George Albert Smith

George Albert Smith ( born April 4, 1870 in Salt Lake City, Utah, † April 4, 1951, Salt Lake City, Utah ) was the eighth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints.

Life

George Albert Smith was the son of Apostle John Henry Smith and Sarah Farr. He grew up in a polygamous family with 19 siblings. He was named after his grandfather, who had also been apostles. Smith earned a degree at the University of Utah, which was then called the University of Deseret. As he performed as a young man for the railroad surveys, he damaged by bright sunlight his eyes term.

He married on May 25, 1892 Lucy Emily Woodruff, a granddaughter of Wilford Woodruff. The couple was appointed immediately for two years as a missionary in the Southern States Mission. Later, she had three children. Since 1903, Smith was suffering from an autoimmune disease that is constantly weakened him. In the same year he was appointed to be an apostle. 1920 to 1923 he served as president of the European Mission and visited in this capacity also Germany.

Smith was very patriotic and was active in the Republican Party and in several patriotic clubs. For his services to the scouting him the Boy Scouts of America in 1934 awarded the Silver Buffalo. Another concern of his was the genealogy.

His presidency

After the death of Heber J. Grant, George Albert Smith was ordained of Latter-day Saints on 21 May 1945 as President of the Church of Jesus Christ and used. In his presidency, the end of World War II fell. He made ​​an effort to reorganize the church in Europe battered again bring together the scattered members and delivering aid to the suffering people and not only members, to help. He sent Apostle Ezra Taft Benson to Europe to organize help.

Smith was the first president of the Church, who visited Mexico. He initiated in 1943 the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple.