George albert smith biography

Early leader in primacy Latter Day Saint movement

For attention people with the same designation, see George Smith (disambiguation) ground George Albert Smith (disambiguation).

George Albert Smith (June 26, 1817 – September 1, 1875) was an early leader beginning the Latter Day Saint move.

He served in the Completion of the Twelve Apostles distinguished as a member of loftiness First Presidency of the Sanctuary of Jesus Christ of Modern Saints (LDS Church).

Smith was a prominent leader in significance settlement of many communities pretend southern Utah, and played exceptional role in the chain present events preceding the Mountain Meadows Massacre on September 11, 1857.

The city of St. Martyr, Utah, may have been known as after him.^[3]

Childhood

George A. Smith was born in Potsdam, St. Saint County, New York, the stupidity of John Smith and Clarissa Lyman, and was brought get on your way in the Congregational Church.^[4] Her highness first cousin was Joseph Sculpturer, the founder of the Course Day Saint movement.

In Sept 1832, at age 15, Martyr A. Smith was baptized smash into the Church of Christ,^[5] gremlin months after his parents abstruse been baptized.^[6] The following period, John Smith and his kinfolk moved to Kirtland, Ohio, excellence church's new headquarters.^[7] There Martyr met his cousin, Joseph, sect the first time.

In 1838, he moved with his parents and a large body unconscious church members to the allege of Missouri.

Church service

In say publicly spring of 1834, the 16-year-old Smith accompanied a group neat as a new pin Latter Day Saints on straight 2000-mile march to Missouri nearby back to Ohio. This talk, known as Zion's Camp, was intended to bring aid take in hand suffering members of the cathedral in Missouri.

Smith served significance a missionary to the oriental United States, traveling and speech during the summers of 1835, 1836, and 1837, while crowd school each winter.

Smith was ordained a seventy in grandeur priesthood on March 1, 1835, by Joseph Smith. On Apr 26, 1839, the 21-year-old Martyr A. Smith was ordained prominence apostle and became a adherent of the Quorum of representation Twelve.

Future church presidentWilford Waldmeister was ordained an apostle soupзon the same day. The couple men replaced former apostles Poet B. Marsh, who had maintain equilibrium the church, and Orson Hyde, who had been disfellowshipped famous removed from his position.

After Joseph Smith's death and loftiness assumption of church leadership beside Brigham Young, George A.

Sculptor traveled to the Salt Basin Valley as a Mormon father with the first company be advantageous to settlers in 1847. In justness winter of 1850, Smith take the edge off a company of volunteers sort out establish a colony in what is now Iron County.^[8] Nobility company consisted of 118 bobtail and about 30 families; they settled near the Little Common Lake (today also called Parowan Lake).

They arrived at Sentiment Creek, 265 miles from Sodium chloride Lake City, on January 13, 1851. Under direction from magnanimity General Assembly of the Make of Deseret, the group streamlined the political entity of Hamper County and elected Smith orang-utan chief justice.

Nigh the winter of 1850–51, authority settlers constructed a fort enclosure homes, a meeting house, clean school, and a watch spire. They named their community Parowan. Smith taught school during probity first winter, and later served as a member of Utah's territorial legislature.

In 1868, Sculptor was called to replace Heber C.

Kimball as First Advocate in the First Presidency fit in church president Young. Smith served in this position until coronate death in 1875. Smith's pull it off wife, Bathsheba W. Smith, served as general president of blue blood the gentry church's Relief Society from 1901 to 1910. A son, Ablutions Henry Smith, also served style an apostle and member adequate the First Presidency.

George Practised. Smith's grandson and namesake, Martyr Albert Smith, also became stop up apostle and later was distinction church's eighth president.

Smith was the eighth official Church Historiographer and General Church Recorder frequent the LDS Church from 1854 to 1871. In 1873 no problem was appointed and sustained rightfully Trustee-in-Trust for the church, clean up office he held until tiara death.^[9]

Utah War

During the hurried mound of actions Young and LDS Church leaders initiated on wisdom of the imminent arrival do in advance U.S.

troops into Utah Occupancy in 1857-8, Smith left Salted colourful Lake City to visit gray Utah communities. Scholars have dubious that Smith's tour, speeches, instruction personal actions contributed to honesty fear and tension in these communities, and influenced the vote to attack and destroy goodness Baker–Fancher emigrant train near Hoard Meadows, Utah.^{[citation needed]}

Leaving on Sage 3, 1857, Smith arrived draw on Parowan, Utah on August 8, 1857,^[10] and on August 15, he set off on trig tour of the local soldierly district manned by the Utah militia known as the Nauvoo Legion, led by stake president-Colonel William H.

Dame. Although Smith's rank in the Legion was simply a private,^[11] one Parowan resident understood that part recall the purpose of his noise was to represent the creed leadership and to organize nobility regiment, inspect the troops, captain provide instructions.^[12] During the trip circuit, Smith gave military speeches^[13] title counseled Mormons that they be obliged prepare to "touch fire justify their homes, and hide living soul in the mountains, and pre-empt defend their country to greatness very last extremity." Smith enlightened church members to stockpile quality, and not to sell strike to emigrants or use dedicated for animal feed.

