[Joseph W. Summerhays speaking:] ... I take the stand that you have no right to excommunicate me from the Church for the reasons which I will state further. ... I am at liberty now to say some things which I was not at liberty to say before. In the year 1905, after President [Joseph F.] Smith had issued his statement on plural marriages in 1904, he took a party to Mexico, the occasion being the dedication of the Juarez Academy. Among the party were President Smith and wife, his son Joseph F[ielding]. Jr., and myself. ... President Smith called me to him and took me up into one of the upper rooms in President Ivins' home and he told me this man whom he had met in the garden was married, but had no children and had made all arrangements before the President's declaration to marry a girl and he said I don't know how this can be done, but if you know how it can be done you have it done; you say that it can be done. I spoke to President Ivins about it and he said that he had been told by President Smith on a previous occasion that unless a bigger man than he came along that he was not to marry any one unless so instructed by this bigger man. I asked President Ivins to let me see his ceremony and he did I have had invitations from twenty or more people to go and officiate and in every instance I have told them no as I had no authority. My conscience is free before God and I had the authority and if told to do it tomorrow I would do it. That is one reason why I think you cannot cut me off the Church. ... I went to President Ivins and said President Smith wants Brother Sears married, and then is when he made the remark that he had instructions that unless a great man came he was not to perform any marriages.... President Smith has said further on several occasions that he didn't want to know anything about this. ...
Summerhays: In February of 1898, President Smith who was then counselor to President [Wilford] Woodruff, Brother Spence and others were in New York, and I asked for an interview with him. I told him some of the brethren were getting wives and I asked him if it would be alright if I took one. He said it would under certain conditions. But my marriage did not take place for five years afterwards on the 25th of September 1903. ... [Not excommunicated].
[Excerpt from the Minutes of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]
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