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An Historical Overview

Part Two

Dispersion and Reorganization

1844 – Present

The Dispersion (1844–1860)

      Following Joseph Smith’s death, a struggle for control ensued among the remaining church leaders. Brigham Young, president of the twelve apostles, eventually assumed leadership. In addition to this internal battle, by the fall of 1845, conflict was escalating between the Mormons and their Gentile neighbors. Both groups were guilty of raiding, plundering and intimidating each other.[1]

      On September 22, delegates from nine counties met at Quincy and adopted resolutions advocating that the Mormons leave Illinois. After the Council of Twelve Apostles was informed of these resolutions, Brigham Young agreed that he and his followers would leave the state. In October these delegates held a second meeting, the Carthage Convention, and stated their reasons why the Mormons should leave. They resolved that,

“No people, however, quietly disposed, can live in the immediate neighborhood of the Mormons without being drawn into collision with them, and without a resort to arms for self-protection…. We, as citizens of the State of Illinois…are deeply interested in terminating the scenes of violence which have recently been enacted in said county, and in restoring peace and good order therein; and whereas…we believe the difficulties now existing in said county are above and beyond the reach of the laws, inasmuch as the laws can only be administered through the instrumentality of the officers and juries of the county, and inasmuch as the officers of said county whose duty it is to select the Juries are either Mormons, or under Mormon influence, having been elected by them; and whereas no Mormon can be brought to justice in said county, for any offence, however great its enormity, inasmuch as they are banded and confederated together to sustain, protect, and defend each other, in all acts, however daring and lawless; and larceny, robbery, perjury and murder, in their most aggravated forms therefore, go unpunished; and whereas we are satisfied that peace and harmony can be restored to the county, only by the separation of the Mormons and the other citizens of the county….

      “We therefore accept…the proposition made by the Mormons to remove from the State next Spring…. We utterly repudiate the imprudent assertion so often and so constantly put forth by the Mormons, that they are persecuted for righteousness sake. We do not believe them to be a persecuted people.  We know that they are not; but that whatever grievances they may suffer are the necessary, and legitimate consequences of their illegal, wicked and dishonest acts…. “ [2]

      In February of 1846, approximately 12,000 Latter Day Saints reluctantly left Nauvoo, the majority following Brigham Young to Utah. Most of the 1,000 or so remaining saints were driven out by force in the fall by an Illinois mob, in a confrontation that became known as the Battle of Nauvoo.[3]

      The majority of those who did not go to Utah split into smaller factions and spread to different locations around the country.  Many of these groups continued practicing polygamy in some form. Joseph’s widow, Emma, along with a small remnant, chose not to join any of the factions and remained in Nauvoo.

      Jason Briggs, who had been a church member in Nauvoo, claimed that on November 18, 1851, he had a revelation in which the Lord told him, “In my own due time will I call upon the seed of Joseph Smith….  And he shall be mighty and strong …and he shall preside over the high priesthood of my church.”[4]

       This message was sent to the scattered Saints, many of who had been unhappy with the teaching of polygamy they had found in the splinter organizations formed after Joseph Smith’s death.

      In June of 1852, these fragmented groups gathered in Beloit, Wisconsin, and organized a church, which became known as the New Organization. They renounced the teaching of polygamy and agreed to wait for the “one mighty and strong” the Lord had promised. On April 6, 1860, in Amboy Illinois, at the annual church conference, their waiting was over. Joseph Smith Jr.’s son was introduced to the conference and delivered an address declaring, “I have come in obedience to a power not my own.”[5] With the unanimous approval of the conference, Joseph Smith III accepted the position of prophet, seer and revelator of the remnant church, which is known today as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The Reorganization (1860–Present)

Joseph Smith III
RLDS prophet/president: 1860–1914

      Joseph Smith III’s greatest desire was to clear his father’s name from any association with polygamy, a practice that he personally found abhorrent. He early resolved to live his own life in such an exemplary way that people would no longer question the morality of his father.[6] However, toward the end of his life, he acknowledged that his father might have been involved in the “strange development” of the spiritual-wife doctrine or polygamy, for he stated, “that my father may have been a party to the first step in this strange development, I am perhaps prepared to admit.”[7]    

      During his 54-year tenure as church president, Joseph became adept in the use of “revelation” to centralize power and achieve goals.[8] This was necessary because the same unrest that had been evident in Kirtland, Far West and Nauvoo under his father’s authoritarian rule had surfaced again. The ‘independent spirit’ that had developed in the New Organization, had carried over into the Reorganization.

