Joseph Smith III

Joseph Smith III
Name	Joseph Smith III
Birth date	December 6, 1832
Birth place	Kirtland, Ohio
Death date	December 10, 1914
Death place	Nauvoo, Illinois
Occupation	Religious leader, editor, farmer, politician
Known for	Leadership of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Joseph Smith III was an American religious leader who served as the first president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church), later known as the Community of Christ. He was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith and the son of Joseph Smith (founder of the Latter Day Saint movement). His leadership and claims to succession shaped schisms within the movement following the death at Carthage of his father in 1844.

Early life and family background

Born in Kirtland, Ohio in 1832, he moved with the family to communities central to early Latter Day Saint movement history, including Jackson County, Nauvoo, and Kirtland. His childhood intersected with pivotal events such as the Kirtland Safety Society episode, the Missouri Mormon War, and the Nauvoo Expositor controversy. His mother, Lucy Mack Smith, and relatives including Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith, and William Smith influenced his early religious formation. After the deaths of his father and uncle at Carthage, he and family members contended with migrations tied to Brigham Young and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints trek to Utah Territory.

Succession controversy and leadership claims

The death of Joseph Smith precipitated a succession crisis involving claimants such as Brigham Young, Sidney Rigdon, James J. Strang, and members of the Smith family. Various groups coalesced around differing interpretations of authority: the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, claims of guardianship by Emma Hale Smith, and the prophetic claims of James J. Strang. Smith III’s supporters invoked concepts like lineal succession associated with the Presidency of the Church model and appealed to family authority tied to the Temple Lot claims. He initially resisted immediate leadership but, amid organizations in Iowa and Illinois, accepted a role that challenged the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led by Young.

Presidency of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

In 1860, at a conference in Amboy, Illinois and later in Lamoni, Iowa and Independence, Missouri, delegates sustained him as president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His presidency established institutional structures including a centralized First Presidency, a Quorum of Twelve Apostles, a publishing apparatus centered on periodicals such as the Saints' Herald, and administrative centers in Lamoni and later Independence. Under his leadership, the RLDS Church emphasized printed scripture, organizational polity, and claims regarding property such as the Temple Lot in Independence. His tenure navigated disputes with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over doctrine, ordinances, and historic documents like the Book of Mormon and assorted manuscripts from Nauvoo.

Theological views and doctrinal contributions

He advocated a theology stressing prophetic succession through the Smith lineage and a restorationist orientation distinct from the Utah church’s developments such as plural marriage promoted by leaders linked to Brigham Young. His doctrinal positions engaged texts including the Doctrine and Covenants editions accepted by the Reorganization and influenced RLDS interpretations of revelations attributed to Joseph Smith (founder). He promoted a congregational and prophetic model that balanced charismatic authority with institutional councils and emphasized scriptural study via publications and the RLDS Sunday School movement. He also addressed theological controversies from sources like the Nauvoo Register and correspondence involving figures such as William Marks.

Political and civic activities

Beyond ecclesiastical duties, he engaged in civic and political arenas in Iowa and Illinois, including roles in local agricultural development, participation in Republican-era politics, and interactions with figures from Gilded Age civic life. He corresponded with public leaders and pursued legal actions related to land and church property, notably litigation involving the Temple Lot and disputes traced to earlier Kirtland and Nauvoo holdings. His public role intersected with national debates over religious liberty and polygamy, including the federal Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act era controversies that affected broader Latter Day Saint movement relations with the United States.

Later years, legacy, and impact

He retired from active leadership in 1914, having shaped a denomination that emphasized continuity with the Smith family and alternatives to the Utah church. Historical assessments relate his legacy to developments in the Community of Christ, textual stewardship of manuscripts from Nauvoo, and the denomination’s later ecumenical engagements with bodies like the National Council of Churches. Scholars and institutions including Brigham Young University, Harvard Divinity School, and independent historians have debated his role in preserving or revising his father’s legacy. His impact endures in ongoing RLDS/Community of Christ archives, the contested status of the Temple Lot, and denominational trajectories through the 20th century.

Personal life and family developments

He married into families linked to early Latter Day Saint movement networks and raised children who participated in church and civic life, with descendants involved in RLDS leadership and community affairs. His household experienced tensions familiar in post-revelation schisms and property disputes tied to family claims. The Smith family papers and correspondence preserved at repositories in Lamoni and Independence document interactions with figures such as Emma Hale Smith, Amasa Lyman, and leaders from divergent Latter Day Saint branches.

Category:American religious leaders Category:Community of Christ people