A Member Of The Community Of Christ Church Defends The Book Of Mormon

When I received the email from the Baptist minister, he either made reference or had a link that made me aware of a member of the Reorganized Church who had written a book defending the Book of Mormon. He titled his book, “The Book of Mormon, An Inconvenient Truth.” I believe that if someone believes the Book of Mormon, then it follows that Joseph Smith is a prophet and the Church is God’s restored Church on the earth today. So I am always curious when I hear of someone who believes in the Book of Mormon and but are not members of the Church. I emailed this individual and he was good enough to respond to me. I found his response interesting.

Richard,

My name is Elder Anderson and I am serving as a Senior Missionary in Mound City, Kansas for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We have met with several members of the Community of Christ. They are all really good people, and many are questioning all the changes in that Church. I found information that you wrote a book titled, "The Book of Mormon, An Inconvenient Truth." I am pleased to see that you and others are still testifying of the Book of Mormon. I know of some former members of the Community of Christ that have joined our Church. I know that others broke off and formed separate groups. However I am curious why you and others in the Community of Christ who seem to be maintaining the founding doctrines taught by Joseph Smith, have not joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? 

Elder Anderson

Jun 25 (8 days ago)

Rich Rupe
to me

Hi Jay (hope it’s ok to address you by your first name),

It’s good to hear from you. Good question on your part.

I guess I’m just stubborn. I still feel that there is much

potential in the C of C where many still believe in spite

of the deviations of our leadership. At the end of this

email I want to include a testimony that I believe will

partially help you understand where I’m coming from.

I have much respect for the LDS and have had quite a bit

of contact with scholars such as Royal Skousen, Terryl

Givens and Grant Hardy. They have all been a great help

to me in my studies of the Book of Mormon.

Every time I give ministry in the church I feel like I’m

proclaiming the truth of the Restoration to a fertile field.

I feel like I’m doing more good by staying than I could by

leaving, if that makes any sense. I feel like God is going to

redeem the church and ultimately make clear the path

ahead to all groups in the Restoration – that ultimately

He will be bringing us all back together (see testimony

below).

This past Spring, we had a Book of Mormon Conference in

Independence where several came from BYU, and along with

other groups in the Independence area, we had a marvelous

time where the spirit was very strong. It gave us all much

encouragement.

I believe that all groups have errored (see testimony below)

and only God can put us back together. My

principal objection to the LDS is that of celestial marriage

in your section 132. I know this is attributed to Joseph

Smith but was kept secret for almost 10 years. I don’t

believe that Joseph was the author of that; and even if he was,

it would still be wrong in my opinion. I believe there’s a statement

that goes something like this, “As man is, God once was;

as God is, man may become.”  This implies to me that man

can become gods.

Having said the above, I have much admiration for your

church and I really look forward to the time in which we’ll

all be together.

My heart goes out to those C of C members you’ve been

reaching out to. I too, am aware of many who have formed

groups in the home or have joined the LDS or other

Restoration groups. These are hard times for believers in

the C of C, including myself and my friends.

I am writing another book which should

be out sometime this Fall. I am calling it: Book of Mormon

Insights: God’s Plan of Salvation.

I wish you well in your endeavors.

Rich Rupe

A mother (C of C member) was concerned with whether she should allow her children to attend a local Mormon church, or a Restoration branch further away, or a local liberal Community of Christ church. In her concern she asked the Evangelist for a special blessing. The Evangelist related that God’s answer was to the point and somewhat surprising:

The adversary has moved into the Restoration movement and scattered the sheep as a wolf, tearing them to pieces. All of them now suffer strife and adversity because the adversary is working among them all. This is the fate of the church as revealed to Joseph Smith Jr. long ago that there would be a desolation and abomination starting in His own home. We now are witnessing the fruits of this event. Many in leadership and priesthood serve for their own desires and do not prosper the Kingdom. Consequently many have lost their authority to act for Me. Therefore a new restoration must occur and a new dedication to My Spirit must take place in order for My Church to unite and rise up and become what was first intended for the Church from the beginning. Therefore she was not to concern herself with which church, but instead which one still taught the fundamental concepts of the Book of Mormon and the truth of Jesus Christ for her family and children to absorb (emphasis added).

Club House Manager Is a Community of Christ Pastor, I Think

We have had several visits with the security officer at the Club house who is a member of the Community of Christ Church. I have felt for some time we should try to talk to his boss who, I believe is a Pastor of that Church. Last week I was able to create an opportunity to approach the Club House Manager and ask him if he would be willing to meet with us, since our two Churches share the same early church history. I found an excuse to go over to the club house to get some information and so I was able to talk with the Club house manager. I asked him if he would be willing to meet with us. He said he didn’t think either of us would change what we believe, but he did agree to meet with us. I told him we have family coming in this week, so I suggested we try to meet the following week. 

Some of the Changes in the Community of Christ Church

Whether its NBA player Jason Collins coming out as gay, or another politician explaining his “evolving” views on sexuality, recent news headlines seem to reveal Americans’ rapidly changing attitudes toward sexual orientation.