“Reorganized Church members possessed a fierce protectiveness of members’ rights… The movement that coalesced around Jason W. Briggs and Zenos H. Gurley, Sr., in the l850s was made up of cautious people who had accepted American pluralism and rejected the more extreme expressions of early Mormonism’s religious commitment…. Mormonism, from the beginning, had struggled to reconcile its simultaneous impulses toward a strong hierarchical structure and a strong congregational structure….  Briggs and Gurley decried what they perceived as an erosion of tolerance for pluralism, dissent, and democracy in the Reorganization.”[9]  

      Ironically, Briggs and Gurley, the two men most responsible for the reorganization, were essentially silenced by a conference vote in 1885. They left the church in 1886, leaving Joseph III as the undisputed leader.

      As missionaries were sent out all over the world to spread the Restoration gospel, church membership grew from less than 500 in 1860 to more than 71,000 in 1914.[10] In addition to new converts, these numbers included scattered Saints, especially in Utah, who were sought out and brought back into the fold.

      Under the leadership of Joseph Smith III, the church established Graceland College in 1895 at Lamoni, Iowa, and thirteen years later the Independence Sanitarium & Hospital in Independence, Missouri. Gradually, over the years, hundreds of Saints gathered back to “Zion” once again settling in and around Independence. This time, area residents quietly accepted them into their communities — the conflicts of the previous generation all but forgotten.

      The RLDS continued to teach that they were the one true church and that salvation was attained by works. They considered their prophets’ revelations superior to the Bible and endorsed a priesthood in which mortal men were ordained as high priests, a position that, according to the Bible, belongs to Christ alone. Despite these heretical teachings, the Saints were generally accepted and respected by Jackson County residents. This was due in large part to the good reputations of Joseph Smith III and the majority of his followers who were good-hearted, sincere, contributing members of the community.

      Joseph Smith III died in 1914 in Independence at the age of eighty-two. He must have been pleased that after almost a century of rejection by orthodox Christianity, the church his father had founded, and he had reorganized, was now perceived as a respectable institution, with its aberrant teachings overlooked because of the good works of its members. 

Frederick Madison Smith
RLDS prophet/president: 1915–1946

      Following Joseph Smith III’s death, his son Frederick M. Smith was ordained second Prophet/President of the RLDS church. The first president to have extensive educational opportunities, Fred M. took advantage of that fact and at the age of 42, received his Ph.D. in social psychology from Clark University in Worcester, Mass.[11] Portions of his doctoral dissertation were later published in his book The Higher Powers of Man. The winter 1995 issue of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, includes an article by Shelby M. Barnes regarding Fred M. Smith and these “higher powers.”

“Smith was a highly educated man interested in the relationship between science and religion. His interest led him to experiment with the religious significance of the hallucinogenic drug peyote. By his own admission, he widely used the drug in searching for what he would identify as ‘the higher powers of man.’ ” [12]

      Barnes relates that in 1913 Fred M. experimented with peyote. He also encouraged Hubert Case, a longtime church missionary with experience among the American Indians, to join him. Fred M. is quoted as saying, “I say, Hubert, the only way we will know is to eat some of it [Peyote] and note the effects… I suggest we try it.” According to Barnes, Hubert Case stated that he and Smith gathered the peyote and tried it together.[13]

     Barnes goes on to say that, Fred M.’s experiences and research led him to consider that chemical ecstasy might play a role in reaching the heights of power and insight which he sought in mind expansion. The ecstatic state Fred M. had in mind was reached in the Native American sunset-to-sunrise ceremony that commenced with the chewing of peyote buds.”[14] According to Fred M.’s own account he went through this ceremony several times.[15]

      He believed that the peyote experience first released, then enhanced the human mind toward creative expansion, and he encouraged others to use the drug. He urged the church to look forward with him into the future. And, in limited and controlled measures, he urged others to experiment with him in the search for ecstasy via the peyote celebrations.[16]

      Speaking of Fred M., Barnes records that as early as 1914 he spoke about the peyote ceremonies while preaching at the Stone Church, the headquarters congregation of the Reorganization.[17]

