Facts about President George Albert Smith, 8th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
How blessed we are to be led by inspired prophets in these latter-days. Though we mourn the passing of one of our beloved leaders, our sorrow is tempered by the assurance that we will be guided by yet another of the Lord’s chosen leaders. It is reassuring to know that our leaders are men of sound judgment, great spiritual insight, and that they have presided in the leading councils of our church for many years. Such has definitely been the case with all of our prophets through the history of the Church. We love and sustain these great leaders, having watched their remarkable service to the church, to its members, and to the Lord for many years.
Following are some interesting facts and insights into the leadership and experience of President George Albert Smith, as presented by Trent Toone.
When George Albert Smith was working for the railroad at age 18, his eyes were permanently damaged by the sun’s glare on the desert sand, impairing his vision and causing lifelong discomfort. Despite fragile health and impaired eyesight, he served the Church faithfully. He was born on April 4, 1870, in Salt Lake City, Utah. His father, John Henry Smith, and grandfather, George A. Smith, were both counselors to Church presidents. George Albert Smtih credited his mother, Sarah Farr Smtih, with teaching him to pray and trust God. After serving a mission in southern Utah, he married Lucy Woodruff, President Wilford woodruff’s granddaughter, in 1892. Less than a month later, he left on another mission, to the southern United States. At age 33, Elder Smith was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on October 8, 1903. He presided over the European mission from 1919 to 1921 and helped establish the Utah Pioneer Trials and Landmarks Association. President Smith became the 8th President of the Church on May 21, 1945. A month later, he met with United States President Harry Truman to discuss sending relief supplies to Europe after World War II. In May 1946, he became the first Church president to visit members in Mexico, where he presented Mexican President Manuel Avila Camacho with a copy of the Book of Mormon. He oversaw the 1947 centennial celebration of the arrival of pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley and dedicated the This is the Place Monument. President Smith also supervised the publication of the Book of Mormon in braille and championed the Church’s affiliation with the Scouting program. With Church membership reaching 1 million members in 1949, he participated in the first-ever televised broadcast of general conference. George Albert Smith died on his 81st birthday in Salt Lake City on April 4, 1951.
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