.gif)
Church of Christ (Temple Lot)
Encyclopedia
The Church of Christ is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement
headquartered in Independence
, Missouri
on what is known as the Temple Lot
. Members of the church have been known colloquially as "Hedrickites", after Granville Hedrick
, who was ordained as the church's first leader in July 1863. Unlike The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Community of Christ
, the Temple Lot church rejects the office of prophet or president
, being led by its Quorum of Twelve Apostles instead. It equally rejects the doctrines of Baptism for the Dead
and Eternal Marriage promulgated by the Utah LDS church, as well as the Doctrine and Covenants
and Pearl of Great Price. While once avidly engaged in dialogue with other Latter Day Saint factions, the church no longer has any official contact with any other organization. Its most notable claim to fame today rests in its sole ownership of the Temple Lot, which it has held for nearly 150 years. Current membership is about 2400, with members in 11 or 12 countries.
(formerly the RLDS Church). After the assassination of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844, several leaders vied for control and established rival organizations. By the 1860s, five early Mormon
branches found themselves unaffiliated with any larger group. Located in Bloomington
, Illinois
, Crow Creek, Illinois
, Half Moon Prairie, Illinois
, Eagle Creek, Illinois
, and Vermillion
, Indiana
, these branches united under the leadership of Granville Hedrick
in May 1863. On July 18, 1863 Hedrick was ordained as "President, Prophet, Seer and Revelator". Participating in Hedrick's ordination was John E. Page
who had been an Apostle under Joseph Smith. The Church of Christ and the LDS Church both affirm a founding date of April 6, 1830, in Fayette, New York
, each claiming to be the sole legitimate continuance of that organization. Hedrick later distanced himself from the title of "President", as he ultimately came to believe that this was an unscriptural office.
At the time of its commencement in 1863, Hedrick's retained the name of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" for his organization, reflecting his insistence that it was a continuation of Joseph Smith's church. This was soon shortened to "Church of Christ", however, as this had been the name under which Joseph Smith originally incorporated in 1830. They also wished to distinguish themselves from the church in Utah
, members of whom are often referred to by Hedrickites as "Utah Mormons
" or "Brighamites", because they followed Brigham Young
to Utah Territory
in 1847.
, Missouri
known as the Temple Lot
. This grassy, 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) plot is considered by Latter Day Saints of nearly all persuasions to be the site designated by Smith for the temple of the New Jerusalem
, a sacred city to be built preparatory to the Second Coming
of Jesus Christ. The Hedrickites returned to Independence in 1867 to purchase lots for this temple in the name of the "Church of Christ" and have been headquartered there ever since. In 1891, the church was sued
by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (today called the Community of Christ) for title to the property. The RLDS Church won at trial, but this decision was later reversed on appeal. In the 1930s, the Temple Lot church excavated the site in an attempt to build a temple, but their efforts stalled because of the Great Depression
and internal disputes, and the excavation was filled in 1946. The lot was re-landscaped, and is today occupied only by the church's headquarters and a few trees in its northeast corner. No further plans to erect such an edifice have been announced as of 2009.
". He was detained by police but released a few days later. Early on September 5, 1898, he set fire to the tiny headquarters building, and then walked to the police station and turned himself in. After he testified in court appearances in November 1898 Pattison was found guilty but insane and sentenced to a stay in a mental institution. The building was reconstructed in 1905.
On January 1, 1990, a member of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) who had recently also joined the LDS Church, set fire to the unoccupied church building on the Temple Lot, claiming that his actions were part of a political protest
and a prophecy
that war was coming to America. The fire caused significant damage to the second story
of the building, although the first floor containing church records and documents remained intact. On February 1, 1990, the remainder of the building was razed. Construction of a new headquarters building began in August 1990. Smith was convicted by a jury of second-degree arson
and breaking and entering
on January 16, 1991.
to Otto Fetting
, an apostle of the church. While the first eleven of these missives were accepted by the Temple Lot membership, the twelfth was rejected, leading Fetting to withdraw with a portion of the membership and found The Church of Christ (Fettingite)
. The Temple Lot organization retained the church name and properties, including the Temple Lot.
Fetting's organization later divided after his death into three factions: the first followed the teachings of Apostle S. T. Bronson and accepted a Saturday Sabbath; the second rejected Bronson's teachings while remaining faithful to Fetting's. The third faction was composed of adherents of William Draves, who claimed that the "Messenger" was appearing to him after Fetting's death. Draves' adherents would form the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message
, which later gave birth to other sects.
