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

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.[2]

Community of Christ transformation since 1960

Significant doctrinal, organizational, and attitudinal changes in the Community of Christ since 1960 have narrowed the similarities that remain between it and the LDS Church. While the doctrine and belief system of the LDS Church is highly centralized, systematic, and static, 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.

McMurray was the first president of the Community of Christ who was not a direct descendant of Joseph Smith. He sought to formalize developments 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. At the time, negative membership response to this issue forced McMurray to reaffirm the official policy prohibiting the ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians. The church allowed those who were ordained against policy to continue in their priesthood offices. Since 2010, gay rights have been formalized in Community of Christ doctrine.[4]

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 creation of covenants, the Community of Christ understands temples to be a less formalized center for spirituality, ministerial education, and church administration.

These changes constituted a broad shift in theology of the Community of Christ from Restorationism to mainline Protestant Christianity. They also widened the scope of long-standing doctrinal differences between it and the LDS Church. Nearly all of the traditional differences between the two groups can be seen as aligning the Community of Christ more closely with traditional Christian teaching and neo-orthodoxy, which further isolates the LDS Church within Christianity as a whole.

Historical differences between the churches

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.[5]

The differences enumerated below characterize the major differences between the Community of Christ and the LDS Church.[6]

Scriptures

Both churches believe in an open canon of scripture founded upon the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the current revelations of God to the church recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, revelations received through the church's current president, starting with Joseph Smith.

Bible

The Inspired Version of the Bible is part of the Community of Christ's canon of scripture,[7] although it does not mandate a single translation of the Bible.[8]

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

Book of Mormon (1830)
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[9] 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[10] The Community of Christ also publishes a 1966 "Revised Authorized Edition", which attempts to modernize some of the language.[10]

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.[9] 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."[9] The LDS Church regularly emphasizes the importance of the Book of Mormon and encourages its members to read from it daily.

Doctrine and Covenants

Both churches publish a book called the Doctrine and Covenants and accept it as scripture.[11][12] The Community of Christ has removed several early sections[13] 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

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.[11] 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:

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

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[14] successors to Joseph Smith in the presidency of the Community of Christ were direct descendants Smith.[15] McMurray was the first president of the church who was not a member of the Smith family.[15] While never formally accepting a principle of lineal succession, the denomination teaches that Smith had designated his son, Joseph Smith III, as his successor.[16] 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.[17] 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.[17] Prior to making the succession official, the apostles individually and collectively pray for divine guidance and confirmation of their proposed action.[17]

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.[18] 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.[18][19]

Godhead

The Community of Christ teaches about the Trinity, which they define God as a community of three persons.[20] The LDS Church teaches that the Godhead is composed of three physically distinct personage Gods who are united—or "one"—in purpose.[21][22]

Exaltation

The LDS Church teaches the principle of exaltation;[23] this doctrine is not accepted by the Community of Christ.[5]

Priesthood eligibility

Both churches have a tradition of bestowing the priesthood on adult male members of the church. The priesthood of the Community of Christ has always been open to persons of all races,[24] and was opened to women in 1984.[25] The LDS Church's priesthood is open to males only[26][27] and from the mid 1800s until 1978 was not open to people of black African descent,[26] who were sometimes characterized as "descendants of Cain".[28][29] 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.[30]

Temples

Independence Temple
Independence Temple of the Community of Christ in Independence, Missouri.
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.[5] The Community of Christ's temples are open to the public[31] 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.[5]

Historically, the Community of Christ did include documents in its Doctrine and Covenants[32] which sanctioned baptism for the dead and other temple rites.[5] 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.[33] 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.[33]

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[13] those sections to a historical appendix.[13] The World Conference of 1990 subsequently removed the entire appendix from the Doctrine and Covenants.[13]

Use of cross and other symbols

The Community of Christ utilizes the symbol of the Christian cross on its buildings and temples.[34] The LDS Church currently does not use the cross[35] on the grounds that "because the Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of His death as the symbol of our faith",[36] although this aversion to the cross only became dominant in the 20th century.[37][38]

Most temples of the LDS Church include a statue of the Angel Moroni on a spire,[39] 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.[40] 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

