Community of Christ (differentiation from Latter-day saints)
Encyclopedia
The Community of Christ
, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (abbreviated as the LDS Church) are two separate denominations
that share a common heritage in the Church of Christ founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. on April 6, 1830 in western New York
, through its first 14 years until 1844. They have evolved separately in belief and practices ever since. While the LDS Church claims more than thirteen million members worldwide, the Community of Christ claims approximately 250,000 members worldwide.
and belief system of the LDS church is highly centralized and systematic, the Community of Christ has demonstrated an adaptive and decentralized approach to doctrine. In 1997, the Community of Christ initiated a three-year formal period of transformation entitled “Transformation 2000,” that was seen by then President of the Community of Christ, W. Grant McMurray
as the culmination of a series of changes dating back to 1960. McMurray identified these changes as a movement away from a belief that the denomination was “the restored church” and towards a position within mainstream Christianity. By a vote of 1,979 to 561, at the Community of Christ World Conference of 2000, the name of the church was changed from the “Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” to Community of Christ. The church was attempting to distance itself from comparisons with Mormonism and in the process transform itself into a unique position among mainstream Christian denominations.
As the first president of the Community of Christ since 1830 that was not a direct descendant of Joseph Smith, Jr., McMurray sought to formalize changes in thinking about prophetic leadership, the historical basis of the Book of Mormon
, and the concept that priesthood authority had been restored in the 1830s after centuries of apostasy
. During his presidency, the church moved from close communion to open communion
and McMurray even began to open the door to priesthood ordination for practicing homosexuals, something which he acknowledged was already occurring. Negative response to this issue forced McMurray to reaffirm the official policy prohibiting ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians. However, the church allows those who were ordained against policy, to continue in priesthood office.
Prior to 1960 the church’s identity was often tied to its differences with the much larger LDS church. McMurray cited a 1960 world tour by former president W. Wallace Smith
as a pivotal event impacting the evolution of church beliefs. Leaders such as Roy Cheville
had already been teaching a new generation of church members a more ecumenical and open-minded system of beliefs. But it was the church’s proselytizing of cultures in countries outside North America that knew little about Christianity, much less Mormonism, that forced reassessment of denominational practices and beliefs. Apostle Charles Neff, a leading church missionary, pushed fellow leaders and field ministers towards a relativistic doctrinal viewpoint motivated by a combination of practical missionary concerns and an attitude of theological openness. These significant moves of the Community of Christ towards alignment with liberal Protestant
doctrine were influenced in part by many in church leadership who pursued theological studies at St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri, and elsewhere. While the Community of Christ had long been known for its anti-polygamy doctrine, its outreach efforts amongst the Sora people in India brought a re-examination even on this issue.
Former church president Wallace B. Smith
’s call for the ordination of women to the priesthood in 1984 was a milestone in the doctrinal evolution of the church away from traditional doctrines and towards progressive Christianity. During his term in office, greater attention was brought to peace and justice issues. The call to dedicate the Independence Temple
to “the pursuit of peace” is regarded as both a symbolic and practical evidence of the differences between the two denominations. While the Latter-day Saint church has a set of highly developed temple rituals and sees temples as sacred space for the sealing of covenants related to its celestial doctrine, the Community of Christ understanding of Temple is reflective of the understanding of Temple in the 1830s, that is a center for spirituality, ministerial education, and church administration.
These and other changes comprised a fundamental shift in thinking from restorationism to mainline Protestant liberalism. They have been identified as a deconstructionist trend in the theology
of the Community of Christ as well as an obvious set of differences with the LDS Church. These recent differences only added to the list of long-standing doctrinal differences between the two groups. Nearly all of the traditional differences between the two groups also can be seen as aligning the Community of Christ more closely with traditional Christian teaching and neo-orthodoxy
.
to Utah
or follow any of the others vying to become the successor to Joseph Smith, Jr. Prior to the reorganization conference of 1860, numerous doctrinal differences were espoused by the leaders of the various splinter groups. Following the reorganization, these differences were formalized into a litany of what might now be called wedge issues.
The differences enumerated below characterize the major differences between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Community of Christ.
