Philander Smartt was a Mormon mission president in Puerto Rico; accused of sexually manipulating some of his sister missionaries; in 2014, the LDS church sent him home and called his behavior "immoral and sinful," but no criminal charges or civil lawsuits resulted.

Philander Smartt was an LDS mission president who allegedly sexually manipulated some sister missionaries over whom he had a leadership responsibility.

Smartt was at one time a Mormon stake president of the Bessemer, Alabama Stake.

Smartt was not charged with a crime; however, an LDS church spokesman said, ““The sister missionaries who had been deceived and victimized were provided with ecclesiastical and emotional counseling, which continues to be offered to this time,” Hawkins added. “The wife and family of the mission president have been assisted by the church with the legal, emotional and personal consequences resulting from the immoral and sinful behavior of one man.””

Smartt’s father, Philander Smart Jr. or Philander Smart II, who went by “Phil Smartt,” was also a Mormon stake president (Chattanooga, Tennessee).

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Sources

  1. source 1, , October 24, 2025.
  2. source 2, , October 24, 2025.
  3. source 3, , October 24, 2025.

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