John Smith (September 22, 1832 – November 6, 1911), was the fifth Presiding Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). His father was Hyrum Smith, the older brother of Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Having served for 56 years, he was the longest serving Presiding Patriarch in the history of the LDS Church. Smith traveled west to Winter Quarters and then Salt Lake City with the Mormon pioneers. He traveled with Heber C. Kimball's party and his step-mother Mary Fielding Smith. Smith joined the "Battalion of Life Guards" to protect the Latter-day Saints from Native Americans.
During his life, Smith maintained strong relationships with his family members in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church), particularly his cousin Joseph Smith III. Though John Smith was never released as Presiding Patriarch, some general authorities were outspoken in their disapproval of Smith's unwillingness to marry more than one plural wife and his habit of tobacco use. Smith was married to Hellen Maria Fisher with whom he had nine children. Smith married Nancy Melissa Lemmon as his plural wife after the encouragement of Brigham Young. Smith had one child with Lemmon.
Early life and background
John Smith was born on September 22, 1832, in Kirtland, Ohio, to Hyrum Smith and his first wife, Jerusha Barden Smith, during the early days of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was among the first generation of children raised in the church. His mother died when he was five years old. Before his death in 1840, Joseph Smith Sr. declared his eldest living son, Hyrum, would receive the office of patriarch by virtue of lineal succession.
This event left the church leaderless. By consensus, it was expected that the title of Presiding Patriarch would pass to Hyrum Smith's eldest son, John. However, because John Smith was only 11 years of age at the time of his father's death, the position was instead claimed by a younger brother of Joseph Smith Jr., William, and later by the younger brother of Joseph Sr., John Smith, who was known to the church as "Uncle John". He joined the "Battalion of Life Guards" in 1850 with the purpose of protecting the Latter-day Saints from Native Americans. After the death of Mary Fielding in 1852, Smith was required to support the family of eight. Although Smith was glossophobic and refused nearly every public speaking assignment that Brigham Young gave him, his patriarchal blessings were eloquent. remaining in that position for 56 years, until his death from pneumonia on November 6, 1911, in Salt Lake City. During his time as Patriarch, Smith gave over 20,000 blessings, willing to travel hundreds of miles on horseback in any weather condition to give blessings. She died on September 3, 1907. Hellen was outspoken about her lack of enthusiasm for plural marriage which was a highly encouraged practice by the LDS Church at the time.