Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, Smith was the son of LDS Church apostle John Henry Smith and Josephine Groesbeck.

At age three, he went to England with his parents, where his father was serving as a church mission president.

During part of the time he was on his mission he was president of the Amsterdam District of the church.

[1] However, Smith was never sustained to this calling in a general conference of the LDS Church.

Grant to be one of the first five Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a position which he held until his death in Salt Lake City from a coronary occlusion.