Latter Day Saint movement

The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement which began in the early 19th century and is generally considered to be founded by Joseph Smith, Jr., whom those involved in the movement regard to be a prophet. It is one of a number of movements within Restorationism, which includes the Restoration Movement and the Millerite movement. These Restorationists attempted to transcend Protestant denominationalism, and to restore what they considered a form of Christianity truer to their interpretation of the New Testament. The Latter Day Saint movement spawned many religious denominations, some of which include a set of doctrines, practices, and cultures collectively known as Mormonism, although some do not accept the designation Mormon.

Brief history

The driving force behind the Latter Day Saint movement was Joseph Smith, Jr., and to a lesser extent, during the movement's first two years, Oliver Cowdery. Joseph Smith testified to having seen Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (as two separate beings) who told him that the true church had been lost, and restored to him various keys to organize and lead the true Church of Christ. Joseph Smith, with the assistance of various scribes (to record), claimed to have translated the Book of Mormon from a set of Golden Plates.

The first Latter Day Saint church was formed in April 1830, consisting of a community of believers in the western New York towns of Fayette, Manchester, and Colesville. Like many other Restorationist churches of the time, they called themselves the Church of Christ. On April 6, 1830, this church formally organized into a legal institution under the name Church of Christ. In 1834, this institution became known as the Church of Latter Day Saints, and in 1838 the name was changed to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

From 1831 until the mid-1830's, the movement's theology and failed attempts at Christian communal living were greatly influenced by Sidney Rigdon, a minister within the Restoration Movement who had been associated with the Disciples of Christ. In the late 1830's, when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's headquarters moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, Mormon apostle Parley P. Pratt became the church's first dynamic writer of religious tracts and theological essays. William Law and several other leading Mormons publicly accused Joseph Smith of blasphemy, atheism and of being a false prophet, resulting in some schisms in the church. Many of these people later returned to the church.

Following Smith's murder by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, these and other prominent members of the church claimed to be Smith's legitimate successor resulting in a Succession Crisis. This crisis resulted in several permanent schisms, the body of the church breaking into several denominations. The two main branches of the movement are sometimes called the "Prairie Saints" (those that remained in the region) and the "Rocky Mountain Saints" (those who followed Brigham Young to what would become Utah).

Today, there are many schism organizations claiming to be a part of the Latter Day Saint movement. Most of these organizations are very small. Most Latter Day Saints belong to the largest denomination, called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which reports more than 12 million members worldwide. The second largest denomination is the more ecumenical Community of Christ which reports over 200,000 members.

Denominations through 1844

Denominations which formed prior to the death of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. include:
*Church of Christâ€"organized by Joseph Smith Jr.â€"name changed to Church of Latter Day Saints for the Kirtland portion in 1834, The entire church took on the name Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1838. See the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, below (under Rocky Mountain Saint denominations).
*The Pure Church of Christâ€"organized by Wycam Clarkâ€"1831 (defunct).
*The Church of Christ (Parrishite)â€"organized by Warren Parrishâ€"1837 (defunct).
*The Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, the Lamb's Wifeâ€"organized by George M. Hinkleâ€"1840 (defunct).
*The True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saintsâ€"organized by William Lawâ€"1844 (defunct).

"Prairie Saint" denominations

Prairie Saint denominations include:
*The Church of Christ, later called the Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zionâ€"organized by Sidney Rigdonâ€"1844. The original organization of this church dissolved by 1847.
**The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)â€"a reorganization of the Rigdonites under William Bickertonâ€"1862. This denomination continues to this day and has several thousand members worldwide.
*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)â€"organized by James J. Strangâ€"1844. Today this denomination has a following of a few hundred faithful and is headquartered in Voree (now Burlington) Wisconsin.
**The Church of Christâ€"a schism in the Strangite church organized by Aaron Smithâ€"1846 (defunct).
*The Church of Christ (Whitmerite)â€"organized by David Whitmerâ€"1847 and 1871. Extant until around 1925.
*The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite)â€"organized by Alpheus Cutlerâ€"1853. Survives today with a handful of members in Independence, Missouri.
**The Restored Church of Jesus Christ (Eugene O. Walton)â€"organized by Eugene O. Waltonâ€"1980. This church is headquartered in Independence, Missouri, USA, and has 25 members.
*The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) (Hedrickites)â€"organized by Granville Hedrickâ€"1863. Headquarted today on the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri.
**The Church of Christ with the Elijah Messageâ€"organized by Otto Fetting and William Dravesâ€"1929 and 1943. Headquartered today in Independence, Missouri, USA, on Lacy Road. A denomination which split with the Temple Lot church over reported revelations from John the Baptist.

