John Henry Smith

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John Henry Smith (September 18, 1848 – October 13, 1911) was a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a prominent Utah politician. He served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1880 until his death in 1911, and as the Second Counselor in the First Presidency from 1910 to 1911.

Early life and family
He was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to George A. Smith and Sarah Ann Libby. He moved to Utah with his family in 1849; his mother died in 1851. He married Sarah Farr and later Josephine Groesbeck, and they had 19 children. His son George Albert Smith would become the 8th president of the LDS Church. Josephine Groesbeck spent 1888–1896 in exile in Manassa, Colorado, to avoid being called as a witness in a criminal cohabitation case against him.

Church service before 1880
Smith began his church service as a counselor in the bishopric of Provo’s 4th Ward (1867–1869). He served a European mission from 1874 to 1875, spending much time in England near Birmingham. He was the bishop of the Salt Lake 17th Ward from 1875 to 1880.

Apostleship and First Presidency
In 1880, John Taylor called Smith to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Wilford Woodruff ordained him. He remained an apostle until 1910. After the death of John R. Winder, Smith was asked to join the First Presidency as Second Counselor to the President, Joseph F. Smith. He served in that role from April 7, 1910, until his death on October 13, 1911. After his term, Charles W. Penrose was added to the First Presidency.

Political work
Smith was an active Republican in Utah politics. He served in the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1882 and chaired the Utah Constitutional Convention in 1895, which produced the constitutional framework that helped Utah become a state in 1896.

Death and burial
He died of a pulmonary hemorrhage in Salt Lake City and was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.