George Albert Smith

Son of John Smith; cousin of Joseph and Hyrum Smith; born in Potsdam, New York; baptized along with his parents in 1832; served four missions in eastern U.S., 1835–38; ordained an apostle, 1839; served mission to England and three more missions in the U.S., 1839–1844; member of vanguard pioneer company that entered Salt Lake Valley with Brigham Young in July 1847; led company of Latter-day Saints that settled Parowan in January 1851; appointed Church Historian and General Church Recorder in 1854; sustained first counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency, 1868; died in Salt Lake City. (See Jenson, BE, 1:37–42; Whitney, History of Utah, 4:35–39; “Biographies,” in Tullidge, History of Salt Lake City, 35–36; Pusey, Builders of the Kingdom, 3–123; Bitton and Arrington, Mormons and Their Historians, 15–28; GQC journal, Aug. 20, 1851; July 22, 1854.)