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Show George Albert Smith Heads L D S Church George. Albert Smith, 75, member of the L. D. S council of Twelve Apostles for 42 years and president of the council for two years, was sustained as president presi-dent of the L. D. S. church Monday at a special meeting meet-ing of the Council of Twelve Apostles held in the Temple. j Mr. Smith selected J. Reuben Clark Jr. and David 0. McKay as his counselors, retaining the same men j who were counselors to President Heber J. Grant who j died May 14. ' ; Sustained as president of the Council of Twelve Apostles was George F. Richards, who has been a member of the council of the twelve 39 years. A vacancy in the council of the twelve, caused by taking Prcsident Smith from the council coun-cil and retaining Mr. Clark and Mr. McKay as counselors, remains to be filled. Selection of a new apostle is anticipated either be. fore or during the 116th semiannual semi-annual conference of the church next October. Action sustaining Mr. Smith as church president follows precedent since the death of Joseph Smith, X i Vs. 1 1 prophet-founder of the church, who was succeeded by Brigham Young, then president of the council of twelve apostles. Attending At-tending the meeting at which the j selection, was made were President Smith, George F. Richards, David Da-vid O. McKay, Joseph Fielding Smith, Stephen L. Richards, Dr. John A. Widtsoe, Dr. Joseph F. Merrill, Charles A. Callis, J. Reuben Reu-ben Clark Jr., A. E. Bowen, Har-i old B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball, I Ezra T. Benson and Mark E. Pe. tersen, members of the council of twelve apostles, and Joseph F. Smith, patriarch to the church. The entire group officiated in setting set-ting apart President Smith, with Smith was a cousin of Prophet-Founder Prophet-Founder Joseph Smith, an apostle apos-tle and first counselor to Brigham Young from 1868 to 1875. His father John Henry Smith was ordained an apostle in 1880 and was second counselor to Joseph F. Smith from April, 1910 to October, 1911. His great-grandfather John Smith was a member of the first company of pioneers to enter Salt Lake valley and served as presiding presid-ing patriarch of the church. He was also the first president of the Salt Lake stake. George Albert Smith became a member of the council of twelve anriKfles in 19fl3 and nrpsident nf GEORGE ALBERT SMITH j George F. Richards serving as spokesman. President Smith then ' set apart his two counselors and I j Mr. Richards as president of the ; council of twelve. George Albert Smith is conspicuously con-spicuously qualified for the presidency presi-dency of the church by heritage, training and many years of conscientious con-scientious work in its behalf. He is the third generation in ' a direct line to serve on the council of twelve and as a member of the ; first presidency. , 1 His grandfather George Albert the body upon the death of Rud-' ger Clawson in June, 1943. President Smith is popular among members of the church and has a wide, acquaintance in this country and Europe outside of the church. Because of his extensive ex-tensive traveling over a long period pe-riod of years, his work in the Boy Scout movement and other youth and welfare activities he is often referred to as, the church's "ambassador of . good will." . ,' |