author
Joseph Fielding Smith
1876–1972
A lifelong Latter-day Saint leader and prolific religious writer, he spent decades shaping church teaching and historical work before serving briefly as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 to 1972. His books and sermons reflect a direct, doctrinal style that made him an influential voice for generations of readers.
4 Audiobooks
Essentials in Church History A History of the Church from the Birth of Joseph Smith to the Present Time (1922), with Introductory Chapters on the Antiquity of the Gospel and the "Falling Away"
by Joseph Fielding Smith
Salvation Universal
by Joseph Fielding Smith
Origin of the 'Reorganized' Church and the Question of Succession
by Joseph Fielding Smith
Blood Atonement and the Origin of Plural Marriage: A Discussion
by Joseph Fielding Smith, R. C. (Richard C.) Evans
About the author
Born in Salt Lake City in 1876, Joseph Fielding Smith was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who later became the sixth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He grew up in a prominent Latter-day Saint family and devoted most of his life to church service, eventually becoming one of the best-known religious leaders and writers in his tradition.
He served for many years as Church Historian and Recorder and was ordained an apostle in 1910. Over the course of a long public ministry, he became known for his strong emphasis on scripture, doctrine, and church history, and he published many works that were widely read by Latter-day Saint audiences.
In 1970, late in life, he became the church’s tenth president and served until his death in 1972. Remembered for his disciplined scholarship, conservative doctrinal teaching, and deep sense of religious duty, he remains an important figure in twentieth-century Latter-day Saint history.