"Rocky Mountain Saint" denominations

Rocky Mountain Saint denominations include:
*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsâ€" after the death of Joseph Smith Jr. in 1844, the Church fragmented into several groups, as a result of the fact that Smith's intentions as to who should replace him were not clear. The largest of these groups aligned with Brigham Young. Today this organization (note the difference in spelling) is, according to its members, the original church founded by Joseph Smith, and is the group popularly known as "the Mormons" (a term not used by most (if not all) other Latter Day Saint denominations). However, other groups, including the Community of Christ (see below) reject such claims of legitimacy based on the fact that Young's group allegedly changed church doctrine (even in conflict with church scripture) and rejected Smith's own charge that his son was to be his successor (although it must be noted that there is some confusion over whether or not he actually did so). Furtheremore, all those who followed Young were required to be re-baptized during a period known as Mormon Reformation (1856-1857), and, if holding priesthood office, re-ordained. This, in conjunction with the alleged doctrinal changes and rejection of the succession laws is ample evidence for some Latter Day Saint groups that, despite having the largest following, and a majority of the apostles alive at the time of Smith's death, Young's faction ceased to be the true church and essentially became a new religion, severing itself from the church established by Smith. At least one of the many Latter Day Saint denominations, the Community of Christ (see below) was declared (twice) in a court of law to be the true continuation of Smith's church, in the Kirkland Temple case, and the Temple Lot case (the failure by the then RLDS church to be awarded the Temple Lot in the city of Independence MO., was a result of an appeal made by the current occupants, but this did not overturn the original ruling that the RLDS was the direct continuation of Smith's Church). This situation can be compared to the concept of the Orthodox Church rejecting the concept of having left, or broken away from the Roman Church, and in fact viewing it as the exact opposite, that for matters of apostasy, corruption, etc., the latter became a dead work, making the former a remnant of the true church. Despite possible problems with its legitimacy, the Brigham Young faction swiftly became (and overwhelmingly remains) the largest Latter Day Saint denomination, with over 12 million members worldwide (2004)[1]
**The Church of the First Bornâ€"organized by Joseph Morrisâ€"1861. Probably defunct, remnants of this organization survived into the mid-20th century.
**The Church of Zionâ€"organized by William S. Godbeâ€"1868 (defunct).
**The Apostolic United Brethrenâ€"organized by Lorin C. Woolley in the 1920s. Headquarters in Bluffdale, Utah.
**The Kingston clanâ€"organized by Thomas R. Kingâ€"1926. A large group of Latter Day Saints who practice plural marriage.
**The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saintsâ€"organized by John Y. Barlowâ€"1935. Headquartered in Colorado City, Arizona, this is the largest group of Latter Day Saints who practice plural marriage.
** The Aaronic Orderâ€"organized by Maurice L. Glendenning in 1942. Its web site is http://houseofaaron.org/.
** The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ-founded by Antonio A. Feliz in 1985.
**The New Covenant Church of Godâ€"organized by Christopher C. Warrenâ€"1986.
**The True & Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Daysâ€"organized by James D. Harmstonâ€"1994. Headquartered in Manti, Utah, this is a relatively small group that practices plural marriage.
**Reform Mormonismâ€"founded 2002. A home-based, non-ecclesiastical, progressive branch of Mormonism with unique liturgy and holidays.

see also: Polygamous Mormon fundamentalists

Plural marriage is illegal in most western states and against the policy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. See also Polygamy

For a discussion of the usage of "Mormon," "Latter Day Saint," "Latter-day Saint," and related terms, see Mormon.

RLDS / Community of Christ denominations (also generally considered "Prairie Saints")

*The Community of Christ, previously known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saintsâ€"based on the Church of Christ organized by Joseph Smith Jr. in 1830, reorganized (after a period of disunity following the selection of Brigham Young as president by most of the Church membership) by Joseph Smith III with a small remnant in 1860. This movement gathered together many followers of other Latter Day Saint denominations. Based in Independence, Missouri, the Community of Christ is the second largest Latter Day Saint denomination. Its members are of the position that it is, despite its reorganization and occasional name change, the original church established by Joseph Smith II, based on the belief that all other groups (including the large following under Brigham Young) distorted the doctrine of the original church, or aligned with someone who lacked authority to replace Smith. This position is supported by the fact the Church has on two occasions been declared by a court of law to in fact be the legal continuation of the church established by Joseph Smith Jr.
**Independent RLDS/Restoration Branchesâ€"a schismatic movement composed of RLDS branches that became independent of the official church organization in the 1980s because they oppose what they perceive as doctrinal and organizational changes within the church.
**The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saintsâ€"organized by Frederick Niels Larsonâ€"2000, chiefly from former members of the Community of Christ who oppose what they consider to be recent doctrinal innovations.
**The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saintsâ€"organized by several RLDS seventiesâ€"1989. Headquartered in Independence, Missouri, USA. Its web site is restorationchurch.net.

References

*Steven L. Shields, Divergent Paths of the Restoration: A History of the Latter Day Saint Movement, Los Angeles: 1990.

External links

*The official site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints
*The official site of Community of Christ
*The Mormonites: Their Churches and Schisms
*Mormon Transhumanist Association

Latter Day Saint movement: Encyclopedia BETA

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