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Mormon Stories Podcast

117: John Hamer Pt. 2 -- From RLDS to the Community of Christ

Mormon Stories Podcast

Dr. John Dehlin

Religion & Spirituality

4.65.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 January 2010

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In part 2 of my interview with John Hamer, we discuss the transformation of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (RLDS) towards a more Christ-centered church, including the decision to build a temple in Independence, Missouri, and change its name to"The Community of Christ." We also discuss its transition away from prophetic succession based on blood line, and its decision to ordain women to the priesthood.

Transcript

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0:00.0

It may not be on the mountain hide or over the stormy sea.

0:10.0

It may not be at the battle's front.

0:15.0

My Lord would have made of me.

0:20.0

But if I still saw voice he calls to pass that I...

0:26.0

So what else defines the RLDS Church sort of post late 1800s, you know, between that time in the early 1960s when I started getting really turned into the history?

0:39.0

What else defines their journey, sort of bridge that gap for us before we get to the early 1960s?

0:46.0

Well, one thing that they had was that they were not separated from the U.S. when the Civil War happened.

0:53.0

And so I was mentioning that they reorganized in 1860.

0:57.0

Well, that's on the very eve of the Civil War.

1:00.0

And so they are there during this horrible, internecine time of violence.

1:06.0

And I think that that informed their belief in peace.

1:11.0

And in fact, in the very first church seal, when they make the church seal, the word just says peace.

1:16.0

And they, like I said, when they make the colony in Iowa, they name it after the pacifist King Lemona.

1:22.0

So I think that they have that happen.

1:25.0

It's because it's different by living through that experience, by being with the rest of the country.

1:30.0

And then they're also around.

1:32.0

They aren't isolated.

1:34.0

They are open to some of the changes that happen in mainstream Christianity.

1:40.0

And they have to have to deal with those.

1:42.0

And so they also are aware of those and are dealing with those and adapting to those more.

1:48.0

One of the things that they are excited about that doesn't happen in Utah is re-gathering to the center place.

1:59.0

So as we know, the Jackson County Missouri has kind of a primal importance in Mormonism.

...

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