The LDS Church generally uses the Authorized King James Version in English (although Brigham Young University
professors in FARMS publications and elsewhere at times use other translations in citations), especially their own edition
which is extensively footnoted with corrections from the Inspired Version. The LDS Church refers to the Inspired Version as the "Joseph Smith Translation." The version of the Bible that the LDS Church gave away as a free Bible in the 1990s and into the 21st century as a way to create a contact for more people with missionaries was a King James Version with few if any footnotes and no references to the Joseph Smith Translation. Since nearly half of Mormons speak a language other than English the King James Version has never been seen by many of them.
as a second canon of scripture, and views the Book of Mormon as an additional witness of Jesus Christ. It publishes two versions of the book through its official publishing arm, Herald House
. The Authorized Edition is based on the original printer's manuscript and the 1837 Second Edition (or Kirtland Edition) of the Book of Mormon. Its content is similar to the Book of Mormon published by the LDS church, but the versification is different Community of Christ also publishes a 1966 "Revised Authorized Edition" which attempts to modernize some of the language.
In 2007 President Stephen M. Veazey ordered a resolution to "reaffirm the Book of Mormon as a divinely inspired record." He stated that "while the Church affirms the Book of Mormon as scripture, and makes it available for study and use in various languages, we do not attempt to mandate the degree of belief or use. This position is in keeping with our longstanding tradition that belief in the Book of Mormon is not to be used as a test of fellowship or membership in the church."
. The Community of Christ has removed several early sectionsCommunity of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants - Doctrine and Covenants 107 see header and adds new "inspired documents" to the book regularly. The LDS church has made about seven additions since the 1844 edition.
to be scripture. Unlike the Community of Christ, the LDS Church includes the Pearl of Great Price as part of its standard works
.
The first five of the seven presidents of the Community of Christ were direct descendants of Joseph Smith, Jr. President McMurray was the first president of the church who was not a member of the family of the Smith family. While never formally accepting a principle of lineal succession, the denomination originally taught that Joseph Smith, Jr. had designated his son, Joseph Smith III, as his successor.
By contrast, the LDS church believes the right of determining a successor lies with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. By tradition, the most senior member of the quorum becomes the president of the LDS church
.
While this is an area that marked a traditional difference between the two denominations. A recent succession crisis forced the Council of Twelve Apostles
of the Community of Christ to utilize a procedure similar to that of the LDS Council of Twelve Apostles. Current President Stephen M. Veazey
(himself president of the Twelve, but not the senior member) was selected as successor by the Council of Twelve due to Grant McMurray’s decision to not name a successor.
The calling a non-descendant of Joseph Smith to the presidency was the justification used to create a schism within the Community of Christ. This led to the creation of the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
. The prophet of the Remnant Church, President Frederick Niels Larsen
, is a direct descendant (maternal 2nd great-grandson) of Joseph Smith, Jr. The church has its headquarters near the Temple Lot
, across from the headquarters of the Community of Christ.
principles. The LDS church sees the Godhead as composed of three physically distinct personages.
, the Adam–God doctrine was first taught orally by Joseph Smith, Jr. before his death in 1844
. However, the evidence that Smith originated the doctrine consists of Young's own assertions, and a 1877 recollection of Anson Call
, and circumstantial evidence collected by Mormon fundamentalist writers. Since The Community of Christ was founded by the confederation of a number of smaller groups that declined to migrate with Brigham Young to Utah
, the Adam-God doctrine has never been a part of Community of Christ teachings. While LDS leaders traditionally teach that God was once a man (fifth LDS President Lorenzo Snow), the Latter-day Saint president Spencer W. Kimball
officially denounced the Adam-God theory.
is open to males onlyThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Doctrine and Covenants: Official Declaration #2 http://scriptures.lds.org/en/od/2 and until 1978 was partially closed to people of African descent, who are sometimes viewed as "descendants of Cain".
The Community of Christ does not practice and has traditionally objected to temple ceremonies or rituals. Unlike the LDS Church
, the Community of Christ's temples are open to the public. The LDS beliefs in and temple practice of celestial marriage
and baptism for the dead
have never been embraced by the Community of Christ.
