William Smith (Latter Day Saints)

William Smith
William Smith
Petitioner for Patriarchate (RLDS Church)
	April 6, 1872 – November 13, 1893
Called by	Joseph Smith III
Predecessor	None
Successor	Alexander Hale Smith
Reason	Doctrine of Lineal succession
3rd Presiding Patriarch (LDS Church)
	May 24, 1845 – October 6, 1845
End reason	Removed from position by a vote of the church
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
	May 25, 1839 – October 6, 1845
End reason	Removed from Quorum by a vote of the church
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
	February 15, 1835 – May 4, 1839
Called by	Three Witnesses
End reason	Removed from Quorum by a vote of the church
Latter Day Saint Apostle
	February 15, 1835 – October 6, 1845
Called by	Joseph Smith
Reason	Initial organization of Quorum of the Twelve
End reason	Excommunication for apostasy
Reorganization; at end of term	No apostles ordained
Personal details
Born	March 13, 1811; Royalton, Vermont, United States
Died	November 13, 1893 (aged 82); Osterdock, Iowa, United States
Resting place	Osterdock - Bethel Chapel Cemetery
	Biography portal LDS movement portal
	Biography portal LDS movement portal

William Smith (also found as William B. Smith) (March 13, 1811 – November 13, 1893) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Smith was the eighth child of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith and was a younger brother of Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.

After the 1844 murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, William Smith claimed leadership of the Latter Day Saints and attracted a small number of followers. Most church members accepted Brigham Young as rightful leader of the church, and Smith was later affiliated with the Strangite and Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ).

^ Smith was disfellowshipped and removed from the Quorum of the Twelve on October 6, 1845. However, Smith remained an apostle until his excommunication. Smith had also been temporarily suspended from the Quorum between May 4 and 25, 1839, by votes of the church.
^ After Smith's removal from the Quorum, Amasa M. Lyman—who had previously been ordained an apostle in 1842—was added to the Quorum of the Twelve. Thus, no new apostles were ordained as a result of Smith's removal from the Quorum or his excommunication.