John Smith

1781 — 1854

Uncle of Joseph and Hyrum Smith; born in Derryfield (now Manchester), New Hampshire; baptized in 1832 by his brother Joseph Smith Sr., the father of Joseph and Hyrum; presided over branch at Adam-ondi-Ahman prior to Latter-day Saints’ expulsion from Missouri; appointed to preside over the Church in Iowa and later over the Saints at Macedonia, Illinois; reached Salt Lake Valley in September 1847; presided over the Latter-day Saints in the valley until October 1848; helped outfit Henry Bigler for gold fields in 1849 in exchange for share of profits; ordained Presiding Patriarch of the Church in 1849; died in Salt Lake City. (See Jenson, BE, 1:182–83; Davies, Mormon Gold, 162–64, 229–30; GQC journal, July 22, 1854.)