History of the Community of Christ
The church's early history traces to the "grove experience" of Joseph Smith, who prayed in the woods near his home in Palmyra, New York, in the early-19th century.
The early history of Community of Christ is shared with other denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement, which originated in upstate New York under the leadership of Joseph Smith.
With the assistance of Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer, Smith dictated and published works of scripture believed by followers to be inspired, and formed the Church of Christ.
The strong beliefs of Smith's followers, including a revealing God and their close community, often seemed peculiar or even threatening to outsiders.
The history of most of the denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement began to diverge with Smith's murder in Carthage Jail on June 27, 1844.
After Smith was killed, the membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints fell into confusion and disorganization over the question of succession.
Other leaders included Sidney Rigdon, James J. Strang, Lyman Wight, Alpheus Cutler, William Smith, and David Whitmer.
Leaders, including Jason W. Briggs and Zenas H. Gurley, Sr., began to call for the creation of a "New Organization" of the Latter Day Saint movement.
At a conference on April 6, 1860, at Amboy, Illinois, Smith III formally accepted the leadership of what was then known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Over time, many Mormons, mostly in the Midwest, who had not accompanied Brigham Young and his Latter-day Saint followers to what is now Utah, began to join the new and growing Church.
Initially, Smith III continued to live in Nauvoo, but over time he determined that its relative isolation hampered his administrative duties.
Smith's bold vision for the growing church included the construction of a massive World Headquarters building, known as the Auditorium.
Smith devoted much energy to the "cause of Zion", calling for a "bureau of research and service" to effect the gathering of RLDS Church members to the Kansas City area, as well as to conceptualize and implement an "order of economic development."
The church's proselytizing with other world cultures in countries outside North America forced a re-assessment and a gradual evolution of its denominational practices and beliefs.
This program identified seven commissions to be implemented in most congregations (leadership, stewardship, worship, Christian education, pastoral care, zionic relations, and missionary work).
McMurray identified these changes as a movement away from a belief that the denomination was "the restored church" and towards an admittedly unique position in mainstream Christianity.
[citation needed] As the first president of the RLDS Church who was not a direct descendant of Joseph Smith, McMurray sought to formalize changes in thinking about prophetic leadership, the historical basis of the Book of Mormon, and the concept that priesthood authority had been restored in the 1830s after centuries of apostasy.
A backlash on this issue forced McMurray to reaffirm the official policy of the Standing High Council, which prohibited the ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians.
Robinson and Judd announced that the Council of Twelve Apostles, in conjunction with the church's other leadership quorums, would prayerfully consider who should succeed McMurray.
Veazey's first conference sermon as President called upon members of the church to be active disciples and to share the fullness of the peace of Christ.
Veazey's background as a career missionary and as a field minister for the church is unique when compared to that of previous presidents of the denomination.
[10] Veazey presided over the 2007 World Conference, where his words of counsel to the church were presented and approved as Section 163 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
The document covered a broad range of topics, including the identity of the church as "Community of Christ"; the divine invitation to "receive divine peace;" the call to challenge political, cultural and religious trends that are contrary to peace; the social gospel; the environmental gospel; the misuse of Scripture; spiritual formation; the disciples' generous response; and the call to be a prophetic people.
Veazey celebrated Savage as the first woman to serve in that office and recognized it as "another step in the long journey toward equal regard and opportunity in the church and in society."