Here in Kansas City, the Community of Christ church recently added its voice to the chorus of those in favor of equal treatment for gays and lesbians. Two weeks ago, delegates from across the country came to the church’s world headquarters in Independence and voted to allow same-sex marriage and the ordination of gay and lesbians ministers in its US churches.

In 1844, the group now known as Community of Christ began to diverge from the majority of the Latter day Saints followers. Since that time, the Community of Christ group has shifted dramatically in policy from the larger Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon church. Until 2001, Community of Christ was known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Both Latter-day Saints churches hold the book of Mormon as a sacred text, and recognize Joseph Smith Jr. as a prophet, but over the decades, Community of Christ policies have shifted to allow ordination of women and open communion, among other changes.

While Smith and the leaders who followed him are recognized as prophets, the church’s concept of prophets has changed over the years. Today, democracy is an important part of the church’s policy-making process.

“Our understanding of our prophetic role has expanded,” explains Linda Booth, who is one of the church's 12 apostles. “And we now understand that we’re not just a people with a prophet who brings to us divine counsel, but we’re also a people that are called to be vulnerable to the Holy Spirit and to one another and allow ourselves to be prophetic as well.”

Linda Booth sits in a meeting room inside the church’s towering silver-spiral Temple in Independence. She describes how the democratic process lead the church to what may be its biggest-ever policy change.

Traditionally, Community of Christ, which has more than 250,000 members in 61 countries, has not allowed same-sex marriage and required gay and lesbian clergy to be celibate. But at the 2010 world conference, the leadership of several countries, Australia and Canada, in particular, wanted to reconsider that policy. But not every country was ready for the discussion.

“This issue having to do with same gender is very controversial and very harmful to talk about for people who live in, for example, in some of the nations we have Community of Christ in Africa, as well, quite honestly, in Central and South America and Haiti and several countries like that. And so the decision by the body was made that it was best handled culturally in different nations, rather than bringing it to the full body to make a decision.”

After the world conference, the US church decided to start what it called a journey of faith to determine what its own policy should be. At churches throughout the country, leaders spoke with congregations about the issues. And during the recent weekend of April 19th through 21st, the representatives returned to Independence to debate and vote on a new policy.

“The body of those delegates determined that it was time for us to extend the sacrament of marriage to people in same-gender relationships in states where it’s legal,” says Booth. “To provide a covenant marriage-type ceremony or a covenant ceremony in places where marriage is not legal in states.  As well as to provide opportunities for ordination of a person in a long-term – such as marriage or covenant – relationship to be ordained.”

The policy change will make Community of Christ the first major Latter-day Saints church to allow same-sex marriage and gay or lesbian clergy.

Several of the church’s doctrinal changes have led to members leaving the church. Since 1980, at least seven groups have left Community of Christ to form their own churches. The renewed possibility of this kind of fractioning has been a concern during the new policy discussion.

“We have developed what we call ‘faithful disagreement,’” says Booth.

She says they recognize there will always be issues that they do not agree on and have put together resources to help people through the change.

"Even though we might disagree on something, our love for one another and our love for the church should be greater than those disagreements," Booth says. "So we’re providing very loving support and space for people who are struggling with this issue.”

She explains that Community of Christ clergy members will be allowed to decide for themselves whether they will administer same-sex wedding ceremonies. However, this concession hasn’t been enough for some members.

Linda Booth says a few congregants and clergy members have already left the church following the decision. The vote brought tears of sadness from some, but many more have been celebrating what she calls a new understanding within the church.

“We, as Community of Christ,” Linda Booth says, “Are becoming what our name really means: a community that is very welcoming, that all people are welcome around the table.”

The Community of Christ will spend the next year determining the details of the new policy. After that, the policy will be tested for a year before becoming official.

This story was produced for KC Currents, which airs Sundays at 5pm with a repeat Mondays at 8pm. To listen on your own schedule, subscribe to the KC Currents podcast.

Meeting with the Security Person for the Lake Community

When we first arrived here in Mound City we started our early morning walks around the golf course. I remember going into the clubhouse and introducing ourselves. That’s where people congregate in the mornings for coffee, breakfast and or just to visit. One of the very first people we met was the Security person for the golf course and lake community. We found him to be very personable and friendly. He is also involved in the monthly social activities they hold at the clubhouse. We had never really talked to him about the church other that saying we wanted to offer to help anyone interested with their family history. I believe I mentioned in a previous post, that about a month ago the young missionaries who serve in the neighboring town where he lives tracted him out. He told them that he knew us and that he belonged to the Community of Christ Church ( formerly Reorganized Church). The elders arraigned for him to meet with us on two different occasions, however each time he had conflicts come up and was not able to make it. We visited with him at the New Years Eve Karaoke social and as we were about to leave, I mentioned to him that we still would like to meet with him. He indicated that he would be willing to do that. So last week I called him up and invited him to come by the house to meet with us and the young elders. He agreed, and was able to make it to the appointment this time.

