Born on August 19, 1933 in Ogden, Utah, Mary Ellen Wood was the fifth of six daughters in her home. She was sealed to her husband, Stanley Smoot, in the Salt Lake Temple in 1952. Within the first eight years of their marriage, they had given birth to six of their seven children.
Mary Ellen served as a ward Relief Society president, on the editorial board of The Friend magazine, and as a member of the Church Correlation Writing Committee. She also served in the Ohio Columbus and then the newly-created Ohio Akron missions with her husband while he was mission president. These sites included various historical locations, particularly Kirtland.
Mary Ellen was called to be the thirteenth Relief Society President on April 5, 1997. As President, she emphasized the need of working closely with the priesthood holders when helping bring women and their families to Christ. She traveled throughout the world serving others, including assisting in the relief efforts in Kosovo. She served on the World Congress for the Family Committee and published the Relief Society declaration. Homemaking meetings were replaced with Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment meetings under her stewardship, and the visiting teaching message was reformatted to focus more on scriptures, gospel principles, and quotations from leaders of the Church. She was released on April 6, 2002, after five years of service.
“When we are truly converted, our focus shifts from self to others. We can find inner strength through service. Nothing would please the adversary more than for us to be distracted by selfish concerns and appetites. But we know better. Service will help us to stay on course.”
Ensign, May 2002, 13
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