Another sect breaking with the Temple Lot church was the Church of Christ (Hancock)
, founded in 1946 by Pauline Hancock
, who had resigned from the Temple Lot church due to her disagreements with that organization over their view of the Godhead
. This church initially accepted only the King James Bible and Book of Mormon, though it rejected the latter in 1973 and formally dissolved itself in 1984. Hancock was the first woman to found and lead a church in the Latter Day Saint movement
.
Although all of these sects (with the exception of the last) have similar core beliefs—reflected in their use of the same "Articles of Faith and Practice"—none of them recognizes the others as legitimate.
as a prophet
of God, they do not necessarily accept everything that Smith taught or claimed as revelation. One distinct difference between them and other Latter Day Saint churches lies in their rejection of the office of President of the Church. Instead of a president-prophet, the Church of Christ is led by its Quorum of Twelve Apostles, with all members of that body being considered equal in precedence and authority. Members of the Temple Lot church believe that Smith was wrong to assume the office of church president, an office they deem to not have been provided for in either the Bible
or the Book of Mormon
, their two scriptural standards. Although Granville Hedrick was ordained to be president of his church in 1863, he later repudiated this ordination, even referring to Smith as a "fallen prophet".
Like the LDS church (but unlike the Community of Christ
), the Temple Lot church limits its priesthood offices to men only.
and Oliver Cowdery
on May 15 of 1829 when a messenger came to them and ordained them in the Priesthood of Aaron, "which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness". The messenger identified himself as John the Baptist and said that he came to them on behalf of Peter, James and John. In Smiths account he and Cowdrey were baptized and were given the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood. During this visitation the two where also called to be the first and second elder of the church and given authority to baptize by water. The messenger told them that the priesthood they were ordained to did not hold the keys of conferring the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that authority would be conferred upon them later. Smith and Cowdery kept these encounters secret and they were not published until 1838.
and the Pearl of Great Price, as well as Joseph Smith's Inspired Version of the Bible, preferring to use only the King James Bible and the Book of Mormon
as doctrinal standards. The Book of Commandments
is accepted as being superior to the Doctrine and Covenants as a compendium of Joseph Smith's early revelations (due to changes effected in many Doctrine and Covenants sections that had earlier been printed in the Book of Commandments), but is not accorded the same status as the Bible or Book of Mormon. The Church of Christ publishes its own edition of the Book of Mormon, identical in chaptering and versification to versions printed by the Community of Christ. The Word of the Lord
, used by the Fettingite and Elijah Message organizations (who broke off from the Temple Lot church), is rejected; however, the Temple Lot church maintains an openeness to the idea that revelation might conceivably come to any member of the church at any time, whether male or female, holder of the priesthood or not.
, eternal marriage, polygamy
and the eternal progression doctrine are all rejected. The offices of High Priest and Patriarch are rejected, as well, as being "doctrinal innovations" not sanctioned in the Bible, Book of Mormon or Book of Commandments.
to show himself and "endow his servants whom he chooses with power to preach the gospel in all the world to every kindred, tongue, and people, that the promise of God to Israel may be fulfilled". They do not accept the legitimacy of the Community of Christ's Independence Temple
located across the street from the Temple Lot, nor of any temples constructed by the LDS church.
, a leading figure of early Mormonism who was expelled from Joseph Smith's church in 1838. In 1887, Whitmer published a pamphlet
deeply critical of Sidney Rigdon
and Smith. This pamphlet, entitled An Address to all Believers in Christ, is widely read and promoted among membership of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) today, and is on sale in the lobby of its headquarters building. In it, Whitmer repeatedly claims that Smith had "fallen"—or began to "fall"—from his Divine calling almost as soon as the church was established in 1830, or perhaps even before then. Whitmer's reasoning includes his charge that Smith was to have "pretended to no other gift" except the translation of the Book of Mormon
, and was never to be more than a "first elder" among "fellow elders" in the fledgling church.
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
headquartered in Independence
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
on what is known as 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...
. Members of the church have been known colloquially as "Hedrickites", after Granville Hedrick
Granville Hedrick
Granville Hedrick was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession crisis. In 1863, Hedrick became the founding leader of the Church of Christ , which is one of many churches that claim to be a continuation of the Church of Christ founded by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, who was ordained as the church's first leader in July 1863. Unlike The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and 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"...
