Erle Whiting
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Ivan Erle Whiting, Sr. (January 2, 1876 – August 15, 1958) was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite), a branch of the
Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by ...
. His short tenure in office was marred by a dispute between the
Independence, Missouri Independence is a city in and one of two county seats of Jackson County, Missouri, United States. It 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 Unite ...
congregation of the church, where he and the church headquarters were located, and the branch at
Clitherall, Minnesota Clitherall ( ) is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 62 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Minnesota State Highway 210 ...
, which rejected his election to office and chose Clyde Fletcher from their own congregation as president of the church. When the Independence branch (which was much more numerous) refused to accept this unlawful development, the Minnesota branch broke away under Clyde's leadership as the True Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite). A battle between the two branches for church properties and leadership was resolved in the Independence branch's favor by a
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
court, and Clyde Fletcher's schismatic sect ceased to exist with his death, when both congregations were reunited under Erle's successor, Rupert Fletcher.


Early years

Erle Whiting was born in Clitherall, Minnesota on 2 January 1876. His father, Isaac Whiting, served as the third president of the Cutlerite church, and he married Blanche Gertrude Cruzan in Clitherall on 19 October 1910.


Presidency

Whiting succeeded to the presidency of the Cutlerite church upont he death of his predecessor, Emery Fletcher, in 1955. Ever since a majority of Cutlerites had relocated to Independence in the 1920s, living there in a much more
urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...
environment than in
rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...
Clitherall, differences had arisen between the two congregations. According to Whiting's successor Rupert Fletcher, author of ''Alpheus Cutler and The Church of Jesus Christ'' (a history of the Cutlerite church), the schism that led to the founding of Clyde Fletcher's church was precipitated by what he called "the lack of communication and a wide difference in environment." While the Minnesota congregation were primarily "members of a rural society, engaged in agrarian pursuits," the Missourians lived and worked "in an urban community." "The problems and needs of each have little in common with the other", wrote Fletcher, and this had often "caused disunity." Matters came to a head in April 1955, when Erle was elected by the Independence congregation (which held the majority of Cutlerites) to succeed Emory Fletcher. While the Independence church held that this was in keeping with Cutlerite tradition—which passed the office of Church President down to the predecessor's First Counselor—the Minnesota group insisted that Clyde Fletcher was the true President. Fletcher
excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...
the leaders of the Missouri congregation for refusing to follow his leadership. The Missouri Culterites refused to accept this act as legitimate, or Fletcher's election to the presidency by a minority of the total Cutlerite membership. Fletcher subsequently insisted that his was the sole true continuation of
Alpheus Cutler John Alpheus Cutler (February 29, 1784 – June 10, 1864) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement who founded the Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) in 1853. He had previously served in several church positions under Joseph Smith, fou ...
's organization, and began styling his church the "True Church of Jesus Christ." The two congregations fought over various church properties in or around Clitherall. In 1966 a
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
court ruled that the Missouri group was the legitimate Cutlerite church, and was entitled to exclusive control over all properties and records, including the Clitherall meetinghouse. Prior to this ruling, the meetinghouse had been serving as Fletcher's church headquarters and sole branch. Following Fletcher's death in 1969, the other members of his organization reunited with the Independence church, and the True Church of Jesus Christ ceased to exist. Erle Whiting died on August 15, 1958, long before the schism issues described above were settled.


References


Works cited

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Whiting, Erle 1876 births 1958 deaths American Latter Day Saint leaders Leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) People from Otter Tail County, Minnesota People from Independence, Missouri