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 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 ...

. He was the older brother of the movement's founder,

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 ...

, and was killed with his brother at

Carthage Jail Carthage Jail is a historic building in Carthage, Illinois, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It was built in 1839 and is best known as the location of the 1844 killing of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint mov ...

where they were being held awaiting trial.

Early life

Hyrum was born in

Tunbridge, Vermont Tunbridge is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the town population was 1,337. The town consists of three village centers, all situated on Vermont Route 110 in the valley of the first branch of ...

, the second son of

Joseph Smith Sr. Joseph Smith Sr. (July 12, 1771 – September 14, 1840) was the father of Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Joseph Sr. was also one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe was translate ...

and

Lucy Mack Smith Lucy Mack Smith (July 8, 1775 – May 14, 1856) was the mother of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. She is noted for writing the memoir, '' Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Ge ...

. Smith received a limited education, and established himself as a farmer. Smith attended

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

in his teens. This may have been one of the factors behind Dr. Nathan Smith treating Smith's brother Joseph's leg.

Church service

Smith was a close advisor and confidant to his brother Joseph as the latter produced 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 ...

and established the

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16. * The entire body of Ch ...

. In June 1829, Smith was

baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

Seneca Lake, New York Seneca Lake is the largest of the glacial Finger Lakes of the U.S. state of New York, and the deepest glacial lake entirely within the state. It is promoted as being the lake trout capital of the world, and is host of the National Lake Trout Der ...

. He was one of the

Eight Witnesses The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who made statements stating that they had seen the golden plates which Joseph Smith said was his source material for the Book of Mormon. An earlier group of witnesses who said they had se ...

who swore to the reality of a set of

golden plates According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates (also called the gold plates or in some 19th-century literature, the golden bible) are the source from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith. Some acco ...

inscribed with the Book of Mormon. He also said he saw the

angel Moroni The Angel Moroni () is an angel whom Joseph Smith reported as having visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 21, 1823. According to Smith, the angel was the guardian of the golden plates, buried in the hill Cumorah near Smith's ...

. When the Church of Christ was organized on April 6, 1830, six men signed their names as charter members; at the age of 30, Hyrum Smith was the oldest of the six. Smith served as presiding officer of a church branch in

Colesville, New York Colesville is a town in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 4,877 at the 2020 census. The town is in the northeastern part of the county and is northeast of Binghamton. History The area was first settled ''circa'' 178 ...

, and was one of the first Latter Day Saint missionaries in the surrounding area. As the church headquarters and membership moved west, Smith and his family relocated. In 1831, he established a home in

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 ...

. During his residence there, he served as foreman of the

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envi ...

providing stone for the

Kirtland Temple The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark in Kirtland, Ohio, United States, 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 La ...

. Between 1831 and 1833, he served proselyting missions to

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

and

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. In 1834, under the direction of Joseph Smith, he recruited members for a militia,

Zion's Camp Zion's Camp was an expedition of Latter Day Saints led by Joseph Smith, 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 settle ...

, and traveled with the group to the aid of the Latter Day Saints in Missouri. He was appointed Second Counselor in the church's

First Presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...

in November 1837. In 1838 and 1839, Hyrum, Joseph and three other church leaders shared a

jail cell A prison cell (also known as a jail cell) is a small room in a prison or police station where a prisoner is held. Cells greatly vary by their furnishings, hygienic services, and cleanliness, both across countries and based on the level of punishm ...

Liberty, Missouri Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Missouri, United States and is a suburb of Kansas City, located in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 30,167. Liberty is home to Willi ...

while awaiting trial. After relocating to

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 ...

, Smith became the church's

Presiding Patriarch In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Presiding Patriarch (also called Presiding Evangelist, Patriarch over the Church, Patriarch of the Church, or Patriarch to the Church) is a church-wide leadership office within the priesthood. Among the duties ...

, a position first held by his father, Joseph Smith Sr. He also replaced

Oliver Cowdery Oliver H. P. Cowdery (October 3, 1806 – March 3, 1850) was an American Mormon leader who, with Joseph Smith, was an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836. He was the first baptized ...

Assistant President of the Church Assistant President of the Church (also referred to as Associate President of the Church) was a position in the leadership hierarchy in the early days of the Latter Day Saint church founded by Joseph Smith. The Assistant President was the second-hi ...

; in this capacity, Smith acted as

President of the Church In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. It was the office held by Joseph Smith, founder of the movement, and the office assumed by many of Smith's claimed succe ...

in Joseph's absence and was designated to be Joseph's successor if he were killed or incapacitated. Although Hyrum Smith was never explicitly ordained to the priesthood office 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 ...

, "his appointment as assistant president may have included such authority". When warned of possible danger, Joseph urged Smith and his family to flee to

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, Ohio. Smith refused and, in 1844, traveled with Joseph to

Carthage, Illinois Carthage is a city and the county seat of Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,490 as of the 2020 census, Carthage is best known for being the site of the 1844 death of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint mov ...

