Presiding Patriarchs of the Church

HE only hereditary office in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that of Presiding Patriarch. There have been four incumbents of this office. 1. Joseph Smith, Senior, father of the Prophet Joseph, born July 12, 1771; ordained Presiding Patriarch, Kirtland, Ohio, December 18, 1833; died September 14, 1840. 2. Hyrum Smith, the martyr, father of President Joseph F. Smith, Joseph Smith, Senior's second and eldest living son, and brother of the Prophet, born February 9, 1800; ordained Presiding Patriarch, January 24, 1841; martyred, Carthage Jail, June 27, 1844. There was no Presiding Patriarch from the martyrdom until January 1, 1849. 3. John Smith, uncle of the Prophet Joseph, and the youngest and only surviving brother of Joseph Smith, Senior, born July 16, 1781; ordained Presiding Patriarch, January 1, 1849; died, Salt Lake City, May 23, 1854. 4. John Smith, brother of President Joseph F. Smith and the eldest son of Hyrum Smith, born, Kirtland, Ohio, September 22, 1832; ordained Presiding Patriarch, February 18, 1855, by Brigham Young and others; died at his home in Salt Lake City, Monday night, Novem- ber 6, 1911, at 11:35 o'clock, pneumonia being the cause of death. John Smith's first patriarchal blessing was given August 17, 1856, to Samuel Knight, son of Newell and Lydia Knight, and his last blessing was given October 30, 1911, to Alma Joseph Wil- liam Gardner, born July 19, 1862, in Yorkshire, England. He commenced recording in book "A" and went through the alpha- bet and was recording in book "BB", in which there were forty- seven blessings at the time of his death. In all he gave 20,659 patriarchal blessings. The Presiding Patriarch holds the sealing blessings of the Church, the Holy Spirit of Promise, whereby men and women are sealed up unto the day of redemption, that they may not fall, notwithstanding the hour of temptation that may come upon them. He holds the keys of the Patriarchal blessings upon the heads of all the people, that whoever he blesses shall be blessed; whatso- ever he binds on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever he shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. It is his duty, also, to preside over all the evangelical ministers, or patriarchs, of the whole Church. — Edward H. Anderson.

PRESIDING PATRIARCH JOHN SMITH Born, September 22, 1832; died, November 6, 1911,