Joseph F. Smith

Church President

Smith was sustained by the church membership as President of the Church on October 17, 1901. One of the first issues he faced was the ongoing difficulties for the Church due to the practice of plural marriage. As Church President, Smith supported Mormon Apostle Reed Smoot's candidacy for the U.S. Senate. But Smoot's election was contested on the grounds that he was an officer in the Church. The Senate investigation again focused national attention on Mormon marriages and political influence. Following his appearance before a Senate panel in 1904, Smith terminated all surreptitious continuation of church plural marriages. On April 6, 1904, Smith issued the "second manifesto." He also declared that any church officer who performed a plural marriage, as well as the offending couple, would be excommunicated. He clarified that the policy applied world-wide, and not just in North America. Two members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley, resigned in 1905 following the second manifesto.

Related Topics:
Senate investigation - April 6 - 1904 - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - John W. Taylor - Matthias F. Cowley - 1905

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Smith's seventeen year administration made efforts toward improving the Church's damaged relationships with the federal government and related issues dealing with the Church's financial situation. The administration acquired historic sites, constructed numerous meetinghouses, and expanded the church system of educational academies and universities. He also oversaw a continued growth in Church membership.

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Smith is often remembered as Church President for the construction and dedication of the Seagull Monument at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 1, 1913. During much of his presidential tenure, Smith oversaw the planning and construction of the Laie Hawaii Temple in Laie, Hawaii, one of his part-time residences. Smith died on November 19, 1918, a year before his beloved Laie Hawaii Temple—the fifth temple since the restoration—was to be dedicated. He left a body of religious writings often used in discussing church doctrine and religious conduct.

Related Topics:
Seagull Monument - Temple Square - Salt Lake City, Utah - October 1 - 1913 - Laie Hawaii Temple - Laie, Hawaii

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