|
- Born 1811 Royalton, Vermont
- Baptized 1830
- Ordained Teacher 1830
- Ordained Priest 1831
- Ordained Elder 1832
- Married Caroline Amanda Grant 1833; later practiced
plural marriage; seven children
- Ordained High Priest 1833
- Zion's Camp 1835
- Ordained Apostle and member of Twelve 1835
- Disfellowshipped 1839; restored three weeks later
- Failed to accompany Twelve on Mission to England, citing
poverty 1839
- Elected to Illinois Legislature, effectively defended
Nauvoo Charter 1842
- Mission to Eastern States 1843
- Ordained Patriarch to the Church 1845 (But see commentary.)
- Dropped from Twelve and Excommunicated for apostasy
1845
- Associated with several apostate groups in later life
- Died 1893 Osterdock, Iowa
William B. Smith was born March 13, 1811 at Royalton,
Vermont to Joseph Smith, Sr. and his
wife, Lucy Mack Smith. The son of a prophet, and the brother of two prophets,
none of this could quell the restless and rebellious spirit that would
draw him to apostasy.
William was still living in the home of his parents
when his brother, the Prophet Joseph Smith,
Jr, was allowed to bring the Golden Plates home and begin the translation
of the Book of Mormon. William was not privileged to view them but was
allowed to touch them, feel them, open them and lift the pillow case in
which they were kept. He was baptized June 9, 1830 by David Whitmer.
Notwithstanding his relationship to the Prophet, he was not immediately
thrust into Church leadership but first received the Aaronic Priesthood,
being ordained a Teacher on October 5, 1830, and a year later
a Priest on October 25, 1831.
William was ordained an Elder December 19, 1832,
by Lyman E. Johnson. He married Caroline
Amanda Grant February 14, 1833. He would later practice plural marriage
and fathered seven children of record. He was ordained a High Priest on
June 21, 1833.
In 1834, William accompanied Zion's Camp on its march
from Ohio to Missouri. It was from this group that the Twelve and Seventy
would largely be called and William was ordained an Apostle under the hands
of Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and
Martin Harris on February 15, 1835 and assumed his position as one of the
Twelve. With other members of the quorum, he served a mission to the Eastern
States in the summer and fall of 1835.
He was charged with having a rebellious spirit October
30, 1835 and in a revelation received November 3, 1835 was called
to humble himself. Following an incident in December of 1835 he was tried
for unchristian conduct 2 January 1836. We are indebted to his mother,
Lucy Mack Smith for details: she tells us that while Joseph Smith was presiding
in a High Council, William rebelled against him in a very headstrong manner.
At a debating school held in the house of Father Joseph Smith, December
16, 1835, the Prophet Joseph told the brethren he feared it would not result
in good, whereupon William, in a rage, commanded Joseph to leave the house,
attempted to put him out and inflicted upon him personal injury, the effects
of which Joseph occasionally felt until his death. At the trial William
confessed and was forgiven January 3, 1836.
William attended the dedication of the Kirtland Temple
in March of 1836. He also attended the Hebrew School in Kirtland during
winter of 1835-36. He became a charter member of Kirtland Safety Society
in January 1837. He moved to Far West, Missouri, in the spring of
1838 and was subjected to the depredations of the Missouri mobocrats. Like
thosuands of others, he was expelled from Missouri in 1839, settling in
Plymouth, Illinois.
While Joseph was languishing in a dungeon beneath
Liberty Jail, William verbally attacked him for being the cause of the
Missouri persecutions with such vehemence and hatred that William was disfellowshipped
May 4, 1839. He was restored to fellowship May 25, 1839 through the intercession
of Joseph and Hyrum.
William failed to go to England on a mission with
others of Twelve in 1839. Called to task by the ill feelings of the community,
he responded with an ill graced apology that cited poverty as the reason
for his failure. He was perhaps blind to the fact that Brigham
Young and others left while in more dire straits of poverty and with
physical illnesses so severe they had to be carried to the wagon taking
them on their journey.