Historically, the Community of Christ did include revelations in its Doctrine and Covenants, presented by Joseph Smith Jr., which sanctioned baptism for the dead and temple worship. However, the Community of Christ considered baptism for the dead conditional on the completion of the Nauvoo Temple
in a reasonable amount of time. The membership of the Church failed to do so, and therefore the right to perform baptisms for the dead was withdrawn and should be instituted only very temporarily.
Additionally, the 1970 World Conference concluded that sections 107, 109, 110, 113 and 123 (regarding baptism for the dead and temple worship) had been added between the 1835 and 1844 editions without proper approval of a church conference. The World Conference removedCommunity of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants see header those sections to a historical appendix (which also included documents that were never published as sections). The World Conference of 1990 subsequently removed the entire appendix from the Doctrine and Covenants.
on its buildings and temples. By contrast, the LDS Church does not use the cross, stating "because the Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of His death as the symbol of our faith". However, nearly every LDS temple has a statue of the Angel Moroni. Nonetheless, the LDS Church does not consider the angel Moroni to be an official symbol of that faith and "has no policy regarding the use of statues of the angel Moroni atop temples".
has never been accepted or taught by the Community of Christ. Smith's son Joseph Smith III
and widow Emma Smith challenged the evidence presented and taught that Joseph Smith Jr. opposed the practice of polygamy and was not a polygamist. Some members of the Community of Christ have accepted the viewpoint of historians that these were indeed taught and practiced by Joseph Smith Jr, but that like some of the prophets of ancient Israel, Joseph Smith Jr had a time when he followed a wrong path. Therefore most members reject these doctrinal development.
The LDS church teaches that Joseph Smith, Jr. restored the fullness of the gospel after a centuries long period known as the great apostasy
. The LDS church is seen as a restoration of fallen Christianity. By contrast, the Community of Christ has abandoned its traditional tenet that it is the “one true church” and adopted a viewpoint that all faith traditions can offer a pathway to spiritual enlightenment
. In a recent article on the Faith and Beliefs of the Community of Christ, Barbara McFarlane Higdon called the Community of Christ a "unique member of the body of Christ
, the universal community of believers." Higdon's article also suggests that prior claims that the church had been "restored" were tantamount to idolatry. The Community of Christ has moved towards ecumenism
and inter-faith dialogue. Nevertheless, the Community of Christ "steadfastly affirms the primacy of continuing revelation instead of creedal rigidity..." Also, it should be noted that Community of Christ's version of the Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations (such as Section 1) that indicate that the Church is the one true church.
Other revelations make mention of the unique authority of the priesthood of the Church, and the Church of course still considers Joseph Smith Jr., to be its founder, with priesthood authority going back to him, and Smith himself received a vision
in which he was expressly taught that no church (at that time) was valid. It was for this reason that he was called by God to establish a new church, which would then, logically (being established by divine directive) be the one true church. Joseph's account of this vision is still published by the Church. Today, the Community of Christ
generally refers to the First Vision as the "grove experience" and takes a flexible view about its historicity, emphasizing the healing presence of God and the forgiving mercy of Jesus Christ felt by Joseph Smith.
Community of Christ
The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (abbreviated as the LDS Church) are two separate denominations
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
that share a common heritage in the Church of Christ founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. on April 6, 1830 in western New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, through its first 14 years until 1844. They have evolved separately in belief and practices ever since. While the LDS Church claims more than thirteen million members worldwide, the Community of Christ claims approximately 250,000 members worldwide.
Recent transformation in Community of Christ
Significant doctrinal, organizational, and attitudinal changes in the Community of Christ since 1960 have further reduced similarities that remained with the LDS Church. While the doctrineDoctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
and belief system of the LDS church is highly centralized and systematic, the Community of Christ has demonstrated an adaptive and decentralized approach to doctrine. In 1997, the Community of Christ initiated a three-year formal period of transformation entitled “Transformation 2000,” that was seen by then President of the Community of Christ, W. Grant McMurray
W. Grant McMurray
William Grant McMurray was Prophet-President of the Community of Christ from 1996 until 2004. He was the first non-descendant of Joseph Smith to head the church, and under his administration, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints changed its name to Community of...
as the culmination of a series of changes dating back to 1960. McMurray identified these changes as a movement away from a belief that the denomination was “the restored church” and towards a position within mainstream Christianity. By a vote of 1,979 to 561, at the Community of Christ World Conference of 2000, the name of the church was changed from the “Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” to Community of Christ. The church was attempting to distance itself from comparisons with Mormonism and in the process transform itself into a unique position among mainstream Christian denominations.
