Sylvester Smith (Latter Day Saints)
Encyclopedia
Sylvester Smith was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement
and one of the inaugural seven Presidents of the Seventy.
, Massachusetts
.
Birth Date:
Smith was reportedly born on March 25, 1806 according to and Ancestry.com . It is stated as sometime in 1805 by , , , , and . claims he was born on October 15, 1805.
Birthplace:
Smith was reportedly born at Becket, Massachusetts
according to Ancestry.com , Suffolk, New York (possibly New Suffolk, New York
?) according to , and Connecticut
according to , and . agrees that the birthplace was Tyringham, Massachusetts.
Death:
No source has published a known death place or date except (February 22, 1880 at Council Bluffs, Iowa
). He was a farmer, teacher, and carpenter by trade. He was baptized into the Church of Christ some time before May 1831. Oliver Cowdery
ordained him a high priest on October 25, 1831. During 1832, he served as a traveling missionary
on a journey from Ohio
to Vermont
.
in 1834, where in the words of Heber C. Kimball
he displayed "refractory feelings." During Zion's Camp he was blamed for "confrontations with Joseph Smith
(to whom he was no relation), insubordination, threatening Joseph's dog, arguing with him, and refusing to share bread." Upon the return of Zion's Camp to Kirtland, Ohio
, Smith's complaints against Joseph Smith resulted in the only time in church history that the Common Council of the Church
has been convened to try a President of the Church. The Council, which was presided over by Bishop
Newel K. Whitney
, determined that Joseph Smith had "acted in every respect in an honorable and proper manner with all monies and properties entrusted to his charge." In September 1834, Sylvester Smith reconciled with the high council and was dropped from the council without protesting.
was called, and three days later he was appointed to the Kirtland High Council. Later that month he was ordained a Seventy, and named as one of the inaugural presidents of the Seventies the next day. He still served on the Kirtland High Council, from which he was released in early 1836.
Smith remained very active in the Latter Day Saint community for the next two years. In 1836 he briefly acted as scribe for the prophet, Joseph Smith. In Kirtland he attended the Hebrew School, the School of the Prophets
, the solemn assembly
in January 1836, and the temple
dedication. He was a member of the Kirtland Safety Society
when it was formed in 1837. Perhaps because of disputed preeminence between High Priests and Seventies, five of the seven presidents of the Seventy previously ordained as High Priests, including Smith, were released and returned to the High Priests quorum in April 1837. George A. Smith
later reported that by 1837 Sylvester was numbered among the dissenters from Joseph Smith and the church. By 1838 he had left the church. At this time many Mormons had left Kirtland, leaving Smith behind in the city until 1853, when he sold his land and moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa
. There he was a lawyer and bought and sold real estate. In the 1850s and 1860s he was the county school fund commissioner and justice of the peace. Smith died in Council Bluffs at the age of 73.
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
and one of the inaugural seven Presidents of the Seventy.
Biography
Smith was born in TyringhamTyringham, Massachusetts
Tyringham is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 327 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Birth Date:
Smith was reportedly born on March 25, 1806 according to and Ancestry.com . It is stated as sometime in 1805 by , , , , and . claims he was born on October 15, 1805.
Birthplace:
Smith was reportedly born at Becket, Massachusetts
Becket, Massachusetts
Becket is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,779 at the 2010 census.- History :...
according to Ancestry.com , Suffolk, New York (possibly New Suffolk, New York
New Suffolk, New York
New Suffolk is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name in the town of Southold in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The CDP's population was 337 at the 2000 census.-History:...
?) according to , and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
according to , and . agrees that the birthplace was Tyringham, Massachusetts.
