W. Wallace Smith

{{Infobox Latter Day Saint biography

| name = W. Wallace Smith

| image = W. Wallace Smith.jpg

| image_size = 160

| alt = Photo of W. Wallace Smith

| caption =

| birth_name = William Wallace Smith

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1900|11|18}}

| birth_place = Lamoni, Iowa, U.S.

| home_town =

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1989|08|04|1900|11|18}}

| death_place = Independence, Missouri, U.S.

| death_cause =

| resting_place = Mound Grove Cemetery

| resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|39|6|41.20|N|94|25|34.78|W|type:landmark|display=inline}}

| monuments =

| residence =

| education =

| alma_mater = University of Missouri

| notable_works =

| spouse = Rosamund Bunnell Smith

| children = 2, including Wallace B. Smith

| parents = Joseph Smith III

| awards =

| signature =

| signature size =

| signature_alt =

| website = {{URL|http://www.cofchrist.org/history/WWS.asp|Our History: W. Wallace Smith}}

| portals = CoC

| position_or_quorum1 = Prophet Emeritus

| start_date1 = {{start date|1978|04|05}}

| end_date1 = {{end date|1989|08|04}}

| position_or_quorum2 = Prophet–President of the Church

| ordination_reason2 = Doctrine of Lineal succession

| predecessor2 = Israel A. Smith

| successor2 = Wallace B. Smith

| start_date2 = {{start date|1958|10|06}}

| end_date2 = {{end date|1978|04|05}}

| end_reason2 = Granted emeritus status

| position_or_quorum3 = Counselor in the First Presidency

| called_by3 = Israel A. Smith

| ordination_reason3 = Death of John F. Garver

| predecessor3 = John F. Garver

| successor3 = Maurice L. Draper

| start_date3 = {{start date|1950|04|02}}

| end_date3 = {{end date|1958|10|08}}

| end_reason3 = Became Prophet–President of the Church

| position_or_quorum4 = Council of Twelve Apostles

| called_by4 = Israel A. Smith

| ordination_reason4 = Honorable release of Rushton

| predecessor4 = John W. Rushton

| successor4 = Donald O. Chesworth

| start_date4 = {{start date|1947|04|07}}

| end_date4 = {{end date|1958|10|08}}

| end_reason4 = Called as counselor in the First Presidency

}}

William Wallace Smith ({{Birth date|1900|11|18}} – {{Death date|1989|08|04|1900|11|18}}) was a grandson of Joseph Smith Jr. and Prophet-President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Community of Christ),[https://archive.today/20010422055040/http://cofchrist.org/news/q_and_a-churchname.asp Questions and Answers on Church Name Change] from October 6, 1958, to April 5, 1978, when he retired to "emeritus" status.{{cite web|last=W. Wallace|first=Smith|title=Doctrine and Covenants: Appendix F|url=http://www.centerplace.org/library/study/dc/rdc-appf.htm|work=Doctrine and Covenants of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints|publisher=Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches|access-date=September 8, 2011}}

Biography

W. Wallace Smith was born in Lamoni, Iowa, on November 18, 1900, to Joseph Smith III and his third wife Ada R. Clark.{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Gracia|title=Joseph Smith III|url=http://www.josephsmithjr.org/history/children/70-joseph-smith-iii|work=The Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society.|access-date=September 7, 2011|archive-date=August 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811155054/http://www.josephsmithjr.org/history/children/70-joseph-smith-iii|url-status=dead}} Smith graduated from the University of Missouri in 1924. He entered the ministry of the RLDS Church in 1928 and was ordained an apostle and joined the Council of Twelve Apostles on April 7, 1947, after the honorable release of John W. Rushton.{{cite web|title=D&C 140 3-4a |url=http://www.centerplace.org/hs/dc/rdc-140.htm|work=Doctrine and Covenants of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |publisher=Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches|access-date=September 8, 2011}} On April 2, 1950, Smith was called as counselor to Israel A. Smith, his half brother, in the First Presidency, and was replaced in the Quorum of the Twelve by Donald O. Chesworth. Smith died in Independence, Missouri on August 4, 1989.{{cite web|title=D&C 142:1b-142:2 |url=http://www.centerplace.org/hs/dc/rdc-142.htm|work=Doctrine and Covenants of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |publisher=Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches|access-date=September 8, 2011}}

President of the Church

Smith was the third of his father's sons to succeed to the presidency of the church, assuming the presidency after the deaths of his brothers Frederick M. Smith and Israel A. Smith.{{cite web|title=Our History: W. Wallace Smith (1958-1978)|url=http://www.rlds.org/history/WWS.asp|work=Official website of the Community of Christ|publisher=Community of Christ|access-date=September 8, 2011}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

=Church Growth=

Following a 1960 worldwide missionary tour, W. Wallace Smith's tenure as church president saw substantial overseas growth in the church, especially in Africa, Latin America, and the Far East. Also during his administration, the church saw significant doctrinal and practical changes, characterized by vigorous efforts in ecumenism, liberalism and internationalization of the group's message.

=The Independence Temple of Zion=

The building of temples is part of the overall tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. For several decades the idea of building of an "Independence Temple of Zion" had been part of RLDS Church tradition.Steven C. Kellogg, "Temples of the Restoration," Saints Herald 118 (September 1971):10-12, 30-31; (October 1971):15-17, 48-49; (November 1971):18-20, 32-34. However, nothing specific had been said or done by the leadership of the RLDS Church for several decades. In 1972, W. Wallace brought the concept to the forefront in a document that called for "defining the purpose and selecting the place for erecting a temple."{{cite web|last=W. Wallace|first=Smith|title=D&C 150:8 |url=http://www.centerplace.org/library/study/dc/rdc-150.htm|work=Doctrine and Covenants of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |publisher=Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches|access-date=September 8, 2011}}

=Breaking with lineal succession=

In 1958, instead of calling Lynn Smith to replace his father in the office of Presiding Patriarch, W. Wallace Smith named Roy Cheville to the office, in a break with an RLDS traditional doctrine of lineal succession.{{cite web|title=D&C 151:1a and 2 |url=http://www.centerplace.org/library/study/dc/rdc-151.htm|work=Doctrine and Covenants of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |publisher=Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches|access-date=September 8, 2011}}

=Retirement=

Smith designated his son, Wallace B. Smith as his successor in 1976, and on April 5, 1978, he became the first president of the church to retire to "emeritus" status — all previous presidents had served until their deaths. To ensure a smooth transition, W.W. Smith read a letter of resignation shortly before his son was ordained.