W. Wallace Smith

William Wallace Smith ( November 18, 1900 - August 4, 1989 ) was an American Mormon, grandson of Joseph Smith and President of the Communion of Christ . He was president from October 6, 1958 to April 5, 1978. He then retired .

biography

W. Wallace Smith was born in Lamoni on November 18, 1900. His parents were Joseph Smith III and Ada R. Clark. Clark was the third wife of Smith III. Smith graduated from the University of Missouri in 1924. He received his first ministry in the Fellowship of Christ in 1928. He was ordained an apostle on April 7, 1947 and was inducted into the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . On April 2, 1950, he was selected as a counselor in the First Presidency . President at the time was his half-brother Israel A. Smith . Smith died in Independence on August 4, 1989 .

President of the Church

Smith was the third son of Joseph Smith III , who was President of the Church. He became president after the deaths of his brothers Frederick M. Smith and Israel A. Smith .

Growth of the church

The Church grew rapidly during Smith's tenure. After there was significant missionary effort in 1960. The Church grew rapidly in Africa , Latin America, and the Far East . During his tenure, there was also a revival of the ecumenical movement , major changes in church teaching and practice, and internationalization.

The Independence Temple

Building temples is part of Mormonism . For several years the building of an Independence Temple had been part of the tradition of the communion of Christ. However, nothing concrete has been done by church leaders for several decades. In 1972 W. Wallace brought the idea back to life by issuing a document calling for "Let us define the purpose and location for building a temple."

Break with the bloodline

In 1958, Smith named someone Supreme Patriarch who was not a member of the family. Instead of Lynn Smith, he chose Roy Cheville . With this act he broke a long tradition in the fellowship of Christ .

Joseph Smith, Sr. 1771–1840 Supreme Patriarch (1833–40)

Lucy Mack Smith 1775-1856

Hyrum Smith 1800–1844 Supreme Patriarch (1841–44)

Joseph Smith, Jr. 1805–1844 President of the Church (1830–44)

Emma Hale Smith 1804–1879 Chosen Lady

William B. Smith 1811-1893 Supreme Patriarch (1845)

Bertha Madison 1843-1896

Joseph Smith III 1832–1914 Prophet President (1860–1914)

Ada Clark 1871-1914

Alexander Hale Smith 1838–1909 Supreme Patriarch (1897–1902)

David Hyrum Smith 1844-1904

Frederick M. Smith 1874–1946 Prophet – President (1914–46)

Israel A. Smith 1876–1958 Prophet – President (1946–58)

W. Wallace Smith 1900–1989 Prophet President (1958–78)

Frederick A. Smith 1862–1954 Supreme Patriarch (1913–38)

Elbert A. Smith 1871–1959 Supreme Patriarch (1938–58)

resignation

Smith chose his son Wallace B. Smith as his successor in 1976. On April 5, 1978, he resigned as the first president. All previous presidents had served until their deaths. To ensure a smooth transition, Smith read a letter of resignation just before his son was ordained.

literature

• Richard P. Howard, The Church Through the Years, Herald House: 1992.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Questions and Answers on Church Name Change ( Memento of April 22, 2001 in the Internet Archive )
2. ↑ ^{a b} Smith W. Wallace: Doctrine and Covenants: Appendix F . In: Doctrine and Covenants of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints . Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches . Retrieved September 8, 2011.
3. ^ Gracia Jones: Joseph Smith III . In: The Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society. . Retrieved September 7, 2011.
4. ↑ D & C 140 3-4a . In: Doctrine and Covenants of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints . Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches . Retrieved September 8, 2011.
5. ↑ D&C 142: 1b-142: 2 . In: Doctrine and Covenants of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints . Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches . Retrieved September 8, 2011.
6. ↑ ^{a b} Our History: W. Wallace Smith (1958–1978) . In: Official website of the Community of Christ . Community of Christ. Retrieved on September 8, 2011.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )
7. ^ ^{A b} Steven C. Kellogg, "Temples of the Restoration," Saints Herald 118 (September 1971): 10-12, 30-31; (October 1971): 15-17, 48-49; (November 1971): 18-20, 32-34.
8. ^ Smith W. Wallace: D&C 150: 8 . In: Doctrine and Covenants of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints . Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches . Retrieved September 8, 2011.
9. ↑ D&C 151: 1a and 2 . In: Doctrine and Covenants of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints . Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches . Retrieved September 8, 2011.