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George Albert Smith

Portrait of George Albert Smith
Portrait: Wikimedia Commons, public domain

AUTHOR PROFILE

George Albert Smith

George Albert Smith served as the eighth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1945 to 1951. Much of his ministry focused on friendship, practical kindness, and outreach at a time when communities were recovering from the Second World War.

FEATURED QUOTE
“Now a good many people in the world do not know what the resurrection is. Do you teach your children and your associates what it means? . . . [The Savior’s] resurrection is plain to the Latter-day Saints who understand the gospel, but there are so many who do not understand what it means. . . . The purpose of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to prepare every man, woman and child for the time when all those who have died will be brought forth from their graves, and when our Heavenly Father will establish his kingdom upon this earth and the righteous will dwell there and Jesus Christ will be our King and our Law-giver.”
— George Albert Smith

Biography at a glance

  • Born: April 4, 1870, in Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Family: Married Lucy Woodruff
  • Church service: Apostle from 1903; President of the Church from 1945 to 1951

Early work and missionary service

Smith worked in business and railway surveying before serving Church assignments in Utah and the Southern States Mission. Lucy joined him in mission work after their marriage. He learned of his call to the Twelve in 1903 after missing the conference session in which it was announced. The Church’s biographical essay traces those early years and later service.

Leading after the war

Smith became Church president just as the Second World War ended. His years in office included renewed attention to humanitarian aid, relationships beyond Church membership, and the needs of Saints in many countries. His counsel often made discipleship concrete through compassion and personal integrity.

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Quotes by George Albert Smith

5 quotes

“Now a good many people in the world do not know what the resurrection is. Do you teach your children and your associates what it means? . . . [The Savior’s] resurrection is plain to the Latter-day Saints who understand the gospel, but there are so many who do not understand what it means. . . . The purpose of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to prepare every man, woman and child for the time when all those who have died will be brought forth from their graves, and when our Heavenly Father will establish his kingdom upon this earth and the righteous will dwell there and Jesus Christ will be our King and our Law-giver.”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church, George Albert Smith, Ch. 7, “The Immortality of the Soul”

— George Albert Smith

It may be of interest when we think of the desecration of the Sabbath day in our own land – I speak of the land of America – a day that has been set apart by many people for their vacations and for their pleasures, notwithstanding there thundered down from Sinai one of the Ten Commandments that we should honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy. One of the first sermons that was preached in this valley was by President Brigham Young, and he warned the people to honor the Sabbath day and to keep it holy, and no matter how difficult their circumstances they were not to go out and do manual labor on the Sabbath day. From that time on, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has encouraged its people to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy because it is pleasing to our Heavenly Father that we do so.

Conference Report, April 1948

— George Albert Smith

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