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 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The c ...

(LDS Church) are two denominations that share a common heritage in the Church of Christ founded by

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, ...

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 Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, and claims more than 16 million members worldwide; Community of Christ is headquartered in

Independence, Missouri Independence is the fifth-largest city in Missouri and the county seat of Jackson County. Independence is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area. In 2020, ...

, and reports a worldwide membership of approximately 250,000.

Community of Christ transformation since 1960

Significant doctrinal, organizational, and attitudinal changes in 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, Community of Christ has adopted an adaptive, decentralized, and progressive approach to doctrine. In 1997, 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. 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 The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is a ...

. 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 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 The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude d ...

, and the concept that priesthood authority had been restored in the 1820s and 1830s after centuries of

apostasy Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that ...

. During his presidency, the church moved from a closed to an

open communion Open communion is the practice of some Protestant Churches of allowing members and non-members to receive the Eucharist (also called Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper). Many but not all churches that practice open communion require that the ...

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. 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 Roy A. Cheville (October 2, 1897–April 6, 1986) was a religious leader, theologian and educator in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church), which became Community of Christ in 2001. Cheville graduated from ...

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 An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

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 Community of Christ towards alignment with

liberal Protestant Liberal Christianity, also known as Liberal Theology and historically as Christian Modernism (see Catholic modernism and Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy), is a movement that interprets Christian teaching by taking into consideration ...

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 The Sora (alternative names and spellings include Saora, Saura, Savara and Sabara) are a Munda ethnic group from eastern India. They live in southern Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh. The Soras mainly live in Gajapati, Rayagada and ...

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 The Temple in Independence, Missouri, is a house of worship and education "dedicated to the pursuit of peace". It dominates the skyline of Independence and has become the focal point of the headquarters of the Community of Christ (formerly the Re ...

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 A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

rituals A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...

and regards temples as sacred space for the creation of covenants, Community of Christ understands temples to be a less formalized center for spirituality, ministerial education, and church administration. These changes are often viewed as a broad shift in theology of Community of Christ from Restorationism to mainline Protestant Christianity, widening the scope of long-standing doctrinal differences between it and the LDS Church. However, rejection by the RLDS of certain LDS theological distinctives such as exaltation long predates these changes. Nearly all of the traditional differences between the two groups can be seen as aligning Community of Christ more closely with traditional Christian teaching and

neo-orthodoxy In Christianity, Neo-orthodoxy or Neoorthodoxy, also known as theology of crisis and dialectical theology, was a theological movement developed in the aftermath of the First World War. The movement was largely a reaction against doctrines of ...

, 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 Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as ch ...

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state ...

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 issue A wedge issue is a political or social issue, often of a controversial or divisive nature, which splits apart a demographic or population group. Wedge issues can be advertised or publicly aired in an attempt to strengthen the unity of a populatio ...

s" that would distinguish it from Young's LDS Church in Utah. Elbert A. Smith
''Differences That Persist between the RLDS and LDS Churches''
(1950), website accessed June 11, 2008. The differences enumerated below characterize the major differences between Community of Christ and the LDS Church.

Scriptures

Both churches believe in an open canon of scripture founded upon the Bible, the

, and revelations of God to the church recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants.

Bible

The Inspired Version of the Bible is part of Community of Christ's canon of scripture, although it does not mandate a single translation of the Bible. Herald Publishing House, Community of Christ's publishing arm, sells both the Inspired Version and the

NRSV The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is an English translation of the Bible published in 1989 by the National Council of Churches. The NRSV is considered a "good, recent translation", and tends to be regarded as the "default" bible in the present Community of Christ due to "its excellent scholarship" and its "interpretive principle of inclusion", although other translations are preferred in different areas. The LDS Church initially viewed the RLDS-published Inspired Version with suspicion, and favoured the Authorized King James Version (KJV) over it, although this suspicion "rapidly faded" during the 1970s. Following polemics by J. Reuben Clark of the

First Presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...

in favour of the KJV and the Greek

Textus Receptus ''Textus Receptus'' (Latin: "received text") refers to all printed editions of the Greek New Testament from Erasmus's ''Novum Instrumentum omne'' (1516) to the 1633 Elzevir edition. It was the most commonly used text type for Protestant deno ...