We had a good visit, he shared a little about his youth. He grew up in a very rough part of Kansas City. He said that in his high school which included a large minority population if you had a pair of tennis shoes or shirt or coat that someone else liked, you had better be able to stand up for yourself  and defend yourself or someone would take it from you. As a youth he took up boxing and was a golden glove boxer, which apparently came in handy because he got in a number of fights and scuffles. During his senior year of high school he got into trouble and was kicked out of school. When he went before the judge he was told that he could either be incarcerated or enlist in the military. He chose to join the marines. I believe he completed his military service. He shared with us a little about meeting his wife and how her parents didn’t think their daughter should be dating him. He was working at the time collecting gambling debts for the Italians. The parents of his wife to be were members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He eventually married his wife over the objection of her parents. It sounds like it took a year or so before his wife’s parents came around to thinking he might be alright. Even though he grew up Baptist, he ended up attending the Reorganized Church with his wife and eventually joined that church. He was later called to be in their priesthood, he said he didn’t think anyone would vote for him when his name was presented. I assume they do something similar to what we do when we sustain someone with a new calling. I may have misunderstood but it almost sounded like if you didn’t get the votes you didn’t get in. I believe he said that everyone voted in favor of him. He said he has taught the youth and had responsibility for the choir in their church. I could see why they would put him in the Choir since he has a very good singing voice. He said that when he joined the reorganized church he was impressed with what was taught because they professed to be the one true church. (I thought if he joined our church that part wouldn’t change) They have made many doctrinal and other changes in recent years, which has caused some members to question those decisions. This has created splinter groups and some of their ministers have chosen not to go along with the decisions of the main body.

We had a good visit with him and he has agreed to meet with us and allow us to share our beliefs. Sister Anderson had given him a “He is the Gift” card and he said he watched the video. He mentioned that he had done some searching on the web to get some information on us. We found him to be an interesting person to talk to, he seems to have overcame the challenges and obstacles that typically present themselves when growing up in very rough neighborhoods. My impression is that he is a good and caring husband and father. His children are raised and his wife is currently experiencing some significant health issues. I believe the restored gospel would be a blessing to him and his family as it is to all of those who make a decision to follow the doctrine of Christ.

Comparison of Community of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church)) and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) are two denominations that share a common heritage in the Church of Christ founded by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830. Since Smith's death in 1844, they have evolved separately in belief and practices. The LDS Church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and claims more than 15 million members worldwide;^[1] the Community of Christ is headquartered in Independence, Missouri, and reports a worldwide membership of approximately 250,000.

Contents

·         1 Recent transformation in Community of Christ

·         2 Historical differences between the churches

o    2.1 Scriptures

§  2.1.1 Bible

§  2.1.2 Book of Mormon

§  2.1.3 Doctrine and Covenants

§  2.1.4 Pearl of Great Price

o    2.2 Presidential tenure and succession

o    2.3 Godhead

§  2.3.1 Exaltation

§  2.3.2 Adam–God doctrine

o    2.4 Priesthood eligibility

o    2.5 Temples

o    2.6 Use of cross and other symbols

o    2.7 Polygamy

o    2.8 Tithing

o    2.9 Apostasy and Restoration

·         3 Summary chart

·         4 Notes

·         5 External links

·         6 Denominational tree

Recent transformation in Community of Christ

Significant doctrinal, organizational, and attitudinal changes in the Community of Christ since 1960 have reduced some of the similarities that remained between it and the LDS Church. While the doctrine and belief system of the LDS Church is highly centralized, the Community of Christ has adopted an adaptive, decentralized, and progressive approach to doctrine. In 1997, the Community of Christ initiated a three-year period of transformation entitled “Transformation 2000,” that was seen by its president W. Grant McMurray as the culmination of a series of changes dating back to 1960.^[3] 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. At the World Conference of 2000, by vote of 1,979 to 561, the name of the church was changed from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to Community of Christ. In so doing, the church was attempting to distance itself from comparisons with the LDS Church and in the process transform itself into a unique body among mainstream Christian denominations.

As the first president of the Community of Christ that was not a direct descendant of Joseph Smith, McMurray also 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 1820s and 1830s after centuries of apostasy. During his presidency, the church moved from a closed to an open communion and McMurray began to open the door to priesthood ordination for LGBT individuals, something which he acknowledged was already occurring. However, negative membership response to this issue forced McMurray to reaffirm the official policy prohibiting the ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians. Nevertheless, the church allows those who were ordained against policy to continue in their priesthood offices.

Prior to 1960, the RLDS Church's identity was primarily tied to its differences with the larger LDS Church, which RLDS Church members usually referred to as the "Utah Church" or "Mormon Church". McMurray cited a 1960 world tour by former president W. Wallace Smith as a pivotal event impacting the evolution of RLDS 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 a reassessment of denominational practices and beliefs. RLDS 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. While the RLDS Church had long been known for its strong anti-polygamy stance, its outreach efforts amongst the Sora people in India brought a re-examination even on this issue.

