urer ▁of ▁the ▁Gene alog ical ▁Society ▁of ▁Ut ah . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 1 , ▁Smith ▁assumed ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁Church ▁Histor ian ▁and ▁Rec order , ▁which ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁ ▁Before ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁Smith ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁st ake ▁high ▁council ▁and ▁a ▁home ▁mission ary ▁( some what ▁similar ▁to ▁a ▁modern ▁w ard ▁mission ary ). ▁He ▁also ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Young ▁Men ' s ▁Mut ual ▁Im prov ement ▁Association ▁General ▁Board . ▁ ▁Early ▁in ▁his ▁apost les hip , ▁his ▁creation ist ▁views ▁on ▁the ▁dispute ▁between ▁M orm on ism ' s ▁Bib lic al ▁teach ings ▁and ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁evolution ▁brought ▁him ▁attention . ▁( See ▁M orm on ism ▁and ▁evolution .) ▁Smith ▁author ed ▁the ▁book ▁Man , ▁His ▁Origin ▁and ▁Dest iny ▁on ▁the ▁subject ▁and ▁un success fully ▁tried ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁a ▁course ▁of ▁study ▁at ▁the ▁church ▁sem in aries . ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁met ▁with ▁disapp ro val ▁from ▁church ▁president ▁David ▁O . ▁McK ay , ▁who ▁made ▁it ▁clear ▁that ▁the ▁book ▁was ▁una ut hor ized ▁by ▁the ▁church ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁taken ▁as ▁reflect ing ▁church ▁doctrine . ▁However , ▁because ▁Smith ▁was ▁the ▁Act ing ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Qu orum ▁of ▁the ▁Tw elve ▁Apost les ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁publication ▁and ▁later ▁became ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁church , ▁his ▁views