Church History

Church History Principles

Visitors coming to us from other Restoration traditions often bring questions about Community of Christ's relationship with an admittedly messy history. You can read more at the World Church website, but here are nine principles in a nutshell:


Joseph Smith, Jr.

Community of Christ respects and honors the contributions and leadership of Joseph Smith, Jr. as its founder and original prophet-president while disavowing some of the later practices he implemented. 

As the church continues to grow and develop in response to the needs of an ever-changing world, we find little purpose in hyper-focusing on the past. We use it to help us recognize our roots, learn from mistakes, and continue to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ.