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Elias Smith (1804-1888) was one of the early leaders of the Mormon church.

Elias Smith, president of the high priests in the church from 1870 to 1877 and president of the High Priest Quorum in Salt Lake Stake from 1877 to 1888, was born 6 September 1804, in Royalton, Vermont, the son of Asael and Elizabeth Schellenger Smith. In 1809, his father emigrated to Stockholm, New York, where Elias was raised on a farm with few opportunities for schooling. At the age of twenty-one, he entered public life and held various offices in the town of Stockholm. He also taught school for several terms.

The announcement of a new faith by his cousin, Joseph, drew several members of the Smith family into the new church. Apostle George A. Smith was a missionary at the age of sixteen, but his elder cousin Elias was thirty-one years of age when he joined the Mormon Church. After the organization of the church, Joseph Smith Sr., first patriarch of the church, with his son Don Carlos, paid the families of his brothers Asael, Samuel, Silas, and John a visit in August 1830, and brought them the Book of Mormon. They all expressed interest in the new religion, but none of them were baptized until 1835, except John Smith, later patriarch of the church and father of Apostle George A. Smith. In 1835, Hyrum Smith and David Whitmer visited the area and the families of Asael and Silas were baptized, most of them on the first of July. However, Elias was not baptized until 27 August 1835, and the next morning he was ordained an elder. In the town and neighborhood of Stockholm they established a branch of the church, and in May 1836, the families of Asael and Silas Smith, with their converts, started for Kirtland, Ohio.

In 1837 and 1838, Elias Smith taught school at Kirtland. In the latter part of 1837, several of the original Twelve and other prominent men sought to divide the church. Joseph Smith Jr., his brother Hyrum, Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young, and other leaders fled from Kirtland. A company of over six hundred of the remaining faithful members was organized to follow their leaders to Far West. This company, known as Kirtland Camp, was under seven captains, among them was Elias Smith. They left Kirtland early in July 1838 and arrived at Far West on the second of October. From Far West they went to Adam-Ondi-Ahman, where they disbanded. Scarcely had the company disbanded when the army of Governor Lilburn Boggs marched upon Far West to drive the Mormons en masse out of Missouri. Elias Smith was one of the defenders of Far West who were forced to give up their arms and one of the members of the committee chosen to effect removal of the Saints from Missouri to Illinois. He was among the last to leave Far West.

Elias settled in Nashville, Illinois, four miles from Nauvoo. In the organization of the stake in Lee County, he was made a high counselor and subsequently ordained to act as bishop of the stake, a position he held until the stake was disbanded when he moved to Nauvoo. At Nauvoo he was associated with the press and became the manager of the Times and Seasons and the Nauvoo Neighbor. After the assassination of his cousins Joseph and Hyrum, he followed the leadership of Brigham Young, as did Apostle George A. Smith and his father John, who was now chief patriarch of the church.

Elias Smith left Nauvoo with his family in May 1846, intending to go with the body of the church to the Rocky Mountains that year. However, he was unable to do so and moved to Iowaville, Iowa, where his mother died in October 1846 and his father in July 1848. In 1851, he emigrated to Utah and soon after was elected probate judge of Salt Lake County by the legislature. He continued in this office until 1882. In 1852 he was appointed one of the three members of the Code Commission with Albert Carrington and William Snow. Elias was chairman. Their duty was to present to the legislature those laws best adapted to the conditions and character of the people.

In addition to his judicial duties, Judge Smith was business manager of the Deseret News under Willard Richards, and was postmaster of Salt Lake City from July 1854 to 1858. In 1856, he became editor of the Deseret News until September 1862, when he was succeeded by Albert Carrington. Afterwards, he confined himself almost exclusively to his judicial duties. In 1862, he was a member of the Constitutional Convention, and one of the committee members who drafted a constitution for the state.

