Community of Christ

The community of Christ is led by the First Presidency , which consists of a president and two counselors. The president is considered a prophet . Church services are governed by the Council of the Twelve Apostles , and temples by the presiding bishopric . Together, these quorums constitute the World Church Council .

Other leadership positions include the Evangelist presiding , the senior president of the seven presidents of the seventy apostles , the president of the high priesthood quorum . Every three years (until 2007 - every two years) representatives of church divisions from around the world meet to vote on important issues at the World Conference .

Previously known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this denomination considers itself the embodiment of the original church founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr., referring to the fact that Joseph Smith III, the eldest son of Smith, Jr., was his legitimate successor.

The church was "legally established on April 6, 1830, in Fayette, New York" ^[8] . Formally, the reorganization took place on April 6, 1860, in Amboy, Illinois, as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with the addition of the word Reorganized to the church's name in 1872.

The Commonwealth of Christ today regards the period from 1830 to 1844 as part of its early history, and the period from 1844, the time of the founder’s death, until 1860, a period of disorganization. Since 1844, the teachings and practices of the Commonwealth of Christ developed separately from other denominations of the Latter-day Saint movement ^[9] . Since the 1960s, in connection with missionary activities outside North America, intra-church processes, and the development of the church in other world cultures, there has been a reappraisal and a gradual evolution of the ministry and foundations of the faith. Some changes included the ordination of women to the priesthood, open communion, and the change of the traditionally used name of the church, from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to the now existing name (Commonwealth of Christ) in April 2001 ^[10] .

The church owns two temples, the Kirtland Temple, founded in 1836 in Kirtland, Ohio (of historical importance), and the relatively new Temple in Independence, Missouri, which serves as the headquarters of the world church. These complexes are open to the public, and are also used for training and assembly. The church also owns and operates some of the historical sites of Latter-day Saints in Far West, Missouri, Lamoni, Iowa, and Plano and Nauvoo, Illinois.

The Auditorium (administrative building and meeting place) located in Independence, Missouri, houses a children's pavilion for teaching children the principles of peacemaking and justice. The auditorium is also used to hold the legislative assemblies of the Commonwealth of Christ, known as the World Conference. The church is sponsored by Graceland University, which has campuses in Lamoni and Independence. In the latter there is a nursing school and the Commonwealth Seminary of Christ.

Today’s views and mission of the Commonwealth of Christ were originally established in 1996 by the quorum leaders of church leaders, and proclaim peace and justice as a center of service for this denomination. In a statement about its mission, the church says that “We testify of Jesus Christ and help create communities of joy, hope, love, and peace”, “We follow the mission of Christ, as our own, through five missionary initiatives: Invite people to Christ ( Christ’s mission of evangelism), End poverty and end suffering (Christ’s mission of compassion), Strive for peace on earth (Christ’s justice and peace mission), Prepare devotees for ministry (equipping individuals for fulfilling Christ’s mission), to provide communities with experience in the implementation of the mission (equipping communities to fulfill the mission of Christ) ^[11] .

About the vision of their ministry, the church declares that: “We are a world church, dedicated to the establishment of peace, reconciliation, and spiritual healing” ^[12] .

The Commonwealth of Christ emphasizes their awareness that “the perception of truth always passes through the prism of human nature and experience,” in this connection, the church did not assert an official set of dogma. However, the Commonwealth of Christ proposes a number of common to the commonwealth views, which are held by members and leaders of the church as "the generally accepted teaching of the church." The documents expressing views shared by church members are the Non-Eternal Principles, The Foundations of the Faith, the Five Missionary Initiatives, and so on. ^[13] As Stephen Vizi, the current president of the church, “The Commonwealth of Christ, is a church designed to illuminate a path, as much as providing space for a personal spiritual journey. ” ^[14]

The Commonwealth of Christ for the most part accepts the doctrine of the Trinity and other traditional Christian views. The concept of Zion, as both the existing reality of the Christian life and the future expected for society, is rooted in the convictions of the Commonwealth of Christ and is closely related to the role that peace and justice occupy in this confession. This movement also differs from most other Christian movements in its faith in the prophetic guidance of church leaders and the open canon of scripture (continuing revelation), recorded in the book of the Doctrine and Covenants, which is regularly updated.