As the first president of the Community of Christ since 1830 that was not a direct descendant of Joseph Smith, Jr., McMurray sought to formalize changes in thinking about prophetic leadership, the historical basis of the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, and the concept that priesthood authority had been restored in the 1830s after centuries of apostasy
Apostasy
Apostasy , 'a defection or revolt', from ἀπό, apo, 'away, apart', στάσις, stasis, 'stand, 'standing') is the formal disaffiliation from or abandonment or renunciation of a religion by a person. One who commits apostasy is known as an apostate. These terms have a pejorative implication in everyday...
. During his presidency, the church moved from close communion to open communion
Open communion
Open communion is the practice of Christian churches that allow individuals other than members of that church to receive Holy Communion...
and McMurray even began to open the door to priesthood ordination for practicing homosexuals, something which he acknowledged was already occurring. Negative response to this issue forced McMurray to reaffirm the official policy prohibiting ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians. However, the church allows those who were ordained against policy, to continue in priesthood office.
Prior to 1960 the church’s identity was often tied to its differences with the much larger LDS church. McMurray cited a 1960 world tour by former president W. Wallace Smith
W. Wallace Smith
William Wallace Smith was a grandson of Joseph Smith, Jr. and Prophet-President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , from October 6, 1958 to April 5, 1978, when he retired to "emeritus" status....
as a pivotal event impacting the evolution of church beliefs. Leaders such as Roy Cheville
Roy Cheville
Roy A. Cheville was a religious leader, theologian and educator in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Community of Christ, as it is known today. Cheville graduated from Graceland University in 1921 with an Associate of Arts degree in liberal arts and religious education...
had already been teaching a new generation of church members a more ecumenical and open-minded system of beliefs. But it was the church’s proselytizing of cultures in countries outside North America that knew little about Christianity, much less Mormonism, that forced reassessment of denominational practices and beliefs. Apostle Charles Neff, a leading church missionary, pushed fellow leaders and field ministers towards a relativistic doctrinal viewpoint motivated by a combination of practical missionary concerns and an attitude of theological openness. These significant moves of the Community of Christ towards alignment with liberal Protestant
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
doctrine were influenced in part by many in church leadership who pursued theological studies at St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri, and elsewhere. While the Community of Christ had long been known for its anti-polygamy doctrine, its outreach efforts amongst the Sora people in India brought a re-examination even on this issue.
Former church president Wallace B. Smith
Wallace B. Smith
Wallace Bunnell Anthony Smith was Prophet-President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , from April 5, 1978 through April 15, 1996. Son of President W. Wallace Smith, he was designated as his father's successor in 1976, and ordained church president in 1978 when his...
’s call for the ordination of women to the priesthood in 1984 was a milestone in the doctrinal evolution of the church away from traditional doctrines and towards progressive Christianity. During his term in office, greater attention was brought to peace and justice issues. The call to dedicate the Independence Temple
Independence Temple
The Temple in Independence, Missouri, is a house of worship and education "dedicated to the pursuit of peace". It dominates the skyline of Independence, Missouri, USA, and has become the focal point of the headquarters of the Community of Christ...
to “the pursuit of peace” is regarded as both a symbolic and practical evidence of the differences between the two denominations. While the Latter-day Saint church has a set of highly developed temple rituals and sees temples as sacred space for the sealing of covenants related to its celestial doctrine, the Community of Christ understanding of Temple is reflective of the understanding of Temple in the 1830s, that is a center for spirituality, ministerial education, and church administration.