      In the summary of his book, The Higher Powers of Man, Fred M. concluded, “Somewhere in our educational system today there is need for something to supply to us what the initiation ceremonies do to the savage community.”[18]

      In addition to his observations on drug usage, Fred M.’s book expounded the use of hypnotism and such practices as deep meditation and trances, all of which are acknowledged entry points into the world of the occult.[19] The tragedy was not that Fred M. was seeking enlightenment regarding the expansion of the human mind, but that he chose to seek for this enlightenment in the world of the occult instead of in the Word of God. His beliefs no doubt helped to lay the groundwork for the acceptance of, and involvement in, the New Age movement that is so evident in the RLDS church today. An illustration of this fact can be seen in the February l995 issue of the Saints Herald that features on the cover, New Age author M. Scott Peck receiving the peace award in the RLDS temple.[20]

      Coupled with his desire to maximize mankind’s mental capabilities was Fred M’s passion for the establishment of the utopian society known as Zion, which was initiated by his grandfather, Joseph Smith, Jr. To accomplish this goal he zealously strove to implement his vision for the church; but his dictatorial methods were met with resentment.

      His leadership style was perhaps best described in his own words, “My grandfather gave the law, my father interpreted the law, and I am here to enforce the law.”[21] As a result, many in the leadership and in the general membership as well rebelled. Decreased tithing revenues and declining numbers of baptisms evidenced this.[22] Eventually, more than one-third of the membership left active participation during Fred M.’s administration.[23]

      Those alarmed by his autocratic rule were treated as most dissenters had been since the l830’s—their characters, ethics and morals were vilified and rumors of inappropriate activities were circulated. The case of R.C. Evans, faithful member for forty-two years, and a member of the First Presidency for seven years, typified this treatment. In 1918 he discovered that the leading presidents, apostles, bishops, high priests, including the celebrated Three Witnesses, as well as many of Joseph Smith’s own relatives, declared that he had revelations commanding the practice of polygamy, and that he [Joseph] had participated in that activity for several years.[24]

      Evans left the church. He had unknowingly given his life to a deception and now that he knew the truth he tried to warn others. He was attacked from the pulpit and in the church press, but was not permitted to respond in these same forums. Others who opposed Fred M. were forced to resign—by revelation if necessary, as was the case with his own brother and eventual successor, Israel A. Smith.[25]

      Ultimately, it was Fred M.’s attempt to “enforce the law” that was his undoing. His “supreme directional control” fragmented the membership of his church, created serious divisions among the administrative quorums and destroyed his great dream of seeing Zion established in his lifetime. This brilliant man with his superior education and lofty goals for his family’s church was no more successful in implementing the kingdom of God on earth than his grandfather had been. One wonders if they were unaware of the words of Christ which make it clear that the Latter Day Saint concept of Zion is not a Biblical one. “Having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come visibly, nor will people say, ‘Here it is’ or ‘There it is’ because the kingdom of God is within you’ ” (Luke 17:20-21).

Israel Alexander Smith
RLDS prophet/president: 1946–1958

      The tempestuous, turbulent and divisive years of Fred M.’s administration ended with his death in 1946. His brother, Israel A. Smith, at the age of 70, became the third RLDS Prophet/President. Thus began a 12-year period of healing, harmony and unity as the fragmentation of the previous thirty years was gradually reversed. Lay missionaries were sent to Korea, Pakistan, India, and Latin America. Membership increased and the auditorium, begun in Fred M.’s administration, was completed.

      Publicly, Israel appeared to support a fundamentalist view of restoration beliefs, but he appointed many liberals to important leadership positions. This paved the way for the subtle but steady renovation of Joseph Smith’s original teachings and the blending of restoration distinctives with the liberal Protestant theology of the day.

      The subject of polygamy, which had plagued his father and his grandfather before him, now cast its shadow over Israel’s presidency as well. Israel had become aware of a series of letters exchanged between Apostle Paul Hanson, Church Historian Sam Burgess, and the First Presidency. The subject matter was the undeniable evidence of Joseph Smith Jr.’s involvement in polygamy. Burgess posed the dilemma for all of them when he wrote,

“The field is really narrowed to one question: that is… [Joseph Smith’s] responsibility. Of course, we should face the truth and facts [that Joseph Smith, Jr. originated and participated in the practice of polygamy], but it is difficult to see how it could possibly be of assistance in solving present problems and it may be a distinct hindrance.”[26]

Norma Derry Hiles records this delicate situation as follows.

