▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Light ▁Opera ▁Company ▁( 1 9 2 3 – 2 7 ), ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁County ▁Rec order . ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁Evans ▁and ▁Smith ▁were ▁engaged ▁to ▁be ▁married . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁Smith ▁married ▁Evans ▁in ▁the ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁Temple . ▁The ▁marriage ▁was ▁performed ▁by ▁He ber ▁J . ▁Grant . ▁The ▁couple ▁had ▁no ▁children ▁and ▁Jess ie ▁died ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁ ▁Church ▁service ▁ ▁After ▁comple ting ▁his ▁mission ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁Smith ▁began ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁Histor ian ▁and ▁Rec order . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁Ass istant ▁Church ▁Histor ian . ▁He ▁wrote ▁his ▁first ▁do ctr inal ▁book , ▁The ▁Orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁Re organ ized ▁Church ▁and ▁the ▁Question ▁of ▁Su cc ession ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁L DS ▁Church ▁against ▁the ▁recent ▁pros ely t izing ▁by ▁mission aries ▁for ▁the ▁Re organ ized ▁Church ▁of ▁Jesus ▁Christ ▁of ▁L atter ▁Day ▁Sain ts ▁( RL DS ▁Church ) ▁in ▁Ut ah . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁acting ▁rec order ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁general ▁conference ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁called ▁as ▁an ▁apost le . ▁Prior ▁to ▁his ▁call ▁as ▁a ▁general ▁authority , ▁Smith ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁secretary ▁and ▁tre as