William Smith (also found as William B. Smith) (March 13, 1811 – November 13, 1893) was a leader in 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 ...

and one of the original members of the

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles 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 ...

. Smith was the eighth child of Joseph Smith Sr. 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 ...

and was a younger brother 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. After the 1844 murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, William Smith claimed leadership of the Latter Day Saints and attracted a small number of followers. Most church members accepted

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

as rightful leader of the church, and Smith was later affiliated with the Strangite and

Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 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 ...

(now the

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 ...

Early life

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, ...

, Smith and his family suffered considerable financial problems and moved several times in the

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

area. He was living in the home of his parents near

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 ...

, when his brother

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...

reported that he had taken golden plates from the hill Cumorah. William was told by Joseph that he could not view the golden plates but was allowed to reach into the case and feel what Joseph said were the plates. William was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on June 9, 1830, by

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, Pennsylva ...

, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon.

Church leadership

On February 14, 1835, the Three Witnesses designated

Phineas Young Phineas Howe Young (also found as Phinehas) (February 16, 1799 – October 10, 1879) was a prominent early convert in the Latter Day Saint movement and was later a Mormon pioneer and a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ...

, brother of Brigham, as one of the inaugural members of the Quorum of the Twelve. However, Joseph Smith insisted that his own younger brother, William, be selected instead.

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 ...

and

later reported that William's selection was "contrary to our feelings and judgment, and to our deep mortification ever since." William Smith was ordained an apostle on February 15. On May 4, 1839, Smith and

Orson Hyde Orson Hyde (January 8, 1805 – November 28, 1878) was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement and a member of the first Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus ...

were suspended from the Quorum of the Twelve by a vote of the church; however, Smith was readmitted to the Quorum on May 25. From April to December 1842, Smith was the editor of '' The Wasp'', a secular but pro-

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into se ...

newspaper in

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 it ...

.Jerry C. Jolley
"The Sting of ''the Wasp'': Early Nauvoo Newspaper—April 1842 to April 1843"
22 ''

BYU Studies ''BYU Studies Quarterly'' is an academic journal covering a broad array of topics related to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( Mormon studies). It is published by the church-owned Brigham Young University. The journal is abstracted ...

'' (Fall 1982) 487–96. Smith was fierce in his editorial criticism of the

anti-Mormon Anti-Mormonism is discrimination, persecution, hostility or prejudice directed against the Latter Day Saint movement, particularly the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The term is often used to describe people or literat ...

newspaper the '' Warsaw Signal'' and its editor

Thomas C. Sharp Thomas Coke Sharp (September 25, 1818 – April 9, 1894) was a prominent opponent of Joseph Smith and the Latter Day Saints in Illinois in the 1840s. Sharp promoted his anti-Mormon views largely through the ''Warsaw Signal'' newspaper, of which ...

, whom Smith referred to in the ''Wasp'' as "Thom-ASS C. Sharp". Smith resigned as the editor of ''The Wasp'' after he was elected to the

Illinois General Assembly The Illinois General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. It has two chambers, the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 181 ...

, and he was succeeded by fellow-apostle John Taylor, who edited ''The Wasp'' for another five months before replacing it with 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 ...

''. On May 24, 1845, Smith succeeded his late brother Hyrum Smith as the

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 ...

of the church. Shortly after his ordination to this position,

printed a clarification in a church newspaper that stated that Smith had not been ordained as patriarch ''over'' the church, but rather as patriarch ''to'' the church; Smith regarded this clarification as a slight, and it exacerbated the growing tension between Smith and Young. Smith was patriarch to the church until October 6, 1845, when his name and positions were read at general conference, but fellow apostle Parley P. Pratt expressed objections due to his character and practices. The conference attenders unanimously voted against Smith being retained as both an apostle and the patriarch, and he lost both offices and was disfellowshipped from the church. Smith responded by submitting a lengthy statement to Sharp's ''Warsaw Signal'', in which he compared Young to

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of ...

and

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

and accused Young and other members of the Twelve of secretly keeping multiple "spiritual wives". As a result of Smith's statement, Smith was excommunicated from the church by Young and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on grounds of

apostasy Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that ...

on October 19, 1845.

B. H. Roberts Brigham Henry Roberts (March 13, 1857 – September 27, 1933) was a historian, politician, and leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He edited the seven-volume ''History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

(ed.), '' History of the Church'' 7:483.

Relationship with Joseph Smith

The relationship between Smith and his older brother Joseph was, at times, quite rocky. William is believed to have physically fought with or attempted to fight with Joseph on more than one occasion. In October 1835, a fist fight between the two was narrowly averted. Weeks later, in December, there was an altercation between the two at a debating school being held in their father's home, and it is said that at the time Joseph died, he was still suffering the physical effects of the beating that he received.

Later involvement with Latter Day Saint groups

As a result of Smith's excommunication, he did not follow Young and the majority of Latter Day Saints who settled in Utah Territory. Rather, Smith followed the leadership of James J. Strang and was involved with the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints—usually distinguished with a parenthetical (Strangite)—is one of the several organizations that claim to be the legitimate continuation of the church founded by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830. I ...

