Leadership Transitions in Restoration Movements

After the succession crisis of 1844, not every member of the Church chose to sustain and follow Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. And many of these members eventually formed or joined alternative restoration movements which became separate, distinct, and independent churches from one another. In fact, over the last 180 years there have actually been hundreds of Churches that have branched off from the same Joseph Smith-era restoration trunk. 

Today on Church History Matters, for reasons we will explain, Casey and I have chosen to consider three such Restoration branches—namely, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (or Strangites); the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (or Josephites), today known as the Community of Christ; and the Church of Jesus Christ (or Bickertonites). Our focus will be primarily on the question of how succession has developed and works today in each of these movements. 

For show notes and transcript for this and other episodes go to https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/church-history-matters-podcast/