Post-Manifesto Polygamy

File — Box: 11, Folder: 16

Identifier: III

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

First Presidency, letter "to whom it may concern," 6 January 1911, says: "We hereby certify that the quorum of the Twelve, with Elder Francis M. Lyman at their head, have been duly authorized and requested by us to so act, having special reference however to alleged cases of recent plural marriage."
Matthias F. Cowley, letter to JFS, 22 March 1911, 8 pp.
Reed Smoot, telegram to George F. Gibbs, 31 March 1911,2 pp., written in cipher, received in Salt Lake City on 1 April 1911, with the following answer, in cipher, to Smoot: "If the President [of the United States] inquire about new polygamy, tell him the truth, tell him that Prest. Cannon was the first to conceive the idea about the Church could consistently countenance polygamy beyond confines of the republic where there was no law against it, and consequently he authorized the solemnization of plural marriages in Mexico and Canada after manifesto of 1890, and the men occupying presiding positions who became polygamists since the manifesto married in good faith under those circumstances. This being the case could we consistently be expected to humiliate them by releasing them?"
Reed Smoot, letter to JFS, 8 April 1911, 6 pp.
JFS, letter to J. E. Rullison, 16 February 1914, 4 pp.
Confidential letter to Heber J. Grant, 9 July 1929, 4 pp.
B. H. Roberts, letter to Heber Bennion, 4 February 1931

Dates

1820-1984

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.