God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit

The Commonwealth of Christ speaks of the "trinity of God, the eternal father." This statement characterizes God, who unites three incarnations in himself, as the Creator and the Source of love, life, and truth. They claim that "Only God alone is worthy of worship." It is said about Jesus Christ that he is both the Savior and the living expression of God, who lived, died, and was resurrected. As the name of this denomination emphasizes, Jesus Christ is the central figure for its members, in their instruction as his followers, and also in worship. Theologians of the Commonwealth of Christ say that "Jesus Christ is a word made flesh, at the same time having a completely human and completely divine nature." ^[15] The Holy Spirit is described as “the continued presence of God in the world,” and as a source of divine inspiration ^[13] .

World

The temples in Independence and Kirtland are places of education and worship open to all people. In accordance with the role of the Commonwealth of Christ as the “church of peace and justice”, the Temple in Independence was “dedicated to the establishment of peace on earth” ^[16] . Every day at 13.00 in the Temple of Independence a daily prayer for peace is held. Every day at 1 pm prayer for peace is also held in the Kirtland Temple. In addition, the International Peace Award of the Commonwealth of Christ has been awarded annually since 1993 (except 1996).

The call for “peace, reconciliation, and spiritual healing” is a hot topic in the Commonwealth of Christ and is reflected in the official statement on the mission and ministry of the church. The theological tenets of the church emphasize that "as followers of Christ, moved by faith in the value of each person, and the importance of building a just society, we dedicate our lives to establishing peace and justice for all people" ^[13] . The church has established a service providing support to the ministries of peace and justice, which is located in its headquarters, the purpose of creating the service is the development of materials, education and organization of interaction. The Peace Colloquium is the main conference dedicated to peace and justice, and is held annually at the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Christ. The Commonwealth of Christ promotes the Club of Young Peacemakers as a tool aimed at teaching and promoting the ideas of peace and justice among children all over the world. In 2008, the church created an organization called “Engagement for Peace”, which aims to “build a global movement that will allow individuals to unite together based on interest, vocation, and mutual empathy for the cause of peacekeeping, which is much better than being disunited due to circumstances and geographical restrictions " ^[17] .

"The Value of Every Person"

The teaching of the church about the "value of each person" in the Commonwealth of Christ is one of the most established convictions. The Commonwealth of Christ proclaims that “God loves each of us equally and unconditionally. All people are meaningful and should be respected as God's creatures with basic human rights. Willingness to love and accept others is an integral part of following the message of Christ. " ^[13] Realizing that the Holy Scriptures were sometimes used to isolate and oppress certain categories of people, the church included this conviction in the Doctrine and Covenants in 2007: “It is disgusting to God when a scripture passage is used to oppress peoples, genders, those or other groups of people. Many cruel acts were committed against some beloved children of God as a result of the abuse of Scripture. The church is called to confess and repent of such approaches and actions. ” ^[18]

“The Value of Every Person” is one of the “Everlasting Principles” [1] of the church:

• God views all people as having invaluable and equal dignity • God wants all people to feel the integrity of their body, mind, soul, and relationships • We strive to maintain and restore the dignity of all people • We join Jesus Christ in bringing the good news to the poor, the sick captive and oppressed

Revelation and Prophetic Leadership

Faith in the continuing divine revelation is the hallmark of the church. The Commonwealth of Christ states that “The process by which God reveals his will and love is called revelation. God continues to present himself now as well as in the past. God reveals himself to us through writing, the community of believers, prayer, nature, as well as in human history ” ^[13] .

The President of the Commonwealth of Christ is sometimes referred to as a Prophet or a Prophet-President. The president of the church acts like a prophet when he occasionally delivers inspired instruction or inspirational messages to the church. These are, as a rule, brief texts that bring inspiration, instruction, and instruction to the church. When an inspired message (reflected in a particular document) is presented to the World Conference by the president of the church, a detailed process for its consideration begins. Each church quorum and several meetings of leaders review a document and vote for or against it. Quorums usually vote for the most part in favor of the documents submitted for consideration, sometimes and unanimously. The review process also includes debates, sometimes the majority can return an inspired document back to the president to continue thinking or to clarify.

