"He says, isn't your name George A. Smith? And I said, Yes. Well, he said, I'm sure you're the man. And I said, I met George A. Smith here years ago. He was doing missionary work here. Well, I said, that's explained. There was another George A. Smith doing missionary work here, too. Oh, he said, it wasn't any other George A. Smith. It was you. Nobody that ever saw that face would forget it." "I would not be an enemy," said President George Albert Smith, "to any living soul." The challenge of leadership with that kind of love came to a man narrow of face, slight of build, and large of heart. His mother, Sarah Farr, was the daughter of Lauren Farr, an early pioneer who settled in Ogden, Utah. His father, John Henry Smith, and his grandfather, George A. Smith, had been counselors to Church presidents, making three consecutive generations to serve in the First Presidency. George Albert Smith was born April 4, 1870, directly across from Temple Square in Salt Lake City, and he died on his 81st birthday, in 1951. He was just six years old when the 100th anniversary of American's independence from England was celebrated. And he was seven years old when Brigham Young died. He knew personally every President of the Church up to his own administration except Joseph Smith. As a young man, George Albert was slim and energetic. He spent a year at the Brigham Young Academy under Karl G. Maeser and one at the University of Utah. But at 19 years of age, we find him leaving school and preparing to launch out on a business career. He went to work for ZCMI as a traveling salesman, taking grocery orders at the settlements in Utah. Travel by wagon was less tedious than it might have been, because George played the guitar and the harmonica. Evenings were taken up with writing letters to his sweetheart, Lucy Woodruff, a granddaughter of President Wilford Woodruff, and exercising with a set of Indian clubs and dumbbells, which George brought along in the wagon to keep his muscles firm. His companion had brought along a bottle of whiskey to treat customers. When George Albert discovered this, he had a friend pour the whiskey out and fill the jug with ill-smelling sulfur water--an act which Jim didn't appreciate, but George still felt good about. His first mission, a short-term one, was a call to work with the young people in the Utah stakes of Juab, Miller, Beaver, and Parowan. George was engaged to Lucy at the time, but willingly served his mission. The call to his second mission to the Southern States came in 1882, shortly after his marriage to Lucy. She later joined him in the mission field. They became the parents of Emily, Edith, and George Albert Jr., who also gave the name to his own son. George Albert Smith was called to the apostleship in 1903, at the age of 33. For seven years he served with his father, John Henry Smith, in the Council of the Twelve--the only father and son to serve at the same time in that council. His leadership abilities came to the world at a time when it was very much in need of the gospel of love that George Albert Smith radiated--when nation was rising against nation. Memories of the war between the states were still prevailing in many minds when he served his mission to the southern states. The wounds of World War I needed healing during his presidency of the European Mission. And World War II was nearing its end as his presidency of the Church began in 1945 with J. Reuben Clark and David O. McKay as his counselors.

For most of his life, he was active in the Boy Scout movement and often wore his Scouting uniform with pride. He was the recipient of Scouting's highest honor--the Silver Buffalo award. Other honors conferred upon him included that of Doctor of Humanities. Serving humanity was his constant concern. On one occasion, workers who were gathering clothes to send to war-torn Europe came to the family home on Yale Avenue. George Albert Smith had his contribution ready--some new, white shirts still in their store wrappings. Workers were sure President Smith had made a mistake. "Oh no," he replied, "that's the way I like them, so that's the way I gave them." He found joy in administering to the needs of the poor. "Then when the war broke out--this last war--and when our government was burning and destroying food and burying it, the Latter-day Saints were building root cellars and filling them, building granaries and elevators and filling them. So that when the war finished, the people of Europe who were in starving, freezing conditions--the little church that you belong to went to the President of the United States and said, Now, food and clothing and bedding is needed. "Our sister was here, president of the Relief Society. Her great organization has been making quilts--not ordinary quilts, but handmade quilts that are worthwhile--during the years of the war, and they've been storing them. "And when I told the President of the United States we'd like to send those things over there, he thought we wanted to sell them. And he said, Well, their money isn't any good. Well, I said, we don't want their money. We want to give them--they're our brothers and sisters over there. They're God's children, and they're in need. We'd like to send what we have. He said, How long will it take you to prepare? I said, It's prepared right now. All we need is cars and ships. And he smiled and said, You're certainly on the right track. "So we have sent 93 carloads--40 tons to the car, 80,000 pounds in the car--and we've sent 93 carloads of food and bedding and clothing to those people over there and paid the expenses getting it over there. And I don't see but what you folks have just as many clothes on as you had before." He felt a strong sense of duty to other generations. He was a third cousin to the Prophet Joseph Smith and felt a strong bond of interest to other descendants of those early Smiths. His feelings about the here and the hereafter were very intertwined. One incident that reinforced that feeling and had a great influence on his life was a dream he had of meeting with his grandfather. George Albert Smith was in St. George, Utah, the town named for his famous grandfather, George A. Smith, attempting to recuperate from a serious illness. He recounts that at one point he lost consciousness of his surroundings and felt he had passed to the other side. He found himself at the edge of a lake, near a forest of trees, and began to explore. He had traveled a considerable distance through the forest when he saw a man coming toward him, whom he recognized as his grandfather, George A. Smith. George A. in life was a very large man. "I remember how happy I was to see him coming," said George Albert. "I'd been given his name and had always been proud of it." His grandfather stopped, looked at him very earnestly, and said, I would like to know what you have done with my name. George Albert reports that his whole life passed before him as though it were a flying picture on a screen. Then he smiled and looked at his grandfather and said, I have never done anything with your name of which you need to be ashamed. His grandfather took him in his arms, and as he did so, George Albert became conscious again of his earthly surroundings. His pillow was wet with tears of gratitude that he could answer unashamed.