, the Temple Lot church rejects the office of prophet or president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
, being led by its Quorum of Twelve Apostles instead. It equally rejects the doctrines of 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...
and Eternal Marriage promulgated by the Utah LDS church, as well as the Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
and Pearl of Great Price. While once avidly engaged in dialogue with other Latter Day Saint factions, the church no longer has any official contact with any other organization. Its most notable claim to fame today rests in its sole ownership of the Temple Lot, which it has held for nearly 150 years. Current membership is about 2400, with members in 11 or 12 countries.
Origins
The Temple Lot church shares its early history with the larger Latter Day Saint denominations, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and the Community of ChristCommunity 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 RLDS Church). After the assassination of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844, several leaders vied for control and established rival organizations. By the 1860s, five early Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
branches found themselves unaffiliated with any larger group. Located in Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Crow Creek, Illinois
Marshall County, Illinois
The median income for a household in the county was $41,576, and the median income for a family was $48,061. Males had a median income of $35,765 versus $21,452 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,065...
, Half Moon Prairie, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Eagle Creek, Illinois
Gallatin County, Illinois
Gallatin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,589, which is a decrease of 13.3% from 6,445 in 2000...
, and Vermillion
Vermillion County, Indiana
Vermillion County lies in western Indiana between the Illinois border and the Wabash River. It was officially established in 1824 and was the 50th Indiana county to be formed. It is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Newport.According to the 2010...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, these branches united under the leadership of Granville Hedrick
Granville Hedrick
Granville Hedrick was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession crisis. In 1863, Hedrick became the founding leader of the Church of Christ , which is one of many churches that claim to be a continuation of the Church of Christ founded by Joseph Smith, Jr...
in May 1863. On July 18, 1863 Hedrick was ordained as "President, Prophet, Seer and Revelator". Participating in Hedrick's ordination was John E. Page
John E. Page
John Edward Page was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement.Born in 1799 in Trenton, New York, Page was the son of Ebenezer and Rachael Page. He was baptized into the Church of Christ, established by Joseph Smith, Jr., in Brownhelm, Ohio in August 1833 by missionary Emer Harris, brother...
who had been an Apostle under Joseph Smith. The Church of Christ and the LDS Church both affirm a founding date of April 6, 1830, in Fayette, New York
Fayette, New York
Fayette is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 3,643 at the 2000 census.The Town of Fayette is on the western border of the county and is southeast of Geneva, New York.- History :...
, each claiming to be the sole legitimate continuance of that organization. Hedrick later distanced himself from the title of "President", as he ultimately came to believe that this was an unscriptural office.
At the time of its commencement in 1863, Hedrick's retained the name of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" for his organization, reflecting his insistence that it was a continuation of Joseph Smith's church. This was soon shortened to "Church of Christ", however, as this had been the name under which Joseph Smith originally incorporated in 1830. They also wished to distinguish themselves from the church in 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...
, members of whom are often referred to by Hedrickites as "Utah Mormons
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
" or "Brighamites", because they followed Brigham Young
Brigham 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 Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
in 1847.
The Temple Lot
The church currently occupies a property in IndependenceIndependence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
known as 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...
. This grassy, 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) plot is considered by Latter Day Saints of nearly all persuasions to be the site designated by Smith for the temple of the New Jerusalem
New Jerusalem
In the book of Ezekiel, the Prophecy of New Jerusalem is Ezekiel's prophetic vision of a city to be established to the south of the Temple Mount that will be inhabited by the twelve tribes of Israel in the...
, a sacred city to be built preparatory to the Second Coming
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
of Jesus Christ. The Hedrickites returned to Independence in 1867 to purchase lots for this temple in the name of the "Church of Christ" and have been headquartered there ever since. In 1891, the church was sued
Temple Lot Case
The Temple Lot Case also known as the Temple Lot Suit and formally known as "The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, complainant, vs. the Church of Christ at Independence, Missouri" was a United States legal case in the 1890s which addressed legal ownership of the Temple Lot, a...
by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (today called the Community of Christ) for title to the property. The RLDS Church won at trial, but this decision was later reversed on appeal. In the 1930s, the Temple Lot church excavated the site in an attempt to build a temple, but their efforts stalled because of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and internal disputes, and the excavation was filled in 1946. The lot was re-landscaped, and is today occupied only by the church's headquarters and a few trees in its northeast corner. No further plans to erect such an edifice have been announced as of 2009.