, and in opposition to the RV, ASV and RSV and the Greek Westcott–Hort text (using the KJV basis of the Inspired Version as one of the arguments in favour of the KJV), the KJV has been firmly established as the approved English-language bible of the LDS Church, cemented upon the LDS Church publishing its own edition of the KJV in 1979. The LDS Church edition of the KJV includes curated excerpts from the Inspired Version, which the LDS Church refers to as the "Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible" (JST), in footnotes and an appendix. For

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

-speaking members, the LDS Church publishes a slightly modified version of the

Reina-Valera The Reina–Valera is a Spanish translation of the Bible originally published in 1602 untilAnon. ''¡Refrescante y más brillante que nunca!'' Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas (1995) p.9 United Bible Societies in 1909 revised the earlier translation pr ...

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 The standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church, the largest in the Latter Day Saint movement) are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon. The four books of the standard works are: * ...

Book of Mormon

Both Community of Christ and LDS Church accept the

as a second canon of scriptureAndrew M. Shields, "Official Minutes of Business Session, Wednesday March 28, 2007," in 2007 World Conference Thursday Bulletin, March 29, 2007. Community of Christ, 2007. and views it as an additional witness of Jesus Christ that complements the Bible. Community of Christ publishes two versions of the book through its official publishing arm,

Herald House Herald House or Herald Publishing House is the publishing division of Community of Christ in Independence, Missouri. It publishes books, periodicals and other materials at the direction of the First Presidency. Its history dates to the publicatio ...

. 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.1966 "Revised Authorized Edition"
. Community of Christ also publishes a 1966 "Revised Authorized Edition", which attempts to modernize some of the language. In both cases, the versification is different from the LDS edition: for example, LDS 3 Nephi 11:7 corresponds to CofC III Nephi 5:8. The LDS Church publishes a single version of the Book of Mormon, which is extensively footnoted to the church's other

. 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. 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." Although it remains an official book of scripture, views among Community of Christ members regarding its use and historicity span the entire spectrum. 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. Community of Christ has removed several early sectionsCommunity of Christ, Doctrine and Covenants - Doctrine and Covenants 107
see header
/ref> and has regularly added new revelations and other inspired documents to the book since the death of Joseph Smith. The LDS Church removed what wa
Section 101
(the declaration on marriage which prohibited polygamy) in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants and added the revelation on plural marriage. The LDS Church has added some material to the Doctrine and Covenants since Smith's death, but less than that of 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

. Community of Christ has never published or considered this book to be scripture. However, Community of Christ does accept two portions of the Pearl of Great Price—the

Book of Moses The Book of Moses, dictated by Joseph Smith, is part of the scriptural canon for some in the Latter Day Saint movement. The book begins with the "Visions of Moses," a prologue to the story of the creation and the fall of man (Moses chapter 1), a ...

and Joseph Smith–Matthew—as scripture: *Chapters 2–8 of the Book of Moses are included within the

Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek ; Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, ( "In the beginning" ...

in Community of Christ's Inspired Version of the Bible; * Chapter 1 of the Book of Moses is accepted as section 22 of 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 Community of Christ's Doctrine and Covenants; and * Joseph Smith–Matthew is accepted as part of the

Book of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and ...

in the Inspired Version of the Bible. As presently published by the LDS Church, the Pearl of Great Price also includes the

Book of Abraham The Book of Abraham is a collection of writings claimed to be from several Egyptian scrolls discovered in the early 19th century during an archeological expedition by Antonio Lebolo. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pu ...

Joseph Smith–History Joseph Smith–History (abbreviated JS–H) is a book in the Pearl of Great Price containing excerpts from an autobiographical record of some of the early events in the life of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Like man ...

, and the Articles of Faith; these are not accepted as scripture by Community of Christ. The original edition of the Pearl of Great Price was published in 1851 in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

by Franklin D. Richards, and included several other documents: * "A Key to the Revelations of St. John", detailing interpretations of the

Apocalypse of John The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...

in question-and-answer format. This was later added to the LDS Doctrine and Covenants in 1876, and appears as D&C 77 in the current LDS canon; it does not appear in the Community of Christ canon. * "A Revelation and Prophecy by the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, Joseph Smith", foretelling of a civil war between

slave states and free states In the United States before 1865, a slave state was a state in which slavery and the internal or domestic slave trade were legal, while a free state was one in which they were not. Between 1812 and 1850, it was considered by the slave states ...

and ensuing escalation to a

world war A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

, and admonishing the faithful to "stand ye in holy places, and be not moved" until the

second coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messian ...

