Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)

Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)
Jake from Utah, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)
Founded	1830
Founder	Joseph Smith
Headquarters	Kirtland, Ohio; Nauvoo, Illinois
Area	United States; United Kingdom; Canada
Members	Variable after schisms

Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) is the original name adopted in 1830 by the movement established by Joseph Smith in upstate New York that inaugurated the Latter Day Saint restoration. Emerging amid the Second Great Awakening and westward migration, its early development intersected with communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois and with national figures, social movements, and legal controversies. The movement rapidly produced institutions, settlements, and texts that shaped subsequent bodies such as the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Community of Christ, and numerous smaller denominations.

History

The organization was formally organized on April 6, 1830 in Fayette, New York by Joseph Smith and early adherents including Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr., Samuel H. Smith, and David Whitmer. Initial expansion occurred through missionary efforts to Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, leading to settlements in Kirtland, Ohio where the movement established a temple and institutions alongside figures like Sidney Rigdon and Parley P. Pratt. Conflict over land and governance precipitated clashes in Missouri during the 1838 Missouri Mormon War involving leaders such as Lilburn Boggs and resulting in the Extermination Order. Subsequent migration to Nauvoo, Illinois created a major urban center under Nauvoo Legion and civic engagements with politicians like John C. Bennett and interactions with media outlets such as the Nauvoo Neighbor. The death of Joseph Smith in 1844 after the Nauvoo succession crisis led to competing claims by leaders including Brigham Young, James Strang, Sidney Rigdon, and John E. Page, producing schisms that redirected populations to Great Salt Lake City and other regions. Descendant groups later engaged with institutions like the United States Congress, courts including the United States Supreme Court, and international missions to places such as the United Kingdom and Canada.

Beliefs and Theology

Doctrinal foundations were articulated in revelations recorded by Joseph Smith and early leaders addressing themes found in texts like the Book of Mormon, emphasizing restorationist claims about Jesus Christ, apostolic succession, and prophetic authority. Theology incorporated concepts of revelation and priesthood offices similar to ancient institutions referenced by proponents such as Oliver Cowdery and interpreters like Orson Pratt. Contested doctrines included views on polygamy advocated by figures like Brigham Young and opposed by groups aligned with Emma Smith and others, as well as teachings on temple ordinances and the nature of God debated among leaders including Sidney Rigdon and later theologians in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ). Debates over scripture, revelation, and authority engaged jurists, journalists, and scholars from institutions such as Harvard University and commentators like John D. Lee in subsequent historical analysis.

Organization and Leadership

Early governance adopted a hierarchical model with roles such as prophet, elder, high priest, and quorum structures shaped by Joseph Smith and counselors including Hyrum Smith and Sidney Rigdon. Institutional experiments included the establishment of a banking entity in Kirtland Safety Society and militia organization in the Nauvoo Legion. Succession crises after 1844 prompted competing leadership claims by Brigham Young, who led a majority westward, and by claimants such as James J. Strang and later leaders of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Leadership structures influenced interactions with civil authorities including Illinois Militia and federal officials, and internal governance intersected with legal decisions in courts like the Missouri Supreme Court and the United States District Court.

Practices and Worship

Worship in the early Church of Christ emphasized ordinances such as baptism by immersion, sacrament observance, communal fasts, and the laying on of hands by elders including Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer. Meetings featured hymnody drawn from early compilations and leaders such as W. W. Phelps contributed to liturgical texts. Temple-oriented practices evolved in Kirtland Temple and later Nauvoo ceremonies that involved revelations recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. Communal experiments included the United Order and stewardship systems promoted by figures like Sidney Rigdon and Brigham Young. Conflicts over practices such as plural marriage and proprietary banking catalyzed public controversy and legal actions involving actors like Lilburn Boggs and publications such as the Warsaw Signal.

Scriptures and Texts

Canonical texts attributed centrality by adherents included the Book of Mormon, translations and revelations compiled in the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Joseph Smith–Matthew and other Joseph Smith translations. Early printing efforts involved the Elder's Journal and presses operated by printers like E. B. Grandin in Palmyra, New York. Manuscripts and revelations were preserved in collections associated with families such as the Whitmer family and institutions like the Kirtland Temple. Contested documents, expositions, and pseudepigrapha prompted scholarly attention from historians at institutions including the Library of Congress and commentators like B. H. Roberts and Fawn M. Brodie.

Schisms and Succession Crises

The 1844 assassination of Joseph Smith triggered immediate succession claims by figures such as Brigham Young, Sidney Rigdon, James Strang, and William Smith, producing major schisms that led to distinct bodies including the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under Brigham Young and the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints under Joseph Smith III. Other denominations emerged under leaders like Granville Hedrick, Alpheus Cutler, and Isaac Sheen. Schisms were influenced by doctrinal disputes over polygamy, priesthood authority, and scriptural canons and led to court cases and migrations involving the United States Army and territorial governments such as the Territory of Utah.

Demographics and Distribution

Initial membership concentrated in the northeastern United States with rapid expansion to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois; post-1844 migrations redistributed adherents to the Great Basin, Iowa, Missouri, and international fields including the United Kingdom, Canada, the Pacific Islands, and later mission fields in South America and Europe. Demographic shifts produced communities in urban centers like Nauvoo and frontier settlements such as Salt Lake City and Independence, Missouri. Contemporary descendant bodies maintain varied membership counts tracked by historians and statistical studies at universities including Brigham Young University and research centers such as the Pew Research Center.

Category:Latter Day Saint movement