When the document is submitted for discussion at the World Conference level and the debate begins, the president leaves the room to provide a more impartial review. The World Conference may vote for the inclusion of a document as a new paragraph in the Doctrines and Covenants, which are also considered by the denomination as a holy scripture. If delegates to the World Conference support an inspired document, the church’s tradition is to give the right to vote to all non-delegates attending the conference. This is the only case where non-delegates are allowed to vote on issues addressed by the World Conference. Through this, the Prophet of the Church can be convinced that the greatest number of representatives of church members supports an inspired document.

"All are called to"

The Commonwealth of Christ often emphasizes that “all are called according to the gifts of God given to them” (Doctrine and Covenants 119: 8b). The published foundations of faith declare that "All men, women, young people, and children have the gifts and abilities to change their lives for the better and become part of the Christ mission. Some are called to perform certain duties as ordained ministers (priesthood) of the church. The church has a wide range ministers through the vocation and ordination of both men and women ^[13] .

“All Are Called” is one of the Church’s “Everlasting Principles” ^[19] , which states that:

• God graciously gives people gifts and opportunities to do good and participate in the fulfillment of God's goals • Jesus Christ invites people to follow him, becoming devotees who share his life and ministry • Some devotees are called and committed • We, with devotion, respond with the help of the Holy Spirit our best understanding of God's calling

Priesthood

Nearly every 10th member of the church holds the priesthood. They are, first and foremost, unpaid ministers of the church. The church has a small group of professional ministers who usually serve as administrators, financial officers, or missionaries. Priesthood members are called to teach and preach the gospel or the "good news" of Jesus Christ. Church ministry at the community level is carried out through local priesthood members and community members. In most communities, pastor (s) and other elected and appointed leaders provide their services free of charge. The right of women to have a priesthood was recognized by the church in 1984 ^[20] , since the church accepted what they felt and decided the conference delegates as the will of God.

Salvation

Theologians of the Commonwealth of Christ offer their theological views on the principle of salvation for the consideration of church members, but the denomination does not expect its members to strictly follow them in such matters. A group of theologians presented their vision to the church, according to which salvation and eternal life are gifts, and that through baptism and following Christ, realized as a response to the Gospel, we become new people ^[21] .

Church members for the most part believe that the sacraments are an expression of God's continuous presence in the life of the church, its members, and the priesthood. The sacraments are considered as metaphorical actions intended to create and update the spiritual relationship of man with God. The sacraments are presented as a covenant with God, in response to God's grace. The Commonwealth of Christ carries out eight sacraments ^[22] : baptism, confirmation, blessing of children, communion, marriage, assistance to the sick, ordination to the priesthood, blessing of the evangelist. The Lay on Hands is used in confirmation, ordination to the priesthood, blessing children, helping the sick, and blessing the evangelist.

The Commonwealth of Christ refers to Jesus Christ as the living Word of God. They consider the Bible a scripture, along with the Doctrines and Covenants, as well as, among some members, the Book of Mormon. In accordance with the views of the Commonwealth of Christ on writing, it must be "reasonably interpreted and conscientiously applied." The Church sees the Doctrines and Covenants, as well as the Book of Mormon, as “an additional testimony of Christ’s mission and God's love.” The Commonwealth of Christ understands the scripture as an inspired statement of God's activity among people. Recognizing scripture as the revelation of God, church members, as a rule, do not consider that it literally contains “the words of God” ^[23] . The word of instruction from the Church of President Stephen Vizi of 2007, now included in Paragraph 163: 7a-b of the Doctrines and Covenants, suggests that “Scripture is the most important testimony of the Eternal Source of light and truth that cannot be fully contained in any limited form or language. Scripture was written and took shape by the authors, who were people, through the revelation they experienced and the incessant inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as well as in the context of the time and culture in which these authors lived. Scripture is not meant to be worshiped or deified. Only God, the Eternal Father, of the comic and testimony, is worthy of worship. God's essence, manifested in Jesus Christ and confirmed by the Holy Spirit, gives us an initial understanding of the measure by which any part of the scripture should be interpreted and used. ” ^[18]