. J. Gordon Melton (1996, 5th ed.). ''Encyclopedia of American Religions'' (Detroit, Michigan: Gale) p. 576. In 1847, Smith announced that he was the new

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 ...

of the Latter Day Saint church and that he held a right to leadership due to the doctrine of lineal succession. He excommunicated Young and the leadership of the LDS Church and announced that the Latter Day Saints who were not in apostasy by following Young should gather in Lee County, Illinois. In 1849, Smith gained the support of Lyman Wight, who led a small group of Latter Day Saints in Texas. However, Smith's church did not last, and within a few years it dissolved. Smith's relationship with Young remained strained until Young's death in 1877. Smith believed that Young had arranged for William's older brother Samuel to be poisoned in 1844 to prevent his accession to the presidency of the church. However, in 1860, Smith wrote a letter to Young in stating that he desired to join the Latter-day Saints in 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 ...

. Shortly after sending the letter, Smith became involved as a soldier in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, and after the war he did not show any interest in moving to Utah Territory. In 1878, Smith became a member of the

(RLDS Church), which was organized in 1860 with Smith's nephew, Joseph Smith III, as its leader. The majority of William Smith's followers also became members of the RLDS Church. While Smith believed that he was entitled to become the presiding patriarch or a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles of the RLDS Church, his nephew did not agree and William Smith remained a

high priest The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste. Ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods rev ...

in the RLDS Church for the remainder of his life. Today, the Community of Christ sometimes refers to Smith as "Petitioner for RLDS Patriarchate" from April 6, 1872, until his death.Howard, Richard P
Lesson 2: A Brief Historical Survey of the Ministry of the Evangelist-Patriarch
page 13. Temple School Course PA 222: Evangelists: Sharing a New World of Blessing, Community of Christ.

Lineal succession

Politics

Smith served a term in the

in 1842 and 1843, being elected to the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

as a representative of Hancock County. Smith ran in the election as a Democrat. His chief opponent was

, an

Whig candidate. Smith won the election easily as a result of overwhelming Mormon support from voters in Nauvoo. James B. Allen and Glen E. Leonard (1976). ''

The Story of the Latter-day Saints ''The Story of the Latter-day Saints'' is a single-volume history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) by James B. Allen and Glen M. Leonard, first published in 1976. Overview The authors summarised the tone of their w ...

''. (Salt Lake City, Utah:

Deseret Book Deseret Book () is an American publishing company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that also operates a chain of bookstores throughout the western United States. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), th ...

) p. 177.

Death

When Smith died at Osterdock,

Clayton County, Iowa Clayton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,043. Its county seat is Elkader. The county was established in 1837 and was named in honor of John M. Clayton, United States Senato ...

, on November 13, 1893, he was the last brother of Joseph Smith to die. He was survived by his sisters Sophronia and Katharine.

Publications

*William Smith (1842-1842, newspaper)
Wasp''
(Nauvoo, Illinois: LDS Church) *William Smith (Spring 1844)

(Philadelphia: self-published) *William Smith (Spring 1844). ''Defense of Elder Wm. Smith, Against the Slanders of Abraham Burtis and others'' (Philadelphia: self-published) *William Smith (Late 1844). ''The Elders' Pocket Companion'' (Location unknown: Self-Published) *William Smith (June 1845). ''A Proclamation, and Faithful Warning to all the Saints scattered around...'' (Galena, Illinois: self-published) *William Smith (October 1845). ''Faithful Warning to the Latter Day Saints'' horter version of ''A Proclamation''.(St. Louis, Missouri: self-published) *William Smith, Arthur Millikin, and Lucy Millikin (April 1846)
the Public''
(Nauvoo, Illinois: self-published) *William Smith (September 1847). ''William Smith, Patriarch & Prophet of the Most High God – Latter Day Saints, Beware of Imposition!'' (Ottawa, Illinois: Free Press) *William Smith (November 1848)

(Philadelphia: self-published) *William Smith and Isaac Sheen (1849–1850, newspaper)

(Covington, Kentucky: Isaac Sheen) *William Smith et al. (1850

(Washington D.C.: U.S. Government) *William Smith (1883)

(Lamoni, Iowa: RLDS Church)

Notes

References

*Irene M. Bates
"William Smith, 1811–93: Problem Patriarch"
'' Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'', vol. 16, no. 2 (1983) pp. 11–23 *Paul M. Edwards
"William B. Smith: The Persistent 'Pretender'"
'' Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'', vol. 18, no. 2 (1985) pp. 128–139

External links

William Smith Memorial Home Page

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, William (Latter Day Saints) 1811 births 1893 deaths 19th-century American politicians American Latter Day Saint leaders American Latter Day Saints American leaders of the Community of Christ Apostles of the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) members Converts to Mormonism Doctrine and Covenants people Editors of Latter Day Saint publications Latter Day Saint leaders Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives People excommunicated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints People from Clayton County, Iowa People from Ontario County, New York People from Royalton, Vermont Presiding Patriarchs (LDS Church) Religious leaders from New York (state) Religious leaders from Vermont Smith family (Latter Day Saints) Excommunicated general authorities (LDS Church)