He was elected a member of Illinois State House of
Representatives in August 1842. While serving there he effectively fought
two efforts to revoke Nauvoo's City Charter. Notwithstanding his failure
to accompany the Twelve to England, he did serve a Mission to the Eastern United States in summer of 1843. He returned to Nauvoo April 22, 1844. After staying a short time
in Nauvoo, he had his last interview with his brother Joseph under the
following circumstances: He asked Joseph to give him a city lot near the
Temple. Joseph told him that he would do so with great pleasure if he would
build a house and live upon it; but he would not give him a lot to sell.
William replied he wanted it to build and live upon. The lot was well worth
$1,000. In a few hours afterwards, an application was made by a certain
Mr. Ivins to the city recorder to know if the lot was clear and belonged
to William Smith, for William had sold it to him for $500. Joseph, hearing
of this, directed the clerk not to make a transfer, at which William was
so offended that he threatened Joseph, who deemed it prudent to keep out
of the way until William left on a steamboat for the East, accompanied
by his family.
He received his Endowment on May 12, 1844 and left for the East May June 1844. Thus he was not in Nauvoo with the Saints when his brothers were murdered. William was, however, one of those who put in a claim to preside over the Church after the death of Joseph. His claim was based on a rather tortuous reading of an obscure passage
in the Bible in which, after a case was brought before the Apostles, and
a decision was rendered by the Council, James, the Lord's brother gave
an explanation of the decision. Now, reasoned William, if James was the
spokesman for the Twelve, he must have been President of the Twelve, and
if the President, it must be because he was brother of the Lord. Therefore
if the Lord's brother became President of the ancient Church, then Joseph's
brother, William, should become President of the latter-day Church. William's
reasoning and his claim was not accepted by the Church.
Nevertheless, he associated himself with the Twelve
and did become one of the presiding authorities. In fact, Brigham Young
recognized that with the death of Hyrum Smith, William had claim, by right
of birth, to the seat of the Presiding Patriarch of the Church; and in
recognition of that claim, ordained him to that position. William did,
in fact, in the summer of 1845, issue several Patriarchal Blessings. But
before he could be sustained in this calling, his rebelliousness had bloomed
into full grown apostasy and the October Conference not only refused to
sustain him as either Patriarch or Apostle, but in fact he was excommunicated.
President Joseph F. Smith argued strenuously
that since he was never sustained, he never legally held the office of
Patriarch to the Church and his name should be excluded from any list of
those holding that office. Whether the Lord observed and honored
any of the Patriarchal Blessings he gave is problematic. Grampa Bill has
included him in the listing of Patriarchs to the Church but has added an
asterisk and an explanation.
William B. Smith associated with various apostate
groups following his excommunication, notably the Strangites and the Reorganites.
He may have been a pivotal influence in the decision of the Smith sisters
and their mother to remain in Illinois after the main body of the Church
moved west. He vigorously encouraged Mary Fielding Smith and Hyrum's children
to remain in the area, but they chose to follow Brigham Young and the Twelve.
He died November 13, 1894, at Osterdock, Clayton county, Iowa, as the last
surviving brother of Joseph the Prophet.
Bibliography
History of the Church, multiple citations; see index
Unofficial William Smith Home Page
2005 Church Almanac, pp.63, 69
Selected Discourses and Writings
|
TITLE
|
LOCATION & DATE
|
Evidences of the Book of Mormon
Before William Smith's apostasy
|
The Messenger and Advocate, January 1837
|
A Purported Revelation
Published after William Smith's Apostasy
|
1847, Location not given
|
Joseph's Instructions
A letter from the apostate William Smith to the scattered saints.
|
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 1848
|
Against the Admission Of Deseret Into the Union
A Petition to Congress by the Apostate William Smith
|
Covington, Kentucky, 1849
|
"The Old Soldier's Testimony"
Note that William Smith remained true to his testimony of the Book of Mormon through all the years of his apostasy from the Church!
|
Saints' chapel, Deloit, Iowa, June 1864
|
|
After Moroni
|
Lamonia, Iowa, 1883
|
|
