mormon Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns was a mining, banking, railroad and newspaper magnate. He was elected United States Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905.- Immigration and mining :...
. Following his appearance before a Senate panel in 1904, Smith took steps to prevent any surreptitious continuation of church plural marriages. On April 6, 1904, Smith issued the "Second Manifesto
Second Manifesto
The "Second Manifesto" was a 1904 declaration made by Joseph F. Smith, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , in which Smith stated the church was no longer sanctioning marriages that violated the laws of the land and set down the principle that those entering into or...
." He also declared that any church officer who performed a plural marriage, as well as the offending couple, would be excommunicated. He clarified that the policy applied world-wide, and not just in North America. Two members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, John W. Taylor
John Whittaker Taylor
John Whittaker Taylor was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was the son of John Taylor, the third president of the church...
and Matthias F. Cowley
Matthias F. Cowley
Matthias Foss Cowley , born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1897 until 1905. The town of Cowley in Wyoming is named after him. He was the father of Apostle Matthew Cowley by Abbie Hyde. ...
, resigned in 1905 following the second manifesto. Smith, however, continued to live with his plural wives after the 1890 and the 1905 manifestos. In 1906, Smith was brought to trial on a charge of unlawful cohabitation
Cohabitation
Cohabitation usually refers to an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married...
with four women in addition to his lawful wife; he pleaded guilty and was fined $300, the maximum penalty then permitted under the law.
Smith's seventeen year administration made efforts toward improving the Church's damaged relationships with the federal government and related issues dealing with the Church's financial situation. The administration acquired historic sites, constructed numerous meetinghouses, and expanded the church system of educational academies and universities. He also oversaw a continued growth in Church membership.
Smith died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in Salt Lake City on November 19, 1918, and was succeeded by 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...
. Due to the widespread influenza
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
pandemic of 1918–1920, a graveside service, rather than a public funeral, was held. Smith was interred in the Salt Lake City cemetery on November 22, 1918.
Smith is often remembered as church president for the construction and dedication of Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial
Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial
Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial is a granite obelisk on a hill in the White River Valley near Sharon and South Royalton, Vermont that marks the spot where Joseph Smith, Jr. was born on 23 December 1805. The monument was erected by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , which recognizes...
in South Royalton, Vermont
Royalton, Vermont
Royalton is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,603 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Royalton, South Royalton, and North Royalton...
on December 23, 1905 and the Seagull Monument
Seagull Monument
The Seagull Monument is a small monument situated immediately in front of the Salt Lake Assembly Hall on Temple Square, in Salt Lake City, Utah...
at Temple Square
Temple Square
Temple Square is a ten acre complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square...
in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt 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...
on October 1, 1913. In 1913, Boy Scouting became the official youth activity program for the church's young men. During much of his presidential tenure, Smith oversaw the planning and construction of the Laie Hawaii Temple
Laie Hawaii Temple
Laie Hawaii Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located on the northeast shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The temple sits on a small hill a half-mile from the Pacific Ocean in the town of Lāie, from Honolulu...
in Lā'ie, Hawai'i
La'ie, Hawai'i
Laie is a census-designated place located in the Koolauloa District on the island of Oahu in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. In Hawaiian, lāie means "ie leaf" . The population was 4,585 at the 2000 census.-History:Historically, Laie was a puuhonua, a sanctuary for fugitives...
, one of his part-time residences. Smith died at Salt Lake City on November 19, 1918, a year before the Hawaii Temple was to be dedicated. 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...
. Smith left a body of religious writings often used in discussing church doctrine and religious conduct.
Doctrinal contributions
During his administration as President of the Church, President Smith made significant official statements of Latter-day Saint doctrine:- "The Origin of Man": In November 1909, in the midst of public interest in theories of evolution, the First Presidency issued a statement concerning the Latter-Day Saint doctrine. It affirms that God created man in his own image. The document also succinctly reiterates the doctrine of twofold creation (spiritual followed by temporal), the premortal existence of man, and ends noting that man, as a child of God, is capable of evolving into a God.
- "The Father and the Son": On June 20, 1916, the First PresidencyFirst Presidency (LDS Church)The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued a statement examining the LDS use of the term "Father" in scripture, clarifying times when the word referred to God the Father and when the word referred to JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ. The statement identified four different uses of the word "Father." God the Father is the literal parent of the spirits of mankind and the earthly father of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is referred to as "the Father" when discussing his role as creator of the earth, when he acts as "the Father" of those who abide in his gospel, and when he acts with the authority of his Heavenly Father while on earth.
- "Vision of the Redemption of the Dead": On October 3, 1918, Smith received a revelationRevelation (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...
on the nature of the spirit world and on Jesus Christ's role in ensuring that the gospel is taught to all men, living and dead. A written account of the revelation was submitted to the general authorities of the church on October 31, 1918 and was unanimously accepted. The revelation was initially published in December 1918, and was added to the Pearl of Great Price, an LDS scripture, in April 1976; it has since been removed from the Pearl of Great Price and added to the Doctrine and CovenantsDoctrine and CovenantsThe Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
as Section 138. This revelation complemented an 1894 statement on the eternal nature of the family and appropriate work for the dead issued by Wilford WoodruffWilford WoodruffWilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
. Genealogy work by members of the LDS Church increased after both of these statements.
Funded by Lorenzo N. Stohl, the sermons and writings of Joseph F. Smith were compiled by John A. Widtsoe
John A. Widtsoe
John Andreas Widtsoe was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1921 until his death. Widtsoe was also a noted author, scientist, and academician.-Early life:...
, Osborne J.P. Widtsoe, 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 ....
, Franklin S. Harris
Franklin S. Harris
Franklin Stewart Harris was president of Brigham Young University from 1921 until 1945, and president of Utah State University from 1945 to 1950....
and Joseph Quinney. In 1919, the "Committee on Study for the Priesthood Quorums of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" had this work published as the book Gospel Doctrine, for use as instruction for Melchizedek priesthood quorums of the church.
Works
LDS Church publication number 35744.See also
- Parley Parker Christensen, Salt Lake County clerk, assertedly delayed prosecution of Smith.