Community of Christ

[Goatnapper'96]

Originally Posted by YOhio

Has anybody ever had any interaction with a CoC member? Outside of a guided tour of the Mansion Home in Nauvoo, I haven't ever met one.

I've always been curious as to the teachings of their church in relationship to ours. It almost feels like a situation where twins are seperated at birth. Living different lives, having different experiences, taught by different people, yet still sharing the same birth.

Here on CG we're largely comprised of active LDS, but we have several disaffected Mormons, a few anti-Mormons, a couple of members of different faiths, some Mormons struggling with their faith and a Muslim living in Iran. We're missing a CoC member. That would make for some interesting conversation.

There were two at West Point. Both were from the midwest and seemed relatively involved in the Branch as plebes. However, as the misery of Plebe year wore off and life became more tolerable they both went "inactive" from the LDS services. I heard both say that they were not ever doctrinally comfortable but they enjoyed the social interaction. This was before the financial woes forced the RLDS/CoC more mainstream protestant in order to secure financing. Since then they have changed doctrinal beliefs concerning the godhead as well as the role of Joseph Smith. As pointed out they have been forced to abdicate a strong central leadership in order to allow less homogenization of beliefs. Otherwise they would probably disintegrate as a unified religion.

I read David Hyrum's biography. I can't even remember its name. I always got a kick out of the history of the Smith's after Brigham and the majority of the Church went west. I have never believed Emma had any "testimony" or spiritual conversion to the restored gospel. No doubt she loved Joseph as he was one charismatic dude and whether or not folks want to admit it Non-Sequitar's conclusion that she liked being married to the President, and what she was willing to put up with, is fairly accurate IMO. She was villified by the Brighamites as Brigham Young called her "the damndest liar I ever met!" It wasn't until her role as a scribe of the Book of Mormon and subsequent apostacy became a tool of of the anti's to discredit Joseph and the Book of Mormon that the Church adopted its sanitized "she had a nervous breakdown....nobody knows the demons she faced.....she just couldn't take anymore....she had to take care of Mother Smith...blah..blah..blah." That is not to say she did not face enormous challenges and trials, but so did Mary Fielding Smith and to be honest it chaps my red ass whenever Emma Hale Smith is used as the perfect model for a mormon wife. Why not Mary Fielding Smith?

Regardless, the tour in Nauvoo is a hoot as some old fellar goes into polygamy and how it was never a teaching of Joseph Smith and every patron of the tour is mormon. I recall the eyes rolling to each other, but I was pleased all in my tour stayed gracious and tastefull and did not argue. We are a step up from Aaron Shaff indeed! The film they showed in 2001 made me chuckle with the line about Joseph departing from the grove believing he had a spiritual experience.

My guess is the only thing that prevents them from selling their Nauvoo assets to the LDS Church is the fact that they have abdicated a strong central core.