PROVO — Robert Smith's heart grew over the weekend as he reunited with 200 members of his family — many of whom he had never before met.
The Omaha, Neb., man is a great-great-grandson of Joseph Smith and has spent the past few days visiting with other descendants of the man who founded The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
They came from all over the United States, from a variety of religious backgrounds.
"I have known the whole story of Joseph Smith since my earliest memories. I have known I have come from a very special family," he said. "As a child and throughout adulthood, we did nothing alone; it was always the family. The thing I've learned here is there are many more family members than I ever believed possible, and the true love of family is a blessing."
The culmination of the reunion was Saturday night when the 200 family members were recognized during a celebration of Joseph Smith's 200th birthday at Brigham Young University.
An estimated 55,000 people attended "Remembering the Prophet Joseph, Youth Spectacular and Youth Showcase" performances at BYU to celebrate Smith, whose ministry was "second only, really, to the life and ministry of our Lord, Jesus Christ," said Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve.
About 200,000 youths have participated in similar performances throughout the state. The three performances at BYU featured a variety of talents including orchestra and pipe band music, and dancing from Jalisco, Mexico, and Eastern European polkas.
Children ages 12-18 from Wasatch, Utah and Juab counties danced, sang and led orchestras that portrayed Smith's life — from his birth in Vermont and spiritual confusion during his youth in New York to receiving and translating the Book of Mormon and beginning the church.
The common thread: the youth's faith experiences with the church leader, considered a prophet.
As Emma Black composed the melody and lyrics for her guitar piece, "Please, Lord," she said her faith deepened.
It's important for young people to consider their faith, Elder Ballard said, because many young adults will be missionaries, teaching about the church and performing service abroad.
Many adults left the two-hour performances on Saturday with tears in their eyes.
"It was amazing. It was incredible," said Holly Toolson of Alpine.
Smith founded the LDS Church in 1830, after he said an angel named Moroni guided him to gold tablets that documented the teachings and lives of ancient tribes. Smith translated the tablets and they became a foundational text for the church, the Book of Mormon.
Smith was persecuted and eventually shot to death by a mob in Illinois in 1844.
As the 200th birthday approached, a Smith family organization mailed books about the leader to all 2,400 genealogically-traced, living descendants and invited them to Provo.
For Kathy Emmett-Meek, of Olympia, Wash., it was a chance to visit with more than a dozen cousins who she hadn't seen in years.
But for many others, such as Frances Abbey, of Ronan, Mont., it was a chance to learn about the family.
"I grew up Methodist; grandma didn't talk about the LDS faith," she said. "It is those descendants of my grandma whom I've come to meet because none of them lived in Montana."
E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com