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Past Leader Bios Articles
During the period of the extreme and unrelenting prosecutions under the anti-polygamy acts of Congress, President Wilford Woodruff spent much of his time among the churches in Arizona and southern Utah. On January 26, 1880, having retired for some days in the mountains, fasting and praying, he obtained important revelations from the Lord concerning the work of the Twelve Apostles and events which would happen affecting both the Church and the nation. These were submitted to President John Taylor and the Council of the Apostles and were accepted by them as profitable for doctrine, for comfort, for light as to the future, and for encouragement in the work of the ministry. Following is President Woodruff’s account of receiving revelation.
Wilford Woodruff Mormon Prophet
During the month of January, 1880, I was at Sunset, Arizona, with Brother Lot Smith and the brethren with him who were trying to establish a Branch of the United Order at that place.... Read the rest of this article »
In adulthood, Hyrum Smith was described as being five feet, eleven inches tall and as weighing about 190 pounds. He and Joseph were of similar builds and very much resembled each other physically. They were also completely devoted to each other in the gospel. John Taylor, the third president of the Church, described Hyrum in the following way:
Hyrum Smith
“[He] is a man of sterling integrity, deep penetration and brilliant talents. He is well versed in politics and [is] as unchangeable as the everlasting hills. He is a man of probity and virtue, and an unwavering patriot.” After Hyrum’s death, Taylor said of him, “If ever there was an exemplary, honest and virtuous man, the embodiment of all that is noble in the human form, hyrum Smith was the representative” (Hyrum Smith: A Life of Integrity, Jeffrey S. O’Driscoll, 251).
Being the brother of Joseph Smith, Hyrum often does not receive quite as much recognition now... Read the rest of this article »
A Peacemaker
Hyrum’s mild manner and impeachable character allowed him to serve as a peacemaker even in his own family. At a time when his younger brother William became very upset with Joseph after being rebuked by him, Hyrum tried to bring William around. Joseph recorded that Hyrum “was perfectly satisfied with the course I had taken in rebuking William in his wickedness, but he is wounded to the very soul, because of the conduct of William; and although he experiences the tender feelings of a brother towards him, yet he can but look upon his conduct as an abomination in the sight of God” (Hyrum Smith: A Life of Integrity, Jeffrey S. O’Driscoll, 142). Though it took some time and more hard words from William, the brothers and family as a whole became reconciled. Having kept a cool head, Hyrum was able to bring peace back to the relationship after William acknowledged his faults and returned to the family. In situations regarding... Read the rest of this article »
Parley Parker Pratt was born on April 12, 1807, to Jared and Charity Pratt in Burlington, New York. He married Thankful Halsey on September 9, 1827, and they settled in Cleveland, Ohio. Pratt was a very religious man, and he soon joined a local congregation, where a man named Sidney Rigdon was preacher.
A few years later Pratt was travelling in New York and came across a copy of a religious book that intrigued him so much that he read nearly the entire book in one night. It was the Book of Mormon. Parley recounts his first experience with the Book of Mormon, saying, “I read all day; eating was a burden, I had no desire for food; sleep was a burden when the night came, for I preferred reading to sleep. As I read, the spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I knew and comprehended that the book was true, as plainly and manifestly as a man comprehends and knows that he exists. My joy was now full, as it were, and I rejoiced sufficiently to more than pay... Read the rest of this article »
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith (Sr) was born November 13, 1838, in Far West, Missouri, to Hyrum and Mary Fielding Smith. At the time of his birth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) was experiencing a great deal of persecution.
While Mary was pregnant with Joseph, his father and uncle (the Prophet Joseph Smith) were forced from their homes at bayonet point. The cruel captors told Mary that she would never see her husband again. The continual persecution, which culminated in the capture of her husband, added to the difficulty of her pregnancy. Mary was confined to bed due to emotional and physical strain. Baby Joseph would be born two weeks later. Mercy Thompson, Mary’s sister, moved in to care for Mary, the baby, and Hyrum’s five other children.