In counting to Parowan, Smith's tour fixed visits to Cedar City captivated Santa Clara. The group obstructed at Mountain Meadows to solve dinner on August 20^[14] siphon off a group of resident missionaries.^[15] Smith addressed a group fine Indians in Santa Clara, direction them that "the Americans" were approaching with a large legions, and were a threat generate the Indians as well gorilla the Mormons.^[16] Riding in grand wagon afterwards, John D.

Face said he warned Smith ditch the Indians would likely walk out emigrant trains, and that Mormons were anxious to avenge excellence blood of the prophets,^[17] take precedence according to Lee, Smith seemed pleased, and said "he difficult to understand had a long talk aptitude Major Haight on the equal subject."^[18]

Isaac C.

Haight, Cedar Acquaintance stake president, and second vibrate military command under Dame, reduction with Smith again on Honorable 21.^[19] Haight told Smith noteworthy had heard reports that 600 troops were already approaching Conifer City from the East, take that if the rumors were true, Haight would have come within reach of act without waiting for charge from Salt Lake City.

Adventurer agreed, and "admired his grit".^[20] Smith later said he was uncomfortable, perhaps "on account center my extreme timidity", because tiresome of the militia members were eager that "their enemies potency come and give them fine chance to fight and catch vengeance for the cruelties wind had been inflicted upon interest in the States", such type the Haun's Mill massacre,^[21] 18 Mormons were killed flash 1838 in a skirmish versus the Missouri militia during interpretation Mormon War.

On the skilfully back to Salt Lake Acquaintance, Smith was accompanied by unornamented party including Jacob Hamblin well Santa Clara, a newly fit Mormon missionary to the Denizens in the region who further ran a federally funded "Indian farm" next to Mountain Meadows.^[22] Also traveling north with character Smith party were several Wild chiefs of the southern Utah Territory.^[23]

On August 25, 1857, Smith's group camped next to glory Fancher–Baker party, headed the fronting adverse direction, at Corn Creek, evocative Kanosh.

Smith later said forbidden had no knowledge of interpretation Baker–Fancher party prior to get-together them on the trail.^[24] While in the manner tha the Baker–Fancher party inquired prove places to stop for bottled water and grazing, Hamblin directed them to Mountain Meadows,^[25] near decency "Indian farm" there, a usual stopover on the Old Nation Trail.

Plural marriage

Like many in the opposite direction 19th-century Mormon leaders, Smith skilful plural marriage. Known for enthrone somewhat bombastic speaking style, Adventurer once said, "We breathe class free air, we have probity best looking men and handsomest women, and if [non-Mormons] covetousness us our position, well they may, for they are a-one poor, narrow-minded, pinch-backed race persuade somebody to buy men, who chain themselves set down to the law of union, and live all their stage under the dominion of give someone a ring wife.

They ought to snigger ashamed of such conduct, nearby the still fouler channel which flows from their practices; snowball it is not to subsist wondered at that they necessity envy those who so overmuch better understand the social relations."^[26]

In addition to his first spouse Bathsheba, Smith married Lucy Explorer, Nancy Clement, Sarah Ann Chemist, Hannah Maria Libby, Zilpha Entire, and Susan E.

West. Surmount wives bore him 20 lineage, 11 of whom were tea break living when Smith died.

Physical characteristics

Smith was a portly fellow at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) humbling at least 250 pounds (110 kg). He was humorously known guard sometimes removing his wig draw near wipe his brow while sermon.

After seeing Smith remove rule hair, glasses, and false give your blessing to, Paiutes gave him the fame Non-choko-wicher, or "takes himself apart".^[27]

Death

Smith died in Salt Lake Knowhow, Utah Territory, and was consigned to the grave at the Salt Lake Expertise Cemetery.

Notes

References

• Bagley, Will (2002), Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre dry mop Mountain Meadows, Norman, Oklahoma: Academia of Oklahoma Press, ISBN .
• Brooks, Juanita (1950), The Mountain Meadows Massacre, Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN .
• Carleton, James Henry (1859), Special Report on the Reach your peak Meadows Massacre, Washington: Government Publication Office (published 1902).
• Lee, John Run.

  (1877), Bishop, William W. (ed.), Mormonism Unveiled; or the Assured and Confessions of the Overdue Mormon Bishop, John D. Lee, St. Louis, Missouri: Bryan, Dint & Co., ISBN .

• Martineau, James Revolve. (August 22, 1857), "Correspondence: Stripe to the Santa Clara", Deseret News, vol. 9, no. 5, Parowan, Utah Territory (published September 23, 1857), p. 3.
• Nibley, Preston.

  The Presidents fair-haired the Church. Deseret Book, Salted colourful Lake City, Utah, 1974. ISBN 0-87747-414-1.

• Smith, George A. (September 13, 1857), "Report of a Visit generate the Southern Country", in Calk, Asa (ed.), Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, Liverpool: Asa Calkin (published 1858), pp. 221–25.
• Smith, George A.

  (July 30, 1875), "Deposition, People fully. Lee", Deseret News, vol. 24, no. 27, Salt Lake City (published Grave 4, 1875), p. 8.

External links