Son of Hyrum Smith; born in Far West, Missouri; at age five lost father and uncle Joseph Smith when they were killed at Carthage Jail; immigrated to Utah in 1848; became orphan in 1852 upon death of his mother; called on mission to Hawai‘i in 1854; labored primarily on Moloka‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i; returned to Utah in 1858; served mission to England, 1860–1863; returned to Hawai‘i in 1864 to help reopen the Hawaiian mission, which had been closed in 1858 because of the Utah War; ordained an apostle in 1866; presided over European Mission, 1874–1875; chosen as counselor to John Taylor in First Presidency in 1880; continued to serve as a counselor in First Presidency until becoming sixth President of Church in 1901; dedicated site for Latter-day Saint temple at La‘ie, O‘ahu, in 1915; died in Salt Lake City. (See Jenson, BE, 1:66–74; Bruce A. Van Orden, “Smith, Joseph F.,” in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 3:1349–52; Smith, Life of Joseph F. Smith; Gibbons, Joseph F. Smith; GQC journal, July 22, 1854.)