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.[41] Smith's son Joseph Smith III and widow Emma Smith repeatedly taught that Smith opposed the practice and was not a polygamist.[42][43][44]

Today, although the Community of Christ has no official position on whether Smith was a polygamist,[41] some members now accept the historical consensus that Smith had multiple wives. Some members have argued that Smith was wrong to introduce polygamy;[41] in any case, most Community of Christ members continue to reject polygamy.[5][41] Today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opposes the practice of polygamy, its church presidents have repeatedly emphasized that the Church and its members are no longer authorized to enter into plural marriage.[45]

Tithing

Traditionally, the Community of Christ taught that tithing should be calculated as one-tenth of a member's discretionary income.[46] The LDS Church teaches that it is ten percent of one's annual income,[47] 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).[48] 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.[46]

Apostasy and Restoration

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

The LDS Church teaches that Joseph Smith restored the fullness of the gospel after a centuries long period known as the great apostasy.[49][50] The LDS Church therefore characterizes itself as a restoration of fallen Christianity and the one true church that exists.[49] 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.[51] Barbara McFarlane Higdon has called the Community of Christ a "unique member of the body of Christ, the universal community of believers."[52] 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.[53]

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,[54] emphasizing the healing presence of God and the forgiving mercy of Jesus Christ felt by Smith.[55] 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 Accepted as scripture Accepted as scripture
Doctrine and Covenants 166 documents
51 non–Joseph Smith documents		 140 documents
five non–Joseph Smith documents
Pearl of Great Price Rejected
Accepted as scripture only the parts the LDS Church refers to as the Book of Moses and Joseph Smith–Matthew		 Accepted 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 Prophet-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 Initially accepted by many general authorities accepted,[56][57] others rejected;[58][59] by 1902 no longer publicly taught;[60] currently rejected due to never being formally adopted[61]
Polygamy Rejected Polygamy in the early days of the Church recognized; not practiced or authorized since 1904.[62]
Priesthood Open to all races
Open to women since 1984
Open to baptized members		 Open to all races since 1978 (previous black African descent prohibition)
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 in good standing
Dedicated to performance of standardized ordinances and covenant-making
Endowment Rejected Accepted
Baptism for the dead Rejected Accepted
Celestial marriage and family sealing Rejected Accepted
Cross as a symbol Accepted Rejected
Angel Moroni as a symbol Rejected Accepted, 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. ↑ "Statistical Report, 2013". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. April 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ "CofChrist General Denominational Information". Community of Christ. 2011. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  3. ↑ W. Grant McMurray, "Transforming the Church", 1998.
  4. ↑ Gay Rights Revelation added to Community of Christ D&C Retrieved April 26, 2015
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elbert A. Smith, Differences That Persist between the RLDS and LDS Churches, (1950), website accessed 2008-06-11.
  6. ↑ McKeever, Bill, "LDS and RLDS (Community of Christ): Differences & Similarities", MRM.org (Mormonism Research Ministry), retrieved 2013-01-17
  7. ↑ 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.”
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. 1 2 3 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.
  10. 1 2 1966 "Revised Authorized Edition".
  11. 1 2 Basic Beliefs: Scripture, Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved 2 September 2009
  12. ↑ 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
  13. 1 2 3 4 Community of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants - Doctrine and Covenants 107 see header
  14. ↑ Under leadership of.., Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved 2 September 2009 Note List of Church Presidents in side frame
  15. 1 2 Niebuhr, Gustav (12 May 1996), New Leader For Church That Shares Mormon Roots, The New York Times, paragraph 6 &10, retrieved 19 June 2009
  16. ↑ Our Faith: Frequently Asked Questions: Frequently Asked Questions?, Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved 3 September 2009
