Godbeites
Encyclopedia
The Godbeites were members of the Godbeite Church, officially called the Church of Zion, organized in 1870 by William S. Godbe
. This dissident offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was aimed toward embracing all belief systems. Known for mysticism
, the church died out by the 1880s.
In 1868 Godbe and other Mormon merchants began criticizing the economic demands and policies of Brigham Young
in Utah Magazine, a periodical that would eventually become The Salt Lake Tribune
. Godbe and several other proponents were excommunicated from the church on October 25, 1869. Godbe wanted to reform the LDS Church and believed that political reform—namely breaking Young's control over secular matters in the territory—could help spur religious reform.
William S. Godbe
William Samuel Godbe was a British convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. This dissident offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was aimed toward embracing all belief systems. Known for mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, the church died out by the 1880s.
In 1868 Godbe and other Mormon merchants began criticizing the economic demands and policies of 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...
in Utah Magazine, a periodical that would eventually become The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
. Godbe and several other proponents were excommunicated from the church on October 25, 1869. Godbe wanted to reform the LDS Church and believed that political reform—namely breaking Young's control over secular matters in the territory—could help spur religious reform.