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777 Acquired Kirtland Temple Ticker

By March 11, 2024Episodes
  • Kirtland Temple Purchased
    • Frequencly Asked Questions  
      • Sites were closed on March 5th and will reopen on March 25th to the public without cost.
      • Talks began in June 2021 for the purchase, will remain a historical building
    • Community of Christ Q&A
      • Full list of Properties and items
      • The church was looking at the possibility of letting go one third of staff in 2025. Financial transparency with graphs!
      • COC Employees were offered the option of a position in Independence, Missouri, USA, including a relocation package, or continued employment in their current location through September 2024 with a severance package at that time.
      • The COC retains historic sites in Plano, IL, Lamoni, IA, and Independence MO. 
      • The LDS church will provide the temple up to six times a year for meetings and gatherings. – What other groups will be allowed? – 2024 Mormon History Association in June. 
    • Kirtland Temple Suit
      • Brigham Young and the 12 wanted to sell the Nauvoo and Kirtland Temples to finance the move to the west.
      • Temple belonged to Joseph Smith at time of death, ownership is disputed and the temple is sold on the steps of the courthouse to settle his debts. Sells for $150 in 1860 and it eventually gets sold to Joseph Smith III. Several people try to use/buy/sell the temple, but are prevented due to the cloudy chain of title. 
      • JS III attempts to sell the temple again, but the RLDS presiding bishop sues him (as well as John Taylor) in 1875 and tries to argue that the temple belongs to the church because the deed is only good for the land under the temple.
      • Judge dismissed the case, but indicated that the RLDS Church was the true successor of the Joseph Smith church because the LDS church had gone rogue, citing polygamy and Adam-God Doctrine.   
      • Although ownership remained disputed, the RLDS continued to use it and make repairs. By 1901, the ownership of the temple was made clear under the doctrine of adverse possession (“squatters rights” – more than 20 years of use).
      • Without this care, the temple would have likely fallen into disrepair.
    • Fate of the Kirtland Temple Joseph Smith Papers Podcast Episode 7
      • Debunked that the temple was a stable for animals. 
    • John Hamer presentation on evolution of LDS/COC temples. 
    • Significant Nauvoo Properties 
      • Red Brick Store (Reconstructed) – First Endowments 
      • Mansion House – residence of the Smiths, entertained guests, briefly installed a bar.
      • Nauvoo House – a commandment to build along with a temple. (Housed Smith bodies and the original manuscript of the BOM)
      • JS & ES Homestead – does this include the Cemetery?
      • Homes of Aaron Johnson, Sidney Rigdon, William Marks, Bidemon Stable
      • Nauvoo Property map
    • Videos from Community of Christ Leaders
      • First Presidency 
        • Steven Veazy 
          • I agonized over the impact of the sale and wept for others.
          • D&C 162:2a: Continue to listen to the stories of our past to prepare to move forward. 
        • Scott Murphy
          • D&C 164:9e-f Will you remain hesitant in the fear of your competing loyalties? The mission of Jesus Christ is what matters most.
        • Stassi Cramm (future president)
          • Multiple years of spirited discussion, prayer, discernment. 
          • Honoring our history is not dependent on ownership. 
          • The sale agreement includes keeping the sites publicly accessible to all.  
          • The prospect of the sale felt unbearable, but we realized we were choosing people over property and paper.  
      • Apostles 
        • Lacklan Makay
          • Given the most tours of “Kirtland Temple” on anyone alive
          • Spent 15 years living adjacent to the temple and 18 years living in the Nauvoo sites. 
          • Met wife in Red Brick Store, ordained a teacher in temple, his literal home for his adult life.
          • “Devastating emotionally, I thought it might break me.”
          • Feels like he has inherited pragmatism from JS III. Proceeds from the Smith family are a gift from them to our future. 
        • Art Smith
          • Met wife as a historic sites intern, post-marriage dwellings.
          • Not about the physical sites, but the stories they represent.
        • Cathrine Mambwe 
          • Has never visited the Kirtland Temple, but is mourning with those that are sad. Loves the Independence Temple role it plays fulfills the purposes of the mission of the church. 
        • Mareva Arnaud Tchong
          • Connected with the temple as a child in French Polynesia
      • Presiding Bishopric
        • Ron Harmon
          • Grew up in Ohio, attending services in the temple
          • Growing gap of income and expenses. Membership is aging and contributors dropping.
          • The $192.5M does not fully address our needs
        • Carla Young
          • “Cultural trends affecting church participation are beyond our control,” “we are exploring new ways to convey our mission, but change takes time.”
          • The sale was the only asset that could help change our trajectory in some parts of the world.
          • The $192.5M will not cover projected decline in contributors, but it will cover income loss during the next 4-5 years and give time for leaders to develop more income streams.  
      • Video Tour of the Kirtland Temple guided by Lacklan Makay was posted two days before the announcement. 
        • Temple has been a magnet and shared sacred space to different types of Latter day Saints.
        • On the outside of the temple it says “The Church of the Latter-day Saints.” 

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