Israel Alexander Smith (February 2, 1876 – June 14, 1958) was the fourth son of Joseph Smith III and a grandson of

Joseph Smith Jr. 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 ...

, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Israel A. Smith succeeded his brother,

Frederick M. Smith Frederick Madison Smith (January 21, 1874 – March 20, 1946), generally known among his followers as "Fred M.", was an American religious leader and author and the third Prophet-President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter ...

, as

Prophet-President 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 ...

of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now known as

Community of Christ The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), is an American-based international church, and is the second-largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. The churc ...

) on April 9, 1946.

Biography

Smith was born in Plano, Illinois, on February 2, 1876, the third son and fourth child of Joseph Smith III and his second wife Bertha Madison. In 1881, he moved with his family to Lamoni, Iowa, the site of a growing colony of Latter Day Saints of the Reorganization. He attended Graceland College from 1898 to 1900 and later received a B.A. in law from Lincoln-Jefferson University of

Hammond Hammond may refer to: People * Hammond Innes (1913–1998), English novelist * Hammond (surname) * Justice Hammond (disambiguation) Places Antarctica * Hammond Glacier, Antarctica Australia *Hammond, South Australia, a small settlement in South ...

, Indiana. From 1911 to 1913 he served as a Republican in the Iowa House of Representatives.Israel Smith
Smith's brother, Frederick, became Prophet-President in 1914. Smith became a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric in 1920. In 1922, many believed that Smith would be called to fill a vacancy in the First Presidency, but Frederick instead called Floyd M. McDowell. Frederick also introduced the concept of " Supreme Directional Control" regarding authority over leadership and finances, which Israel opposed as contrary to the teachings of their father, Joseph Smith III. In 1925, Israel was released from the Presiding Bishopric. Meanwhile, Supreme Directional Control and other changes related to Frederick's leadership precipitated a schism. Many members including

Otto Fetting Otto Fetting (November 20, 1871 – January 30, 1933) was an American realtor and editor from Port Huron, Michigan who served first as a pastor and evangelist in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and then later as ...

renounced the Reorganization and joined with the Church of Christ (Temple Lot). From 1929 to 1940, Israel served as the church's general secretary and in 1940, he was finally called to fill a vacancy as First Counselor in the First Presidency. Frederick also designated Israel as his successor at this time. In 1946, upon Frederick's death, Israel became Prophet-President of the Church. The end of World War II, saw further expansion of the Church overseas. In 1950, Smith went on a Pacific tour, visiting members of the Church in Hawaii,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, New Zealand and Tahiti. In 1952, he toured branches of the Church in Europe. Smith died in a car accident on June 14, 1958, while driving north along

U.S. Highway 69 U.S. Route 69 (US 69) is a major north–south United States highway. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus (as well a ...

from Independence, Missouri, to Lamoni, Iowa. After his death, the First Presidency continued to function, composed of the two counselors

W. Wallace Smith William Wallace Smith ( – ) was a grandson of Joseph Smith Jr. and Prophet-President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now known as Community of Christ), from October 6, 1958, to April 5, 1978, when he retir ...

and

F. Henry Edwards Francis Henry Edwards (4 August 1897 – 1 December 1991) was a British leader in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church). Edwards was an apostle and a member of the church's Council of Twelve Apostles from 1922 to ...

until a World Conference of the church confirmed W. Wallace Smith as his brother's successor later that fall.

References

*Norma Derry Hiles, ''Gentle Monarch: The Presidency of Israel A. Smith'', Herald House: 1991. *Richard P. Howard, ''The Church Through the Years,'' Herald House: 1992. {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Israel A. 1876 births 1958 deaths American Latter Day Saints American leaders of the Community of Christ Doctrine and Covenants people Graceland University alumni Members of the First Presidency (Community of Christ) Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives People from Lamoni, Iowa People from Plano, Illinois Prophet-Presidents of the Community of Christ Religious leaders from Iowa Road incident deaths in Iowa Smith family (Latter Day Saints)