Church burnings
In July 1898, W. D. C. Pattison, a suspended member of the LDS Church from Boston, Massachusetts, was arrested and briefly detained after attempting to remove a fence placed around the Temple Lot. Late in the following month, he reportedly demanded that church officials sign ownership of the property over to him because he believed he was the "One Mighty and StrongOne Mighty and Strong
One Mighty and Strong is a person of unknown identity who was the subject of an 1832 prophecy by Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, echoing the words and prophecy of Isaiah 28:2. The One Mighty and Strong was said by Smith to be one who would "set in order the house of...
". He was detained by police but released a few days later. Early on September 5, 1898, he set fire to the tiny headquarters building, and then walked to the police station and turned himself in. After he testified in court appearances in November 1898 Pattison was found guilty but insane and sentenced to a stay in a mental institution. The building was reconstructed in 1905.
On January 1, 1990, a member of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) who had recently also joined the LDS Church, set fire to the unoccupied church building on the Temple Lot, claiming that his actions were part of a political protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
and a prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
that war was coming to America. The fire caused significant damage to the second story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
of the building, although the first floor containing church records and documents remained intact. On February 1, 1990, the remainder of the building was razed. Construction of a new headquarters building began in August 1990. Smith was convicted by a jury of second-degree arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
and breaking and entering
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
on January 16, 1991.
Divisions
In 1929, the Temple Lot church split between adherents and opponents of a series of "messages" allegedly given by John the BaptistJohn the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
to Otto Fetting
Otto Fetting
Otto Fetting was an American realtor and editor from Port Huron, Michigan who served first as a pastor and evangelist in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and then later as an apostle in the Church of Christ , commonly referred to as the "Hedrickites"...
, an apostle of the church. While the first eleven of these missives were accepted by the Temple Lot membership, the twelfth was rejected, leading Fetting to withdraw with a portion of the membership and found The Church of Christ (Fettingite)
Church of Christ (Fettingite)
The Church of Christ is a denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement which split from the Church of Christ —informally known as "Hedrickites"— in late 1929...
. The Temple Lot organization retained the church name and properties, including the Temple Lot.
Fetting's organization later divided after his death into three factions: the first followed the teachings of Apostle S. T. Bronson and accepted a Saturday Sabbath; the second rejected Bronson's teachings while remaining faithful to Fetting's. The third faction was composed of adherents of William Draves, who claimed that the "Messenger" was appearing to him after Fetting's death. Draves' adherents would form the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message
Church of Christ with the Elijah Message
The Church of Christ "With the Elijah Message," Established Anew 1929 is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement, headquartered in Jackson County, Missouri, which split from the Church of Christ in 1943 in a dispute over claimed revelations given to its founder William A. Draves...
, which later gave birth to other sects.
Another sect breaking with the Temple Lot church was the Church of Christ (Hancock)
Church of Christ (Hancock)
The Church of Christ , also known as the Basement Church, the Church of Christ and the Church of Christ was a sect of the Latter Day Saint movement founded in Independence, Missouri in 1946 by Pauline Hancock...
, founded in 1946 by Pauline Hancock
Pauline Hancock
Pauline Bailey Hancock was the founder of the Church of Christ in Independence, Missouri in 1946, and was the first woman to found and lead a denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement...
, who had resigned from the Temple Lot church due to her disagreements with that organization over their view of the Godhead
Godhead
Godhead , may refer to:*Deity*Divinity, the quality of being God*Conceptions of God*Godhead , the totality of gods, in Platonism the Transcendent One....
. This church initially accepted only the King James Bible and Book of Mormon, though it rejected the latter in 1973 and formally dissolved itself in 1984. Hancock was the first woman to found and lead a church in the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
.
Although all of these sects (with the exception of the last) have similar core beliefs—reflected in their use of the same "Articles of Faith and Practice"—none of them recognizes the others as legitimate.
Church leadership
Although the Temple Lot church accepts the veracity of Joseph SmithJoseph Smith
Joseph Smith was founder of what later became known as the Latter Day Saint movement or Mormons.Joseph Smith may also refer to:-Latter Day Saints:* Joseph Smith, Sr. , father of Joseph Smith...
as a prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
of God, they do not necessarily accept everything that Smith taught or claimed as revelation. One distinct difference between them and other Latter Day Saint churches lies in their rejection of the office of President of the Church. Instead of a president-prophet, the Church of Christ is led by its Quorum of Twelve Apostles, with all members of that body being considered equal in precedence and authority. Members of the Temple Lot church believe that Smith was wrong to assume the office of church president, an office they deem to not have been provided for in either the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
or 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...