Elias Smith was a bachelor until the age of forty-one. He married Lucy Brown at Nauvoo on 6 August 1845. She was born in England on 4 January 1820, joined the Mormon church in 1842, and arrived in Nauvoo in 1843. She was the mother of Elias A. Smith, who succeeded his father as judge in Salt Lake County. Elias Smith died at his home in Salt Lake City on 24 June 1888.

^[1]Elias Smith Journal 1836-1888

References

^ Andrew Jenson's Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia (Jenson History Company: Salt Lake City, 1901-1936)

Tullidge's quarterly magazine, Volume 3 By Edward William Tullidge

show

[1] Andrew Jenson's Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia (Jenson History Company: Salt Lake City, 1901-1936)

[1]

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 </ref>Elias Smith Journal 1836-1888
-In 1809 his father immigrated to the town of Stockholm, St. Lawrence County, New York. There Elias was raised in the wilderness, with but few opportunities for schooling. Most of his knowledge acquired by observation and "study without a master." In his youth he assisted his father in clearing the wilderness and making a farm. After he was twenty-one years of age he entered public life and held various offices of trust in the new town, Stockholm. He also taught school several terms.
-The announcement of the mission of the Prophet and the rapid growth and strange career of the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," very naturally drew into the faith several of the Smith family. The famous apostle, George A. Smith, who was decidedly one of the very greatest men of the Mormon dispensation, was a missionary of the Church at the age of 16, but his elder cousin Elias was 31 years of age when he embraced the faith. His mind was well matured, for he had already been ten years in public life.
-Soon after the Prophet had his remarkable visions, which resulted in the raising up of the great Latter-day Church, he communicated with his uncles Asahel, Samuel, Silas and John, all of whom, lived in the same neighborhood. After the organization of the church Uncle Joseph Smith, first Patriarch of the Church, with his son Don Carlos paid the families of his brothers a visit in August 1830, and brought them the Book of Mormon. They all believed it pretty much but none of them were baptized till 1835, excepting Uncle John Smith, afterwards the Patriarch of the Church and father of the Apostle George A. Uncle John was baptized on the 9th of January, 1832, and started for Kirtland on the 1st of May, 1833.
-In 1835, in the month of June, Hyrum Smith and David Whitmer came into the neighborhood, and the families of Asahel and Silas were baptized, most of them on the first day of July, but Elias was not baptized until August 27th, 1835, his cousin Hyrum administering; the next morning he was ordained an elder.
-In the town and neighborhood of Stockholm they raised up a branch of the Church, and in May, 1836, the two families of the Smiths before named, with their converts, making quite a little company, started for Kirtland, Ohio. The company took steamer at Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence County, and sailed up the St. Lawrence River to Rochester, where a portion of the company disembarked, at the mouth of the Genesee River, on account of the boat being so loaded, one part of the company, including the brothers Asahel and Silas, continuing by land, while the other part under Elias, came from Buffalo by steamer, where he landed the company of Saints bound for Kirtland. With him was his grandmother, aged 93 years. During the landing of the company, he sat her on the wharf to give her fresh air, but a shower coming on, he sought a public house near by for a room for her during the night, but was refused; whereupon he went to a hotel on the same block, and was cordially treated. While he was taking his grandmother to the hotel, Joseph the Prophet, his brother Hyrum and T. G. Williams from Kirtland, came down to the wharf to meet them. They followed to the hotel, and Joseph and Hyrum went into the room to see their grandmother, but would not make themselves known that night. They left their grandmother there for the night in comfortable quarters, and with their cousin Elias returned to Kirtland, in the midst of the storm, arriving very late. Next morning they took carriage and drove down for their grandmother, while Elias Smith hired teams and went down to the emigrants, whom he had sheltered for the night in a warehouse.
-The meeting between the grandmother and her prophet descendant and his brother was- most touching; Joseph blessed her and said she was the most honored woman on the earth. She had desired to see all her children and grandchildren before she died, which, with one exception, was providentially granted her, and she then died contented. Mary Duty Smith arrived at Kirtland on the 17th of May, 1836, died on the 27th, aged 93, and was buried near the Kirtland Temple.