“A great deal of concern was felt and expressed among the members of the Joint Council about the difficulties involved if this type of information [polygamy] became public. The general officers were worried about how the church would be treated by the press and almost more importantly, how this would affect needed contributions. It was not a good time for contributing church members to become disenchanted…. For Israel the issue seemed especially difficult because he knew the gargantuan efforts his father had made to save his family from this reality.”[27] 

      In the end, it was a dream that settled the issue for Israel. He wrote to Burgess about a dream he had in which his father, Joseph Smith III appeared to him. In the dream Israel asked, “Father, do you need me?” And his father replied, “not for a little bit.”[28] Israel took this to mean that it was not the time to publicly disclose Joseph Smith, Jr.’s true history concerning his connection with polygamy. He apparently decided to ignore the truth in order to keep Joseph’s reputation “untainted” as his father had wished.

      However, the issue of truth continued to bother the well-respected apostle, Paul Hanson. In May of 1937, he wrote the following statement to Israel Smith.

“It is the long-range view of the situation that gives me great concern rather than the immediate present. But a policy should be followed now that will meet future as well as present needs. My concern is the hard line of defense which leading men take against Joseph Smith, Jr., ever being involved in polygamy.”[29]      

      Perhaps the saddest commentary on Israel’s leadership was that he continued to steadfastly deny Joseph Smith’s involvement with polygamy despite his knowledge of indisputable evidence to the contrary. Ironically, the precautions to protect Joseph Smith’s ‘good name’ were frustrated by the 1945 publication of  “No Man Knows My History,” a biography of Joseph Smith Jr. by Pulitzer prize winning historian Fawn Brodie. Her exquisite research and documentation gave new credibility to the allegation that Joseph Smith was the originator of the polygamy doctrine. In fact, Brodie even provided a listing of Smith’s numerous wives.

     Israel’s untimely death in a car crash in l958 cut short his presidency, but the groundwork for the move toward the liberal Protestant philosophy had been laid and would be continued by the next prophet. 

W. Wallace Smith
RLDS prophet/president: 1958–1978

      W. Wallace Smith, son of Joseph III and grandson of Mormonism’s founder, Joseph Smith Jr., became the fourth prophet of the Reorganization. His leadership began what some have called the “RLDS Reformation.” Many in the RLDS hierarchy began attending St. Paul School of Theology, a Methodist seminary that opened in Kansas City, Missouri, in l959. This accelerated the church’s shift away from Joseph Smith’s restoration theology to a more liberal Protestant one.

      As evidences of this ‘new thinking’ surfaced in the Saints Herald and in new church curriculums, murmurings began among conservative members who wanted Joseph Smith’s restoration teachings to be kept intact. As was the case with other Latter Day Saint prophets, whenever a problem developed in the administration of W. Wallace, a revelation would soon follow in order to dispel tensions and reinforce the desired position of the leadership.

      Two important revelations were given by him to move the church through the changes he wanted implemented. The first one gave him the right to reinterpret previous revelations in order to make them relevant for today, “The demands of a growing church require that these principles [former revelations] shall be evaluated and subjected to further interpretation” (Doc. and Cov. l47:7). This effectively gave the prophet free rein to make any changes he wanted.

      The second revelation was given in order to promote a social gospel more in line with the liberal Protestant churches. It reads, “You who are my disciples must be found continuing in the forefront of those organizations and movements which are recognizing the worth of persons” (Doc. and Cov. l5l:9).      To the dismay of many church members this revelation has been interpreted by the leadership to promote the social acceptance of questionable behaviors such as homosexuality, which though politically correct, go against the clear teachings of the Bible. True Christianity has always been counter-culture and the church’s attempt to cover sin instead of exposing it, is another indication that it promotes a different gospel.

      It was also Wallace Smith’s ambition to further expand the RLDS movement into a global church, thus gaining greater respectability in the eyes of the world.  The Reorganization had been founded on two major assumptions. First of all, that Joseph Smith Jr. had an experience in which God told him that all other churches were wrong and their creeds were an abomination to Him. Secondly, that the only valid church on earth in 1860 was the “New Organization,” a collection of remnant groups extant from the original church established in 1830.

