Page "Succession crisis (Latter Day Saints)" Paragraph 14

Following the principle of lineal succession, Smith's younger brother Samuel was the next potential candidate in line.

Sometime between June 23 – 27, 1844, Smith reportedly stated that " if he and Hyrum were taken away, Samuel H. Smith would be his successor ".

However, Samuel died suddenly on July 30, 1844, just a month after Joseph and Hyrum were killed.

The last of the surviving Smith brothers, William, initially claimed the right to succeed his brothers only as Presiding Patriarch.

Much later, after breaking with several Latter Day Saint factions, he exercised his own claim to the presidency of the church, with little result.

William alleged that his brother Samuel was poisoned at the behest of Brigham Young.

Young, however, denied any personal involvement noting that he did not know of Joseph Smith ’ s death for 3 or 4 weeks afterwards, some time after Samuels ’ s death.

No physical evidence exists proving that Samuel was the victim of foul play .< ref >