Don B. Taylor and Dr. Richard Bennett, Religion
Latter Day Saint history is full of records concerning our founder and first prophet of this dispensation, Joseph Smith, Jr., including extensive works on his personal history, teachings and ministry. For all that we do know about him however, there exists a lack of detailed history of his siblings. The focus of this project is to look into the great life of one of them, Samuel Harrison Smith, Joseph’s younger brother.
The search for information concerning Samuel brought on a new realm of research that I have not experienced with prior academic assignments. It was not just a matter of reviewing texts about a subject and learning from the works of others but involved an actual investigation into many original sources including reading his own diaries. From them I was able to not only find out facts about his life but get a feel for his personality and character.
Samuel was born on March 13, 1808 in Turnbridge, Orange County, Vermont. The Smith family moved around in their farming efforts and eventually moved to Palmyra in Upstate New York when Samuel was nine years old. Not much is said of him during his youth besides his brief affiliation with the Presbyterian Church at age twelve. We can conclude that he was busy with the farm along with the rest of his family.
Samuel later became one of the key participants in the Restoration of the true church. Days after his brother Joseph and Oliver Cowdery had received the Aaronic Priesthood and were baptized in May of 1829; Samuel arrived in Harmony, Pennsylvania. He was not easily persuaded but soon was the third person baptized in this dispensation, also known as the first convert baptism. He was also given the honor to see and heft the gold plates as one of the eight witnesses of the Book of Mormon. After the publication of the Book of Mormon the church was organized on April 6, 1830. According to the laws of the state of New York, a church had to have six chartered members to be legally recognized. Samuel was chosen with the privilege to be one of those six original members. He was re-baptized that same day, this time not for the remission of sins but for membership in the church.
Two months later on June 9, 1830 he was ordained an Elder and received the Melchizedek Priesthood at the first conference of the church in Fayette. He is recognized as the first missionary of the church as he was set apart during that same month by Joseph Smith, Jr. for missionary work to the nieghboring villages. Samuel’s first mission was short, ending in October, yet his labors helped in the conversion of some of the most faithful and influencial members of the early church. He baptized the Greene family and while passing through Mendon left a copy of the Book of Mormon with Mrs. Greene’s oldest brother Phineas Young who was favorably impressed with the book. Phineas lent it to his father, then to his sister Fanny (the mother of the wife of Heber C. Kimball), who gave it to her brother Brigham Young. Following nearly two years of investigation Brigham was baptized. All of his immediate family was baptized as well and proved to be faithful lifelong members of the church.
At the third conference of the church in January, Samuel was called to serve a second mission to the land around Kirtland with Orson Pratt. They made the 250 mile trek by foot, preaching along the way, arriving Febuary 27, 1831. They found great religious excitement and along with others baptized about 50 people in a two-week period.
The next general conference was held on June 6th and Samuel was ordained a High Priest. A day later he was again extended a call to take his journey with Reynolds Cahoon. At a following conference in October a revelation was received and Samuel was then teamed up with William E. McLellin. This mission was cut short however as a result of McLellin’s personal struggles. At a following conference Samuel Smith received a new commission to go back east, this time with Orson Hyde. They headed out on an eleven month mission that they described to be one of the most toilsome in the church. Despite opposition they were delivered and found success in their labors having organized four branches of the church while sixty or more individuals were baptized.
After all his missionary service Samuel returned to Kirtland where he resided until 1836. During those years he worked the land as a farmer and obtained more responsibilities in the church such as being appointed an agent for the Church’s Literary Firm, serving on the Kirtland High Council, and building the temple. He married Mary Bailey who gave him four children in their life together.
In January of 1836 Samuel moved with his family to Missouri were they became victims to mob violence. They fled to Nauvoo where again his responsibilities increased and included those of being a captain in the Nauvoo Legion, a regent of the University of Nauvoo, and Bishop of the Nauvoo Ward. Among all this his wife and sweetheart, Mary Smith, died 16 days after giving birth to their fourth child. Four months later while away on a missionary assignment Samuel married Levira Clark. Three more children were born to their marriage.
In 1844 the events that lead to the martyrdom of his two brothers, Joseph and Hyrum, deeply impacted his life. Upon hearing the danger his brothers faced in Carthage Jail, Samuel attempted to ride to their aid but was fired at and chased away by a mob. He was able to escape them with hard riding but arrived too late to help. Upon arriving in town he learned that his brothers were dead. He escorted their bodies back to Nauvoo and then died himself within the month, apparently from a wound he had received from the mob.
Samuel Harrison Smith was a good man who lived a noble life as an active servant in the early church. The research involved with studying his life has been highly rewarding and valuable. An otherwise nearly unmentioned brother of the prophet Joseph Smith has been rediscovered and his contributions proven to merit his own recognition, regardless of his relation to the Smith family. Inspired from the findings of this investigation I have found a new passion and excitement for researching church history. I aspire to continue involvement in this field and develop this new skill.