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History

of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Before me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.” –Avahr 5:21

The Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship, informally known as the Fellowship, is a nondenominational, Christian restorationist ecumenical movement with the greater  movement that is Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Joseph Smith Jr. and the original Church

1800
Joseph Smith Jr.

Joseph Smith Jr. is born

"I was born in the town of Sharon in the State of Vermont North America on the 23rd day of December, AD 1805 of goodly parents who spared no pains to instruct me in the Christian religion." -Avahr 4:5

1820

Joesph torn between the churches

"So great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong." -Avahr 4:23

Joseph Smith Jr. has his first vision

"Before me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spoke unto me, calling me by name, and said: Thy sins are forgiven thee." -Avahr 5:21-22

Joseph Smith Jr. has his second vision

"And while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord in the 16th year of my age, a pillar of fire or light above the brightness of the sun at noonday came down from above and rested upon me; and I was filled with the Spirit of God, and the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord." Avahr 6:30-31

1823

Joseph Smith Jr. sees Moroni in vision

While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor." -Avahr 7:18

Joseph Smith Jr. sees the gold plates

"On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box... I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, as stated by the messenger." Avahr 8:30-166, 19

Joseph Smith Jr. receives the gold plates and the Urim & Thummim

"At length, the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the Breastplate." Avahr 9:1

Oliver Cowdery becomes Joseph's scribe

"The Lord appeared unto a young man by the name of Oliver Cowdery and shewed unto him the plates in a vision, and also the truth of the work and what the Lord was about to do through me his unworthy Servant." Avahr 16:2

1829

The Lord calls 3 and 8 witnesses

"And it is by your faith that you shall obtain a view of them, even by that faith which was had by the prophets of old. And after that you have obtained faith, and have seen
them with your eyes, you shall testify of them by the power of God." -Avahr 26:12-13

1829

The Church of Christ is organized

"And the Church shall meet together oft for prayer and supplication, casting out none from your places of worship; but rather, inviting them to come. And each member shall speak and tell the Church of their progress in the way to Eternal life." -Avahr 34:34-35

The Book of Mormon is published

"Our translation drawing to a close, we went to Palmyra, Wayne County, New York, secured the copyright, and agreed with Mr. Egbert B. Grandin to print five thousand copies for the sum of three thousand dollars." Avahr 35:1

The Church of Christ is legally organized by 6 of the 80+ members

"The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days being one thousand eight hundred thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in the flesh; it being regularly organized and established agreeable to the Laws of our Country, by the will and commandments of God in the fourth month and on the sixth day of the Month which is called April." -Doctrines of the Saints 2a:1-2

1833

The Book of Commandments is published

"It is expedient, saith the Lord unto you, that the paper shall be purchased for the printing of the Book of the Lord’s Commandments." -Doctrines of the Saints 46:1

Printing of the Doctrine and Covenants

The Doctrine and Covenants is sustained by a unanimous vote as canon for the Church of Latter Day Saints, including 7 lectures as the theology and 103 revelations given through Joseph Smith Jr. and Sidney Rigdon as the doctrine.

Joseph Smith Jr. is martyred and the original Church splinters

"To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we close with the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the prophet and Hyrum Smith the patriarch. They were shot in Carthage jail on the 27th of June, 1844, about 5 o’clock P. M., by an armed mob, painted black—of from 150 to 200 persons." -10 Joseph 1:1-2

LDS factions founders

The Church of Christ, Splintered

  • June 27, 1844 (Tamuz 10, 5604): James Strang is ordained by an angel to lead the Saints
  • June or July 1844 (Tamuz, 5604): Sidney Rigdon is given a vision where an angel tells him that he is to be the “guardian of the Church”
  • Later in 1844 (5604): James Strang organizes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, some 12,000 members follow him, including members of the Smith family and some prominent members of the original church
  • April 6, 1845 (Adar II 28, 5605): Sidney Rigdon forms the Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zion, eventually “excommunicating” all those that reject his new sect
  • December 27, 1847 (Tevet 20, 5608): Being voted as leader of the Saints remaining in Nauvoo,  Brigham Young declares the Apostles, with himself as their head, the governing body of the Saints, “excommunicating” all those in Church leadership that reject his new sect
  • 1851 (5612): Brigham Young officially organizes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with himself as president
  • April 6, 1860 (Nisan 1, 5616): The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) is organized
  • June 6, 1860 (Sivan 3, 5616): Joseph Smith III is made president of the RLDS Church
  • 2001 (5761): The RLDS Church is renamed Community of Christ
  • 1844-present (5604-present): Thousands Latter Day Saint denominations are organized, with well over 200 currently existing today

The Fellowship of Christ

  • November 6, 2015 (23 Cheshvan, 5776): David accepts his call to the ministry, later that same day receives a revelation to name the ministry “The Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship”
  • November 7, 2015 (25 Cheshvan, 5776): The website CJCCF.org goes online
  • March 17, 2018 (1 Nissan, 5778): The Lord tell David to unite His people in Kabbalah
  • January 5, 2019 (Tevet 28, 5779): The Council of Elders meets for the first time in Kentucky
  • January 10, 2019 (Sh’vat 11, 5779): Kristine Ferriman is given all of the keys of the Priesthood, as prophetess, seer, and revelator
  • April 6, 2019 (Nisan 1, 5779): The Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship is officially organized in Kirtland, Ohio by a vote of over 70 Saints world wide
  • October 9, 2019 (Tishrei 10, 5780, Yom Kippur): The Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship is officially recognized as a legal entity by the State of Ohio
  • November 30, 2019 (Kislev 2 5780): The Lord tells David in a revelation that the hour of the Gentiles is over
  • February 2020: The revelation given through Joseph Smith of the “overflowing scourge” that would “cover the land” is fulfilled as Covid 19 shut down the entire earthly system (see Doctrine of the Saints 26c:36-36/Doctrines and Covenants 45:4d RLDS/CoC, 45:30-31 CJCLdS)
  • May 19, 2020 (Iyya 25, 5780): Kristine Ferriman makes known the revelation on women and the Priesthood she received in November of 2019 (Cheshvan, 5780)
  • August, 2021 (Elul 5781): The Council of Elders is disbanded; the First Presidency takes charge of the Fellowship of Christ until the Lord sends those He has called to form the Council of Fifty and rebuild the Council of Elders
  • March, 2023 Allen Broadus (head Evangelist*) accepts the role as head of the nondenominational Church of Jesus Christ
  • September 30, 2023 (Nisan 21, 5785) Brent Larsen ordained Rabbi, becomes head of the School of the Prophets
  • January 4, 2024 (Tevet 23, 5784) the Council of Fifty is organized to help with the School of the Prophets and the Fellowship of Christ.
  • April 12, 2025 (Nisan 14, 5785) Sunn Dawn is ordained and set apart in preparation for organizing the Eastern District of the Fellowship in Christ and the Southeastern Synagogue of the Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship

*Note: An Evangelist is a fourth-degree Apostle and missionary, see Book of the Law of the Lord 36:7

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Click here for a list of some of the more well known Latter Day Saint sects throughout our history.