On November 15, 1895, he married Ida Elizabeth Bowman and the next day left her behind in Utah to serve a mission in Great Britain.

[1] After returning from his mission, Smith worked at ZCMI while also serving as a part-time missionary in Salt Lake City.

In 1909 Smith was assigned as one of the original two priesthood advisors to the Church wide Primary Association.

Smith died in Salt Lake City from a ruptured appendix on January 23, 1918, at the age of 45.

His wife Ida was pregnant with their fifth child, Hyrum, and died from complications with childbirth in September 1918.