A Whole Bunch of Bad Religions Resulted Because of the Latter-day Saint Movement. But Can This Church, While Certainly With Problems, Be Called Good? (Commentary) Rhett Wilkinson Follow May 20, 2019 · 5 min read

When folks consider the Latter-day Saint movement, they may think just of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Brigham Young-founded organization that is the ex-Mormon church. But dozens of religions, perhaps more, have come about following the Church of Christ started by Joseph Smith to comprise the movement. How many of them, however, are bad? And can a particular one claim to be better?

The LDS church triggered at least 71 suicides in a matter of months — as of three years ago, as Mama Dragons leader Wendy Montgomery told me. Private investigator Sam Brower advocated at a journalism conference for the Fundamentalist LDS sect to be considered not a religion, but a criminal organization — its prophet Warren Jeffs was convicted of sex crimes and is incarcerated. (Other FLDS leaders were charged with similar crimes.) Sex abuse allegations threw a wrench throughout the Rockies into the operations of the Apostolic United Brethren, like the FLDS, an offshoot of the LDS church.

Church of Christ founder Joseph Smith Jr., circa 1843–44 (Associated Press/The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Other organizations in the Latter-day Saint movement include, but are not limited to, one Lyman Wight started in Texas; one Sidney Rigdon started in Pennsylvania; and another James Strang started in Wisconsin.

Hence, each of them and more were preceded by Smith’s administration. That administration involved an oligarchy using their power for sex, the occult, polyandry, fantastical stories that changed over time and as Smith was pushed on his statements — claims even about the religions’ truth claims — supernatural rocks, evidence that Smith was not being honest, a bank failure and more.

And all of them, and others, have a prophet and secret temple ritual. Merriam-Webster defines a “cult” as, among other things, “a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious”; “great devotion to a person (or) movement”; and “a system of religious beliefs or ritual.” The LDS church, the organization near-entirely considered when the Latter-day Saint movement has been weighed, has long been regarded as “unorthodox” & “spurious” and has religious beliefs spelled out in its leadership manuals, Sunday School manuals, proselytizing manuals and other manuals.

So you could say there are problems with religions around because of the Latter-day Saint movement.

Still, if there’s a good one among them, is it Community of Christ?

Community of Christ is a Missouri-based church that legally is The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was founded in 1860 by Joseph Smith III, Smith’s son.

Community of Christ founder Joseph Smith III (Saints Herald/Community of Christ)

Let’s first acknowledge problems in Community of Christ.

It was unable to pass a resolution at its recently concluded conference opposing war and terrorism — even though it claims to be a peace church. Its priesthood ordination is withheld from folks currently engaged in legal affairs — even if they have not been convicted. Its priesthood bearers cannot drink alcohol even though alcohol is likely how the Pentecostal experience at the Kirtland Temple, a seminal event in CofC history, came about. It believes in the Trinity (I hate to mock a belief, but the Trinity?). It has not voted for transgender inclusion. (Now, a European study showed that the brain of a person has the same structure of a person of the gender they want to be.) It has a prophet. The Book of Mormon, which has provable passages that were plagiarized, is canon. Its priesthood holders are expected to try to get other priesthood holders to church, per the CofC policy manual, like the LDS church does. It believes in Jesus, but not Satan. Smith is still a prophet, and most seem to consider him the founder of the church. (Which is even stranger even Community of Christ’s understanding of history. And since it seems to invite far, far more problems than if history were widely more acknowledged in terms of Smith III being the founder.)

But adherents will not defend against nearly, if not all, of the problems under the Smith administration. And they will often, if not usually, simply admit fault.

Community of Christ apostle Robin Linkhart gets ordained to her post at the church’s 2016 conference. (Community of Christ via YouTube)

Community of Christ fully accepts gays in the exception of some countries and has ordained women into its priesthood while putting them in leadership, even as apostles.

When it makes changes, it canonizes them as scripture.

And changes it has made that may have not aligned with its canonized scripture, perhaps an issue facing progressive Christian churches, may make sense given Community of Christ’s doctrine of current revelation.

Changes in Community of Christ come not from leadership, but member delegates.

Part of its revolutionized theology focuses on grace.

Joseph Smith is a “crazy uncle,” to quote one adherent, from the perspective of him being the level of a restorationist prophet like Abraham, Moses or Jesus.

And if you still have a soft spot in your heart for Jesus, Community of Christ seems to be a fan of Jesus.

In fact, if the origins of the Latter-day Saint movement and developments since are defined by in-group mentality, authoritarianism and rigidity, is it astonishing that Community of Christ exists?

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Even if you no longer affiliate with the LDS church but enjoy sociality with family and friends as before, you can still find social settings organized by the Utah Valley PostMormons. There, you can find your people. And of course, if you don’t enjoy those relationships like before, the many UVPM events that happen each week can be even life-saving.

Led by wonderful people, UVPM is also for folks who just are struggling with it or are “never Mormons” seeking a break from the predominant culture. Find their events on Facebook and Meetup.

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