He felt a strong sense of duty to Father Lehi. He wanted to be able to tell him that he had done everything he could for his descendants and devoted his efforts to spreading the gospel of love to the Indian people. In 1946 he named newly-appointed Apostle, Spencer W. Kimball, as chairman of the Indian Committee. George Albert Smith felt a great love for his pioneer forefathers. He founded the Pioneer Trails and Landmarks Association and was president of this association for two decades. Working with Wilford C. Wood and other interested members of the association, he managed to acquire numerous Church sites, erect monuments, and mark a path in the history of the Church which thousands were to follow in years to come. Wilford C. Wood recalls the time they stopped to place a marker by the Susquehanna River, which read, "Near here, the Aaronic Priesthood was restored." President Smith, evidently inspired that the site was the correct one, said, Erase the word near. In 1947 Utah celebrated the 100th anniversary of the coming of the pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley. That was the year of the dedication of the This Is the Place Monument, a 10-year project, which President Smith had spearheaded. He pulled the string that unveiled this beautiful and meaningful monument. He was fond of quoting his grandfather, who like himself, had a sense of humor regarding the pioneer undertaking, "Some say the Saints were driven to the Rocky Mountains. We weren't driven out. We came here willingly--because we had to." During that pioneer centennial year, an artist portrait appeared on the cover of Time magazine--the only time a President of the Church was so featured on that periodical.

George Albert Smith lived by a creed, which he wrote shortly after he became an Apostle: "I would not seek to force people to live up to my ideals, but rather love them into doing the thing that is right. I would not knowingly wound the feelings of anyone--not even one who may have wronged me--but would seek to do him good and make him a friend. I would avoid the publicity of high positions and discourage the flattery of thoughtless friends. I would visit the sick and afflicted and inspire in them a desire for faith to be healed. I would teach the truth to the understanding and blessing of all mankind." He once said, "There isn't anything that influences a human soul like real affection. If we who become teachers and leaders really love those that we serve, they feel the effect of it, and they are guided as a result of it." George Albert Smith's life was a transitional one. The railroad came to Utah only a year before he was born, but in his lifetime, he served on the board of directors of Western Airlines and used air travel extensively. While traveling on planes, he always sought out an opportunity for a gospel conversation. One seatmate on a plane told him he was a confirmed atheist. Quipped President Smith, "I didn't know they confirmed atheists." He had participated with President Heber J. Grant in the first radio broadcast sponsored by the Church. That was in 1922. Twenty-seven years later, in 1949, he was the first President of the Church to appear on a telecast of general conference. The gratitude George Albert Smith felt for these modern developments, all of which facilitate the work of the Lord, was very deep. At the same time, he looked at the failure of mankind to progress morally--at the wars and bloodshed. "No other people have what we have. I don't know of any people who ought to be so anxious and willing and grateful to be able to celebrate this day that is recognized in the world as the anniversary of the Resurrection of the Redeemer of mankind. And that meant the opening of the grave for all humanity. The Lord may bless us, that we may willing, because of our lives, to keep this testimony. That not only we, but all that we can contact may receive that witness and carry it to our brothers and sisters of all faiths and creeds, and particularly to the descendants of Lehi, until we've done our duty by them. "And I'm sure that when that time comes that we are celebrating the anniversary of the First Resurrection--when that great time comes, and when all who are in their tombs are worthy shall be raised from their tombs, and this earth shall become the celestial kingdom and Jesus Christ our Lord will be our King and our Lawgiver. "That's what the gospel teaches us. That's what the gospel offers to us if we'd accept it. And I pray that we may be worthy of it. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."