The Church’s 1890 Manifesto on polygamy is often given credit for solving the worst of the Church’s problems with the nation. More accurately, however, the Manifesto introduced another set of problems that came to a head in 1903 with the nationwide protest over the election of LDS apostle Reed Smoot to the U.S. Senate and the resulting Senate interrogation of LDS Church leaders, including President Joseph F. Smith. Latter-day Saints, their Protestant protestors, and the Senate had conflicting interests at stake in the four-year political trial. This session will focus on the means by which these conflicts were resolved and the definitive effect the resolution has had on twentieth century Mormonism.

Kathleen Flake