      These assumptions were the basis of the missionary presentation used by RLDS priesthood for nearly one hundred years. During this time they criticized virtually every established Christian doctrine, called Christian pastors “hirelings” and proudly proclaimed that they were not Mormon or Protestant but Restorationists, the true church restored.  

     As the church moved into third world countries it was faced with a new reality.

“Very early in this effort the church discovered that traditional missionary methods were useless in a non-Christian culture. To people who knew little or nothing about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, differences between RLDS and Mormon or even other Christian doctrines, seemed subtle and irrelevant. The RLDS church found itself faced with the new problem of introducing people to Christ for the first time rather than trying to persuade them that their previous Christian beliefs were in error.”[30] 

      Christians would not call the act of introducing people to Christ for the first time a problem, but for the RLDS, whose religion encouraged conversion to “the church” rather than to Christ, and placed Jesus low on their list of conversion priorities, this must have been difficult.

      Finding themselves in nations which were in dire poverty, and in which they would have to do more than debate everyone else’s wrongness, they were challenged to get involved in helping communities with their problems, something Christian churches have done for centuries. However, when the general membership got word of changes being made in presenting the ‘gospel’ around the world, fuel was added to the fire of discontent that was already smoldering among the conservative RLDS. Wallace Smith blamed the people for the divisiveness in the church saying in the first person language of God, “Let any remaining contention over minutiae cease in order that my purposes…may be fulfilled and my work continue to prosper in love”(Doc. and Cov. 146:3). Despite this revelation, the fundamentalists’ frustrations continued to increase as they steadfastly rejected any changes in the original teachings of the Reorganized Church.

      In the l960’s the fast-moving trend to accept liberal Protestant teachings was especially abhorrent to the traditional RLDS priesthood, because they had been told by revelation that they were to teach and not be taught (Doc. and Cov. 43:4). By the late 1960’s, the hierarchy, spelling out the new agenda for the church, had prepared position papers. These confidential papers were leaked to the general membership, who were shocked at the extent to which the leadership was redefining Joseph Smith’s teachings in order to be more acceptable to the liberal Christian community at large.

     The disappointment and concern of the traditionalists compelled them to struggle tenaciously for the reinstatement of their beliefs into the core values of the church, since, at this point, their desire was to change it from within rather than to separate from it.

     W. Wallace Smith retired in 1978 (the first RLDS prophet not to die in office), having brought the church from the relative calm of Israel’s administration into a period of unrest, suspicion and disillusionment, not known since the schismatic leadership of his brother Frederick.

Wallace B. Smith
RLDS prophet/president: 1978–1996

      In 1978, Wallace B. Smith, well known in Independence because of his ophthalmology practice, replaced his father as RLDS prophet/president. Many members, disgruntled by recent changes in the church, felt that perhaps the Lord had sent them a prophet who would reverse the trend toward liberalism and move the church back to its restoration roots.

      But that hope was short-lived as Wallace B. quickly adopted a forceful approach to putting his father’s plans into effect. The claimed RLDS theocratic-democracy (the people voting whether or not to accept their prophet’s revelations) provided no comfort for the fundamentalist members. Instead, political tactics prevailed at World Conferences to systematically remove their cherished restoration beliefs. The dissent intensified as the fundamentalists realized the essential core of their gospel was being discarded.

      Larry Conrad, Methodist pastor and well-known analyst of contemporary Reorganized Latter Day Saint theology, describes the dismantling of the traditional RLDS beliefs as follows.

“The post-l950 era constitutes what may rightly be called a Reorganized Church reformation. In this period, Reorganization progressives emerged to engage in the steady dismantling of what had been a traditional Reorganized Church consensus. They challenged the belief that the Inspired Version of the Bible is a superior work…. Questioned the antiquity of the gospel as understood and practiced in the Reorganization; argued against the presentation of the gospel as a set of specific principles; asserted that the Reorganized Church is not the only true church with authority to administer the sacraments; rejected the view that the Reorganization serves as the…restoration of the New Testament Church; undermined belief in the historicity of the Book of Mormon; questioned the propositional character of revelation; softened traditional teachings on the ancient apostasy and the gospel’s restoration; de-emphasized the gathering to Zion and the second coming of Jesus Christ.”[31]  

      This reformation set the stage for the inevitable confrontation that took place in 1984.  President Smith presented an explosive revelation to the World Conference permitting women, for the first time, to hold priesthood offices. His revelation proved to be the last straw for the fundamentalists. Their frustration, which had been escalating for thirty years, came to a climax. Many church members rejected the revelation as false and accused the prophet of being in complete apostasy. Some members left and formed new churches with their own prophets, however, most of the dissidents gathered back to their own congregations, determined to salvage their restoration heritage.

