19 July 1876
Birth
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Julina Lambson Smith and Joseph F. Smith (sixth President of the Church).
19 July 1884
Baptism and confirmation
Baptized and confirmed by his father, Joseph F. Smith. Received his first personal copy of the Book of Mormon from his father.
6 April 1893
Attended the Salt Lake Temple dedication
1895
Began working at ZCMI
1896
Received his patriarchal blessing
His patriarchal blessing proclaimed, "It shall be thy duty to sit in counsel with thy brethren and to preside among the people."
1896
Received the Melchizedek Priesthood
Received the temple endowment and was ordained an elder.
26 April 1898
Married Louie Emily Shurtliff in the Salt Lake Temple.
1898
Appointed to the Salt Lake Stake YMMIA Board
May 1899
Served a full-time mission to England
Served through July 1901.
October 1901
Began employment in the Church Historian’s office
1901
Served as a home missionary in the Salt Lake Stake
Served through 1910.
1902
Published a family history booklet
Booklet titled "Asael Smith of Topsfield, Massachusetts, with Some Account of the Smith Family." This was the first of his many publications, including 25 books and numerous articles for Church magazines and periodicals.
1903
Served as a member of the YMMIA General Board
Served through 1919.
1904
Called to the Salt Lake Stake high council
8 April 1906
Called as the Assistant Church Historian
Sustained in general conference as Assistant Church Historian. He held this position until March 1921.
1907
Began work with the Genealogical Society
Commissioned by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor to collect statistics of the Church for a religious census being compiled at that time.
1907
Appointed to serve on a general Church committee
The committee's purpose was to prepare data for the defense of the Church against its enemies.
30 March 1908
Death of Louie Shurtliff Smith
Louie Shurtliff Smith died after suffering from a severe illness related to her third pregnancy.
1908
Appointed director and librarian of the Genealogical Society
2 November 1908
Married Ethel Georgina Reynolds
1909
Appointed to the general board of religion classes
Also named the librarian and treasurer of the Genealogical Society.
7 April 1910
Ordained an Apostle
He was ordained an Apostle by his father, President Joseph F. Smith.
1910
Worked for the "Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine"
Became the first associate editor and business manager of the magazine.
1910
Served as the secretary of the Genealogical Society of Utah
Served through 1922.
1912
Appointed to the BYU Board of Trustees
1917
Appointed to the Church Board of Education
January 1918
Death of Hyrum Mack Smith
Hyrum Mack Smith (an Apostle and Joseph's half brother) died of complications associated with a ruptured appendix.
October 1918
Recorded his father’s revelation on the redemption of the dead
The revelation was dictated by his father, Joseph F. Smith, who was President of the Church at the time. This revelation is now found in Doctrine and Covenants 138.
1918
Death of President Joseph F. Smith
President Joseph F. Smith (Joseph's father) died.
6 January 1919
Appointed as a counselor in the Salt Lake Temple presidency
He held this position until 1935.
17 March 1921
Named as Church Historian
He held this position until 1970.
1922
Published "Essentials in Church History"
1934
Named president of the Genealogical Society of Utah
He held this position until 1961.
26 August 1937
Death of Ethel Reynolds Smith
Ethel Reynolds Smith died after suffering with an illness for four years.
12 April 1938
Married Jessie Ella Evans in the Salt Lake Temple
1938
Toured the California mission
May 1939
Toured European missions
Filled a special assignment in Europe with his wife Jessie, visiting England, Scotland, Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Germany. Directed the evacuation of all American missionaries from Europe after the outbreak of World War II.
April 1941
Trained new Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
1942
Joseph's son Lewis killed in WWII
June 1945
Served as the president of the Salt Lake Temple
He held this position until 1949.
6 October 1950
Set apart as the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
1950
Toured the Texas-Louisiana mission
9 April 1951
Sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
1951
Received an honorary doctor of letters degree from BYU
July 1955
Toured the Far East and dedicated four countries for the preaching of the gospel
Filled a special assignment in Asia, with Jessie accompanying him. Dedicated Guam, Korea, Okinawa, and the Philippines for the preaching of the gospel. Divided the Japanese mission to form the Northern Far East and Southern Far East Missions. Served through August 1955.
July 1956
"Church News" printed a tribute to Joseph Fielding Smith
The "Church News" printed a tribute to President Smith on his 80th birthday: "Behind a seeming brusqueness and severity of manner is a kind, sympathetic friendliness and understanding that wins the love and admiration of all who know him."
September 1958
Attended the London England Temple dedication
1959
Visited stakes and missions in New Zealand and Australia
1960
Named honorary brigadier general of the Utah National Guard
October 1960
Visited Church leaders and missionaries in Central and South America
Served through January 1961
1963
Officiated at the cornerstone ceremony for the Oakland California Temple
September 1963
Dedicated historic sites in Missouri
Dedicated the Pioneer Monument in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Liberty Jail Historic Site in Liberty, Missouri.
29 October 1965
Called to the First Presidency
Called to serve as a Counselor in the First Presidency under the direction of President David O. McKay.
1966
Historic collection named after him
A collection of books and materials at BYU on Church history was named in his honor.
18 January 1970
Became the senior Apostle
Became the senior Apostle and presiding leader of the Church at the death of President David O. McKay.
23 January 1970
Set apart as President of the Church
Became President of the Church, with Harold B. Lee and N. Eldon Tanner as His counselors.
1970
Spoke at the cornerstone ceremony for the Ogden Utah Temple
1970
Visited Hawaii
Attended ward and stake events. Spoke at Church College of Hawaii.
1970
Set apart four temple presidencies
Set apart the presidencies for the Mesa Arizona, Idaho Falls Idaho, Los Angeles California, and St. George Utah Temples.
6 April 1970
Sustained in general conference as President of the Church
July 1970
Visited Mexico City
Spoke at Benemerito de Los Americas (Church school) and two stake conferences.
24 July 1970
Acted as the Days of '47 parade marshal in Salt Lake City
Greeted President and Mrs. Richard M. Nixon at the parade.
October 1970
Designated Monday night for Family Home Evening
1971
Spoke to thousands of youth
Spoke to nearly 10,000 youth at Utah State University Institute of Religion and 13,000 youth in southern California.
7 May 1971
Gave a baccalaureate sermon at Ricks College
21 May 1971
Spoke at the cornerstone ceremony for the Provo Utah Temple
1971
Dedicated the Laguna Hills Ward chapel in California and the Independence Visitors' Center in Missouri
3 August 1971
Death of Jessie Evans Smith
27 August 1971
Presided at the Church’s first area conference
The conference was held in Manchester, England.
18 January 1972
Offered the dedicatory prayer for the Ogden Utah Temple
9 February 1972
Presided at the dedication of the Provo Utah Temple
President Harold B. Lee offered the dedicatory prayer, which was written by President Smith.
25 June 1972
Addressed the MIA in a June conference as his last public address
29 June 1972
Spoke at the mission president's seminar in Salt Lake City
At this time, a new program of supervision for the missions was announced.
2 July 1972
Death
Died in Salt Lake City, Utah, 17 days before his 96th birthday.
6 July 1972
Burial
Buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery following funeral services in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
