Splinter Group Community of Christ Part 4

Viewpoint is mainly to examine the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism so glad to be with us for this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry and with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM we been talking about the community of Christ, one of many of the splinter groups of the restoration movement. Many of the groups that we been covering as we've mentioned feel that they alone represent the church that Joseph Smith was called to restore. In other words, the church, as Christ commissioned the church when he was alive in his mortal ministry.

Yet even though many of them claim that they don't agree with each other.

They have doctrinal differences that procedural differences some of the things that they believe and do are certainly different than other groups that claim also that they are the rightful heirs to Joseph Smith, the community of Christ held a position like that in its earlier years, but it's kind of relaxed deposition whereas today you could even break bread in communion with the community of Christ.

Even if you were baptized in another church. So we been looking at some of these differences and similarities of the smaller groups and this would be as you said Eric, one of the larger of the smaller groups still claims to this day to have about 250,000 members today were going to look at this church's mission, as well as its Scripture because even when it comes to Scripture there's going to be differences among these groups that claim that their church more closely represents what Joseph Smith was called to restore. They have several different mission initiatives including inviting people to Christ and developing disciples to serve experienced congregations and mission. But I want to spend a little time talking about two of the other ones one is abolish poverty and suffering and it says helping those who are hurt feeding the hungry, supporting compassionate ministries and responding in times of crisis and another one is pursue peace on earth and includes a daily afternoon prayer for peace. Working with children seeking justice and uniting with others to make peace. I had said on an earlier broadcast that this church is a very liberal like a liberal Protestant denomination perhaps would think in the same way they have attracted a lot of a former latter-day St. members Arnold, many would be the right word, but we know they have to congregations here in Utah one in Salt Lake City and one in Ogden and a few years ago. They were very excited because there were many people leaving the LDS church looking for something more liberal than the LDS church, and so there are many socially liberal types of issues that the LDS church does not agree with such as homosexual marriage. They do not agree with a lot of the social justice issues that the community of Christ Church holds to and with so many people leaving in the last few years, from the LDS church. They have tried to get many of the younger members to join with them and accepting the social gospel that they happen so there very much in the social justice and you can see that with with those two points, abolishing poverty, ending suffering pursuing peace on earth very much a part of what this church is about Phyllis Scripture, they do hold to similar but different Scriptures from what the LDS church holds.

I want to read from their website it says Scripture is writing. Inspired by God's spirit and accepted by the church as a normative expression of its identity message and mission. We are from the Bible is the foundational Scripture for the church. In addition, immunity of Christ uses the book of Mormon and the doctrine and covenants not to replace the witness of the Bible improve on it, but because they confirm its message that Jesus Christ is the living word of God when responsibly interpreted and faithfully applied. Scripture provides divine guidance and inspired insight for our discipleship.

Let's look at the Bible because we know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints uses as its official version. The King James version of the Bible. The community of Christ, not so much use to use the Joseph Smith translation. In fact, if you were to buy a copy of the Joseph Smith translation you're probably going to have to go to the community of Christ to buy one is not that there are others out there, but they're the ones that are pretty much known for selling that version of the Bible but they don't often cite from the Joseph Smith translation. In fact they don't even often cite from the King James version like their LDS counterparts. What version of the Bible do they mostly use if the new revised standard version. If yes, as you mentioned, they they do still print the inspired version.

The Joseph Smith translation they do hold to just dismiss teachings all the way through 1834 and Joseph Smith said that he finished the translation in 1833, so it's interesting that they wouldn't still use that today, but they do use a more standardized version. The new revised standard version and they also I need to point out they don't have a literal interpretation of the Bible. They give you freedom to be able to interpret the way you would like. They don't teach inerrancy of Scripture is not taught because what they say, quote Scripture makes no such claim for itself. One of the things that I notice on their website is they believe that there have been many errors that have gotten into the biblical transcripts and they even quote a liberal scholar of liberal bit biblical scholar Bart Herman to say there are more variance and there are words in the and in the manuscripts and so they shed doubt as far as the accuracy of the Bible. So that makes me also wonder why are they using the and RSV, rather than the inspired version when just dismiss supposedly fixed all of those errors. You would think so. I mean, as you mentioned Joseph Smith himself claimed that he finished this translation and that's that word is in quotation marks folks but he did claim to finish it.