     The church leadership was prepared for a major upheaval following this milestone revelation and resorted to heavy-handed methods to quell any signs of rebellion. When warnings to obey the RLDS leadership went unheeded, world church officials padlocked the doors of the dissidents’ churches, confiscated the buildings (many of which the parishioners had financed and built), and silenced thousands of their priesthood members.[32]

      Today, an estimated 25,000 of these “Restorationists” remain RLDS in name only, retaining their membership but worshipping in their own buildings. Thousands of others have been termed “loyalists.” They have remained in the church, still adhering to Joseph Smith’s teachings and hoping for a return to fundamentalism within the institutional church. Meanwhile, the leadership continues to push for their own form of liberal Protestantism.

      The strategy the RLDS have long used when division threatens the church is to focus the people’s attention on a common goal that will unify them. F. Henry Edwards, former member of the first presidency wrote, “The most effective antidote we have discovered to internal disunity has been reemphasis on our world mission.”[33]

      The unifying project after the l984 revelation, was the building of the long-awaited temple in Independence. This strategy worked for those who remained loyal to the church. As the construction of this landmark progressed, their excitement grew, climaxing with the dedication of the temple for the pursuit of peace at the 1994 World Conference. The resulting near-deification of the temple is a consequence of the church’s belief that peace will emanate from Independence, into all parts of the world (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 98:4a-i, 94:5, 108:3).

      The Restorationists, believing that the RLDS leadership was in apostasy, were convinced that the Lord would send them a new prophet. To support this belief, many have resurrected a prophecy given by Jason Briggs in 1851, in which the Lord promised he would send ‘one mighty and strong’ of Joseph Smith’s seed, who would assume leadership of His church.[34]

      The founders of the RLDS Church had been convinced Brigg’s prophecy was fulfilled in 1860 when Joseph Smith III became their leader. Yet today, the Restorationists, whose entire belief system rests on prophetic leadership, believe the Lord will again fulfill this prophecy for them. The newly established “Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” is one Restoration branch that has separated from all the others, believing themselves to be the rightful heirs of Joseph Smith’s original church, thus replacing the apostate RLDS church. The Lord has allegedly spoken to this new group and told them to be faithful and in His own due time He would again send ‘one mighty and strong’ to be their Prophet, Seer, and Revelator.”  

W. Grant McMurray
RLDS prophet/president: 1996–Present

      In April 1996, the institutional church ordained as their new leader Grant McMurray, the first prophet who was not a direct descendent of Joseph Smith, Jr. McMurray’s leadership seemingly will follow the same pattern as that of his more recent predecessors, vacillating between the restoration heritage and liberal Protestant views. This wavering is borne out by his remarks after his ordination at the l996 World Conference, “We should seek knowledge from the richness of Christian thought, from respectful dialogue with each other, and in interfaith forums whereby we can explore together the nature of our spiritual journeys.” In the same sermon McMurray declared, “I am a restorationist…I am a part of a Christian heritage that began with the soulful, spiritual quest of a young boy [Joseph Smith]…. We are the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, inheritors of the Restoration tradition…we have a vision of Zion.”[35]

            It appears that McMurray has the same mindset established so many years ago by Joseph Smith, Jr., in which non-members are considered less than first-rate Christians, when compared with Joseph’s followers. This we/they mentality becomes obvious in another of McMurray’s conference addresses, April 2l, l996. 

