Under the section "The Hearts of the Children to Turn to Their Fathers" in his LDSFAQ page on Fulfilled Prophecies of Joseph Smith, Jeff Lindsay discusses the fulfillment of Moroni's words to Joseph Smith, as found in JS-History 1:38-39//D&C 2 (cf. D&C 110:13-16) by quoting Joseph Fielding Smith’s Doctrines of Salvation. Indeed, Joseph Fielding Smith himself played an important role in the growth of LDS interest in family history. In his biography of his grandfather, who at the time of writing was still president of the Church, Joseph Fielding McConkie wrote the following on this:
The Spirit of Elijah
Few men have been as actuated by the spirit of Elijah as Joseph Fielding Smith. In 1902, the summer following his return from the mission field, he traveled back to Massachusetts where he gathered the genealogy of the Smith family. He was able to straighten out the family line back to Robert Smith, the earliest Smith ancestor in America. Upon his return he compiled this information into a publication entitled Asahel Smith of Topsfield, Massachusetts, with Some Account of the Smith Family, which was published in 1903.
Despite the many demands on his time, Joseph Fielding Smith was one of the moving forces behind the Genealogical Society of Utah. He served as secretary to that organization from 1907 to 1922. In 1908 he was appointed to the board of directors and in 1909 he was named librarian and treasurer. During the summer of 1909 he and a companion visited all the genealogical libraries in the large cities of the eastern United States in a search for the best methods of record keeping and filing. They returned with many practical and valuable suggestions which were adopted by the Utah Society.
One of their recommendations was that a genealogical magazine be published on lines similar to those of the New England Society’s magazine. As a result, Elder Smith was appointed editor and business manager of the new Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine which was started in January of 1910. The preparation of the first issue had just begun when Elder Smith and his family were placed in quarantine because his daughter Julina had contracted scarlet fever. This made things a little difficult. Elder Smith prepared his manuscript, treated it with an antiseptic, and placed it in a box by his gate. From there the manuscript was taken to the printer and the galley proofs prepared. These were then sent to him for approval. He checked them, fumigated them, and placed them out by the gate to be delivered to the printer (Improvement Era, April 1950, p. 275).
Thus the first issue was put out on time. The magazine continued a successful career until 1940, when the Society was brought under more direct control of the priesthood and the publication was replaced with other programs.
Although Elder Smith’s duties attendant to his call to the Council of the Twelve necessitated his relinquishing the position of editor of the Genealogical Magazine he did continue his active support and interest in genealogical work. He served as the vice-president of the Society from 1925 to 1934 when following the death of the previous president Anthony W. Ivins, Joseph Fielding Smith was appointed president of that organization.
One of the most gratifying experiences President Smith has had in genealogical work occurred on October 18, 1934. On that date he did ordinance work for his sixth cousin, Oliver Cowdery. The following year on April 27 and May 14, at special services held in all the temples, thousands of ordinances were performed for Oliver Cowdery’ ancestors. ON May 14 Elder Smith joined with the other General Authorities in the Salt Lake Temple where they acted as proxies for Oliver Cowdery’s immediate family in sealing ordinances.
Illustrating the inspiration that has typically been with Joseph Fielding Smith in genealogical work, the following story was told in the Improvement Era some years ago:
Shortly after World War II had started, Brother Archibald F. Bennett reported to the board of directors of the Genealogical Society that efforts to continue negotiations with Denmark to obtain microfilm copies of its records had been interrupted, and the outbreak of war had also caused England to refuse us the privilege of copying its vital records. This report was very disturbing to the board, and expressions of concern for the preservation and obtaining of records were made. Elder Smith was very quiet and then expressed his feeling that the outcome of the war would render these records available to us which could not then be obtained. He said: “The Lord will look after his own.” The collecting of millions of names from these and other countries of Europe shows the literal fulfillment of this inspiration to Brother Smith” (Improvement Era, April 1950, p.312). (Joseph Fielding McConkie, Truth and Faithful: The Life Story of Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1971], 37-39)