Church president Wallace B. Smith’s 1984 call for the ordination of women to the priesthood was a milestone in the doctrinal evolution of the church 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 widely regarded as both symbolic and practical evidence of the differences between the two denominations. While the LDS Church has a set of highly standardized temple rituals and regards temples as sacred space for the making of covenants, the Community of Christ understands temples to be a less formalized center for spirituality, ministerial education, and church administration.

These and other changes comprised a fundamental shift in thinking for the Community of Christ from Restorationism to mainline Protestant liberalism. These recently developed differences only add to the list of long-standing doctrinal differences between it and the LDS Church. 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, which further emphasizes the uniqueness of the LDS Church as a restoration Christian Church.

Historical differences between the churches

Main article: Community of Christ history

The RLDS Church was founded by the confederation of a number of smaller groups that declined to migrate with Brigham Young to Utah Territory or follow any of the others vying to become the successor to Joseph Smith. Prior to the 1860 Amboy Conference, in which the church was formally "reorganized" into the RLDS Church, numerous doctrinal differences were espoused by the leaders of the various splinter groups. Following the reorganization, these differences were solidified into a litany of what might now be called "wedge issues" that would distinguish it from Young's LDS Church in Utah.^[4]

The differences enumerated below characterize the major differences between the Community of Christ and the LDS Church.^[5]

Scripture

Both churches believe in an open canon of scripture founded upon the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the revelations of Joseph Smith.

Bible

The Inspired Version of the Bible is part of the Community of Christ's canon of scripture,^[6] although it does not mandate a single translation of the Bible.

The LDS Church has officially adopted the Authorized King James Version for English speakers, and has produced its own edition which is extensively footnoted with clarifications from the Inspired Version. The LDS Church refers to the Inspired Version as the "Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible." For Spanish-speaking members, the LDS Church publishes a slightly modified version of the Reina-Valera version, including footnotes and annotations comparable to those found in its official King James Version. For other languages, the LDS Church recommends usage of specific traditional translations that are selected based on doctrinal integrity with the other official standard works.

Book of Mormon

Title page of the first edition of the Book of Mormon (1830).

Both the Community of Christ and LDS Church accept the Book of Mormon as a second canon of scripture^[8] and views it as an additional witness of Jesus Christ that complements the Bible. The Community of Christ 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^[9] The Community of Christ also publishes a 1966 "Revised Authorized Edition", which attempts to modernize some of the language.^[9]

The LDS Church publishes a single version of the Book of Mormon, which is extensively footnoted to the church's other standard works. Its chapter and versification is based upon the 1879 edition edited by Orson Pratt.

At a 2007 World Conference, Community of Christ President Stephen M. Veazey ruled that a resolution to "reaffirm the Book of Mormon as a divinely inspired record" was out of order.^[8] 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."^[8] The LDS Church regularly emphasizes the importance of the Book of Mormon and encourages its members to read from it daily.

Doctrine and Covenants

Main article: Doctrine and Covenants

Both churches publish a book called the Doctrine and Covenants and accept it as scripture.^[10][11] The Community of Christ has removed several early sections^[12] and has regularly added new revelations and other inspired documents to the book. The LDS Church has added some material to the Doctrine and Covenants, but less than that of the Community of Christ. The Community of Christ version currently contains 166 documents, 51 of which were produced after the death of Joseph Smith. The LDS Church version currently contains 140 documents, five of which were produced after Smith's death.

Pearl of Great Price

Main article: Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)

The LDS Church includes the Pearl of Great Price as part of its standard works. The Community of Christ has never published or considered this book to be scripture.^[10]However, the Community of Christ does accept two portions of the Pearl of Great Price—the Book of Moses and Joseph Smith–Matthew—as scripture:

·         Chapters 2–8 of the Book of Moses are included within the Book of Genesis in the Community of Christ's Inspired Version of the Bible;

·         Chapter 1 of the Book of Moses is accepted as section 22 of the Community of Christ's Doctrine and Covenants;

·         In addition to appearing in the Inspired Version of the Bible, chapter 7 of the Book of Moses is accepted as section 36 of the Community of Christ's Doctrine and Covenants; and

·         Joseph Smith–Matthew is accepted as part of the Book of Matthew in the Inspired Version of the Bible.

Portions of the Pearl of Great Price that are not accepted as scripture by the Community of Christ are the Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith–History, and the Articles of Faith.

Presidential tenure and succession

Main article: Lineal succession (Latter Day Saints)

Joseph Smith III, the successor to Joseph Smith as the Prophet-President of the Community of Christ

Both the Community of Christ and the LDS Church are headed by a President of the Church, a position created and held by Joseph Smith. In the LDS Church, succession to the presidency has been based on apostolic seniority. In the Community of Christ, the president has the power to appoint a successor; if the outgoing president does not appoint a successor, the Council of Twelve Apostles nominates a successor.

