Relief Society General President
1901–1910

Bathsheba W. Smith belonged to the original Nauvoo Relief Society and, like her predecessors, endured persecution and trekked west with the Saints. She was known for her charm, graciousness, and hospitality. During her lifetime she saw the Relief Society grow from a small group of sisters in Nauvoo to more than 40,000 members. While Sister Smith was president, the Relief Society continued to train nurses, store grain, and emphasize compassionate service. The needs of a new generation of sisters prompted the start of mothers’ classes, the first formal Relief Society instruction. Sister Smith and her husband, George A. Smith, had three children.