Death:
No source has published a known death place or date except (February 22, 1880 at Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
). He was a farmer, teacher, and carpenter by trade. He was baptized into the Church of Christ some time before May 1831. Oliver Cowdery
Oliver Cowdery
Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
ordained him a high priest on October 25, 1831. During 1832, he served as a traveling missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
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...
on a journey from 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...
to Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
Zion's Camp
Smith was a member of Zion's CampZion's Camp
Zion's Camp was a paramilitary expedition of Latter Day Saints, led by Joseph Smith, Jr., from Kirtland, Ohio to Clay County, Missouri during May and June 1834 in an unsuccessful attempt to regain land from which the Saints had been expelled by non-Mormon settlers...
in 1834, where in the words of 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...
he displayed "refractory feelings." During Zion's Camp he was blamed for "confrontations with 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...
(to whom he was no relation), insubordination, threatening Joseph's dog, arguing with him, and refusing to share bread." Upon the return of Zion's Camp to Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census. Kirtland is famous for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Origins of Kirtland:...
, Smith's complaints against Joseph Smith resulted in the only time in church history that the Common Council of the Church
Common Council of the Church
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Common Council of the Church is a body of the church that has the power to discipline or remove the President of the Church or one of his counselors in the First Presidency due to misbehavior. Its existence and status are uncertain and...
has been convened to try a President of the Church. The Council, which was presided over by Bishop
Presiding Bishop (LDS Church)
The Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a priesthood calling with church-wide authority. The Presiding Bishop is the highest leadership position within the church's Aaronic priesthood.-Presiding Bishopric:...
Newel K. Whitney
Newel K. Whitney
Newel Kimball Whitney was a prominent leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an American businessman. He served as Bishop of Kirtland, Ohio, Far West, Missouri, and Nauvoo, Illinois. He also served as the second Presiding Bishop of the Church from 1847 until his death...
, determined that Joseph Smith had "acted in every respect in an honorable and proper manner with all monies and properties entrusted to his charge." In September 1834, Sylvester Smith reconciled with the high council and was dropped from the council without protesting.
Kirtland life
On February 14, 1835, Smith attended the meeting where the inaugural Quorum of the TwelveQuorum of the Twelve
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve was one of the governing bodies of the church hierarchy organized by the movement's founder Joseph Smith, Jr., and patterned after the twelve apostles of Christ In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the...
was called, and three days later he was appointed to the Kirtland High Council. Later that month he was ordained a Seventy, and named as one of the inaugural presidents of the Seventies the next day. He still served on the Kirtland High Council, from which he was released in early 1836.
Smith remained very active in the Latter Day Saint community for the next two years. In 1836 he briefly acted as scribe for the prophet, Joseph Smith. In Kirtland he attended the Hebrew School, the School of the Prophets
School of the Prophets
In Mormonism, the School of the Prophets was a select group of early Latter Day Saint leaders who began meeting on January 23, 1833 in Kirtland, Ohio under the direction of Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. for both theological and secular learning...
, the solemn assembly
Solemn assembly (Latter Day Saints)
A solemn assembly is a sacred gathering in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which is held, most often, for the purpose of sustaining a new president and prophet of the church...
in January 1836, and the temple
Kirtland Temple
The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark in Kirtland, Ohio, USA, on the eastern edge of the Cleveland metropolitan area. Owned and operated by the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , the house of worship was the first temple to be...
dedication. He was a member of the Kirtland Safety Society
Kirtland Safety Society
The Kirtland Safety Society was a quasi-bank organized in 1836 by leaders and followers of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. According to KSS's 1837 "Articles of Agreement", it was intended to serve the banking needs of the growing Mormon community in Kirtland, Ohio...
when it was formed in 1837. Perhaps because of disputed preeminence between High Priests and Seventies, five of the seven presidents of the Seventy previously ordained as High Priests, including Smith, were released and returned to the High Priests quorum in April 1837. 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...
later reported that by 1837 Sylvester was numbered among the dissenters from Joseph Smith and the church. By 1838 he had left the church. At this time many Mormons had left Kirtland, leaving Smith behind in the city until 1853, when he sold his land and moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
. There he was a lawyer and bought and sold real estate. In the 1850s and 1860s he was the county school fund commissioner and justice of the peace. Smith died in Council Bluffs at the age of 73.