Elias Smith (September 6, 1804 – June 24, 1888) was one of the early leaders in

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...

. Smith was president of the high priests in the church from 1870 to 1877 and president of the high priests

quorum A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...

in the

Salt Lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per litre). ...

Stake of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) from 1877 to 1888.

Biography

Smith was born in

Royalton, Vermont Royalton is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,750 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of Royalton, South Royalton, and North Royalton. Vermont Law School, the state's only accredited law school, i ...

, the son of Asael Smith, Jr. and Elizabeth Schellenger. In 1809, his father emigrated to

Stockholm, New York Stockholm is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 3,665 at the 2010 census. The name was assigned by surveyors from Stockholm in Sweden. The town is in the northeastern part of the county and is northeast of ...

, where Elias was raised on a farm with few opportunities for schooling. At the age of twenty-one, he entered public life and held various offices in the town of Stockholm. He also taught school for several terms. The announcement of a new faith by his cousin,

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...

, drew several members of the Smith family into the new church. George A. Smith was a missionary at the age of sixteen, but his elder cousin Elias was thirty-one years of age when he joined the Latter Day Saints. After the organization of the church, Joseph Smith, Sr., first

patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...

of the church, with his son

Don Carlos ''Don Carlos'' is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the dramatic play '' Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Friedri ...

, paid the families of his brothers Asael Jr., Samuel, Silas, and

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

a visit in August 1830, and brought them a copy of the

Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...

. They all expressed interest in the new religion, but none of them were baptized until 1835, except John, who later became patriarch of the LDS Church and was the father of

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

George A. Smith. In 1835,

Hyrum Smith Hyrum Smith (February 9, 1800 – June 27, 1844) 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, J ...

and

David Whitmer David Whitmer (January 7, 1805 – January 25, 1888) was an American Mormon leader who eventually became the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's golden plates. Early life Whitmer was born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvani ...

visited the area and the families of Asael Jr. and Silas were baptized, most of them on July 1. However, Elias was not baptized until August 27, 1835, and the next morning he was ordained an elder. In the town and neighborhood of Stockholm, the Smiths established a branch of the church, and in May 1836, the families of Asael Jr. and Silas Smith, with their converts, started for

Kirtland, Ohio Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,937 at the 2020 census. Kirtland is known for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement from 1831 to 1837 and is the site of the movement's first t ...

Kirtland

In 1837 and 1838, Smith taught school at Kirtland. In the latter part of 1837, several of the original

Quorum of the Twelve In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the Council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council of the Twelve Apostles, or the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies or ( quorums) of the church hie ...

and other prominent men sought to divide the church. Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum,

Sidney Rigdon Sidney Rigdon (February 19, 1793 – July 14, 1876) was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. Biography Early life Rigdon was born in St. Clair Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on February 19, 1793. He was ...

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...

, and other leaders fled from Kirtland. A company of over six hundred of the remaining faithful members was organized to follow their leaders to

Far West, Missouri Far West was a settlement of the Latter Day Saint movement in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States, during the late 1830s. It is recognized as a historic site by the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, added to the register in 1970. It ...

. This company, known as Kirtland Camp, was under seven captains, among them was Elias Smith. They left Kirtland early in July 1838 and arrived at Far West on October 2. From Far West they went to

Adam-ondi-Ahman Adam-ondi-Ahman (, sometimes clipped to Diahman) is a historic site in Daviess County, Missouri, about five miles south of Jameson. It is located along the east bluffs above the Grand River. According to the teachings of the Church of Jesus C ...

, where the company disbanded. Shortly thereafter, the army of Governor Lilburn Boggs marched upon Far West to drive the Mormons en masse out of Missouri. Smith was one of the defenders of Far West who were forced to give up their arms; he was also one of the members of the committee chosen to effect removal of the Latter Day Saints from Missouri to Illinois. He was among the last Mormons to leave Far West.

Nauvoo period

Smith settled in Nashville, Iowa Territory, across the river from

Nauvoo, Illinois Nauvoo ( ; from the ) is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 950 at the 2020 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its historic importance and its ...

. In the organization of the stake in

Lee County, Iowa Lee County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,555. The county seats are Fort Madison and Keokuk. Lee County is part of the Fort Madison–Keokuk, IA- IL- MO Micropolitan Sta ...

, he was made a member of the stake high council; he was subsequently ordained to act as

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the stake, a position he held until the stake was disbanded and he moved to Nauvoo. At Nauvoo, Smith was associated with the press and became the manager of the ''

Times and Seasons ''Times and Seasons'' was a 19th-century Latter Day Saint newspaper published at Nauvoo, Illinois. It was printed monthly or twice-monthly from November 1839 to February 1846. The motto of the paper was "Truth will prevail," which was printed u ...

