MR. EVANS' LETTER
Mr. Joseph F. Smith, Jr.:
Sir:—Your open letter published in the Toronto Star for February 25, is before me. You say: "I desire to be fair, dispassionate and also candid." Those who read your letter will see plainly that you have mispresented the interview, my faith and the facts concerning my visit to Salt Lake, and that you are guilty of a labored effort to cover up the true facts regarding "blood atonement," "polygamy," etc., and my faith in the Book of Mormon. So much for those desires.
My position with regard to the Book of Mormon, and the name "Mormon," is too well known for you to blind the people concerning it. The interview shows plainly in what sense "the term 'Mormon' is offensive to us." Read it again, sir: "Because it is associated in the public mind with the practices that I have specified." The abominations of Brighamism; namely, polygamy, blood atonement, Adam-God,[1] and other evils that have disgraced the name throughout civilization.
The true Church never has adopted the name "Mormon" as being the proper name of the church. The Latter-day Saints were sometimes called "Mormons" in derision, as you admit, because they believed in the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon, and some church members may have been willing to be called "Mormon"; yet you "candidly (?) fairly, dispassionately" ask me, "Why do you not discard the Book of Mormon from whence the name is derived?" Now, sir, I profess to believe in the divine authenticity of the Holy Bible; as well call me a Bible, because I believe in the Bible,[2] as call me a Mormon because I believe in the Book of Mormon.
The church that I have the honor to represent is incorporated under the laws of the United States as "The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints."