The Evolution of Christianity and The Latter-day Saint Movement

For those not familiar with the development of specific religious sects and the Latter-Day movement specifically I am going to cover a brief overview. I am not a scholar and for the purposes of this blog won't go into deep detail.

From the early primitive Christian Church established by the ancient Apostles, two primary sects evolved, The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Eventually Martin Luther and other figures "protested" aspects of the Catholic Church. These reformers started the Protestant movement. Lutheran, Church of England, and other sects evolved from different figures protesting differing elements and starting their own sects.

 Centuries later, America became fertile ground for religious revival. Many sects sprang up; they weren't specifically seeking reform or protesting earlier churches. They were seeking to "restore" certain biblical teachings or practices. This began the Restorationist movement, which occurred primarily in the early to mid 1800's. Some prominent sects that fit this general classification include: Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Shakers. Many Restorationist sects were not very long lasting and they disappeared almost as quickly as they were formed. One of the most prominent sects of of the Restorationist movement was the Latter-Day Saint movement.

The Latter-day Saint Movement (also called the Restoration Movement by some traditions) was established by Joseph Smith Jr. in 1830. Joseph Smith claimed he was called to be a prophet like the prophets of old. He brought forth new scripture: The Book of Mormon and a series of revelations called Doctrine and Covenants. They were nicknamed Mormons after the scriptural record that Joseph Smith Jr. printed. He tried establishing a church that was likened to the organization of the early Christian Church, that included Apostles, prophets, seventies, and more. In 1844 he was assassinated by an angry mob. This resulted in a succession crisis. 

Joseph Smith Jr. had chosen his brother Hyrum Smith to succeed him but he was killed along with the Prophet. With no clear replacement several individuals contended for leadership of the Church. Sidney Rigdon, who acted as Joseph Smith's counselor felt he should lead the Church. James Strang told the Saints that a heavenly messenger had ordained him and he was given an ancient record like the Book of Mormon that he translated and was called The Book of the Law of the Lord. He gained quite a few followers. Many felt the Joseph Smith Jr's son, Joseph Smith III, had been ordained to succeed his father though he was just a child. The Apostles that Joseph Smith had ordained stated that they should take over leadership of the Church, headed by the senior apostle Brigham Young. In the end many of the Saints followed Brigham Young and the Apostles west to Utah. This sect would retain the name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

There were many Saints that did not go west with the Apostles. Many smaller sects were formed. They were given nicknames such as Strangite, Cutlerite, and Rigdonite. Dozens of small sects have formed since the beginning of the Latter-Day Saint Movement, many of them have come and gone, and most numbered less than 3000 members.

In 1860, Joseph Smith III, the son of the Prophet Joseph Smith, being promised leadership of the Church one day by both his father and grandfather, gathered together many of the Saints in the East, and took up the mantle of his father. The church would be called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS). Later they would rename themselves the Community of Christ.

In Utah, Brigham Young embraced the idea of polygamy and many Mormons began practicing the principle. Under threat of the United States Government they were forced to abandon the practice by issuing the First and Second Manifestos abolishing polygamy. Some were not willing to abandon polygamy. They formed their own sects, which collectively has been labelled Mormon Fundamentalism, the largest group being referred as the FLDS Church.

Today the primary sects of the Latter-day Movement are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS or the Utah Church), The Community of Christ, and the FLDS Church. The LDS Church, headquartered in Utah, is the group that most are familiar with but often confuse them with the polygamist sects like the FLDS Church. Joseph Smith Jr. left a significant legacy for his followers and had an impact on the religious landscape of the United States that has spread globally.

If you belong to a particular faith tradition have you spent much time studying its history and how it developed in terms of theology and doctrine?