-Elias Smith and his cousin Joseph had not seen each other since they played
-together when small boys until they met at the hotel at Fairport.
-In 1837-8 Elias Smith taught school at Kirtland; but in the latter part of 1837 the great apostasy occurred at Kirtland, when several of the original, Twelve and two of the "witnesses'' of the Book of Mormon—Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer—sought to divide the Church. The Prophet, his brother Hyrum, Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young, and others of the leaders, fled from Kirtland to save their lives, while a company of over 600 of the faithful was organized to follow them to Far West. This company was under seven captains, namely: James Foster, Josiah Butterfield, Zera Pulsipher, Joseph Young, Henry Herriman, Elias Smith and B. S. Wilber. The company was principally organized and sustained by the "Seventies," of who Elias Smith was at this time secretary. They undertook the removal of this part of the Church from Kirtland to Missouri; and it was done greatly on the co-operative plan. Not having sufficient means to get through, the company stopped on their way and took a big job on the Springfield and Drayton turnpike. They left Kirtland on the 5th or 6th of July and arrived at Far West on the 2d of October. From Far West they went to Adam Ondi Ahman, where they disbanded.
-But scarcely had the company disbanded when the exterminating army of Governor Boggs, under Generals Lucas and Clark, marched upon Far West to drive the Mormons en masse out of Missouri. The brethren nobly took up arms to defend their people, as massacres and extermination threatened the whole, from the Prophet leader down to their last-born babe. Already, before the fall of Far West, had occurred the horrible massacre at Haun's Mill, where men, women and children were actually butchered by the mob. During the dreadful scenes of the extermination of the Saints many were wounded and murdered and several women were ravished to death. That the defenders would have fought heroically in defense of their people is certain, but their own commander into the hands of General Lucas betrayed them.
-"I saw," says Brigham, "Brother Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Parley'P. Pratt, Lyman Wight and George W. Robinson delivered up by Colonel Hinkle to General Lucas, but expected that they would have returned to the city that evening or the next morning, according to agreement, and the pledge of the sacred honor of the officers that they should be allowed to do so, but they did not so return. The next morning General Lucas demanded and took away the arms of the militia of Caldwell County, assuring them that they should be protected ; but as soon as they obtained possession of the arms, they commenced their ravages by plundering the citizens of their bedding, clothing, money, wearing apparel, and everything of value they could lay their hands upon, and also attempted to violate the chastity of the women in the presence of their husbands and friends. The soldiers shot down our oxen, cows and hogs at our own doors, taking part away and leaving the rest to rot in the street. They also turned their horses in our fields of corn."
-At this time General Clark delivered his noted speech, in which he said: "You need not expect any mercy, but extermination, for I am determined that the Governor's order shall be executed.
-"As for your leaders, do not think, do not imagine for a moment, do not let it enter your minds that they will be delivered and restored to you again, for their fate is fixed, (he die is cast, their doom is sealed.
-" I would advise you to scatter abroad, and never again organize yourselves with bishops, priests, etc., lest you excite the jealousies of the people, and subject yourselves to the same calamities that have now come upon you."
-Judge Elias Smith was present at the time when that speech was delivered, and when fifty-seven of their brethren were betrayed into the hands of the enemy as prisoners.
-General Clark told the Mormons that they must not be seen as many as five together. " If you are," said he, "the citizens will be upon you and destroy you; but you should flee immediately out of the State. There is no alternative for you but to flee; you need not expect any redress ; there is none for you.
