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Information about Hyrum Smith

For others named Hyrum Smith, see Hyrum Smith (disambiguation)


Hyrum Smith (February 9, 1800—June 27, 1844) was the older brother of Joseph Smith, Jr. and a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. Hyrum was born in Turnbridge, Vermont, the second son of Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. Hyrum received a limited education, and established himself as a farmer. He married Jerusha Barden (1805-1837), on November 2, 1826, and had four daughters and two sons. After Jerusha's death, he married Mary Fielding in 1837, with whom he had a son, Joseph Fielding, and a daughter Martha.

Service in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

During the translation of the Book of Mormon and the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Hyrum was Joseph Smith, Jr.'s close advisor and confidant. In June, 1829, Hyrum was baptized in Seneca Lake, New York. He was one of the Eight Witnesses examining and testifying of the reality of the Golden Plates, the original source of the Book of Mormon. When the Church of Christ was organized on April 6, 1830, six men signed their names as charter members; Hyrum was the oldest of the six at thirty. Hyrum served as presiding officer of a church branch in Colesville, New York and was one of the first Latter Day Saint preachers in the surrounding area.

As the church headquarters and membership moved west, Hyrum and his family relocated. In 1831, he established a home in Kirtland, Ohio. During his residence there, he served as foreman of the quarry providing stone for the Kirtland Temple. Between 1831 and 1833, he served proselyting missions to Missouri and Ohio. In 1834, under the direction of Joseph Smith, he recruited members for a militia, Zion's Camp, 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 in November 1837. In 1838 and 1839, Hyrum, Joseph and three other church leaders shared a jail cell in Liberty, Missouri while awaiting trial.

After relocating to Nauvoo, Illinois, Hyrum was ordained as Presiding Patriarch of the Church, a position formerly held by his deceased father, Joseph Smith, Sr. He also was ordained by Joseph to the priesthood office of Apostle and replaced Oliver Cowdery as Assistant President of the Church; in this capacity, Hyrum acted as President of the Church in Joseph's absence and was designated to be Joseph's successor if he were killed or incapacitated.

When warned of possible danger, Joseph urged Hyrum and his family to flee to Cincinnati, Ohio. Hyrum refused and, in 1844, traveled with Joseph to Carthage, Illinois where both were charged with riot and treason. Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor and Willard Richards were held awaiting trial in a jail in Carthage. On June 27, 1844, the building was attacked by a mob of between sixty to two hundred men. While attempting to barricade the door to prevent the mob from entering, Hyrum was shot and killed. Taylor was struck by several bullets but survived with the help of Richards. Joseph was killed by at least two shots, 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 Hyrum would have succeeded Joseph and become the next president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had he outlived his brother.

"Hyrum is credited in Church history with being an astute organizer who gave ecclesiastical leadership to the emerging Church. As a person, he was considered a man without guile." (Ludlow, Editor, p. 493).

Descendants

Hyrum's descendants have played significant roles in the history of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph F. Smith, his son by Mary Fielding Smith, served as president of the LDS Church between 1901 and 1918. His grandson, Joseph Fielding Smith also served as president of the church between 1970 and 1972. His eldest son, John Smith, served as Presiding Patriarch of the church between 1855 and 1911, and John Smith's descendants held this post from 1912 to 1932 and from 1942 to 1979, when the office was effectively discontinued. M. Russell Ballard, a current member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church, is a direct descendant of Hyrum Smith.

External link

References

  • Allen, James B.; Leonard, Glen M. (1976). The Story of the Latter-day Saints. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-594-6. 
  • Ludlow, Daniel H., Editor. (1992). Church History, Selections from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-924-8. 
  • O'Driscoll, Jeffrey S. (2003). Hyrum Smith: A Life of Integrity. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-57008-857-8. 
Hyrum Smith (1800-1844), Latter Day Saint Presiding Patriarch and brother to Church founder Joseph Smith, Jr.
Hyrum G. Smith (1879-1932), Presiding Patriarch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Hyrum M.
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Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader who founded the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism. Smith's followers declared him to be the first latter-day prophet, whose mission was to restore the original Christian
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The Latter Day Saint movement (a subset of Restorationism) is a group of religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr., publisher of the Book of Mormon in 1830.
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Tunbridge, Vermont

Located in Orange County, Vermont
Location of Vermont with the U.S.A.
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Country United States
State Vermont
County Orange
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State of Vermont

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Motto(s): Freedom and Unity
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Joseph Smith, Sr. (1771–1840) 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 is believed to have been translated by Joseph Jr. from the Golden Plates.
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Lucy Mack Smith (July 8, 1775 - May 14, 1856) was the mother of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. She is most noted for writing an award-winning memoir: Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations.
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A farmer is a person who is engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. This is a way of life that has been the dominant occupation of human beings since the dawn of civilization.
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Mary Fielding Smith Kimball (1801 - 1852) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, the second wife of LDS Church leader Hyrum Smith and the mother of Joseph F. Smith.

Mary Fielding was born in Bedfordshire, England on July 21, 1801.
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LDS Church President

Ordained 17 October,1901
Predecessor Lorenzo Snow
Successor Heber J. Grant|

Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. (November 13, 1838–November 19, 1918) was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS
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    The Book of Mormon[1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement. It is regarded by Latter Day Saints as divinely revealed and is named after the prophet–historian Mormon who, according to the text, compiled most of the book.
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    The title Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints can refer to several churches in the Latter Day Saint movement.
    • Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints), the original church organized by Joseph Smith Jr.

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    Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader who founded the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism. Smith's followers declared him to be the first latter-day prophet, whose mission was to restore the original Christian
    ..... Click the link for more information.
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    The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement (reprinted in the Book of Mormon) stating that they had seen the golden plates which Joseph Smith, Jr. said was his source material for the book.
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    golden plates, also called the gold plates or the golden bible (an antiquated reference),[1] were a set of engraved plates, bound into a book, that Joseph Smith, Jr.
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    Church of Christ was the original church organization founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. Organized informally in 1829 and then as a legal entity on April 6 1830 in northwestern New York state, it was the first organization implementing the principles found in Smith's newly-published
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