  17. 1 2 3 Brent L. Top and Lawrence R. Flake, "'The Kingdom of God Will Roll On': Succession in the Presidency', Ensign, August 1996, p. 22.
  18. 1 2 Associated Press (7 March 2005), Community of Christ selects new president, Independence, Missouri, retrieved 19 June 2009
  19. ↑ Stephen M. Veazey, cofchrist.org, accessed March 2, 2008.
  20. ↑ "World Conference Resolution (WCR) 1304 Baptismal Prayers" (PDF). Community of Christ. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  21. ↑ "Godhead", Gospel Topics, LDS Church
  22. ↑ 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
  23. ↑ Pope, Margaret McConkie, "Exaltation", Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 479
  24. ↑ Faith and Beliefs, webpage, retrieved June 17, 2006
  25. ↑ Community of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants Section 156:9C-D see 9C and 9D
  26. 1 2 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Official Declaration 2", Doctrine and Covenants.
  27. ↑ Why don’t women hold the priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?, mormon.org, retrieved 13 November 2014
  28. ↑ McConkie, Bruce (1966), Mormon Doctrine
  29. ↑ Taylor, John (28 August 1881), Journal of Discourses 22, Delivered At Sunday Afternoon General Conference, Provo, Utah,: Albert Carrington, p. 304, retrieved 2 September 2009
  30. ↑ Community of Christ, "Commonly Asked Questions: What is the youngest age one may be called to priesthood?, latter-dayseekers.org.
  31. ↑ Our Faith: Frequently Asked Questions: Do you perform sacraments in your Temple in Independence?, Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved 3 September 2009
  32. ↑ Community of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants Sections 107, 109, 110, 113 and 123
  33. 1 2 Charles R. Hield and Russell F. Ralston, "Baptism for the Dead".
  34. ↑ Official Web site of Community of Christ: Virtual Tour: Exterior Cross
  35. ↑ Keller, Roger R., "Cross", Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pp. 344–345
  36. ↑ "Cross", Gospel Topics, LDS Church, archived from the original on 2014-11-12
  37. ↑ 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...
  38. ↑ 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.
  39. ↑ 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
  40. ↑ Greenwood, Val D. (July 1994), "I Have a Question: How long have statues of the angel Moroni appeared atop Latter-day Saint temples? Is there a reason the statues don’t appear on top of all temples?", Ensign: 66–67, archived from the original on 2014-11-12
  41. 1 2 3 4 Our Faith: Frequently Asked Questions: What position does Community of Christ take on Joseph Smith's alleged involvement in polygamy?, Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved 3 September 2009
  42. ↑ Whitmer 1887
  43. ↑ Times and Seasons, volume 5, page 423, 474.
  44. ↑ Millennial Star 4:144 (January 1844).
  45. ↑ https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints?lang=eng
  46. 1 2 Stewardship: An Old Path Made New, webpage, retrieved June 24, 2006
  47. ↑ "Tithing", Gospel Topics, LDS Church, archived from the original on 2014-11-12
  48. ↑ Swainston, Howard D., "Tithing", Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pp. 1480–1482
  49. 1 2 James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy (1909, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book)
  50. ↑ Apostasy from The Divine Church by James L. Barker
  51. ↑ Basic Beliefs: The Church, Official Web site of The Community of Christ, retrieved 2 September 2009
  52. ↑ Higdon, Barbara McFarlane, "Faith and Beliefs: The Church," HERALD, September 2006, p. 22-23.
  53. ↑ Community of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants Section 1
  54. ↑ 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.
  55. ↑ Our History - Introduction
  56. ↑ Journal of Wilford Woodruff, April 10, 1852.
  57. ↑ Franklin D. Richards, reported in "Minutes of the Special General Council", Millennial Star 16:534, 26 August 1854 (emphasis in original).
  58. ↑ Journal of Thomas Evans Jeremy Sr., September 30, 1852 Bergera 1980.
  59. ↑ Orson Pratt, "The Pre-Existence of Man", The Seer, 1:3, 158–59 (March, October 1853).
  60. ↑ See, e.g., the Proceedings of the First Sunday School Convention, November 28, 1898; Letter to Bishop Edward Bunker, February 27, 1902; Messages of the First Presidency 4:199–206; Journal of Thomas A. Clawson, 1912–1917, pp. 69–70, April 8, 1912; B. H. Roberts, Deseret News, July 23, 1921; Joseph Fielding Smith,Utah Genealogical Magazine, pp. 146–51, October 1930; Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 1:18, 76–77, 92 (1954).
  61. ↑ Charles W. Penrose, "Our Father Adam", Improvement Era (September 1902): 873, reprinted in Charles W. Penrose, "Our Father Adam", Millennial Star (11 December 1902): 785–90 at 789.
  62. ↑ https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints?lang=eng

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