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Show J' ObFl'H SAIITH, heid of the Ileorfrtnlzcd Church of letter dt Saints ho f died csterdt) REORGANIZED CHURCH PRESIDENT IS DEM Joseph Smith Passes Away at His Home in Independence, In-dependence, Mo. ( INDEPENDENCE, Mo, Dee. 10. A revelatioe al 14 y -Tjisifc' Smith, president of the eorafled Qurrth of Jesns Catlct of Latter da Saints, eight rears ago, daotfrsaUnz as his successor bis eldest ton lifted from the chnreh the burden of ehoowng new leader upon the death here this j afternoon of the patnareh, who for fifty four vears had presided over the organization The son Frederick II Smith who since his father announced the divise revelation in 1906 has fulfilled many of the duties of the leadership auto matieally becomes the head of the ehoreh The new president is 5 years old Ilia designation to succeed his father was ratified by the general conference shortly after the father announced that he had received the revelation Good Advice Is Given Although he was blind and during the last days suffered frequent rushes of pain. President Smith in his final hours showed a cheerful hnmor Just before he became unconscious he sm led and sail I wish those of my friends who may intend placing flowers on my coffin would refrain. Let them pve the money to chanty The wife six sons and two daughters of the president were at his bedside when he d ed and bad been about him all through his illness From his Hps they heard frequent words of council as to the future conduct of the church The funeral will be held from the old stone church here next Sunday afternoon. The body u to 1 e in state in the church from 8 in the morning until noon Burial will be in the Mound Grip- e cemetery, just outside Independence the oiucial burjii. Igrounl of the Reorganized church History of His Life A history of Joseph Smith who was a son of Joseph bmith, prophet and founder of ilormonism is a h story of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Chr st of Latter day Saints It was be who brought together the 1 ttle bands of Mormons in 111 no s lowa and Missouri left behind when the mam body cnu grated to btah lie became the firt president of the reorganized church and held that office more than half a century unt 1 his death He was a cousin of Joseph Fielding Smith now president of tho Church of Latter day Saints the headquarters of which are at Salt Lake C ty Ltah. ' The greater part of President Joseph Bmth 1 fe was a struggle as had been tho 1 fe of b s fatEer, to pla e Mormonlsm upon a sound foot ng He was born November 0 1S3" at E rtlaod Oh o where his father had gono two years earl et with a few Followers from Manchester N Y Soon afterwards tho co on) moved to M ssouri There at Independence the rrophet as he was known estab) shed the Now Jer ealem of the church obeying he sa d a revelat on Eumty of other settlers however resulted In the Mormons be ng dr ven o t I ophet Joseph Rm tb was arrested and placed m jail at Liberty Mo In the ja 1 where the lounger' Joseph then f years ol 1. spent the firnt night with h s father the t ropl ct bent over the cb 1 as he sobbed 1 msfllr to sleep and to h m commend d the hop'' an 1 ni rat "tie of th c h M mother a on pan c 1 mj fathor to L bertv Joneph 8m th to d n after eari b t fean g for her 1 fe (Continued on Fazo Nine ) REORGANIZED CHURCH PBEfff IS D&D , (Continued from Pago One.) mv father induced ner io go with other members of the ohurch to Illinois. ! '! tramped across the airnost uninhabited unin-habited prairies of Missouri to .Nan-too, .Nan-too, 111., where my father, when he was released, joined us. Then, in 1S44, when I was twelve years old, one day his dead body was Drought to us. He had been shot bv a. mob in Carthage, 111." : After the death of the prophet mos of the members of the church emigrated emi-grated to Utah under the leadership of Eric'nam Younsj. Young Joseph Smith, remaining behind, worked as farmer and as a clerk and studied law This he gave up to effect the reorganization of the church, which was formally accomplished ac-complished at Amboy, III., in I860. Twenty years later headquarters of the church were established in Lamoni, Iowa, and in 1906 a removal was made to Independence, Mo., where President Smith made his. home and where be resided until his death. Lived a Simple Life. President Smith lived simply, occupying occu-pying a modest cottage, one room of w'hich constituted his office. He arose earlv and, until his health began to fail a few years ago and blindness overtook him, he devoted bis days to editorial work for the Saints' Herald, the ofiieial publication of the church, and governmental affairs of tho organization, or-ganization, as well as responding to manv pleas for advice from communicants. communi-cants. The aged church-head was a familiar flaure in Independence. With heavv whitened beard and dressed plainly! nc tl much tho appearance of a" well-to-do farmer. He was in close touch with the members of his church and was famDiarly addressed bv them as "Brother Joseph." Much of the active conduct of his office he turned over in 1912 to his son, Frederick Fred-erick M. Smith, who, ho declared, a revciation had said should succeed him. I President Smith was married three I times, losing his first and second wives ! bv death. Ho denounced polygamous teachin"S and practices and most em-phaticalW em-phaticalW denied that his father was a polygamist, or sanctioned polygamy. Joseph Smith was a cousin of Presi- I dent Joseph F. Smith of the Mormon church. Ho was very often in Salt Lake, especially a number ofyears ayo. I His lost visit was about eight years ao. Five years ago his son, who succeeds suc-ceeds him as head of the reorganized church, visited in Salt Lake and was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Booth, Mrs. Booth being a member of the church and related to many of iis prominent prom-inent workers in the east. Alexander Smith, a brother of the late president, was formerly in charee of the mission of the church iu this citv. The present quarters of the church in Salt Lake are at 363 Fourth East I street. |