Show Ji Ii I JUST HISTORY 11 j jI 10 I By fly ALBERT F. F PHILIPS I IL 0 L 0 There are few men like George A ASmith A. A Smith whom whon the conference of April 1854 sustained as historian of the church A partial sketch of ot him appeared 1 In n these those columns on Sunday hi his career being briefed up to the tho date of his appointment by the church He lie apparently was a glutton for tor work for immediately O on his hla selection as historian he went to vork ork compiling the documentary docu docu- history of Joseph Smith On February 2 2 1865 he was ad admitted admitted ad- ad to practice In the supreme court of ot th tho territory of or Utah re re- re his certificate as a. attorney at law counselor la and solicitor in chancery In 1856 he was wag elected e a member of the constitutional con coil and waa was one of the members of tho the committee which drafted the constitution He was appointed by the convention tog together ther with John Taylor T a delegate to carry tile the constitution con con- to Washington and present present present pre pre- sent it as also a a. memorial to congress praying for the admission I of Utah into the states of the union The ml mission fa failed lie but it gave sa him hima I a respite from front hl his constant tant and close application I in the historians historian's office where he had complied compiled and recorded the history o of Joseph I Smith from February 20 ZO 1843 to June 1844 when the prophet met death So heavy did the business of the historians historian's office become t that at It was necessary to appoint assistants and accordingly Apostle Wilford Woodruff Wood Wood- ziff ruff afterwards president of the I church was sustained by the October Oc Oc- Oc tober conference In Salt Lake LaJe City oc-I oc in 1856 as assistant church historian his his- torian the first person sustained In j that capacity by a general confer- confer j I ence Meanwhile Historian Smith j i had to employ four clerks to aid in conducting tho the business of the his his- I j torian's office Historian Smith J t in his compilation of the history i j of Joseph Smith supplied from j i memory and otherwise blanks in the j history and and records which had been j I I compiled complied by his predecessor Prest I j dent Willard Richards Richard I BECAME BRIGADIER On April 11 11 Historian Smith was appointed and commissioned by j Governor Durkee of the territory fl all as general and was also I aid de camp t to tho lieutenant general of the Nauvoo legion leg and at I the October conference in 1868 he was waa appointed to succeed l the late President Heber C C. Kimball as first I counselor to President BrIgham Young The political career of I I President and Historian Smith was during hi his entire stay in Utah When hen the state slate of D seret was organized ho was one of or the foremost fore tore I most workers in bringing about the provisional government and in the organization of the territory of Utah he was likewise a hard worker I and he aided in every way possible in the enacting of laws for the terI ter ter- ter- ter z lb Ho I was a member of ot the first legislature and was to every succeeding one but one In the latter Jatter Instance he was absent from the tate state until 1870 During hi his hla last six aix years as a member of ot th the legislature he was president of ot Ule tue council th senate and It is de declared de- de th that t he was most Impartial in he the discharge herge of his duties to 1870 more than half halt of his life had been devoted to mis- mis ion clon work and during that period I it Is recorded that he delivered dell discourses in various parts of the world He WAS was the father of the settlements in southern Utah and the city of St. St George was named in his honor He believed ln Irrigation Irrigation tion and in the tho development of hp hI territory te and was president of ot sev soy eral ral canal and irrigation companies He believed ed that each community should be Independent of other communities but at the same time j I would us use and utilize the natural resources of the territory with j I every part of which he was ac ac- ac aci i j I In 1872 he made a visit to several sev sev- sev-I sev eral oral European countries and to the Holy Land Jerusalem the trip occupying more than a year and during his absence he was appOinted appointed ap ap- ap- ap pointed and sustained as trustee in trust for the church and he held this position until he ho passed awa away As has been sal said 1 the city of St. St G George orge was named in his honor and he devoted de considerable cO time to to overseeing the construction of the Temple there He lIe believed in the United Ord Order r and was a strong advocate advocate advocate ad ad- of the plan His Ills death oc occurred occurred occurred oc- oc on Wednesday September 1 1 1 1876 YOUNG PAYS TRIBUTE I Brigham Young ft in 11 speaking of or the death of ot President an anti and 1 HIstorian Historian His HIs- I torian George A. A Smith said I have known George A. A I t for lor or r Or t u Smith j I I t for lor or r Or t u two two y-two years have hare traveled with him and labored in the ministry ministry minis minis- tr try with him for many years ears and have believed him to 10 be as faithful a boy and man as ever lived And in m my m opinion ho he had as good a record on this antI and the other side 1 of the veil as any man I 1 never ne knew of his neglecting a duty or of overdoing it He was a man of ot sterling Integrity a a. cabinet of history history his his- tory and always true to his Ills friends The church biographical encyclopedia podia in speaking of him said I President George A. A Smith was n a wise counselor a great preacher prenchel a sound statesman a pioneer and co colonizer colonizer co- co I of the tile highest ab ability b an anable anable anable able lawyer and an efficient i I tor Ho lIe was always ready in pub public ubI I I lic lie or private and no one ever wearied of ot his preaching He was wasa I a brief t speaker and interspersed his doctrinal and historical remarks with anecdotes most appropriate and timely in heir application He lIe always had time to notice young people and children and leave heave his Impress of love hove and kindness upon the tablets of their hearts And this Is the story of ot the man I whom the church red conferred the honor of consolidating the office of recorder and historian of the church I His Ills biographer does not become eulogistic over the work of President dent and Historian Smith but de deI details detail's details de- de I tails tail's his life work in a ti succinct malinor manner man mali ner nor and In so doing causes all who I have read It to agree with him President and Historian Sn Smith th Was one of the tho most remarkable men that the church has produced The Times of ot India an In AlgIO dian dlan daily at Bombay Bomba has started I broadcasting I Fifty six sl per cent of ot the tho music I dealers in this country are handling han han- I dUng radio also I I. I Radio was as first used for military I II I purposes in the South African n warin arIn war yar in 1898 v a t 1 |