The Royal Smith Lineage

Mormon History 1830-1844

The Royal Smith Family

The unique status of the Smith family in Mormon culture.
1828		Asael Smith
Joseph's grandfather		Upon receiving Joseph Sr.'s letter that Joseph Jr. had had "several remarkable visions," Asael declares:
Always knew family special		that he always knew that God was going to raise up some branch of his family to be a great benefit to mankind, but my Uncles rediculed Joseph's visions.	George A. Smith, 2.

1831		Palmyra Reflector
Holy Family		The Prophet, Spouse, and whole "holy Family" as they style themselves, will follow Rigdon as soon as their … followers shall be able to dispose of what little real property they possess.	Letter to the editor, Palmyra Reflector, Jan. 26, 1831. Source

1832		Joseph Smith
Priesthood through Joseph's ancestors	8	Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you [Joseph], with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers—	D&C 86: 8–11, Dec. 6, 1832.
Hid from the world with Christ	9	For ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God—
Joseph and priesthood remain to restore all	10	Therefore your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began.
A savior to Israel	11	Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the Gentiles, and through this priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel. The Lord hath said it. Amen.

1834		Descendants of Joseph
Hyrum a descendant of Joseph House of Ephraim		The first mention of lineage in patriarchal blessings appears to have been made on 9 December 1834 when Joseph Smith, Sr., blessed his family. Among other things, he said to his eldest son, Hyrum, "I now ask my heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to bless thee with the same blessing with which Jacob blessed his son Joseph, for thou art his true descendant, and thy posterity shall be numbered with the house of Ephraim …"	Blessing routinization, 3.

1835		Doctrine and Covenants 68:21
Lineal priesthood (Aaronic)	21	but by virtue of the decree concerning their right of the priesthood descending from father to son, they may claim their anointing …	they: literal descendants of Aaron.

1845		William Smith
Claim to office		… you know the understanding and the conversation we had on this subject when we met at Brother Taylors that I was Patriarch over the whole church. This is what I claim and must have …	William Smith to Brigham Young, June 30, 1845, William Clayton journals (Smith), 171. ¶ William Smith
The royal blood and promised seed for eternity		My proposition is my share of the kingdom and if you publish in the Neighbor and Times & Seasons the true state of the case in regard to my office as patriarch over the whole church, this will give me a right to visit all branches of the church and intrude on no mans rights … I want all men to understand that my fathers family are of the royal blood and promised seed and no man or set of men can take their crown or place in time or in eternity.

Priesthood hereditary		Everyone who has read the book of Doctrine and Covenants must be aware that priesthood authority is hereditary and descends from father to son, and therefore Joseph's oldest son will take his place when he arrives at the age of maturity. The Twelve are, however, the president for the time being but when Joseph's successor comes they take their former place.	William Smith to Brother Little, Aug. 20, 1845, Journal History.

Family rights		[N]o man need tell me that Brigham Young does not claim to be the prophet, seer and perpetual head of the Church for I know that he dos, and you know that it lawfuly and legaly belongs to litle Joseph. … I shall not resign the Smith family rights.	William Smith to Lewis Robbins, Oct. 5, 1845 qtd. in Lost legacy, 92.

Brigham tacitly acknowledges young Joseph		Ses I to Brigham Young, ses I, 'How is it a-going to be about the young Joseph, who should, in right, be the head of the church, as his father and family have stood the brunt [of] the storm?' Ses he, ses Brigham Young, 'If we go to preachin' young Joseph now, these enemies on our borders will shoot the young prophet as they did his father;' and so they set the head of the church aside, and ever since it ain't bin gettin' along at all!	William Smith, St. Louis Weekly Reveille, Nov. 3, 1845. Source

		[W. W. Phelps]
William Smith's priesthood and office hereditary		William is the last of his father's house, as well as the priesthood and patriarchal office from his father and brother, legally, and by hereditary descent.	TS 6, no. 9 (May 15, 1845): 905. ¶ William Smith and ¶ William Smith

1847		Brigham Young
Priesthood by lineage		[February 16, 1847] I am entitled to the Keys of the Priesthood according to linage & Blood. So is Brother H. C. Kimball & many others [blank] Have taken Kingly power & grades of the Priesthood. This we would have taught in the Temple if time had permitted. Joseph Smith was entitled to the Keys of the Priesthood according to Blood. Still He was the [132] fourth son. But when we get another Temple built then we will teach you concerning those things. Suffice it to say that I will extend the Chain of the Priesthood back through the Apostolic dispensation to Father Adam just as soon as I can get a temple built.	WWJ 3:131–132. Young's remarks were made at a Young family meeting which included visitors Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards, Wilford Woodruff, George Albert Smith, Amasa Lyman, and Ezra T. Benson of the Twelve.