. This was later added to the LDS Doctrine and Covenants in 1876, and appears as D&C 87 in the current LDS canon; it does not appear in the Community of Christ canon. * Several excerpts of documents that already appeared in the Doctrine and Covenants prior to Joseph Smith's death: ** "From the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church", comprising several excerpts from LDS D&C 20 / CofC D&C 17 and LDS D&C 107 / CofC D&C 104. ** "Extract from a Revelation given July, 1830", also excerpted from the Doctrine and Covenants (part of LDS D&C 27 or CofC D&C 26) ** "Rise of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints", also excerpted from the Doctrine and Covenants (the start of LDS D&C 20 or CofC D&C 17) * "Truth", the hymn "O, Say What is Truth?". This is canonised by neither church, although it appears in the LDS Church hymnbook. In 1976, documents titled "Vision of the Celestial Kingdom" (an excerpt from volume 2 of the Documentary History of the Church, detailing Joseph Smith's vision of Alvin Smith in the

Celestial Kingdom In the Mormon theology and cosmology there are three degrees of glory (alternatively, kingdoms of glory) which are the ultimate, eternal dwelling place for nearly all who lived on earth after they are resurrected from the spirit world. Member ...

) and "Vision of the Redemption of the Dead" (a vision of the harrowing of the Spirit Prison recorded by Joseph F. Smith in 1918) were added to the Pearl of Great Price by the LDS Church. In 1979, they were moved to the LDS Doctrine and Covenants as D&C 137 and 138. They have never been canonised by Community of Christ.

Presidential tenure and succession

Both Community of Christ and the LDS Church are headed by a

President of the Church In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. It was the office held by Joseph Smith, founder of the movement, and the office assumed by many of Smith's claimed succe ...

, a position created and held by

. In the LDS Church, succession to the presidency has been based on apostolic seniority. In 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 In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the Council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council of the Twelve Apostles, or the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies or ( quorums) of the church hie ...

nominates a successor. After Smith, the next three presidents of 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 successors to Joseph Smith in the presidency of Community of Christ were direct descendants of Smith. McMurray was the first president of the church who was not a member of the Smith family. While never formally accepting a principle of lineal succession, the denomination teaches that Smith had designated his son,

Joseph Smith III Joseph Smith III (November 6, 1832 – December 10, 1914) was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith (founder of the Latter Day Saint movement) and Emma Hale Smith. Joseph Smith III was the Prophet-President of what became the Reorganized Chu ...

, as his successor. In 1996, the appointment of McMurray by retiring president Wallace B. Smith was the justification used by schismatic groups that abandoned Community of Christ. This schism led to the creation of the

Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, usually referred to as the Remnant Church, is a denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. The prophet / president of the church is Terry W. Patience. History In the 1970s and 1980s, ...

. The president of the Remnant Church at the time, Frederick Niels Larsen, was a maternal great-great-grandson of Joseph Smith. Larsen's handpicked successor and current head of the Remnant Church, Terry W. Patience, however, is not a descendant of Joseph Smith. The LDS Church determines its presidential successor by principles of apostolic seniority combined with inspiration from God. Brent L. Top and Lawrence R. Flake
"'The Kingdom of God Will Roll On': Succession in the Presidency'
''

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

'', August 1996, p. 22. When a church president dies, the member of the

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...

who has been an apostle the longest—the

President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles President of the Quorum of the Twelve (also President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President of the Council of Twelve Apostles, and President of the Twelve) is a leadership position that exists in some of the churches of the Latter Day Sai ...

—becomes the new president of the church. Prior to making the succession official, the apostles individually and collectively pray for divine guidance and confirmation of their proposed action. While this is an area that marked a traditional difference between the two denominations, a 2004–05 succession crisis prompted the

of Community of Christ to utilize an inspiration-seeking procedure similar to that adopted by the apostles of the LDS Church. 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.Stephen M. Veazey
, cofchrist.org. Retrieved March 2, 2008.

