Frederick M. Smith

Frederick Madison Smith (January 21, 1874 – March 20, 1946) was an American religious leader and author and a Prophet-President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (renamed the Community of Christ in 2001) from 1915 until his death.

Smith's paternal grandfather was Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his father was Joseph Smith III, the first president after the Church's "Reorganization."

Smith was one of nine children of Joseph Smith III and his second wife, Bertha Madison Smith. He was born on Jan 21, 1874, at Plano, Illinois, and baptized on July 20, 1883.

Summary of education:

*1895 educated at Iowa City Academy
*1896 University of Iowa
*1898 B.A. from Graceland College — the first graduate of this college
*1911 M.A. from the University of Kansas
*1916 Ph.D. from Clark University

On August 3, 1897, Smith married Alice Lyman Cobb (died May 4, 1926).

His father, Joseph Smith III, died on December 10, 1914, leaving the Reorganized Church without a leader. However, the leadership of Frederick Madison Smith was accepted shortly afterwards, and so he became the second President of the Reorganized Church in 1915. Smith was known for his interests in applying the principles of the newly emerging fields of sociology and social welfare to the Church's thinking on the principles and doctrine of Zion. He became embroiled in a controversy over "Supreme Directional Control" of the Church that led to a major loss in membership. He also presided during the difficult depression years which stalled construction of the Auditorium as the church faced issues of major financial debt.

Frederick M. Smith became the first president of the church to submit notice of resignation. However, he never ceased to be president of the church on account of the fact that the General Conference who he submitted his resignation to, rejected it (see page 227 of The Church Through the Years, Vol. II, by Richard P. Howard, Herald Publishing House, Independence, MO., 1993).

He died in 1946, and was succeeded by his brother, Israel Alexander Smith.

The Frederick Madison Smith Library is one of two libraries belonging to Graceland University, and is located on their Lamoni campus. It opened in 1966.

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/scott_norwood/SmithFM.html Frederick Madison Smith ] at www.geocities.com (Biographical information)
*http://www.lamonistake.org/libertyhallhistory.html ("An Introduction to Liberty Hall, Home of Joseph Smith III - Lamoni, Iowa")
* [http://www.lib.utc.edu/vtlsusers/directory/Graceland_College.html Lupton Library ] at www.lib.utc.edu (Holdings of the Frederick Madison Smith Library, Graceland University)
* [http://www.graceland.edu/ Graceland Home Page ] at www.graceland.edu (Graceland University)
*http://www.collegexpress.com/collegesearch/collegeDetail.asp?scid=1100775 (Information on Graceland University)

References

*Paul M. Edwards, "The Chief: An Administrative Biography of Fred M. Smith", Herald House: 1988.
*Richard P. Howard, "The Church Through the Years," Herald House: 1992.