R. C. (Richard C.) Evans

author

R. C. (Richard C.) Evans

1861–1921

A Canadian religious leader and memoirist, he rose from local preaching work to the highest ranks of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints before leading his own breakaway movement. His life story is closely tied to the debates, ambitions, and divisions that shaped early 20th-century Latter Day Saint history.

1 Audiobook

Blood Atonement and the Origin of Plural Marriage: A Discussion

Blood Atonement and the Origin of Plural Marriage: A Discussion

by R. C. (Richard C.) Evans, Joseph Fielding Smith

About the author

Born on October 20, 1861, in St. Andrews, Quebec, Richard Charles Evans joined the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as a teenager after being baptized in Ontario. He advanced steadily through church leadership, becoming a priest, then an elder, then a seventy, and in 1897 he was ordained an apostle.

Evans went on to serve in the church's First Presidency under Joseph Smith III, one of the most senior roles in the denomination. After later being reassigned as bishop with responsibility for the church in Canada, he became increasingly dissatisfied with the church's leadership and succession decisions.

In 1918, he broke with the RLDS Church and became the leader of a separate movement, a dramatic turn that made him an important figure in a turbulent period of Latter Day Saint history. He died on January 18, 1921. In addition to his religious leadership, he is remembered for an autobiography that offers a firsthand look at his life and beliefs.