Godhead

Community of Christ teaches about the

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

, which they define as a God who is a community of three persons. The LDS Church teaches that the Godhead is composed of three physically distinct personages who are united—or "one"—in purpose.

Exaltation

The LDS Church teaches the principle of exaltation, in which people who achieve the highest degree of salvation can become Gods, and in which God the Father originates as an exalted person. This teaching is derived from late- Nauvoo-period statements of Joseph Smith such as the King Follett Discourse. This doctrine is not accepted by Community of Christ, which already regarded it as false doctrine as of the tenure of Elbert A. Smith as presiding patriarch of the RLDS Church (1938–1958). Smith, in a pamphlet titled ''Differences That Persist'', argued that the exaltation teaching contradicted statements in the Bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants emphasising the unchanging nature of God. This position was established long before the controversies which led to the separation of the Restoration branches in the 1980s; hence, the exaltation teaching is also rejected by that group.

Adam–God doctrine

According to

, the Adam–God doctrine was first taught by

before his death in 1844. However, the evidence that Smith originated the doctrine consists only of Young's own assertions, an 1877 recollection of Anson Call, and some circumstantial evidence collected by

Mormon fundamentalist Mormon fundamentalism (also called fundamentalist Mormonism) is a belief in the validity of selected fundamental aspects of Mormonism as taught and practiced in the nineteenth century, particularly during the administrations of Joseph Smith, ...

writers. LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball officially denounced the Adam–God doctrine in 1976. Because Community of Christ was founded by the confederation of a number of smaller groups that declined to accept Young's leadership, the Adam–God doctrine has never been a part of Community of Christ teachings, and it has maintained that the doctrine was first enunciated by Young, not Smith.

Priesthood eligibility

Both churches have a tradition of bestowing the priesthood on adult male members of the church. The priesthood of Community of Christ has always been open to persons of all races in accordance with section 116 of the Community of Christ Doctrine and Covenants, received in 1865 and canonised in 1878; it was opened to women in 1984. The LDS Church's priesthood is open to males onlyThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
"Official Declaration 2"
Doctrine and Covenants. and from the mid 1800s until 1978 was not open to people of black African descent. The LDS Church routinely gives its Aaronic priesthood to boys 11 years of age and older, while Community of Christ generally restricts its priesthood to adult men and women.

Temples

Community of Christ Temple located in Independence, Missouri

Both Community of Christ and the LDS Church operate

temples A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

, which for both groups are separate and distinct from church chapels or meetinghouses. Community of Christ operates two temples, the

Kirtland Temple The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark in Kirtland, Ohio, United States, on the eastern edge of the Cleveland metropolitan area. Owned and operated by the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of La ...

and the

, while the LDS Church has 160 operating temples. In contrast to Brigham Young's position that a specific commandment was not needed before the

Salt Lake Temple The Salt Lake Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. At , it is the largest Latter-day Saint temple by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth templ ...

was built, Community of Christ traditionally maintains that a specific commandment is required before erecting a temple, noting the existence of such separate commandments for the Kirtland, Nauvoo and original planned Independence temples, and citing Joseph Smith having halted temple construction in Far West, Missouri on the basis of the absence of a commandment revealing it to be the will of God. As such, the commandment to construct the present Independence Temple is included in section 149 of the Community of Christ edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, and further instructions regarding its construction and purpose are included in later sections. Community of Christ does not practice and has traditionally objected to the idea of sacraments or rituals being performed in its temples; half of the eight sacraments (baptism, confirmation, blessing of children, marriage) are not performed in Community of Christ temples (although, for example, the

Lord's Supper The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

and anointing of the sick are), and neither has a baptismal font. Community of Christ's temples are open to the public 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 Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism today commonly refers to the religious practice of baptizing a person on behalf of one who is dead—a living person receiving the rite on behalf of a deceased person. Baptism for the dea ...

; these ordinances have never been embraced by Community of Christ. Historically, Community of Christ did include documents in its Doctrine and Covenants which sanctioned baptism for the dead and other temple rites. However, Community of Christ considers that the institution of baptism for the dead was made conditional on the completion of the

Nauvoo Temple The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.''Manuscript History of the Church'', LDS Church Archives, book A-1, p. 37; reproduced in Dean C. Jessee (comp.) (1989). ''The Papers of Jose ...

in a reasonable amount of time.Charles R. Hield and Russell F. Ralston
"Baptism for the Dead".
/ref> Because the membership of the church failed to complete the temple during Smith's lifetime, Community of Christ teaches that the right to perform baptisms for the dead was withdrawn and has not been reinstituted. 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 redesignated those sections as historical appendices. The World Conference of 1990 subsequently removed the entire appendix from the Doctrine and Covenants.