These and other changes comprised a fundamental shift in thinking from restorationism to mainline Protestant liberalism. They have been identified as a deconstructionist trend in the theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
of the Community of Christ as well as an obvious set of differences with the LDS Church. These recent differences only added to the list of long-standing doctrinal differences between the two groups. Nearly all of the traditional differences between the two groups also can be seen as aligning the Community of Christ more closely with traditional Christian teaching and neo-orthodoxy
Neo-orthodoxy
Neo-orthodoxy, in Europe also known as theology of crisis and dialectical theology,is an approach to theology in Protestantism that was developed in the aftermath of the First World War...
.
Historical differences between the churches
The Community of Christ was founded by the confederation of a number of smaller groups that declined to migrate with Brigham YoungBrigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
or follow any of the others vying to become the successor to Joseph Smith, Jr. Prior to the reorganization conference of 1860, numerous doctrinal differences were espoused by the leaders of the various splinter groups. Following the reorganization, these differences were formalized into a litany of what might now be called wedge issues.
The differences enumerated below characterize the major differences between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Community of Christ.
Bible
The Inspired Version of the Bible is part of the Community of Christ canon of scripture, although it does not prescribe a single translation of the Bible.The LDS Church generally uses the Authorized King James Version in English (although Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
professors in FARMS publications and elsewhere at times use other translations in citations), especially their own edition
LDS edition of the Bible
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints publishes editions of the Bible in English and Spanish that it encourages its members to use. The text of the LDS Church's English-language Bible is the Authorized King James Version and the church's Spanish-language Bible is a revised Reina-Valera...
which is extensively footnoted with corrections from the Inspired Version. The LDS Church refers to the Inspired Version as the "Joseph Smith Translation." The version of the Bible that the LDS Church gave away as a free Bible in the 1990s and into the 21st century as a way to create a contact for more people with missionaries was a King James Version with few if any footnotes and no references to the Joseph Smith Translation. Since nearly half of Mormons speak a language other than English the King James Version has never been seen by many of them.
Book of Mormon
Community of Christ holds the Book of MormonBook of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
as a second canon of scripture, and views the Book of Mormon as an additional witness of Jesus Christ. It publishes two versions of the book through its official publishing arm, Herald House
Herald House
Herald House or Herald Publishing House is the publishing division of the Community of Christ in Independence, Missouri. It publishes books, periodicals and other materials at the direction of the First Presidency. Its history dates back to the publication of a church periodical called the True...
. The Authorized Edition is based on the original printer's manuscript and the 1837 Second Edition (or Kirtland Edition) of the Book of Mormon. Its content is similar to the Book of Mormon published by the LDS church, but the versification is different Community of Christ also publishes a 1966 "Revised Authorized Edition" which attempts to modernize some of the language.
In 2007 President Stephen M. Veazey ordered a resolution to "reaffirm the Book of Mormon as a divinely inspired record." He stated that "while the Church affirms the Book of Mormon as scripture, and makes it available for study and use in various languages, we do not attempt to mandate the degree of belief or use. This position is in keeping with our longstanding tradition that belief in the Book of Mormon is not to be used as a test of fellowship or membership in the church."
Doctrine and Covenants
Both churches publish a book called the Doctrine and CovenantsDoctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
. The Community of Christ has removed several early sectionsCommunity of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants - Doctrine and Covenants 107 see header and adds new "inspired documents" to the book regularly. The LDS church has made about seven additions since the 1844 edition.
Pearl of Great Price
The Community of Christ has never published or considered the Pearl of Great PricePearl of Great Price (Mormonism)
The Pearl of Great Price is part of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some other Latter Day Saint denominations....
to be scripture. Unlike the Community of Christ, the LDS Church includes the Pearl of Great Price as part of its standard works
Standard Works
The Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon.* The Holy Bible * The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ...
.
Leadership succession
By contrast, the LDS church believes the right of determining a successor lies with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. By tradition, the most senior member of the quorum becomes the president of the LDS church
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
.
