Item Detail
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19435
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3
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19
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English
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Grant McMurray and the Succession Crisis in the Community of Christ
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Dialogue : A Journal of Mormon Thought
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Winter 2006
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39
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no.4
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27-57
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When Grant McMurray resigned as President of the Community of Christ in November 2004 he refused to name his successor. This created a "succession crisis" within the church. Eventually, one of the younger members of the church's Quorum of the Twelve, Stephen Veazey, was chosen to fill the vacancy. Veazey was chosen and sustained by all the governing bodies of the church, rather than just by one man (as had been the case prior to McMurray's resignation.) Russell traces succession among the presidents of the Community of Christ, beginning with its first president Joseph Smith III. He discusses revelations given to the church's presidents, including one written by Joseph Smith III entitled "Letter of Instruction" which helped the members of the church select their current president, Stephen Veazey. Russell also states the contributions made by Grant McMurray during his presidency, and points out that with McMurray's call to become president and his resignation, two of the expecations "govern[ing] the office of Church president" were "abandoned." These two expectations were that the prophet would be a literal descendant of Joseph Smith and that he was to name his successor.
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A 'Goodly Heritage' in a Time of Transformation : History and Identity in the Community of Christ
A Reappraisal of Canonization in the Doctrine and Covenants
'As Historians and Not as Partisans' : The Writing of Official History in the RLDS Church
From Mission to Madness : Last Son of the Mormon Prophet
History and Mission in Tension : A View From Both Sides
Joseph Smith III : Pragmatic Prophet
Mormon America : The Power and the Promise
Nauvoo : Kingdom on the Mississippi
Needed : A New Method of Succession
R.C. Evans: Boy Orator of the Reorganization
Religion and Sexuality : Three American Communal Experiments in the Nineteenth Century
Reorganized Mormon Church Beset by Controversy
Restoration Scriptures : A Study of Their Textual Development
The Changing RLDS Response to Mormon Polygamy : A Preliminary Analysis
The LDS Church and Community of Christ : Clearer Differences, Closer Friends
The Reorganization in Nineteenth Century America : Identity Crisis or Historiographical Problem?
The Truth and the Evidence : A Comparison between Doctrine of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Things in Heaven and Earth : The Life and Times of Wilford Woodruff, a Mormon Prophet
'True Son of a True Father' : Joseph Smith III and the Succession Question