The understanding of the scriptures occupies an important place in the theology of the Commonwealth of Christ. Paragraph 163 of the Doctrines and Covenants of the Commonwealth of Christ states: "Scripture, prophetic guidance, knowledge, and discernment, in the community of believers, should go hand in hand to reveal the true will of God." The Commonwealth theologians of Christ formulated nine statements regarding the scripture, the preamble of which reads: “Scripture is the vehicle of divine guidance and inspirational understanding of life when it is responsibly interpreted and used in good faith. Scripture helps us to believe in Jesus Christ. His testimony leads us to eternal life and motivates us to grow spiritually, to transform our lives, and to take an active part in the life and ministry of the church. ” ^[24]

Bible

Like the rest of Christianity, the Commonwealth of Christ regards the Bible as a sacred scripture. The Old and New Testaments are used by church members both in worship and in self-study. The church encourages prayerful reflection on the content and importance of biblical passages. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all simply and without reproach, - and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without any doubt ... ”(James 1: 5-6) is an often quoted passage from the Old Testament, he was also the place of writing that Joseph Smith Jr. read when he tried to determine, as a boy, which church to join What he tested while reflecting on this passage from scripture led to the direct organization of the Church of Christ.

The Commonwealth of Christ does not use any one translation of the Bible. Although Joseph Smith throughout his life carried out a project to create a new translation or revision of the King James Version of the Bible, the Commonwealth of Christ bases its services on more modern Bible translations. After Smith's death, the manuscript with his translation was saved by his family and passed into the possession of the Commonwealth of Christ. His work was edited and published by the church as an Inspirational version of the Bible. Most of the official publications of the Commonwealth of Christ cite passages from a modern translation (New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). In Ukraine, church members use both synodal and other Bible translations into Ukrainian and Russian.

The Commonwealth of Christ does not view scripture, including the Bible, as having no inaccuracies. Church members are encouraged to research and understand the historical and literary context of the biblical texts, not perceiving its entire language literally.

Book of Mormon

The Commonwealth of Christ views the Book of Mormon as an additional testimony of Jesus Christ and has published two versions of this book in its official publishing house, Herald House. The authorized edition is based on the original typographical manuscript and the second edition of the Book of Mormon from 1837 (Kirtland edition). Its content is similar to the Book of Mormon published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with the only difference in versification. The Commonwealth of Christ also published in 1966 a “Revised Authorized Editorial Board” to modernize to some extent the language style of the book.

In 2001, Commonwealth President Christ W. Grant McMurray, reflecting on the growing questions about the Book of Mormon, said: “The proper use of the Book of Mormon as a scripture was widely discussed in the 1970s and subsequent years, on the one hand, in connection with long-standing questions about its historicity, on the other, in connection with the understanding of its theological inconsistencies, including questions of race and ethnicity ” ^[23] . In the introduction that preceded the above, he made a reservation regarding his statements: “I cannot speak on behalf of every person in our community, but perhaps I can say a few words on behalf of our community.”

At the World Commonwealth Conference of Christ in 2007, President Stephen M. Veazey rejected the resolution on “reaffirming the Book of Mormon as a text inspired by God” as inappropriate and against the rules of review. In doing so, he stated: “While the Church perceives the Book of Mormon as a scripture, and makes it available for study and use in different languages, we are not trying to determine the degree of use of the book or belief in it. This position is in accordance with our long-established tradition that faith in the Book of Mormon is not used as a test of belonging or membership in the church. ” ^[25]

The official position of the church says the following about the Book of Mormon (Ninth statement): “Along with other Christians, we affirm the Bible as the fundamental scripture in the church. In addition, the Commonwealth of Christ uses the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants as a scripture. testimony given by the Bible or to perfect it, but because they confirm its message that Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God (Preface of the Book of Mormon; Doctrine and Covenants 76: 3g). We heard what Christ says in all three books of scripture, and bear testimony that he “lives for ever and ever” (Revelation 1:18) ^[22] .

The Book of Mormon is not used by Ukrainian church members.

Doctrine and Covenants

The editors of the Doctrine and Covenants of the Commonwealth of Christ is a growing work on writing, containing inspired documents given through the presidents-prophets recognized by the Commonwealth of Christ. It contains inspirational Christian messages, such as this passage, shared by the past President, Grant McMurray, as an inspired exhortation: “Open your hearts and experience the sorrows of your brothers and sisters who are lonely, despised, fearful, neglected, disliked. Come to them with understanding, take their hands in yours, and invite everyone to share with you the blessings of the community created in the name of the One who suffered for all of us ”(Doctrine and Covenants 161: 3a).