While this is an area that marked a traditional difference between the two denominations. A recent succession crisis forced the Council of Twelve Apostles
Council of Twelve Apostles (Community of Christ)
In the Community of Christ, The Council of Twelve Apostles is one of the governing bodies in the church hierarchy. They are disciples who hold the priesthood office of Apostle, and are responsible for the evangelistic witness of the church...
of the Community of Christ to utilize a procedure similar to that of the LDS Council of Twelve Apostles. Current President Stephen M. Veazey
Stephen M. Veazey
Stephen Mark Veazey is the current Prophet-President of the Community of Christ, headquartered in Independence, Missouri. Veazey's name was presented to the church in March 2005 by a joint council of church leaders led by the Council of Twelve Apostles, as the next Prophet-President...
(himself president of the Twelve, but not the senior member) was selected as successor by the Council of Twelve due to Grant McMurray’s decision to not name a successor.
The calling a non-descendant of Joseph Smith to the presidency was the justification used to create a schism within the Community of Christ. This led to the creation of the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement. The president of the church is Frederick Niels Larsen, a direct descendant of Joseph Smith, Jr....
. The prophet of the Remnant Church, President Frederick Niels Larsen
Frederick Niels Larsen
federick Niels Larsen is the President/Prophet of the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and is the great grandson of Joseph Smith....
, is a direct descendant (maternal 2nd great-grandson) of Joseph Smith, Jr. The church has its headquarters near the Temple Lot
Temple Lot
The Temple Lot, located in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, is the first site to be dedicated for the construction of a temple in the Latter Day Saint movement...
, across from the headquarters of the Community of Christ.
Godhead
The Community of Christ teaches trinitarianTrinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
principles. The LDS church sees the Godhead as composed of three physically distinct personages.
Exaltation
The LDS church does teach the principle of exaltation, which has no counterpart in the Community of Christ.Adam-God doctrine
According to Brigham YoungBrigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
, the Adam–God doctrine was first taught orally by Joseph Smith, Jr. before his death in 1844
Death of Joseph Smith, Jr.
The death of Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844 marked a turning point for the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Smith was the founder and leader. When he was attacked and killed by a mob, Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, and running for President of the United States...
. However, the evidence that Smith originated the doctrine consists of Young's own assertions, and a 1877 recollection of Anson Call
Anson Call
Anson Call was a Mormon pioneer and an early colonizer of many communities in Utah Territory and surrounding states.Born at Fletcher, Vermont, Call was baptized a member of the Church of the Latter Day Saints in 1836....
, and circumstantial evidence collected by Mormon fundamentalist writers. Since The Community of Christ was founded by the confederation of a number of smaller groups that declined to migrate with Brigham Young to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, the Adam-God doctrine has never been a part of Community of Christ teachings. While LDS leaders traditionally teach that God was once a man (fifth LDS President Lorenzo Snow), the Latter-day Saint president Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
officially denounced the Adam-God theory.
Priesthood eligibility
Community of Christ priesthood has always been open to persons of all races, and was opened to women in 1984. The LDS priesthoodPriesthood (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of humankind...
is open to males onlyThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Doctrine and Covenants: Official Declaration #2 http://scriptures.lds.org/en/od/2 and until 1978 was partially closed to people of African descent, who are sometimes viewed as "descendants of Cain".
Temple rites
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
, the Community of Christ's temples are open to the public. The LDS beliefs in and temple practice of celestial marriage
Celestial marriage
Celestial marriage is a doctrine of Mormonism, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and branches of Mormon fundamentalism.Within Mormonism, celestial marriage is an ordinance associated with a covenant that always...
and baptism for the dead
Baptism for the dead
Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism is the religious practice of baptizing a living person on behalf of one who is dead, with the living person acting as the deceased person's proxy...
have never been embraced by the Community of Christ.
Historically, the Community of Christ did include revelations in its Doctrine and Covenants, presented by Joseph Smith Jr., which sanctioned baptism for the dead and temple worship. However, the Community of Christ considered baptism for the dead conditional on the completion of the Nauvoo Temple
Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...
in a reasonable amount of time. The membership of the Church failed to do so, and therefore the right to perform baptisms for the dead was withdrawn and should be instituted only very temporarily.
Additionally, the 1970 World Conference concluded that sections 107, 109, 110, 113 and 123 (regarding baptism for the dead and temple worship) had been added between the 1835 and 1844 editions without proper approval of a church conference. The World Conference removedCommunity of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants see header those sections to a historical appendix (which also included documents that were never published as sections). The World Conference of 1990 subsequently removed the entire appendix from the Doctrine and Covenants.
Use of cross
The Community of Christ utilizes the symbol of the crossCross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
on its buildings and temples. By contrast, the LDS Church does not use the cross, stating "because the Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of His death as the symbol of our faith". However, nearly every LDS temple has a statue of the Angel Moroni. Nonetheless, the LDS Church does not consider the angel Moroni to be an official symbol of that faith and "has no policy regarding the use of statues of the angel Moroni atop temples".
Polygamy
PolygamyPolygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
has never been accepted or taught by the Community of Christ. Smith's son Joseph Smith III
Joseph Smith III
Joseph Smith III was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and Emma Hale Smith...
and widow Emma Smith challenged the evidence presented and taught that Joseph Smith Jr. opposed the practice of polygamy and was not a polygamist. Some members of the Community of Christ have accepted the viewpoint of historians that these were indeed taught and practiced by Joseph Smith Jr, but that like some of the prophets of ancient Israel, Joseph Smith Jr had a time when he followed a wrong path. Therefore most members reject these doctrinal development.
Tithing
Traditionally, the Community of Christ taught that tithing should be calculated as one-tenth of a member’s discretionary income while the LDS tithe on total income. Recently, however, the Community of Christ has adopted a program known as Disciples' Generous Response which encourages generosity as a response to God rather than as a calculated obligation.Apostasy and Restoration
The LDS church teaches that Joseph Smith, Jr. restored the fullness of the gospel after a centuries long period known as the great apostasy
Great Apostasy
The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to describe a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, especially the Papacy, because it allowed the traditional Roman mysteries and deities of solar monism such as Mithras and Sol Invictus and idol worship back into the church,...
. The LDS church is seen as a restoration of fallen Christianity. By contrast, the Community of Christ has abandoned its traditional tenet that it is the “one true church” and adopted a viewpoint that all faith traditions can offer a pathway to spiritual enlightenment
Enlightenment (spiritual)
Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
. In a recent article on the Faith and Beliefs of the Community of Christ, Barbara McFarlane Higdon called the Community of Christ a "unique member of the body of Christ
Body of Christ
In Christian theology, the term Body of Christ has two separate connotations: it may refer to Jesus's statement about the Eucharist at the Last Supper that "This is my body" in , or the explicit usage of the term by the Apostle Paul in to refer to the Christian Church.Although in general usage the...
, the universal community of believers." Higdon's article also suggests that prior claims that the church had been "restored" were tantamount to idolatry. The Community of Christ has moved towards ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
and inter-faith dialogue. Nevertheless, the Community of Christ "steadfastly affirms the primacy of continuing revelation instead of creedal rigidity..." Also, it should be noted that Community of Christ's version of the Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations (such as Section 1) that indicate that the Church is the one true church.
Other revelations make mention of the unique authority of the priesthood of the Church, and the Church of course still considers Joseph Smith Jr., to be its founder, with priesthood authority going back to him, and Smith himself received a vision
First Vision
The First Vision refers to a vision that Joseph Smith, Jr. said he received as a youth in a wooded area in Manchester, New York, which his followers call the Sacred Grove. Smith described it as a personal theophany in which he received a forgiveness of sins...
in which he was expressly taught that no church (at that time) was valid. It was for this reason that he was called by God to establish a new church, which would then, logically (being established by divine directive) be the one true church. Joseph's account of this vision is still published by the Church. Today, the Community of Christ
Community of Christ
The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
generally refers to the First Vision as the "grove experience" and takes a flexible view about its historicity, emphasizing the healing presence of God and the forgiving mercy of Jesus Christ felt by Joseph Smith.
External links
- Official Website of the Community of Christ
- Official Web site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Herald House, official publishing arm of the Community of Christ
- John Whitmer Historical Association, a scholarly society focused on Community of Christ history
- Restoration Bookstore Bookstore by restonationist fraction.