John Smith (1781-1854) was a farmer and an early leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, and the Utah territory.

On July 16, 1781 in Derryfield, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, John Smith was born the eighth of eleven children to Asael and Mary Duty Smith. He was the younger brother of Joseph Smith, Sr. and uncle to Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. John spent his youth and adult life as an occupational farmer. John married Clarissa Lyman on September 11, 1815 and together they had 3 children: George Albert, Caroline, and John Lyman Smith. On January 9, 1832, John Smith and his family were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1833 they moved to be with the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio. In 1836, John was appointed president of the Kirtland high council, the first of many duties he would preform for his religion. That same year he and his brother, Joseph Smith, Sr., left for a mission to the eastern states. On September 3, 1837 John was than appointed assistant counselor in the First Presidency, and a member of the Kirtland Stake Presidency in 1838. That same year, the saints were forced to leave and John moved with the saints to Far West, Missouri where he was called to be President of the Adam-ondi-Ahman Stake. A short while later, John moved once again to Illinois and presided as the President of a branch in Lee County in 1839. On January 10, 1844 John was than appointed a patriarch. He also moved again with the Saints to Salt Lake City in the Utah Territory in 1847 where he preside over the Salt Lake Stake and than was appointed the patriarch of the church on January 1, 1949. John Smith participated faithfully in the church and practiced polygamy.

John Smith died on May 23, 1854 in Salt Lake City in the Utah Territory.