President Stephen Vizi, presented the word of admonition to the church, which was adopted, as scripture, on March 30, 2007. This document, which is now officially referred to as Section 163 of the Doctrine and Covenants ^[26] , continued to urge members of the Commonwealth of Christ to take part in services that strengthen the world, as well as directly aimed at “advancing the cause of peace” and “striving to follow the Christic vision of the peaceful Kingdom of God on the ground".

In addition, on January 17, 2010, Vizi presented his second revelation, which was officially reviewed on April 13 and 14 of the same year, and was adopted on the second day as Section 164 of the Doctrine and Covenants ^[27] . This document allows the church to accept new members who have previously been baptized in other churches, through the sacrament to confirm, instead of performing water baptism again (although re-baptism can be performed if one wishes). The precept also motivates all church members to ponder over the meaning of their own baptisms from time to time. In addition, the church is called upon to more directly confront global ethical issues.

The number of members of the Community of Christ at the present time (2008) is about 250 thousand people ^[28] . According to data for 2006, the geographical distribution of church members was as follows: 25 thousand - Africa , 8 thousand - Asia , 8 thousand - Canada , 13 thousand - Caribbean islands , 2.5 thousand - Europe , 10 thousand. - islands of the Pacific Ocean , 3 thousand. - Central and South America , 130 thousand. - USA ^[29] .

The official representative offices of the church are in the following countries: Australia , Argentina , Belgium , Bolivia , Brazil , Cayman Islands , Canada, Colombia , Congo-Brazzaville , Congo-Kinshasa , Chile , Ivory Coast , Dominican Republic , El Salvador , Fiji , France , French Polynesia , Germany , Guam , Guatemala , Haiti , Honduras , Hungary , India , Jamaica , Japan , Kenya , Republic of Korea , Liberia , Malawi , Mexico , Netherlands , New Caledonia , New Zealand , Nigeria , Norway , Papua New Guinea , Peru , Philippines , South Africa , Spain I , Sri Lanka , Switzerland , Taiwan ( China ), Ukraine , United Kingdom , United States, Venezuela , Zambia , Zimbabwe .

^[thirty]

It is assumed that the main language of more than half of the active members of the church is not English . ^[31] The Church translates its publications into the following languages: French , Spanish , Portuguese , Russian , Telugu , Quy , Sor , Tahiti , Chev , Chibemba , Efik , Lingala , Swahili ^[32] .

• Richard P. Howard, The Church Through the Years, Herald House: 1992. Volume 1: Beginnings to 1860 : ISBN 0-8309-0556-1 Volume 2: ISBN 0-8309-0629-0
• Andrew Bolton and Jane Gardner, "The Sacraments: Symbol, Meaning and Discipleship," Herald House, 2005. ISBN 0-8309-1173-1
• Jerry Nieft, ed., "Walking with Jesus: A Member's Guide to the Community of Christ," Herald House, 2004. ISBN 0-8309-1105-7
• Community of Christ, "The Priesthood Manual, 2004 Edition," Herald House, 2004. ISBN 0-8309-1016-6
• Community of Christ, "Church Administrators' Handbook: 2005 Edition," Herald House, 2005. ISBN 0-8309-1119-7
• Roger D. Launius, Joseph III: Pragmatic Prophet, University of Illinois Press : 1995. ISBN 0-252-06515-8
• It is a fact that it has been found that it has been a legal success. 8309-0188-4
• Community of Christ, "World Conference Resolutions: 2002 Edition," Herald House, 2003. ISBN 0-8309-1053-0

• Mormonism
• Latter-day Saints Movement

• Community of Christ, official site
• "The Doctrine and Covenants" as amended by the Community of Christ (pdf-version)
• Herald House, the official publishing community of the Community of Christ
• Seminary of the Community of Christ at the University of Graceland, official website
• Graceland University sponsored by the Community of Christ
• The official history of the church (inaccessible link from 11-05-2013 [2273 days])
• Outreach International, a charitable organization supported by the Community of Christ
• John Whitmer Historical Association dealing with the history of the Community of Christ
• Who is who in the history of RLDS
• The official website of the Community of Christ for adherents serving in the military
• Commonwealth of Christ in Ukraine, official site
• Five missionary initiatives
• Enduring principles