After Smith, the next three presidents of the Community of Christ served as President of the Church until their deaths. In 1978, W. Wallace Smith broke this tradition and retired from the presidency, designated himself as "president emeritus", and appointed Wallace B. Smith as his successor. Wallace B. Smith and his chosen successor—McMurray—also retired from the position. In the LDS Church, every President of the Church has served until his death and none have selected a successor prior to death.

The first five^[13] successors to Joseph Smith in the presidency of the Community of Christ were direct descendants Smith.^[14] McMurray was the first president of the church who was not a member of the Smith family.^[14] While never formally accepting a principle of lineal succession, the denomination teaches that Smith had designated his son, Joseph Smith III, as his successor.^[15] In 1996, the appointment of McMurray by retiring president Wallace B. Smith was the justification used by schismatic groups that abandoned the Community of Christ. This schism led to the creation of the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The president of the Remnant Church, Frederick Niels Larsen, is a maternal great-great-grandson of Joseph Smith.

The LDS Church determines its presidential successor by principles of apostolic seniority combined with inspiration from God.^[16] When a church president dies, the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who has been an apostle the longest—the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—becomes the new president of the church.^[16]Prior to making the succession official, the apostles individually and collectively pray for divine guidance and confirmation of their proposed action.^[16]

While this is an area that marked a traditional difference between the two denominations, a 2004–05 succession crisis prompted the Council of Twelve Apostles of the Community of Christ to utilize an inspiration-seeking procedure similar to that adopted by the apostles of the LDS Church.^[17] When McMurray stepped down as president in 2004, he chose not to name a successor, as previous retirees from the position had done. In 2005, Stephen M. Veazey—who was president of the Twelve, but not the senior member—was selected as successor by the Council of Twelve.^[17][18]

Godhead

Main article: Godhead (Latter Day Saints)

The Community of Christ teaches trinitarian principles.^[19] The LDS Church teaches that the Godhead is composed of three physically distinct personage Gods who are united—or "one"—in purpose.^[20][21]

Exaltation]

Main article: Exaltation (LDS Church)

The LDS Church teaches the principle of exaltation;^[22] this doctrine is not accepted by the Community of Christ.^[4]

Priesthood eligibility

Main articles: Priesthood (Community of Christ) and Priesthood (LDS Church)

See also: Priesthood (Latter Day Saints)

Both churches have a tradition of bestowing the priesthood on adult male members of the church. The priesthood of the Community of Christ was opened to women in 1984.^[29] The LDS Church's priesthood is open to males only The LDS Church routinely gives its Aaronic priesthood to boys 12 years of age and older, while the Community of Christ generally restricts its priesthood to adult men and women.^[34]

Temples

Independence Temple of the Community of Christ in Independence, Missouri.

Main article: Temple (Latter Day Saints)

See also: Kirtland Temple

Both the Community of Christ and the LDS Church operate temples, which for both groups are separate and distinct from church chapels or meetinghouses. The Community of Christ operates two temples, the Kirtland Temple and the Independence Temple, while the LDS Church has more than 140.

The Community of Christ does not practice and has traditionally objected to the idea of sacraments or rituals being performed in its temples.^[4] The Community of Christ's temples are open to the public^[35] and are dedicated to the pursuit of peace, spiritual learning, and church history and administration. LDS Church temples are open only to approved members and are primarily used for the performance of rites such as the endowment, celestial marriage, and baptism for the dead; these ordinances have never been embraced by the Community of Christ.^[4]

Historically, the Community of Christ did include documents in its Doctrine and Covenants^[36] which sanctioned baptism for the dead and other temple rites.^[4] However, the Community of Christ considers that the institution of baptism for the dead was made conditional on the completion of the Nauvoo Temple in a reasonable amount of time.^[37] Because the membership of the church failed to complete the temple during Smith's lifetime, the Community of Christ teaches that the right to perform baptisms for the dead was withdrawn and has not been reinstituted.^[37]

The 1970 World Conference of the Community of Christ concluded that sections 107, 109, and 110 (regarding baptism for the dead and temple rites) had been added to the 1844 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants without proper approval of a church conference. Thus, the conference removed^[12] those sections to a historical appendix.^[12] The World Conference of 1990 subsequently removed the entire appendix from the Doctrine and Covenants.^[12]

Use of cross and other symbols

See also: Symbolism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Community of Christ utilizes the symbol of the Christian cross on its buildings and temples.^[38] The LDS Church currently does not use the cross^[39] on the grounds that "because the Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of His death as the symbol of our faith",^[40] although this aversion to the cross only became dominant in the 20th century.^[41][42]

Most temples of the LDS Church include a statue of the Angel Moroni on a spire,^[43] but the church does not consider Moroni to be an official symbol and "has no policy regarding the use of statues of the angel Moroni atop temples", but rather includes or excludes a statue from each temple based on local circumstances.^[44] The Community of Christ does not use the Angel Moroni as a symbol.

