Joseph F. Smith - Marriages and Family

Marriages and Family

On 5 April 1859, Smith married his sixteen-year-old cousin Levira Annette Clark Smith (29 April 1842 Nauvoo, Illinois – 18 December 1888 St. Louis, Missouri), daughter of Samuel Harrison Smith. When Joseph F. Smith left on his mission to England the next year, his companion for the journey over and part of his time in Sheffield was Levira's brother Samuel. Joseph and Levira had no children. Seven years later, Brigham Young directed Smith to take a plural wife. Levira gave her permission and was present at the marriage of Joseph F. and Julina Lambson, who was a longtime friend of hers and was the daughter of Alfred Boaz Lambson and Melissa Jane Bigler. Levira became disenchanted with the plural marriage arrangement and divorced Smith in 1868 and moved to California.

Smith ultimately adopted five children and fathered forty-three children. Thirteen of his children preceded him in death: Mercy, Leonora, Sarah Ellen, Heber, Rhoda, Alice, Hyrum, Alfred, Albert, Robert, Zina, Ruth, and John. His adopted son Edward also preceded him in death.

• Julina Lambson (18 July 1849 – 10 January 1936). Married 6 May 1866. Julina was a nurse and midwife.
  • Edward Arthur Smith (Adopted) (1 November 1858 Brampton, England – 17 July 1911 Raymond, Canada)
  • Mercy Josephine Smith (14 August 1867 – 6 June 1870)
  • Mary Sophronia Smith (7 October 1869 – 5 January 1948)
  • Donette Smith (17 September 1872 – 15 September 1961)
  • Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr. (19 July 1876 – 2 July 1972)
  • David Asael Smith (24 May 1879 – 6 April 1952)
  • George Carlos Smith (14 October 1881 – 23 February 1931)
  • Julina Clarissa Smith (10 February 1884 – 1 August 1923)
  • Elias Wesley Smith (21 April 1886 Laie, Hawaii – 28 December 1970)
  • Emily Jane Smith (11 September 1888 – 12 December 1982)
  • Rachael Smith (11 December 1890 – 14 December 1986)
  • Edith Eleanor Smith (3 January 1894 – 21 May 1987)
  • Marjorie Virginia Smith (Adopted) 7 December 1906 – 17 November 1994)

• Sarah Ellen Richards (24 August 1850 – 22 March 1915). Married on 1 March 1868. Sarah was a daughter of Willard Richards and his wife Sarah Longstroth.
  • Sarah Ellen Smith (5 February 1869 – 11 February 1869)
  • Leonora Smith (30 January 1871 – 23 December 1907)
  • Joseph Richards Smith (22 February 1873 – 2 October 1954)
  • Heber John Smith (3 July 1876 – 3 March 1877)
  • Rhoda Ann Smith (20 July 1878 – 6 July 1879)
  • Minerva Smith (30 April 1880 – 24 January 1958)
  • Alice Smith (27 July 1882 – 29 April 1901)
  • Willard Richards Smith (20 November 1884 – 11 September 1972)
  • Franklin Richards Smith (12 May 1888 – 25 December 1967)
  • Jeanetta Smith (25 August 1891 – 27 January 1932)
  • Asenath Smith (28 December 1896 – 3 August 1982)

• Edna Lambson (3 March 1851 – 28 February 1926). Married on 5 May 1871. She was the sister of Julina Lambson, who was also one of Smith's wives.
  • Hyrum Mack Smith (21 March 1872 – 23 January 1918)
  • Alvin Fielding Smith (19 July 1874 – 4 January 1948)
  • Alfred Jason Smith (13 December 1876 – 6 April 1878)
  • Edna Melissa Smith (6 October 1879 – 26 October 1958)
  • Albert Jesse Smith (16 September 1881 – 25 August 1883)
  • Robert Smith (12 November 1883 – 4 February 1886)
  • Emma Smith (21 August 1888 – 28 December 1969)
  • Zina Smith (11 October 1890 – 25 October 1915)
  • Ruth Smith (21 December 1893 – 17 March 1898)
  • Martha Smith (12 May 1897 – 7 August 1977)

• Alice Ann Kimball (6 September 1858 – 19 December 1946). Married on 6 December 1883. Alice was Heber C. Kimball's daughter, and the twin of Andrew Kimball, father of Spencer W. Kimball.
  • Charles Coulson Smith (Adopted) (19 November 1881 – 20 April 1933)
  • Heber Chase Smith (Adopted) (19 November 1881 – 29 December 1971)
  • Alice May Smith (Adopted) (11 October 1877 – 20 October 1920)
  • Lucy Mack Smith (14 April 1890 – 24 November 1933)
  • Andrew Kimball Smith (6 Jan 1893 – 23 August 1951)
  • Jesse Kimball Smith (21 May 1896 – 9 June 1953)
  • Fielding Kimball Smith (9 April 1900 – 20 October 1974)

• Mary Taylor Schwartz (30 April 1865 – 5 December 1956). Married on 13 January 1884. Mary was Agnes Taylor's daughter and church president John Taylor's niece.
  • John Schwartz Smith (20 August 1886 – 3 August 1889)
  • Calvin Schwartz Smith (29 May 1890 – 15 June 1966)
  • Samuel Schwartz Smith (26 October 1892 Franklin, Idaho – 10 May 1983)
  • James Schwartz Smith (13 November 1894 Franklin, Idaho – 6 November 1950)
  • Agnes Smith (3 November 1897 – 9 March 1966)
  • Silas Schwartz Smith (3 January 1900 – 23 April 1986)
  • Royal Grant Smith (21 May 1906 – 30 May 1971)

One of Smith's granddaughters, Amelia Smith, married Bruce R. McConkie, who later became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.