WHO ARE WE?
"I know that there is a people, in the hearts core of this people that will arise in their majesty in a day that is near at hand and push spiritual things to the front."
Orson F. Whitney, Deseret Weekly, 11 Aug 1889
Many might call us “Mormon Fundamentalists” or “The Peterson Group” after a key founder of our faith. But in truth we are members of Christ’s Church, the Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
We consist of a small group of everyday people who love the Lord and want to keep ALL of his commandments, not just those that are convenient. We love the Book of Mormon, The Bible, The Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price. We believe in Prophets and Apostles, priesthood authority, continued revelations and miracles, and we especially believe in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
We live mostly in the western United States, in states like Utah and Nevada where our temples are housed, but we have members all over the world.
We believe in temple work, using only the original temple endowment, the way it was revealed to man when given to the prophet Brigham Young, never to be altered.
Missionary work, tithing, united order, and consecration are all tenets of our faith, because we believe that following Christ’s perfect commandments intended to benefit those who are less fortunate, will lead us to perfection.
THE THREEFOLD MISSION OF THE CHURCH
In Christ's Church we believe in living the Fullness of the Gospel. That means we don't leave anything out. If a prophet revealed it, we know it's true.
REDEEM THE DEAD
We believe in performing temple work for those who have passed away including baptism for the dead, washing and anointings and the full temple ceremony.
D&C 128:5
“ And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.”
PERFECT THE SAINTS
We know that with sincere repentance, we can be perfected through Christ.
As Nephi said, “I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” 1 Ne. 3:7
God has commanded us to be perfect.
Matt. 5:48 KJV
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
MISSIONARY WORK
We love every one of our brothers and sisters on earth, whether they are members of our Christ’s Church or not. We believe in service, witnessing and sharing the truth as Christ commanded us to do 2,000 years ago.
Matt. 24:14 KJV
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations…”
Matthew 10:27 KJV
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
"I have been in this church for over 30 years and not once have I ever been disappointed."
Joseph Denning
OUR HISTORY
"But the time will come when the Lord will choose a people out of this people upon whom he will bestow his choicest blessings."
Heber C Kimball Journal of Discourses 11:145
Christ’s Church was founded in 1978. But its story began back in 1830 when Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints. The Book of Mormon prophesied of a latter-day apostasy, but the Lord promised that this was the last dispensation and that the priesthood would never be lost again.
The prophet Wilford Woodruff prophesied that there would be a group of Latter Day Saints that would put spiritual things to the forefront. Members of Christ’s Church have followed priesthood direction since the founding of the church and are those who would not depart from the sacred commandments and principles. The members of Christ’s Church are those saints who would put spiritual things to the forefront. Because the majority of the church had departed from sacred principles like United Order, Consecration and many others, the lord needed them to be organized, though he did not need them to form a new church.
As the members of the Church of Jesus Christ continued to apostatize from celestial principles, such as the gathering of Israel, the proper garment, the Adam-God Doctrine, second endowments, and many others, the Lord finally commanded this group of his church to fully depart and not partake in the apostasy.
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The mission begun by Joseph Smith has been preserved and continued every step of the way by those given authority to do so. God has ordained prophets and apostles to lead his flock on the correct path to the Celestial Kingdom and a line of authority from modern day back to Joseph Smith exists, perpetuating truth to those whose hearts aren’t set upon the things of the world.
HOW ARE WE DIFFERENT THAN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS?
"For I am the same yesterday, today, and forever."
D&C 132
We don’t differ all that much from members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In fact most of us would say we think exactly the same on about 95% of gospel principles. We just believe and practice a little bit more of the principles established at the founding of the church.
Members of Christ’s Church have a very similar heritage as member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Many were once members of the LDS church. The important distinction is that we believe in keeping all the commandments.
As we fulfill the mission that was established by Joseph Smith in these latter-days, we believe we are truly Latter-Day Saints. He and others were given commandments and were told never to depart, and they never did. All the way down to today, members of Christ’s Church have been keeping the commandments under the direction of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, and other prophets that God established to build up Zion in the last days.
For instance, we believe in living united order and consecration just as God commanded the saints to live it. He created a perfect plan to take care of the poor and needy, and to bring about “one heart and one mind” that would help create a literal Zion on Earth. The failure of men in the past to live United Order was proof that God’s saints still needed to be better, and this simple commandment has been neglected by many of those who profess to believe in the very prophets who commanded it.
We believe in not altering the temple ceremony and covenants. Many Latter-Day Saints do not know that the endowment ceremony was given and not to be altered. Yet Isaiah prophesied that saints would change it “because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” Here the Lord is displeased that his ordinance has been changed.
Here are just a few ordinances that have been changed in the Latter Days:
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The Sacrament: It used to be administered using the signs of the priesthood. And only by priests and elders “But neither teachers nor deacons have authority to baptize, administer the sacrament, or lay on hands;” D&C 20:58
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The Temple Ceremony (the first endowment):
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Washing and Anointing
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The Second Endowment
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Conferring and Ordination of Priesthood
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These and many other ordinances have been changed as Isaiah prophesied they would be. But through Christ's Church God has preserved his sacred ordinances for those who wish to truly serve him with all their heart, might, mind and strength. The main difference between us and the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that we will not miss out on the blessings promised to those who keep all of his commandments and ordinances.