In the United States, the Veterans Affairs (VA) emblem for headstones for LDS Church members is a stylized Angel Moroni. For the Community of Christ, the VA emblem is a stylized representation of a child standing between a lion and a lamb, which is an official logo of the Community of Christ.

Polygamy

See also: Mormonism and polygamy and Origin of Latter Day Saint polygamy

In the 19th century, the differences between the LDS Church and the RLDS Church regarding polygamy was the principal distinction between the two churches. The LDS Church openly practiced plural marriage from 1852 to 1890 and taught that the practice was instituted by Joseph Smith and taught in secret to members of the church before his death. For many years, the leaders of the RLDS Church were vocal critics of the LDS Church's polygamy and argued that the practice had been introduced by Brigham Young and falsely attributed to Smith after Smith's death. Polygamy was frequently denounced by RLDS leaders and the practice was never accepted by the church.^[45] Smith's son Joseph Smith III and widow Emma Smith repeatedly taught that Smith opposed the practice and was not a polygamist.^[46][47][48]

Today, although the Community of Christ has no official position on whether Smith was a polygamist,^[45] some members now accept the historical consensus that Smith had multiple wives. Some members have argued that Smith was wrong to introduce polygamy;^[45] in any case, most Community of Christ members continue to reject polygamy.^[4][45]Today, most members of the LDS Church also oppose the practice of polygamy, though the church retains a document in its Doctrine and Covenants that justifies the practice.

Tithing

Traditionally, the Community of Christ taught that tithing should be calculated as one-tenth of a member’s discretionary income.^[49] The LDS Church teaches that it is ten percent of one's annual income,^[50] with it left to the member to determine how to calculate it (e.g., what constitutes "income" and whether it is ten percent of income after or before tax).^[51] Recently, the Community of Christ has adopted a program known as Disciples' Generous Response, which encourages financial generosity as a response to God rather than as a set calculated obligation.^[49]

Apostasy and Restoration

Stained glass depiction of the first vision of Joseph Smith, Jr., completed in 1913 by an unknown artist (LDS Museum of Church History and Art).

Main article: Restoration (Latter Day Saints)

The LDS Church teaches that Joseph Smith restored the fullness of the gospel after a centuries long period known as the great apostasy.^[52][53] The LDS Church therefore characterizes itself as a restoration of fallen Christianity and the one true church that exists.^[52]In contrast, the Community of Christ has abandoned its traditional tenet that it is the one true church and has adopted a viewpoint that all faith traditions can offer a pathway to spiritual enlightenment.^[54] Barbara McFarlane Higdon has called the Community of Christ a "unique member of the body of Christ, the universal community of believers."^[55] Higdon also suggests that prior claims that the church had been "restored" were tantamount to idolatry. The Community of Christ has therefore moved towards ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue. Nevertheless, the Community of Christ "steadfastly affirms the primacy of continuing revelation instead of creedal rigidity". The Community of Christ's Doctrine and Covenants continues to contain documents that declare that the church is the one true church.^[56]

Today, the Community of Christ generally refers to Joseph Smith's First Vision as the "grove experience" and takes a flexible view about its historicity,^[57] emphasizing the healing presence of God and the forgiving mercy of Jesus Christ felt by Smith.^[58] In contrast, the LDS Church strongly affirms the reality of the First Vision and emphasizes its role as the beginning of the restoration of the gospel through God's chosen prophet.

Summary chart

	Community of Christ	LDS Church
Approximate membership	250,000	15 million
Headquarters	Independence, Missouri	Salt Lake City, Utah
Open canon	Yes	Yes
Bible	Inspired Version	King James Version in LDS edition or other language-appropriate edition; Inspired Version is respected but not canonized
Book of Mormon	Accepts as scripture	Accepts as scripture
Doctrine and Covenants	166 documents 51 non–Joseph Smith documents	140 documents five non–Joseph Smith documents
Pearl of Great Price	Rejects Accepts as scripture only the parts the LDS Church refers to as the Book of Moses and Joseph Smith–Matthew	Accepts as scripture, including the Book of Moses,Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith–Matthew, Joseph Smith–History, and the Articles of Faith
Presidential tenure and succession	President may choose to retire and may appoint successor Succession traditionally based on lineal descent from Joseph Smith; now abandoned in favor of appointment by retiring president or apostolic selection by inspiration	President serves in position until death and does not appoint a successor before death Succession based on apostolic seniority combined with apostolic selection by inspiration
Godhead	Trinitarian	Three distinct personage Gods united in purpose
Exaltation	Rejects	Accepts
Adam–God doctrine	Rejects	Traditionally accepted; now rejects
Polygamy	Rejects	Traditionally accepted; now rejects but retains scriptural basis in the Doctrine and Covenants
Priesthood	Open to all races Open to women since 1984 Open to adults	Open to all races since 1978 Open to men only Open to boys beginning at age 12
Temples	2 Open to the public Dedicated to peace, spiritual learning, and church administration and history	144 Open only to members Dedicated to performance of standardized ordinances and covenant-making
Endowment	Rejects	Accepts
Baptism for the dead	Rejects	Accepts
Celestial marriage andfamily sealing	Rejects	Accepts
Cross as a symbol	Accepts	Rejects
Angel Moroni as a symbol	Rejects	Accepts, but not as an official symbol
Tithing	One-tenth of discretionary income More flexible "Disciples' Generous Response" has been introduced	One-tenth of annual income (member decides how to calculate)
First Vision	Referred to as the "grove experience" No position on historicity Focus on the healing presence of God and the forgiving mercy of Jesus Christ for Joseph Smith	Accepted as a foundational historical event Smith's 1838 account is canonized as part of Joseph Smith–History Focus on its role as the beginning of the restoration of the gospel through a prophet chosen by God
Is it the one true church?	Traditionally, yes; more recently, no	Yes