, their two scriptural standards. Although Granville Hedrick was ordained to be president of his church in 1863, he later repudiated this ordination, even referring to Smith as a "fallen prophet".
Like the LDS church (but unlike 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"...
), the Temple Lot church limits its priesthood offices to men only.
Authority
The Church of Christ Temple Lot assumes its authority from the account of Joseph SmithJoseph Smith, Sr.
Joseph Smith, Sr. was the father of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Joseph Sr. was also one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe was translated by Joseph Jr. from the Golden Plates. In 1833 Joseph Sr...
and Oliver Cowdery
Oliver Cowdery
Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
on May 15 of 1829 when a messenger came to them and ordained them in the Priesthood of Aaron, "which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness". The messenger identified himself as John the Baptist and said that he came to them on behalf of Peter, James and John. In Smiths account he and Cowdrey were baptized and were given the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood. During this visitation the two where also called to be the first and second elder of the church and given authority to baptize by water. The messenger told them that the priesthood they were ordained to did not hold the keys of conferring the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that authority would be conferred upon them later. Smith and Cowdery kept these encounters secret and they were not published until 1838.
The Only True Church
The Church of Christ Temple Lot believes that it is the only true church in the modern world and that all other churches are an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. As published on the official church website "There is no other authority to represent the Kingdom of God on the earth in modern times, nor had there been in the churches for 1260 years prior to 1830".Scriptures
The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) rejects 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...
and the Pearl of Great Price, as well as Joseph Smith's Inspired Version of the Bible, preferring to use only the King James Bible and 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...
as doctrinal standards. The Book of Commandments
Book of Commandments
The Book of Commandments is the earliest published volume said to contain the revelations of Joseph Smith Jr. Text published in the Book of Commandments is now considered scripture by Latter-day Saints as part of the larger Doctrine and Covenants....
is accepted as being superior to the Doctrine and Covenants as a compendium of Joseph Smith's early revelations (due to changes effected in many Doctrine and Covenants sections that had earlier been printed in the Book of Commandments), but is not accorded the same status as the Bible or Book of Mormon. The Church of Christ publishes its own edition of the Book of Mormon, identical in chaptering and versification to versions printed by the Community of Christ. The Word of the Lord
The Word of the Lord
The Word of the Lord refers to one of two books of scripture used by certain factions of the Latter Day Saint movement. The first book, simply entitled The Word of the Lord, is used by members of the Church of Christ , the Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff and the Church of Christ...
, used by the Fettingite and Elijah Message organizations (who broke off from the Temple Lot church), is rejected; however, the Temple Lot church maintains an openeness to the idea that revelation might conceivably come to any member of the church at any time, whether male or female, holder of the priesthood or not.
Other distinctives
Baptism for the DeadBaptism 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...
, eternal marriage, polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
and the eternal progression doctrine are all rejected. The offices of High Priest and Patriarch are rejected, as well, as being "doctrinal innovations" not sanctioned in the Bible, Book of Mormon or Book of Commandments.
Temples
Temple Lot church members still believe that a temple will be reared on the Temple Lot, but it will not be like any of the LDS or Community of Christ temples currently in use. Rather, it has been generally described by the Temple Lot organization as a place for JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
to show himself and "endow his servants whom he chooses with power to preach the gospel in all the world to every kindred, tongue, and people, that the promise of God to Israel may be fulfilled". They do not accept the legitimacy of the Community of Christ's 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...
located across the street from the Temple Lot, nor of any temples constructed by the LDS church.
David Whitmer
Doctrines of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) are heavily influenced by the writings of David WhitmerDavid Whitmer
David Whitmer was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates.-Early life:...
, a leading figure of early Mormonism who was expelled from Joseph Smith's church in 1838. In 1887, Whitmer published a pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
deeply critical of Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...
and Smith. This pamphlet, entitled An Address to all Believers in Christ, is widely read and promoted among membership of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) today, and is on sale in the lobby of its headquarters building. In it, Whitmer repeatedly claims that Smith had "fallen"—or began to "fall"—from his Divine calling almost as soon as the church was established in 1830, or perhaps even before then. Whitmer's reasoning includes his charge that Smith was to have "pretended to no other gift" except the translation 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 was never to be more than a "first elder" among "fellow elders" in the fledgling church.
External links
- Church of Christ. Official church website.
- A Synopsis of the Church of Christ Beliefs and Practices as Compared to Other Latter Day Saint Churches. Comparison of beliefs between the Temple Lot, Community of Christ and LDS churches, written by an apostle in the Temple Lot organization.