1851		"Uncle" John Smith (1781–1854)
Smith family chosen		The Patriarch John Smith Said I rejoice to Have the privilege of Speaking to you. I have Been in the work since Jan 1832 And am about the oldest man here. I was ordained an Elder under the Hands of Joseph Wakefield. The Smith family was Chosen to bring forth this work. My team Halled the first load of Stone to build the kirtland temple …	WWJ, Sept. 8, 1851 (4:65). Entry reports remarks made at general conference this date.

1853		"Uncle" John Smith (1781–1854)
Chosen to build up Zion, lay church foundation, never to be blotted out		… all the inhabitants of the earth shall know that the lord did choose the Smith family to build up Zion & did by them lay the foundation of this Church which shall never be overthrown neither shall the name of the Smith family be blotted out under Heaven.	George A. Smith patriarchal blessing by John Smith, Sept. 20, 1853, George A. Smith Papers, qtd. in Lost legacy, 117.

1856		John Smith (1832–1911)
Smith/Young family jealousies		Well my brother, Wm. Pierce I do not [want?] [to] Say much about. I know how he treated me and how he respected me in my place. Now matter how good nor how bad report may make him, he had no business to come in an[d] undermining [me?] and take my sister from me, for you know the [that] at the death of our Mother, Brother Brigham preached a surmon, and he at that time appointed me gardien over the family and no person had nor has a rite to take one of the girls out of the family with out my concente, no matter how good or bad they may bee.	John Smith to Joseph F. Smith, Jan. 31, 1856, JFS papers.
		I now Joseph the Pierce family belongs in Brother Brigham's family and he would like it first rate to get one of Fathers Daughters in to his family and leave father with out any Kingdom if it could come in that way. Now Joseph, My Brother, you may think I am hard for Saying to much. So be it. It is just as I feel, and furthermore, I do not beleive that Bill maried Jerusha because he loved her individualy. It was the name more than any thing else. This is my opinyon.

1857		Heber C. Kimball
Heber C. Kimball: Leaders part of the "Smith race"		Brother Joseph actually saw [Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Oliver Cowdery, Newel K. Whitney, and others] in vision; he saw us in a day when we were all together. We have been separated by marriage and thrown apart; but he saw the day when we all came out of one stock, that was out of the aristocracy. Yes, we came directly down through the Prophets, and not only us, but lots of others—the whole Smith race. I could remember probably twenty or thirty that Joseph mentioned came down through that channel. My father's father and his brothers intermixed by marriage with the Smiths, and uncle John Smith was baptised in Nauvoo for upwards of twenty of my kindred. They mixed up in marriage, and in that way the names became changed; for they were the old veterans.	Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake Bowery address, Sept. 6, 1857, JD 5:215–216.
Priesthood from father to son		There is another thing that brother Joseph Smith said—viz., that we were positively heirs of the Priesthood; for he had seen us as such in his vision … Our fathers were heirs to that Priesthood, which was handed down from father to son, and we came through that lineage.

[1876]		Mosiah Hancock
Polygamy needed for choice spirits to enter mortality in a pure lineage		I wish to write now of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Lord revealed to this Prophet as early as the year 1831 that in consequence of great wickedness which would come upon the earth in the latter days, it would be necessary for great men to take the noblest wives. The Lord had reserved the most noble of His choice spirits to come forth through a pure lineage, as the of His spirits were not willing to come through a lineage that was corrupt.	¶ Mosiah Hancock Autobiography

1899		Joseph F. Smith
A "great" enigmatic principle		It is pleasing to hear the good words you speak with reference to President [Platt deAlton] Lyman, whose mother was a Partridge, and I believe belongs to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and I have been told that Brother Lyman enjoys greatly the spirit of the prophets. I hope that this spirit will always remain with him that he may be guided by supreme wisdom in all the labors of his presidency over the British Mission. Although he is the son of Amasa Lyman, if I can divine correctly, he will eventually follow his mother to where she belongs. This is a great principle but little understood even by Latter-day Saints, but it is as tangible and unmistakable in its purpose and effect as any other principle of the gospel.	Joseph F. Smith to Joseph Fielding Smith, Sept. 14, 1899, JFS papers. For Eliza Maria Partridge Smith Lyman, see Sacred loneliness, 433–456. Did Platt inherit the Smith family calling/blessing?
		Joseph Smith