Persecution would continue and Joseph’s young life would be anything but normal. Members of the militia would continue to force their way into members’... Read the rest of this article »
Born on April 3, 1814, Lorenzo Snow was the fifth of seven children born to Oliver and Rosetta Pettibone Snow. After the birth of their first two children, Lorenzo’s parents moved the family from New England to frontier America in Ohio to begin a new life.
Moving the family to Ohio proved to be an arduous task. They had to clear the land, fell trees, and make the land fit for farming. Lorenzo learned early that idleness was not accepted in such a large family. As his father’s work included being away from home frequently, the bulk of the farm work was left to Lorenzo and his younger brothers. The farm became quite successful and, as the years passed, the Snow family became prosperous and influential in Ohio. Mantua became a town of well-educated and prosperous families who had come and made their way on the frontier of Ohio.
Lorenzo’s parents encouraged each of their children to pursue an education through cultural, social, and intellectual... Read the rest of this article »
Birth and Childhood
Spencer Woolley Kimball was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 28, 1895, to Andrew and Olive Wooley Kimball, where he was the sixth of eleven children. When Spencer was three, his father was called to preside over the St. Joseph Stake in Thatcher, Arizona. There he would fulfill this assignment for the next twenty-six years.
Spencer came from a long line of devout servants of the Lord. His paternal grandfather, Heber C. Kimball, was an apostle and friend to the Prophet Joseph Smith and a counselor to President Brigham Young. His maternal grandfather, Edwin Woolley, was a Salt Lake leader, business manager for President Brigham Young, and bishop of the Thirteenth Ward in Salt Lake City for over forty years.
Raised in the Mormon Church, Spencer was taught to love and serve the Lord and his fellow man. Throughout his life, he would suffer from accidents, illnesses, and surgeries, which would only prove to help him to serve others.... Read the rest of this article »
Childhood/Education
On July 31, 1920, in Delta, Utah, James Esdras Faust was born to George A. and Amy Finlinson Faust. James was brought up in a home with a foundation built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ and where his mother read and taught him lessons from the scriptures. It was through her that President Faust learned to love the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. He recalled, “[My mother] taught us through her example. She was a deeply spiritual, saintly woman who fully exemplified Christlike living. I credit her for the early testimony I had.”1
Early in his life, his father instilled in him the importance of integrity. He said, “‘To thine own self be true.’ The most important thing is your good name and reputation.”2 James used this motto throughout his life, whether it be as a father, grandfather, in his church callings, or in his profession. Those who knew him knew that he could never be persuaded by pressure—only... Read the rest of this article »
Heber J. Grant was born November 22, 1856, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Jedediah M. Grant and Rachel Ivans Grant. Heber’s father died nine days after Heber was born, leaving Rachel to raise her first and only child alone.
Even though Heber never knew his father, his influence would be present throughout his life. President Brigham Young, speaking at Jedediah Grant’s funeral, said the following: “Brother Jedediah had been in the church a total of twenty-five years, but in those twenty-five years he had given the Lord one hundred years of Church service.”
In 1891, Heber asked a president of a bank, a respected man who was not a member of the Mormon Church, to sign some bonds. He promptly refused to do so. Just a few minutes later, he sent a messenger and asked Heber to return. As Heber entered the office, the businessman said: “Young man, give me those bonds.” He signed them and then said, “When you were here a... Read the rest of this article »
Birth and Childhood
After being blessed with three daughters, Julina Smith desired more than anything to have a son. She promised the Lord that if He would bless her with a son, she would do everything possible to see that he grew up to serve God and be a credit to his father, Joseph Fielding Smith. Her desire was granted on July 19, 1876. Her young son was named for his father, President Joseph Fielding Smith, who was Prophet, Seer and Revelator for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1901-1918. This young boy’s choice heritage did not stop there; he was also the grandson of Hyrum Smith, who died with his brother, the Prophet Joseph Smith at Carthage Jail in 1844. He would later state, “I am…proud to be a descendant of Latter-day Saint parentage… I am also proud to be a grandson of one of the original members of the Church, a man who was faithful to the end, and laid down his life for the truth; and I am glad to know... Read the rest of this article »
