John Lyman Smith (November 17, 1828 – February 21, 1898) was an American politician and Mormon missionary. He served as a member of the

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. ...

's Legislative Assembly's House of Representatives for

Iron County, Utah Iron County is a county in southwestern Utah, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 46,163. Its county seat is Parowan, and the largest city is Cedar City. The Cedar City, UT Micropolitan Statistical Area incl ...

, from 1852 to 1853, and the Great Salt Lake County, Utah, from 1853 to 1855. Cousin of the founder 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 ...

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 ...

, Smith was a member 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), who traveled to the Salt Lake Valley with his family and other

Mormon pioneers The Mormon pioneers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Latter Day Saints, who migrated beginning in the mid-1840s until the late-1860s across the United States from the Midwest to the S ...

in 1846. His father, John Smith, served as the fourth

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 ...

for the LDS Church from 1847 to 1854. Additionally, he served two missions as the mission president for the LDS Church in Switzerland and Italy from May 1855 to June 1858 and September 1860 to December 1863, respectively. After his missions, he served in various civic and ecclesiastical positions in Utah.

Biography

John Lyman Smith was born on November 17, 1828, in

Potsdam, New York Potsdam ( moh, Tsi tewate’nehtararénies) is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The town population was 14,901 at the 2020 census. The ZIP Code is 13676. When SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University are in session, the popul ...

, to Clarissa Lyman and John Smith, brother 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 translated ...

Joseph Smith Jr., founder 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 ...

, was Smith's cousin. In New York, Smith's family were members of the First Congregational Church. The family converted to 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 1832. In 1833, Smith and his family relocated to

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 ...

, joining the migration of the Saints. Smith was baptized into the

Church of the Latter Day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The chu ...

on November 17, 1836, in the

Chagrin River The Chagrin River is located in Northeast Ohio. The river has two branches, the Aurora Branch and East Branch. Of three hypotheses as to the origin of the name, the most probable is that it is a corruption of the name of a Frenchman, Sieur de Seg ...

. Smith and his family traveled with the Saints from Ohio, to Missouri, 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 ...

, throughout his youth to avoid violence and religious persecution. Despite the frequent moves, Smith attended school and worked jobs that he could find. In 1834, he joined the

Nauvoo Legion The Nauvoo Legion was a state-authorized militia of the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, United States. With growing antagonism from surrounding settlements it came to have as its main function the defense of Nauvoo, and surrounding Latter Day Saint ...

before the death of his cousin Joseph Smith in 1844. Smith married Augusta Bowen Cleveland on July 9, 1845, at the age of seventeen in Nauvoo, Illinois. They would later have eight children, of which six survived infancy. In 1847, Smith and his wife traveled with other

to the Salt Lake Valley with the Daniel Spencer/Perrigrine Sessions Company. Others traveling with Smith included his parents, and his sister Caroline and her family. When Smith was 19 years old, his father was called as the fourth Presiding Patriarch of the LDS Church, serving from 1847 to 1854. In 1851, Smith was asked to help settle

Parowan, Utah Parowan ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Iron County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,790 at the 2010 census, and in 2018 the estimated population was 3,100. Parowan became the first incorporated city in Iron County in 1851. A ...

. Moreover, Smith served as a member of the Utah Territory's Legislative Assembly's House of Representatives for

, from 1852 to 1853 and for Great Salt Lake County, Utah, from 1853 to 1855. Smith served two missions for the LDS Church in Switzerland and Italy from May 1855 to June 1858 and September 1860 to December 1863. He served as mission president. He learned to speak German for his missions. In between his two missions, he served as a guard and policeman. Additionally, he studied history, law, German, and photography. During his second mission, besides proselyting, he facilitated the emigration of Saints to America. On the way home from his final mission, he led immigrants across the Atlantic Ocean, and across the plains to Salt Lake City. In 1864, 1869, and 1870, Smith relocated to various cities in Utah including Fillmore,

Meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...

, and

Beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

, at the request of Brigham Young. In between his moves, he engaged in various trades including furniture building and merchandising, farming, and factory laboring. In Fillmore, he served as both county prosecutor and justice of the peace. Additionally, he served as postmaster in Meadow. While in Beaver, he served in civil and ecclesiastical positions. He was a member of the Beaver Literary Institute. For the LDS Church, he served as a high councilman and a

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 ...

, which required him to travel in Utah and Nevada to give patriarchal blessings. In 1876, after the construction of the

St. George Temple The St. George Utah Temple (formerly the St. George Temple) is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in St. George, Utah. Completed in 1877, it was the church's third temple completed, but the first in Utah, f ...

, Smith relocated to

St. George, Utah St. George is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Utah, United States. Located in southwestern Utah on the Arizona border, it is the principal city of the St. George Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The city lies in the northe ...

, to work in the temple. Smith died in St. George on February 21, 1898, at the age of 69. Smith's digitized missionary journals reside at L. Tom Perry Special Collections at

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 ...

Family

John Lyman Smith married Augusta Bowen Cleveland. Cleveland was born in

Cincinnati, Ohio 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 ...

, on December 7, 1828, to John and Sarah Maritta Cleveland. With Cleveland, Smith had eight children. Smith married a plural wife, Mary Adelia Haight, on March 2, 1853. With Haight, Smith had two sons; they were killed in an industrial accident in 1882.

References

External links

John Lyman Smith Digitized Journals
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, John Lyman 1828 births 1898 deaths People from Potsdam, New York Businesspeople from Utah Farmers from Utah Utah postmasters American carpenters 19th-century Mormon missionaries Smith family (Latter Day Saints) Mormon missionaries in Europe American Mormon missionaries in Switzerland American Mormon missionaries in Italy Latter Day Saints from Utah Latter Day Saints from Illinois Latter Day Saints from New York (state) Members of the Utah Territorial Legislature 19th-century American politicians Harold B. Lee Library-related 19th century articles American justices of the peace