The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-12-22
HEAD OF MORMON
CHURCH IS DEAD
Joseph SMITH PASSES AWAY IN
MISSOURI. WAS 80 YEARS OF
AGE AND BLIND.
SON OF FOUNDER MORMONISM


and There Received Directions tC
Continue Church Work.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - Joseph
Smith, president of the reorganized
church of the Latter Day Saints, died
at his home here today. At his bed
side was his son, Frederick NJ. Smith,
who will succeed him as president of
the church.
President Smith was 80 years old
and had been in i'll health for several
months. Recently he became blind,
and was forced to abandon many of
his duties as editor of the Saints
Herald.
Two weeks ago he was stricken
with heart disease and three days ago
expressed a wish to die.
Don't try to keep me-" he said.
eff it is the Divine will that 1 should
go l have no right to attempt to
stay"
A stenographer was in constant at
tendance on the dying man, who gave
directions on the work of the church.
Father Founded Mormon Church.
A history of Joseph Smith, who
was a son of Joseph Smith, prophet
and founder of Mormonism, is a his
tory of the reorganized church of the
Latter Day Saints. 1t was he who
brought together the little bands of
Mormons in Illinois, Iowa and Mis-
souri,, left behind when the main
body emigrated to Utah. He became
the first president of the reorganized
church and held the office more than
half a century until his death. He
was a cousin of Joseph Fielding
Smith, in recent years president of
the Latter Day Saints in Utah.
The greater part of President JOS.
Smiths life was a struggle, as had
been the life of his father to place
Mormonism upon a sound footing.
He was born Nov. 6, 1882, at. Kirt-
land, o., where his father had gone
two years earlier with few follow
ers from Manchester, n. Y. Soon af-
forwards the colony moved to Mis-
souri, There at Independence the
prophet, as he was known, establish
ed the New Jerusalem" of the
church, obeying, he said, a revela-
ton. Enmity of other settlers, how
ever, resulted in the Mormons being
driven out. Prophet Joseph Smith
was arrested and placed in jail at
Liberty, Mo.
In Prison When a Child.
In the Jail, where the younger Jo-
seph, then five years old, spent the
first night with his father, the proph-
ct bent over the child as he sobbed
himself to sleep and to him COM
mended the hopes and aspirations of
the church.
MY mother accompanied my faith
er to Liberty" Joseph Smith told in
later years, "but fearing for her life
my father induced her to go with
members of the church to Illinois,"
After the death OF the prophet
most of the members of the church
emigrated to Utah under the leader
ship of Brigham Young. Young Jo-
seph Smith, remaining behind, work
ed as a farmer and as a clerk and
studied law. This he gave up to eff
feet the reorganization of the church,
which was formally accomplished at
Amboy, ILL.,, in 1860. Twenty years
later headquarters of the church was
established in Lamont, Iowa, and in
1906 a removal was made to indie
pendence, Mo, where President
Smith made his home and where he
resided until his death,
Married Three Times.
President Smith lived simply, oc-
cupying a modest cottage, one room
of which constituted his office. He
arose early and until his health be-
gan to fail a few years ago and blind
ness overlook him he devoted his
days to editorial work for the Saints
Herald, the official publication of the
church, and governmental affairs of
the organization, as well as respond
ing to many pleas for advice from
communicates. The aged church