Orson Gurney Smith was born July 4, 1853 in Keokuk, Iowa, the son of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Bishop Thomas X. Smith and Margaret Gurney who, at the time, were in the process of emigrating from their native England to Utah. The family initially settled in Farmington before moving to Logan in 1860 where Smith grew up. As an adult, Smith worked as the manager for the Consolidated Wagon and Machine Company, as well as the postmaster for Logan. He also homesteaded the site of the original Logan Cemetery, which he later donated to the city free of charge.

In 1868, Smith was ordained an elder in the LDS Church. He was subsequently sent for ten months to Iron County on an economic mission to help establish a co-op there. In 1875, Smith was called to serve as bishop in the town of Paradise in Cache County. In 1883, he was selected to serve as second counselor to Charles O. Card in the presidency of the Cache Stake of Zion. In 1890, Smith became stake president; a position he held until 1899. Over the years Smith was an active ordinance worker at the Logan LDS Temple including, serving there on the first day the temple was open in 1884. He also served for four years in Cardston, Canada, helping to develop the Mormon community there.

Orson Smith had three wives and twenty-seven children. His first wife was Caroline Maria Carpenter, whom Smith married in Salt Lake City in 1875. She died in 1894. His second wife was Sarah Ann B. Obray, whom Smith married in Salt Lake City in 1878. She died in 1941. His third wife was Mary Ellen Wright whom Smith married in Logan in 1884. She died in 1934.

In the early years of the twentieth century, Smith was involved in the grain business but lost everything in the economic panic of 1907. He subsequently spent two years in the gold fields of Alaska before working in mines in Nevada and Idaho. Smith died August 9, 1935 in Logan. His funeral was held in the Logan Tabernacle and he is buried in the city cemetery.