John Henry Smith
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John Henry Smith (September 18, 1848–October 13, 1911) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was also a prominent politician in Utah and played an important role in the process whereby Utah made the transition from a Territory to a State of the United States.
[edit] Church Service
In October, 1880, LDS Church President John Taylor called Smith to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. On October 27 of that year, he was ordained an Apostle by Wilford Woodruff, who at that time was President of the Twelve. Smith served in that capacity until the death of First Presidency member John R. Winder in 1910; he was then asked by Church President Joseph F. Smith to take Winder's place as a member of the First Presidency. John Henry Smith served in this capacity until his death the next year.
[edit] Political contributions
John Henry Smith was also a prominent Republican in Utah politics. Smith was unanimously elected by the 107 delegates to be the Chair of the Utah Constitutional Convention that was held between 4 March and 8 May 1895. The result of the Convention was a draft Constitution for the proposed State of Utah, which was accepted by the United States Congress in 1896 when Utah officially became a State of the United States.
[edit] Marriage and family
Born in Carbunca, Iowa, Smith was the son of Latter-day Saint Apostle and member of the First Presidency George A. Smith and Sarah Ann Libby.
Smith practiced plural marriage, and was the father of 19 children, one of whom was George Albert Smith, who also became an LDS Apostle and went on to serve as the 8th President of the Church. John Henry Smith and George Albert Smith are the only father and son pair to have been members of the Quorum of the Twelve at the same time, having served in the Quorum together between 1903 and 1910.
Smith died at and was buried at Salt Lake City, Utah.
| Preceded by Francis M. Lyman |
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles October 27, 1880–April 7, 1910 |
Succeeded by George Teasdale |
