Hyrum Smith was the designated successor to the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.

Science · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: As a close advisor and brother to Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith played a foundational role in the early Church of Christ. Beyond his religious leadership, he was a key witness to the movement's origins and was ultimately killed alongside his brother while awaiting trial in Carthage, Illinois, in 1844.

Born in 1800 in Vermont, Hyrum Smith was a central figure in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the Eight Witnesses who testified to the reality of the golden plates associated with the Book of Mormon and was among the six charter members who organized the Church of Christ in 1830. Throughout the 1830s, he took on increasingly significant administrative roles, including serving as the foreman for the Kirtland Temple quarry and as Second Counselor in the church's First Presidency starting in 1837.

By the time the church relocated to Nauvoo, Illinois, Smith had become the Presiding Patriarch and Assistant President of the Church. In this latter capacity, he was explicitly designated to succeed his brother, Joseph Smith, should the founder be killed or incapacitated. This succession plan was cut short on June 27, 1844, when a mob of between sixty and two hundred men attacked the jail in Carthage where Hyrum, Joseph, and two other church leaders were being held on charges of riot and treason. Hyrum was killed during the assault, dying after being struck by multiple gunshots.

The legacy of Hyrum Smith continued through his extensive family line. His descendants held prominent positions within the church for over a century, including his son Joseph F. Smith and grandson Joseph Fielding Smith, both of whom served as church presidents. His eldest son, John Smith, served as Presiding Patriarch for decades, and the office remained within the family until 1979. By the year 2000, it was estimated that Smith had more than 31,000 living descendants, many of whom have maintained significant roles in the history of the LDS Church.

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