In 1833. You would think if he accomplished what God had told him to do, and that he was commanded to do this in one of the doctrine and covenants that they would be using that particular edition of the Bible but they don't bill. Another scripture they have is the book of Mormon and they have two official version is the first one is from 1837 it's called this. It's the second addition to the LDS church, but they called the Kirtland addition of the book of Mormon in 1966. The church decided to print a revised authorized addition that modernized the language, but they have backed off it. As far as their belief about what the book of Mormon teaches because in 2007 at a world conference. The president Steven M Veazey did not allow a resolution to be brought to the floor to quote on quote reaffirm the book of Mormon as a divinely inspired record and he went on to say, while at the church affirms the book of Mormon is Scripture, and makes it available for study and use in various languages. We do not attempt to mandate the degree of belief or use. This position is in keeping with our long-standing tradition that belief in the book of Mormon is not to be used as a test of fellowship or membership in the church." Bill you have a copy of their 1966 version we were looking through that it does have different chapters and verses and and all the rest, but it has something interesting the very beginning of it yeah before I get into that paragraph cold it's under the heading of an invitation to read the book of Mormon. How would you Eric is a latter-day St. except that statement from Steven M Veazey, wouldn't you think a latter-day St. would think that something that's anathema that you would not consider the book of Mormon to be the word of God, especially since many Latter Day Saints see the production of the book of Mormon is a vindication to Joseph Smith's calling you take away the book of Mormon, even Mormon leaders of said you get rid of the book of Mormon wears our religion. We have none. They need this book to vindicate their founder. This is what it says under an invitation to read the book of Mormon.

Again, I'm reading from the 1966 edition that is used by the community of Christ. Have you ever wondered about the source of the prehistoric ruins now being discovered on the American continents have you ever been curious to know who some of the prehistoric forefathers of the American Indian were in the book of Mormon. You'll find answers to these questions and many many more. I would not think that a lot of Latter Day Saints would ascribe to that statement because even the churches had to back off. Regarding the literal ancestry of the American Indian. I wonder if this is even still in there edition of the book of Mormon because again, this is an older copy that they produced many years ago that we talked to a local pastor of the community of Christ, and he said that the church pretty much allows people to believe whatever they want to believe so.

I'm sure within this church of 250,000 people. There are some who believe in a literal book of Mormon and the history, whether it's in Central or South America whether it's on North America, you're free to choose that, but I find it interesting what he said in 2007 seems to be a step back as far as its authority and I want to tell you something, and all the research that I did on this church. I rarely saw anything from the book of Mormon quoted.

They like to quote the Bible a lot when they're talking about spiritual issues but rarely will they do that with the book of Mormon.

There's one other scripture they have is called the doctrine and covenants, and they use different sections in verses they do not have doctrine and covenants section 132 Joseph Smith talks about celestial marriage. There they don't hold to any kind of celestial marriage or polygamist marriage, so they're different there but they also took out in 1970 verses supporting the baptism for the dead, they don't hold to that, but they do have new sections written in recent years from the presidents including sections 163 to 165 and the current president, Steven Veazey wrote those and they're not written in the same style as you would find in the LDS version of the doctrine and covenants is almost written, like advice that is giving to his people, but we talked to this local pastor I mentioned earlier, and he said those three sections are the most important sections in all of the doctrine and covenants. It was interesting in talking to that gentleman. A lot of it was his personal opinion. He seemed to always want to qualify what he was about to say is will this is my position. It does go along with what you're saying is, like, you can bleed pretty much whatever you want and be a part of this church that are not going to be all that strict regarding, perhaps even what doctrine you believe that's what we want to talk about in tomorrow show. We want to look more closely at what the community of Christ, formally known as the reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints leaves when it comes to the subject of the Godhead.

The subject of humanity, the subject of salvation in the church. Still, if people would like to read more about this. My article is on MRM.org/COC is a lot of information we covered this week we haven't covered every single issue, but I think if you want to find out more about this church, so that when somebody comes to you and says what church you go to and you tell them your church or what denomination and they say well I belong to the one true church. I think it's important for people to know that there are other churches out there. Also claiming that they have a direct connection to Joseph Smith and his teachings. Thank you for listening you would like more information regarding his research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you join us again as we look at another viewpoint is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the Mormon church is a huge topic of interest among many Bible believing Christians who want to reach their LDS friends and loved ones with the biblical message of hope and grace.

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