, where both were charged with

riot A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

and

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

. Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor and

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 ...

were held awaiting trial in a

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

in Carthage. On June 27, 1844, the building was attacked by a mob of between sixty and two hundred men. While attempting to barricade the door to prevent the mob from entering, Smith was shot in the face on the left side of the nose. After staggering back, another ball fired through the window struck him in the back, passed through his body, and struck his watch in his vest pocket. As Smith fell to the floor, he exclaimed, "I am a dead man," as he died.Doctrine and Covenants section 135
Taylor was struck by several bullets but survived with the help of Richards. Joseph was hit by at least two shots, exclaimed "O Lord, My God," and fell through a second-story window to the ground where he was shot again. Because of his position as Assistant President of the Church, it is likely that Smith would have succeeded Joseph and become the next president of the church had he outlived his brother. Joseph & Hyrum Smith P6081260

Political involvement

Smith was a member of the Nauvoo City Council. At the time of his death, Smith was an independent candidate for the Illinois state legislature.

Wives and children

On 2 November 1826, in

Manchester, New York Manchester is a town in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 9,406 at the 2020 census. The town was named after one of its villages, which in turn was named after the original Manchester in England. It was formed in 1822 ...

, he married Jerusha Barden (1805–1837). They had six children together. *Lovina Smith (16 September 1827 – 8 October 1876), who married Lorin Walker *Mary Smith (27 June 1829 – 29 May 1832) * John Smith (22 September 1832 – 6 November 1911) *Hyrum Smith (27 April 1834 – 21 September 1841) *Jerusha Smith (13 January 1836 – 27 June 1912) *Sarah Smith (2 October 1837 – 6 November 1876), who married Charles Emerson Griffin On 24 December 1837, in Kirtland, Ohio, he married

Mary Fielding Smith Mary Fielding Smith Kimball (July 21, 1801 – September 21, 1852) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, the second wife of Latter Day Saint leader Hyrum Smith, and the mother of Joseph F. Smith, who became president of the Churc ...

(1801–1852). They had two children. * Joseph F. Smith (13 November 1838 – 19 November 1918) *Martha Ann Smith (14 May 1841 – 19 October 1923) In August 1843, he married and was sealed to two plural wives: Mercy Fielding Thompson, widow of

Robert B. Thompson Robert Blashel Thompson (October 1, 1811 – August 27, 1841) was an associate of Joseph Smith Jr., a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement, a Danite, and an Church Historian and Recorder, official historian of the Church of Christ (Latter Day S ...

and sister to Hyrum's wife Mary; and Catherine Phillips.

Descendants

Smith's descendants have played significant roles in the history 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 ...

. Joseph F. Smith, his son by

, served as

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the LDS Church from 1901 to 1918. His grandson,

Joseph Fielding Smith Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. (July 19, 1876 – July 2, 1972) was an American religious leader and writer who served as the tenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1970 until his death in 1972. He was t ...

also served as president of the church from 1970 to 1972. His eldest son, John Smith, served as the church's Presiding Patriarch from 1855 to 1911. John Smith's descendants held this post from 1912 to 1932 and from 1942 to 1979, when the office was effectively discontinued and the incumbent,

Eldred G. Smith Eldred Gee Smith (January 9, 1907 – April 4, 2013) was the patriarch to the church of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1947 to 1979. From 1979 to his death he was the patriarch emeritus of the church. He was th ...

, was given the title patriarch emeritus.

M. Russell Ballard Melvin Russell Ballard Jr. (born October 8, 1928) is an American businessman and religious leader who is currently the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He has ...

, the current Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church, is also a direct descendant of Smith. In 1918, Smith's descendants erected a monument to him in the

Salt Lake City Cemetery The Salt Lake City Cemetery is a cemetery in northeastern Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, that is one of the largest city-operated cemeteries in the United States. Description The cemetery is located above 4th Avenue and east of N Street in ...

. In 2000, it was estimated that Smith had over 31,000 living descendants."Descendants Celebrate 200th Anniversary of Hyrum Smith’s Birth"
''

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

'', June 2000. Image:HyrumSmithMonument1.jpg Image:HyrumSmithMonument2.jpg Image:HyrumSmithMonument3.jpg Image:HyrumSmithMonument4.jpg

Notes

References

* * *

External links

*
Hyrum Smith's Missionary Journal
Digital Collections
L. Tom Perry Special Collections

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

Guide to Hyrum Smith's Missionary Journal
fro
L. Tom Perry Special Collections

Hyrum Smith Papers, Vault MSS 774
a
L. Tom Perry Special Collections

Grampa Bill's G.A. pages: Hyrum Smith

Biography
at Joseph Smith Papers Project website {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Hyrum 1800 births 1844 deaths American Latter Day Saint leaders American Latter Day Saint missionaries American murder victims Angelic visionaries Apostles of the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) Assassinated religious leaders Book of Mormon witnesses Burials at the Smith Family Cemetery Converts to Mormonism from Presbyterianism Counselors in the First Presidency (LDS Church) Dartmouth College alumni Deaths by firearm in Illinois Doctrine and Covenants people Latter Day Saint martyrs Latter Day Saint missionaries in the United States Latter Day Saints from Illinois Latter Day Saints from New York (state) Leaders in the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) Lynching deaths in Illinois Members of the First Presidency (LDS Church) Nauvoo, Illinois city council members People from Broome County, New York People from Ontario County, New York People from Tunbridge, Vermont People murdered in Illinois Male murder victims Presiding Patriarchs (LDS Church) Religious leaders from New York (state) Religious leaders from Vermont Smith family (Latter Day Saints) Victims of religiously motivated violence in the United States 1844 murders in the United States