Lost Legacy: The Mormon Office of Presiding Patriarch

by Irene M. Bates, E. Gary Smith

Overview

Joseph Smith's father, Joseph Smith Sr., first occupied the hereditary office of Presiding Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thereafter, it became a focal point for struggle between those appointed and those born to leadership positions. This new edition of Lost Legacy updates the award-winning history of the office. Irene M. Bates and E. Gary Smith chronicle the ongoing tensions around the existence of a Presiding Patriarch as a source of conflict between the Smith family and the rest of the leadership. Their narrative continues through the dawning realization that familial authority was incompatible with the LDS's structured leadership and the decision to abolish the office of Patriarch in 1979. This second edition, revised and supplemented by author E. Gary Smith, includes a new chapter on Eldred G. Smith, the General Authority Emeritus who was the final Presiding Patriarch. It also corrects the text and provides a new preface by E. Gary Smith.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780252050138
Publisher:	University of Illinois Press
Publication date:	12/15/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	258
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Irene M. Bates received a Ph.D. in history from UCLA. She died in 2015. E. Gary Smith is the son of the last Presiding Patriarch and is retired after being senior partner at Smith & Smith in Santa Ana, California.

Table of Contents

Cover Title Copyright Contents PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION PROLOGUE INTRODUCTION 1. CHARISMA AND AUTHORITY The Crucible for the Office of Patriarch 2. “LIKE THE PATRIARCHS OF OLD” Joseph Smith, Sr.—First Patriarch, 1833–40 3. “BY BLESSING AND ALSO BY RIGHT” Hyrum Smith—Second Patriarch, 1841–44 4. OFFICE IN CRISIS William Smith—Third Patriarch, May 1845–October 1845 5. PATRIARCHAL BRIDGE Interregnum, 1845–47, and Uncle John Smith—Fourth Patriarch, 1847–54 6. CONTINUING THE TRADITION John Smith—Fifth Patriarch, 1855–1911 7. A QUESTION OF PRIMACY Hyrum G. Smith—Sixth Patriarch, 1912–32 8. DECADE OF UNCERTAINTY, 1932–42, AND THE COMPROMISE Joseph F. Smith II—Seventh Patriarch, 1942–46 9. THE END OF THE LINE Eldred G. Smith—Eighth Patriarch, 1947–79 10. UNIQUE EMERITUS Eldred G. Smith—Patriarch/General Authority Emeritus, 1979–2013 Conclusion Appendix A: Presiding Patriarchs and Presidents of the Mormon Church Appendix B: Mormon Presiding Patriarchs Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

"Lost Legacy is a very important book to read and share. . . . This really is a must read book for those interested in Mormon History and theology."—Association for Mormon Letters
 

From the Publisher