-Elias Smith was one of those defenders of Far west, who were forced to give up their aim, and one of the committee chosen to effect the removal of the Saints from Missouri into Illinois. After the exterminating address to them of General Clark, a meeting was held at Far West, January 26th, 1839, to devise plans for the removal. Don C. Smith called the meeting to order; and on motion, John Smith was unanimously called to the chair, and Elias Smith appointed Secretary. Several gentlemen addressed the meeting on the subject of the removal of the Saints from that State; and the following committee were appointed to formulate the initial plans, namely: John Taylor, Alanson Ripley, Brigham Young, Theodore Turley, Heber C. Kimball, John Smith and Don C. Smith. On the 29th of January, the brethren met according to adjournment, when John Smith was again called to the chair, and Elias Smith appointed secretary.
-"On motion of Pres. Brigham Young, it was resolved that we this day enter into a covenant to stand by and assist each other to the utmost of our abilities in removing from this State, and that we will never desert the poor who are worthy, till they shall be out of the reach of the exterminating order of General Clark, acting for and in the name of the State.
-After an expression of sentiments by several who addressed the meeting on the propriety of taking efficient means to remove the poor from the State, it was resolved, that a committee of seven be appointed to superintend the business of our removal, and to provide for those who have not the means of moving, till the work shall be completed.
-" The following were then appointed, viz: William Huntington, Chas. Bird, Alanson Ripley, Theodore Turley, Daniel Shearer, Shadrach Roundy, and Jonathan H. Hale.
-" Resolved, That the secretary draft an instrument expressive of the sense of the covenant entered into this day, by those present, and that those who were willing to subscribe to the covenant should do it, that their names might be known, which will enable the committee more judiciously to carry their business into effect. The instrument was accordingly drawn, and by vote of the meeting the secretary attached the names of  those who were willing to subscribe to it.
-" We, whose names are hereunder written, do each for ourselves individually hereby covenant to stand by and assist each other to the utmost of our abilities in removing from this State in compliance with the authority, of the State ; and do hereby acknowledge ourselves firmly bound to the extent of all our available property, to be disposed of by a committee who shall be appointed for that purpose, for providing means for the removing of the poor and destitute who shall be considered worthy, from this country till there shall not be one left who desires to remove from the State: with this proviso, that no individual shall be deprived of the right of the disposal of his own property for the above purpose, or of having the control of it, or so much of it as shall be necessary for the removing of his own family, and to be entitled to the over plus, after the work is effected; and furthermore, said committee shall give receipts for all property, and an account of the expenditure of the same."
-The committee who had been appointed for removing the poor from the State of Missouri, namely: William Huntington, Charles Bird, Alanson Ripley, Theodore Turley, Daniel Shearer, Shadrach Roundy and Jonathan H. Hale, met in the evening of that day at the house of Theodore Turley, and organized by appointing William Huntington Chairman, Daniel Shearer Treasurer, and Alanson Ripley Clerk, and made some arrangements for carrying the business of removing the poor, into operation. President Brigham Young, got eighty subscribers to the covenant the first day, and three hundred the second day.
-Thursday, 31st. Mr. Turner's bill of the 16th instant, passed the Senate. I sent the poor brethren a hundred dollar bill, from jail to assist them in their distressed situation.
-Friday, February 1st. The committee " met according to adjournment at the house of Theodore Turley; John Smith was present and acted as Chairman, and Elias Smith as Secretary the meeting was called to order by the chairman.
-On motion, resolved, that the covenant entered in to at the last meeting, be
-read by the secretary; which was done accordingly.
-Elias Smith was one of the last that left Far West. Hastily gathering up the remnant whose lives were again threatened by the mob, he started with them from Far West on the 19th of April, 1849, but, meeting the Twelve on the way, he returned with them to fulfill a revelation concerning a conference to be held at Far West on the 26th of April, 1849, when the corner stone of the temple was to be laid and certain men to be ordained to the quorum of the Twelve. Notwithstanding the threatening of the mob this imposing ceremony was performed, and Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith ordained. After taking part in the solemn performance Elias Smith journeyed with the Twelve to Quincy, then went to Commerce (Nauvoo), and returned to Quincy where a general conference of the Church was held after the escape of the Prophet from prison ; and the committee settled up the affairs of the emigration of poor Saints from Missouri
