William Smith (Latter Day Saints)

For other people named William Smith, see William Smith (disambiguation).

William Smith
Petitioner for Patriarchate (RLDS Church)
April 6, 1872 (1872-04-06) – November 13, 1893 (1893-11-13)
Called byJoseph Smith III
PredecessorNone
SuccessorAlexander Hale Smith
ReasonDoctrine of Lineal succession
3rd Presiding Patriarch (LDS Church)
May 24, 1845 (1845-05-24) – October 6, 1845 (1845-10-06)
End reasonRemoved from position by a vote of the church
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
May 25, 1839 (1839-05-25) – October 6, 1845 (1845-10-06)
End reasonRemoved from Quorum by a vote of the church
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
February 15, 1835 (1835-02-15) – May 4, 1839 (1839-05-04)
Called byThree Witnesses
End reasonRemoved from Quorum by a vote of the church
Latter Day Saint Apostle
February 15, 1835 (1835-02-15) – October 6, 1845 (1845-10-06)
Called byJoseph Smith
ReasonInitial organization of Quorum of the Twelve
End reasonExcommunication for apostasy[1]
Reorganization
at end of term		No apostles ordained[2]
Personal details
Born(1811-03-13)March 13, 1811
Royalton, Vermont, United States
DiedNovember 13, 1893(1893-11-13) (aged 82)
Osterdock, Iowa, United States
Resting placeOsterdock - Bethel Chapel Cemetery

William Smith (also found as William B. Smith) (March 13, 1811 – November 13, 1893) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Smith was the eighth child of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith and was a younger brother of Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.

After the 1844 murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, William Smith claimed leadership of the Latter Day Saints and attracted a small number of followers. Most church members accepted Brigham Young as rightful leader of the church, and Smith was later affiliated with the Strangite and Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ).

  1. ^ Smith was disfellowshipped and removed from the Quorum of the Twelve on October 6, 1845. However, Smith remained an apostle until his excommunication. Smith had also been temporarily suspended from the Quorum between May 4 and 25, 1839, by votes of the church.
  2. ^ After Smith's removal from the Quorum, Amasa M. Lyman—who had previously been ordained an apostle in 1842—was added to the Quorum of the Twelve. Thus, no new apostles were ordained as a result of Smith's removal from the Quorum or his excommunication.