“Many have emphasized the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as the sole or primary element of significance…. For many, that is the beginning and the ending, and there is no more…. So many people in the religious world today are satisfied with that sense of personal salvation, feeling confident that the only job of the Christian is to get himself or herself right with Jesus—establish that relationship and then celebrate it until [they] move to the next world…. I will respect…all who make that choice for their life…but I also want to declare that it is not enough…. Make no mistake about it. I want nothing to do with a plain vanilla, one-size-fits-all, generic expression of the Christian faith that has no story…that has no sacred places, that has no soul…I am a restorationist. By that I mean that I have embraced as mine the story of this people…. I do not claim it because of some intellectual argument that is authoritative, I claim it for just one reason—because it is my story…. We are called to be a prophetic people, witnessing to the world that this small band of believers [RLDS] is ready to stand up and make a difference…. We have unalterable confidence that God is in this work.”[36]  

            McMurray’s remarks in 1996 had many RLDS wondering whether he would lead the church back to its Restoration roots, or steer it toward liberal Protestantism and the New Age. Based on McMurray’s pronouncements during the 1998 world conference the latter seems to be the case. His March 29 sermon stunned many members of the church. The Independence Examiner, reporting on this sermon printed the following excerpt, “The church has changed over the years…. Some notes of change right now are acceptance of women as apostles of the church and acceptance of gays and lesbians.” [37]

            Even more shocking to the general RLDS membership, was the realization that GALA (Gays and Lesbian Acceptance) is an official RLDS organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and straight persons, their families and friends. GALA supporters not only held meetings in the Stone Church during the 1998 conference, but also operated a booth there, where pro-homosexual information was distributed. Gala membership is over 400 worldwide according to their publications; they sponsor national and international retreats—one of which received the following message from RLDS prophet Grant McMurray.

“I am pleased to send greetings and good wishes as you assemble for this year’s GALA retreat. I trust you will be richly blessed in your gathering, enjoying the fellowship, spiritual nourishment, and reflective thought that such events so often generate for each of us…. I want you to know that the gay and lesbian community is a welcomed part of the body of Christ…. I pray that God’s richest blessings will attend you…. and that you feel the Spirit in much abundance among you.”[38]  

            That the prophet/leader of the RLDS church would send his blessings to a GALA retreat is hard for true Christians to even imagine. A true spiritual leader would show genuine love for these people by telling them the truth, not condoning their immoral activities. Many delegates at the 1998 World Conference expressed varying degrees of shock, disappointment and confusion at the church’s unbiblical stance on this issue. Interested observers will continue to evaluate McMurray’s leadership as he steers the RLDS church into the new millennium. 

Summary and Commentary

            Although the official history of the RLDS church is an engaging story full of fascinating characters and supernatural experiences, its actual history has been revised, reinterpreted, covered-up and kept in large part, from the general membership.

            As a result of this revisionist history, there is no general consensus in the RLDS church on the significance of its past, its purpose for the present or its goals for the future. A statement made by Grant McMurray underscores this fact, “Here we are, 167 years after declaring that we are a called-out people, still trying to determine what kind of people we will be.”[39]

            In the attempt to “find themselves,” the RLDS leadership has tried unsuccessfully to blend the familiar traditions of their past with the pluralistic ecumenism of today’s politically correct mainline denominations.  Paul Trask explains.

“Unshackled by this fundamentalist movement, the surviving RLDS church has become increasingly ‘liberal.’ Whereas Joseph Smith claimed for his church exclusive truth and authority, today’s RLDS church now openly promotes religious ‘pluralism.’ Pluralism teaches that God authored and is at work in all of the world’s religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, and that salvation can be found in them all. Pluralism also promotes ‘dialogue’ amongst the world's religions in order to create a high level of tolerance and respect for each other's particular religious heritage. It is in this sense that today’s RLDS church continues to identify with the religious heritage left them by Joseph Smith. They no longer claim this heritage as authoritative as Joseph Smith did. Rather, they claim it as their own unique contribution to the religious fabric of the world, of which they so desperately want to be a part.”[40] 

            Contrary to the popular belief that salvation can be found in all religions, Christianity is very exclusive. Jesus himself said salvation is found in no one else but Him (Acts 4:l2).

RLDS author/historian Roger Launius observes, “The collapse of the Reorganized Church’s philosophical synthesis—the failure to blend convincingly the symbols, stories, and events of the Reorganization’s tradition with an influx of Protestant ideas—has created a theological and historical vacuum, which must now be filled.”[41]

            If the desire of the Reorganized Latter Day Saints today is to truly be “followers of Jesus Christ” as they proclaim, then God will enable them to divest themselves of their tortured past and direct their loyalty away from the ‘restoration gospel’ and toward the Biblical gospel where it belongs. This is our hope for them.