Notes

1.     Jump up^ "Statistical Report, 2013". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. April 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2014.

2.     Jump up^ "CofChrist General Denominational Information". Community of Christ. 2011. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2011.

3.     Jump up^ W. Grant McMurray, "Transforming the Church", 1998.

4.     ^ Jump up to:^{a b c d e f g} Elbert A. Smith, Differences That Persist between the RLDS and LDS Churches, (1950), website accessed 2008-06-11.

5.     Jump up^ McKeever, Bill, "LDS and RLDS (Community of Christ): Differences & Similarities",MRM.org (Mormonism Research Ministry), retrieved 2013-01-17^{[unreliable source?]}

6.     Jump up^ Brown, Rich, Web site of The Community of Christ - Sacrament - A Sacrament of Blessing and Promise, Herald, retrieved 3 September 2009 Note: Paragraph 14 says “The unique teachings offered in the Inspired Version (Joseph Smith’s emendations of the King James translation of the Bible) add significantly to our theological understanding.”

7.     Jump up^ Euritt, Mark, Official Web site of The Community of Christ - Sacrament - The Sacrament of Ordination, Herald, retrieved 3 September 2009 Note: Paragraph 3 refers to the King James Version (referred to as the Authorized Version of the Bible), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), and the New International Version (NIV) Bibles.

8.     ^ Jump up to:^a b c Andrew M. Shields, "Official Minutes of Business Session, Wednesday March 28, 2007," in 2007 World Conference Thursday Bulletin, March 29, 2007. Community of Christ, 2007.

9.     ^ Jump up to:^a b 1966 "Revised Authorized Edition".

10.  ^ Jump up to:^a b Basic Beliefs: Scripture, Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved2 September 2009

11.  Jump up^ Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Official Web site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, retrieved 2 September 2009

12.  ^ Jump up to:^a b c d Community of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants - Doctrine and Covenants 107 see header

13.  Jump up^ Under leadership of.., Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved2 September 2009 Note List of Church Presidents in side frame

14.  ^ Jump up to:^a b Niebuhr, Gustav (12 May 1996), New Leader For Church That Shares Mormon Roots, The New York Times, paragraph 6 &10, retrieved 19 June 2009

15.  Jump up^ Our Faith: Frequently Asked Questions: Frequently Asked Questions?, Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved 3 September 2009

16.  ^ Jump up to:^a b c Brent L. Top and Lawrence R. Flake, "'The Kingdom of God Will Roll On': Succession in the Presidency', Ensign, August 1996, p. 22.

17.  ^ Jump up to:^a b Associated Press (7 March 2005), Community of Christ selects new president, Independence, Missouri, retrieved 19 June 2009

18.  Jump up^ Stephen M. Veazey, cofchrist.org, accessed March 2, 2008.

19.  Jump up^ Faith and Beliefs: Our Faith and Beliefs: God, Community of Christ, retrieved13 August 2009

20.  Jump up^ "Gospel Topics", LDS.org (LDS Church), archived from the original on 2014-11-12|chapter= ignored (help)

21.  Jump up^ Dahl, Paul E. (1992), "Godhead", in Ludlow, Daniel H, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, New York: Macmillan Publishing, pp. 552–553, ISBN 0-02-879602-0, OCLC 24502140

22.  Jump up^ Pope, Margaret McConkie, "Exaltation", Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 479

23.  Jump up^ Collier (1999, p. 229 fn. 12) (citing minutes of meeting of the Quorum of Twelve, 4 April 1860, in which it was recorded: "It was Joseph's doctrine that Adam was God… God comes to earth and eats and partakes of fruit. Joseph could not reveal what was revealed to him, and if Joseph had it revealed, he was not told to reveal it."). Collier (1999, p. 360) (citing Wilford Woodruff Journal of 4 September 1860, in which George Q. Cannon said "that Adam is our Father [and] is a true doctrine revealed from God to Joseph & Brigham. For this same doctrine is taught in some of the old Jewish records which have never been in print...."). Collier (1999, p. 367) (citing Wilford Woodruff Journal of 16 December 1867, stating that "President Young said Adam was Michael the Archangel, & he was the Father of Jesus Christ & was our God & that Joseph taught this principle.")

