Joseph Fielding SmithJoseph Fielding Smith Jr. (July 19, 1876 – July 2, 1972) was an American religious leader and author who served as the tenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1970 to 1972. He was the great-nephew of Churc founder Joseph Smith and the son of previous church president Joseph F. Smith. Smith was elected to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1910, when his father was president of the church. Smith was 93 years and 6 months old when he became president of the Church; he began his presidency at an older age than any other president in church history. Smith's president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1951 to 1970 was the third-longest in church history; he served in that position throughout David O. McKay's presidency. Smith worked as the Church Historian and Recorder among the Twelve Apostles for a while. He was a religious scholar who also wrote a lot. Many of his publications are consulted by church members. Read More Read Less