Use of cross and other symbols

Community of Christ utilizes the symbol of the Christian cross on its buildings and temples. The LDS Church currently does not use the cross on the grounds that "because the Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of His death as the symbol of our faith", although this aversion to the cross only became dominant in the 20th century. Rather than a cross, the logo of the LDS Church features the Christus statue as a symbol. Many temples of the LDS Church include a statue of the Angel Moroni on a spire, 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. 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 Community of Christ members, the VA emblem is a stylized representation of a child standing between a lion and a lamb, which is an official logo of 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

, 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. Smith's son

and widow

Emma Smith Emma Hale Smith Bidamon (July 10, 1804 – April 30, 1879) was an American homesteader, the official wife of Joseph Smith, and a prominent leader in the early days of the Latter Day Saint movement, both during Smith's lifetime and afterward as ...

repeatedly taught that Smith opposed the practice and was not a polygamist. Today, the Community of Christ continues to reject polygamy. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opposes the practice of polygamy, and its church presidents have repeatedly emphasized that the Church and its members are no longer authorized to enter into plural marriage.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Tithing

Traditionally, Community of Christ taught that

tithing A tithing or tything was a historic English legal, administrative or territorial unit, originally ten hides (and hence, one tenth of a hundred). Tithings later came to be seen as subdivisions of a manor or civil parish. The tithing's leader or ...

should be calculated as one-tenth of a member's discretionary income.Stewardship: An Old Path Made New
, webpage, retrieved June 24, 2006. The LDS Church teaches that it is ten percent of one's annual income, 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). Recently, 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.

Apostasy and restoration

The LDS Church teaches that Joseph Smith restored the fullness of the gospel after a centuries long period known as the

Great Apostasy The Great Apostasy is a concept within Christianity to describe a perception that mainstream Christian Churches have fallen away from the original faith founded by Jesus and promulgated through his twelve Apostles. A belief in a Great Apostasy ...

. James E. Talmage, '' The Great Apostasy'' (1909, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book

/ref>''Apostasy from The Divine Church'' by James L. Barker The LDS Church therefore characterizes itself as a restoration of fallen Christianity and the

one true church The expression "one true church" refers to an ecclesiological position asserting that Jesus gave his authority in the Great Commission solely to a particular visible Christian institutional church—what is commonly called a denomination. This ...

that exists. In contrast, Community of Christ has de-emphasized 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. Barbara McFarlane Higdon has called Community of Christ a "unique member of the body of Christ, the universal community of believers." Higdon also suggests that prior claims that the church had been "restored" were tantamount to idolatry. Community of Christ has therefore moved towards ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue. Nevertheless, Community of Christ "steadfastly affirms the primacy of continuing revelation instead of creedal rigidity". Community of Christ's Doctrine and Covenants continues to contain documents that declare that the church is the one true church. Today, Community of Christ generally refers to Joseph Smith's

First Vision The First Vision (also called the grove experience by members of the Community of Christ) refers to a theophany which Latter Day Saints believe Joseph Smith experienced in the early 1820s, in a wooded area in Manchester, New York, called the ...

as the "grove experience" and takes a flexible view about its historicity, emphasizing the healing presence of God and the forgiving mercy of Jesus Christ felt by Smith.Our History - Introduction
/ref> In contrast to the LDS Church having canonised the 1838 account of the First Vision, orientation movies at Community of Christ operated historic sites tend to either derive from the earlier 1832 account, or else use vague language. 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

Footnotes

Notes

Works cited

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External links

Official Website of the Community of ChristOfficial Web site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsHerald House, official publishing arm of the Community of ChristJohn Whitmer Historical Association, a scholarly society focused on Community of Christ history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Community Of Christ (Differentiation From Lds Church) Community of Christ Latter Day Saint belief and doctrine Latter Day Saint practices Relations between Christian denominations Mormonism and other religions