-After the removal into Illinois, Judge Smith settled at Nashville, Lee County, four miles from Nauvoo. In the organization of the stake of Lee County, he was taken out of the seventies and made a high councilor, and subsequently was ordained the bishop of the stake, which position he held until the stake was broken up, when he went to Nauvoo.
-At Nauvoo he was associated with the press as business manager of the Times and Seasons and the Nauvoo Neighbor, After the martyrdom of his cousins Joseph and Hyrum, he followed the leadership of Brigham Young, as did also the Apostle George A. Smith, with his father John, who was now the chief patriarch of the Church. Thus, notwithstanding that Emma, first wife of the Prophet, with her sons and "Mother Lucy" Smith, remained at Nauvoo with the relics of their martyred dead, the surviving leaders of the Smith family were with the Saints in their exodus, and are among the founders of Utah. The sons of Hyrum Smith also came with the people to build up with them the religious fabric, which the blood of their father and uncle had sanctified.
-With his family Elias Smith took up the pioneer journey from Nauvoo in May, 1846, intending to go with the body of the Church to the Rocky Mountains that year, but the call of the Mormon battalion soon afterwards hindering this, he sojourned awhile in Iowaville, Van Buren County, Iowa, where his mother died in October, 1846, and his father in July, 1848. In 1851 he immigrated to Utah, and soon after was elected, by the Legislature, probate judge of Salt Lake County, in which office he was continued up to 1882. His terms of office have ranged from four years to one. In 1852 he was also appointed one of a Code Commission of three, with Albert Carrington and William Snow, he being chairman. Their duty was to present to that legislature of pioneers, unskilled in legal science, those laws best adapted to the peculiar condition and character of the people ; and whatever may be the criticism of the lawyers of to-day upon their work, undoubtedly these men acted with strict fidelity, and the most conscientious intention.
-Judge Smith has eminently filled the most important judicial sphere in Utah, the probate courts being, until the McKean period, practically the Courts of Justice for the people. Indeed, he is known in all the acts of his life, and in his essential character and quality of mind, to be conscientious in the highest degree. It is not his nature to adminester unrighteous; and in the peculiar case of Utah, with Gentile and Mormon in chronic conflict, that quality of mind and judgment has had ample opportunity to manifest itself. In this quality of justice his peer was Daniel Spencer, who occupied an office in the Church analogous to that of Chief Justice of the State, and to whose Ecclesiastical Court, —the High Council,—Gentiles have in the early days repeatedly taken their cases for arbitration in preference to " going to law " either in the federal or probate courts. Elias Smith and Daniel Spencer may therefore be offered to the Gentile reader as the proper types of the judges of the Mormon Israel.
-Besides his judicial sphere, Judge Smith has filled other important callings. He was business manager of the Deseret News, under Dr. Richards, in the early rise of journalism and literature in the West, and was Postmaster of Salt Lake City from July, 1854, until the army came in 1858. In 1856 he became editor of the Deseret News, retaining the position until September, 1863, when he was succeeded by Albert Carrington ; since which time he has exclusively confined himself to his judicial duties. In 1862 he was a member of the Constitutional Convention, and one of the committee who drafted the Constitution for the State. His general history is the history of his people. While in his private capacity he is universally respected, in his public sphere he may also be said to be without an enemy, notwithstanding he has so long administered law and equity
-Judge Elias Smith was a bachelor until he was forty-one years of age. He married Lucy Brown, a native of England, at Nauvoo, August 6th, 1845. She was born at Biggleswade, in Bedfordshire, January 4th, 1820; came into the Church in 1842, and arrived in Nauvoo, May, 1S43. She is the mother of Elias A. Smith, the present judge of Salt Lake County, and his father's successor to the office.
-Our steel plate frontispiece is a most excellent type of an upright judge. It has been engraved from a portrait taken when he was at the age of 65—he is now over 80—and will show to the eye of the next generation what kind of a man Judge Elias Smith was at his ripe maturity.