Blood Atonement and the Origin of Plural Marriage: A Discussion

"Blood Atonement and the Origin of Plural Marriage: A Discussion" by Smith and Evans is a historical discourse likely written in the early 20th century. This work documents a correspondence between Elder Joseph F. Smith Jr. of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Richard C. Evans, a leader from the "Reorganized" Church. The discussion centers on the misrepresentation of Latter-day Saint beliefs, especially concerning controversial topics like plural marriage and blood atonement. The opening of the text sets the tone for a vigorous debate between the two church leaders triggered by public accusations made by Evans against the practices of the Latter-day Saints. Smith, in his defense, highlights passages from previous church documents and provides counterarguments to Evans' claims, including the origins of plural marriage and the doctrine of blood atonement as taught by Brigham Young. The intense back-and-forth illustrates the complexities and divisions within the Mormon faith at the time, revealing deeper historical tensions over these doctrines and their interpretations among different factions of the faith. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. was an American religious leader and writer who served as the tenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 until his death in 1972. He was the son of former church president Joseph F. Smith and the great-nephew of Church founder Joseph Smith.