'' and the ''

Nauvoo Neighbor The ''Nauvoo Neighbor'' was a weekly newspaper edited and published by Latter Day Saint apostle John Taylor in Nauvoo, Illinois, from 1843 to 1845. While it was not an official publication of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the ...

''. In 1844, Smith became a member of the

Council of Fifty "The Council of Fifty" (also known as "the Living Constitution", "the Kingdom of God", or its name by revelation, "The Kingdom of God and His Laws with the Keys and Power thereof, and Judgment in the Hands of His Servants, Ahman Christ") was a La ...

. After the assassination of his cousins Joseph and Hyrum, he followed the leadership of

, as did apostle George A. Smith and George's father John, who was made presiding patriarch of the church.

Utah

Smith left Nauvoo with his family in May 1846, intending to go with the body of the church to the

Salt Lake Valley Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably Murray, Sandy, South Jordan, West Jordan, and West Valley City; its total po ...

that year. However, he was unable to do so and moved to Iowaville, Iowa, where his mother died in October 1846 and his father in July 1848. In 1851, he emigrated to

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, the 45th state. ...

and soon after was elected by the territorial legislature to be probate judge of

Salt Lake County Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 1,185,238, making it the most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. The coun ...

. He continued in this office until 1882. In 1852, Smith was appointed as the chairman of the Code Commission, with

Albert Carrington Albert Carrington (January 8, 1813 – September 19, 1889) was an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Early life Carrington was born i ...

and William Snow as members of the commission. Their duty was to present to the legislature those laws best adapted to the conditions and character of the people. In addition to his judicial duties, Smith was business manager of the ''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...

'' under

Willard Richards Willard Richards (June 24, 1804 – March 11, 1854) was a physician and midwife/nurse trainer and an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He served as second counselor to church president Brigham Young in the First Presidency of th ...

, and was postmaster of

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

from July 1854 to 1858. In 1856, he became editor of the ''Deseret News''; he held this position until September 1862, when he was succeeded by

. Afterwards, Smith confined himself almost exclusively to his judicial duties. In 1862, he was a member of the Utah Constitutional Convention, and one of the committee members who drafted a constitution for the proposed state.

Personal life

Smith was a bachelor until the age of forty-one. He married Lucy Brown at Nauvoo on August 6, 1845. She was born in England on January 4, 1820, joined the Latter Day Saints church in 1842, and arrived in Nauvoo in 1843. They were the parents of Elias A. Smith, who succeeded his father as judge in Salt Lake County. Smith had one

plural wife Polygamy (called plural marriage by Latter-day Saints in the 19th century or the Principle by modern fundamentalist practitioners of polygamy) was practiced by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for more tha ...

, Amy Jane King, and was the father of sixteen children. Smith died at his home in Salt Lake City."Death of Judge Elias Smith"
''

'', 1888-07-04.

Notes

References

Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, (December 11, 1850 – November 18, 1941) was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for much of the ea ...

, ''

Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia ''Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' (abbreviated ''LDS Biographical Encyclopedia'') is a four-volume biographical dic ...

'' (Jenson History Company: Salt Lake City, 1901–36) 1:719–22 * Elias Smith Journal 1836–1888. Hand written journal of Elias Smith LDS Church archives. Typed copy by Sarah Castle Thomas, LDS Church library. * Tullidge's quarterly magazine, Volume 3 By Edward William Tullidge * Elias Smith—Mormon, journal compiled by Sarah C. Thomas, Vol. 1 S.C. (1984); copy at LDS Family & History Dept., 50 East No. Temple Street, SLC, UT 84150-3800. LDS Church Library, Res M270.1 S64595s, vol. 1 1984?, acc. # 1917; LDS Church Archives ms. 1319, vol. 7, cc. #35938. * ''Utah Historical Quarterly'', Volume 21, 1953. Number 1 (January 1953) p. 1. "Elias Smith: Journal of a Pioneer Editor, March 6, 1859 - September 23, 1863", edited by A. R. Mortensen *

External links

*
George A. Smith Papers
a
University of Utah Digital LibraryMarriott Library Special Collections
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Elias 1804 births 1888 deaths 19th-century American journalists American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints American male journalists Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Converts to Mormonism Deseret News people Editors of Latter Day Saint publications Latter Day Saints from Illinois Latter Day Saints from New York (state) Latter Day Saints from Ohio Latter Day Saints from Utah Latter Day Saints from Vermont Leaders in the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) Mormon pioneers Nauvoo, Illinois city council members People from Stockholm, New York Religious leaders from New York (state) Religious leaders from Vermont Smith family (Latter Day Saints) Utah state court judges