My Call to Christian Political Action In church, we spend too much time on relatively insignificant things while the world needs our witness, our application of the teachings of Jesus found in the New Testament to the problems of the world. The conflicts between the teachings of Jesus and the messages of our culture and …
Speaker: William D. Russell
Succession Crisis In The Community Of Christ
W. Grant McMurray’s surprise resignation this past November as president/prophet of the Community of Christ created what could be termed a succession crisis. This paper will discuss McMurray’s career, as well as the succession issues it raised, and how Steve Veazey, one of the younger members of the Twelve, was selected as the new president/prophet. …
Worship Service. Prejudice: A Clash Between Christ And Culture
This session is a worship service in keeping with the Community of Christ’s emphasis on peace and justice. It features a sermon dealing with racism, sexism, anti-Catholicism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and the inhuman treatment of children born out of wedlock, along with prayers and congregational singing from the Community of Christ peace hymn William D. Russell, …
THE LAST SMITH PROPHET: WALLACE B. SMITH AND THE END OF THE RLDS CHURCH AS A SECT
Wallace B. Smith, great-grandson of Joseph the martyr, was president of the RLDS Church from 1978 until 1996. During Smith’s eighteen-year tenure, the RLDS Church trans-formed from a sect to a denomination. This shift can be seen in five innovations that occurred through his leadership. Best known is the ordination of women, which began 17 …
COMMUNITY OF CHRIST DELEGATES AGONIZE: IS IT A REVELATION?
LDS members do not have to vote on whether a purported statement by their prophet is a revelation or not. But since 1878, RLDS delegates to General Conferences (now “World Conferences”) have carried the obligation of debating and voting whether a document presented to the conference by the prophet is a revelation and should be …
AUTHOR MEETS CRITICS. JOSEPH SMITH: THE MAKING OF A PROPHET BY DAN VOGEL
Vogel’s provocative work approaches the life and times of Mormonism’s founder from a naturalistic perspective. He attempts to bring into focus several familiar, if murky issues, folk magic, treasure-digging, anti-masonry, and pious fraud, painting a detailed portrait of Joseph Smith as a sincere evangelical who used dubious means to promote faith. Of particular interest is …
The LDS Church and Community of Christ: Clearer Differences, Closer Friends
SL03091, This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the March on Washington, at which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, and the thirty-fifth anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. It also marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the revelation reversing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ policy of …
Why Christians Should Oppose the Death Penalty
As a faith community becomes successful in ways the world measures success, it becomes easy for its members to live in a relatively low state of tension with the surrounding culture. As part of the “get tough on crime” attitude common in the culture today, the majority of Americans favor the death penalty for the …
Nauvoo: A Place of Peace, A People of Promise
Originally commissioned as part of the sixteen-volume sesquicentennial series on Church history, and thirty years in the making, Glen Leonard’s highly anticipated history of Nauvoo has finally arrived. This panel of historians and careful readers will discuss this book and its contribution to our understanding of this pivotal time in Mormon history. Devery S. Anderson, …
The Surviving Smiths: Joseph and Lucy’s Family After the Martyrdom
Bill Shepard will present his paper, “William Smith’s Return to Nauvoo in May 1845.” Lavina Fielding Anderson will discuss the sisters of Joseph and Hyrum in her paper, “Lucy’s Daughters: Three Forgotten Women.” Melvin Smith will present his paper, “Samuel Harrison Smith: A Brief Overview of His Family, His Life, and His Legacy.” William D. …