24.  Jump up^ Collier (1999, p. 233) (citing an 1877 reminiscence of Anson Call, who said he heard Joseph Smith say: "now regarding Adam: He came here from another planet [as] an immortalized being and brought his wife, Eve, with him, and by eating of the fruits of the earth became subject to death and decay and he became of the earth, earthly, was made mortal and subject to death.").

25.  Jump up^ See, e.g., Collier (1999, pp. 228–42) (a fundamentalist author, arguing that Joseph Smith believed and taught the doctrine).

26.  Jump up^ Conference Report, p. 115 (October 1–3, 1976)

27.  Jump up^ Spencer W. Kimball, "Our Own Liahona", Ensign, November 1976, p. 77.

28.  Jump up^ Faith and Beliefs, webpage, retrieved June 17, 2006

29.  Jump up^ Community of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants Section 156:9C-D [1] see 9C and 9D

30.  ^ Jump up to:^a b The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Official Declaration 2", Doctrine and Covenants.

31.  Jump up^ Why don’t women hold the priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?, mormon.org, retrieved 13 November 2014

32.  Jump up^ McConkie, Bruce (1966), Mormon Doctrine

33.  Jump up^ Taylor, John (28 August 1881), Journal of Discourses 22, Delivered At Sunday Afternoon General Conference, Provo, Utah,: Albert Carrington, p. 304, retrieved2 September 2009

34.  Jump up^ Community of Christ, "Commonly Asked Questions: What is the youngest age one may be called to priesthood?, latter-dayseekers.org.

35.  Jump up^ Our Faith: Frequently Asked Questions: Do you perform sacraments in your Temple in Independence?, Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved 3 September2009

36.  Jump up^ Community of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants Sections 107, 109, 110, 113 and 123

37.  ^ Jump up to:^a b Charles R. Hield and Russell F. Ralston, "Baptism for the Dead".

38.  Jump up^ Official Web site of Community of Christ: Virtual Tour: Exterior Cross

39.  Jump up^ Keller, Roger R., "Cross", Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pp. 344–345

40.  Jump up^ "Gospel Topics", LDS.org (LDS Church), archived from the original on 2014-11-12|chapter= ignored (help)

41.  Jump up^ Gaskill, Alonzo L. (2013), "Michael G. Reed's Banishing the Cross: The Emergence of a Mormon Taboo [Book Review]", BYU Studies Quarterly 52 (4): 185, What Reed shows, rather convincingly, is that Mormonism has not always been uncomfortable utilizing the cross as one of its symbols...

42.  Jump up^ Reed, Michael (2012). Banishing the Cross: The Emergence of a Mormon Taboo. Independence, Missouri: John Whitmer Books. pp. 67, 122. ISBN 978-1934901359.OCLC 844370293.

43.  Jump up^ Eight LDS temples do not have an angel Moroni (either in original design or added later). For list see LDSChurchTemples.com: Interesting Facts: Angel Moroni Statues #1

44.  Jump up^ Greenwood, Val D. (July 1994), "I Have a Question", Ensign: 66–67, archived from the original on 2014-11-12 |chapter= ignored (help)

45.  ^ Jump up to:^a b c d Our Faith: Frequently Asked Questions: What position does Community of Christ take on Joseph Smith Jr.'s alleged involvement in polygamy?, Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved 3 September 2009

46.  Jump up^ Whitmer 1887

47.  Jump up^ Times and Seasons, volume 5, page 423, 474.

48.  Jump up^ Millennial Star 4:144 (January 1844).

49.  ^ Jump up to:^a b Stewardship: An Old Path Made New, webpage, retrieved June 24, 2006

50.  Jump up^ "Gospel Topics", LDS.org (LDS Church), archived from the original on 2014-11-12|chapter= ignored (help)

51.  Jump up^ Swainston, Howard D., "Tithing", Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pp. 1480–1482

52.  ^ Jump up to:^a b James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy (1909, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book) [2]

53.  Jump up^ Apostasy from The Divine Church by James L. Barker

54.  Jump up^ Basic Beliefs: The Church, Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved2 September 2009

55.  Jump up^ Higdon, Barbara McFarlane, "Faith and Beliefs: The Church," HERALD, September 2006, p. 22-23.

56.  Jump up^ Community of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants Section 1

57.  Jump up^ According to its website, the church "does not legislate or mandate positions on issues of history. We place confidence in sound historical methodology as it relates to our church story. We believe that historians and other researchers should be free to come to whatever conclusions they feel are appropriate after careful consideration of documents and artifacts to which they have access. We benefit greatly from the significant contributions of the historical discipline." Community of Christ website.

58.  Jump up^ Our History - Introduction

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

Denominational tree

Main branches of the Latter Day Saint movement

William Bickerton: The Church of Jesus Christ

Sidney Rigdon: "Rigdonites"

Granville Hedrick: Church of Christ (Temple Lot)

Joseph Smith III: Community of Christ

James Strang:

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Brigham Young

Fundamentalist Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Joseph Smith