James C. Brewster
Encyclopedia
James Colin Brewster was the cofounder of the Church of Christ (Brewsterite)
, a schismatic
sect in the Latter Day Saint movement
.
Brewster was born in New York
. When Brewster was a child, his parents were converted to Mormonism
and joined the gathering of Latter Day Saints in Kirtland
, Ohio
.
In 1836, at the age of 10, Brewster began to claim that he had been visited by the Angel Moroni, the same being that Joseph Smith, Jr. had claimed had led him to the golden plates
. Eventually, due to his persistent claims of being a prophet
, Brewster was disfellowshipped from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
By 1842, Brewster had finished a book entitled The Words of Righteousness to All Men, Written from One of the Books of Esdras, Which Was Written by the Five Ready Writers, In Forty Days, Which Was Spoken of by Esdras, in His Second Book, Fourteenth Chapter of the Apocrypha, Being one of the Books Which Was Lost, and Has Now Come Forth, by the Gift of God, In the Last Days. After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr.
in 1844, Brewster began to accumulate followers in Springfield
, Illinois
, from Latter Day Saints who were searching for a new prophet leader.
In 1848, Brewster and Hazen Aldrich
founded the Church of Christ
, which they claimed was the true successor to the Church of Christ Smith had founded in 1830. Aldrich was selected as the sect's first president with Brewster and Jackson Goodale as counselors in the First Presidency
.
Brewster continued to receive revelation
from God on behalf of the church, and in 1850 he declared that there was a land called "Bashan" in the Rio Grande Valley
that God had selected as the new gathering place for the Latter Day Saints. In 1851, Brewster and Goodale led a wagon train of followers to find Bashan, while Aldrich — who had begun to doubt Brewster's prophetic abilities — remained behind in Kirtland.
There were disagreements between Brewster and Goodale and among the other member of the church on the journey to Bashan, and most of Brewster's followers, including Olive Oatman
and her family, deserted Brewster and headed for California
.
After failing to discover the promised Bashan, Brewster settled in California and became a lecturer in Spiritualism
. He gained a small following of Mormon
s in California, but did not attempt to revive his church.
Church of Christ (Brewsterite)
Church of Christ was a schismatic sect of the Latter Day Saint movement that was founded in 1848 by James C. Brewster and Hazen Aldrich. Because of the church's belief that Brewster was a prophet, the group is often called the Brewsterites.-History:...
, a schismatic
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
sect in the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
.
Brewster was born in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. When Brewster was a child, his parents were converted to Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
and joined the gathering of Latter Day Saints in Kirtland
Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census. Kirtland is famous for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Origins of Kirtland:...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
In 1836, at the age of 10, Brewster began to claim that he had been visited by the Angel Moroni, the same being that Joseph Smith, Jr. had claimed had led him to the golden plates
Golden Plates
According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith...
. Eventually, due to his persistent claims of being a prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, Brewster was disfellowshipped from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
By 1842, Brewster had finished a book entitled The Words of Righteousness to All Men, Written from One of the Books of Esdras, Which Was Written by the Five Ready Writers, In Forty Days, Which Was Spoken of by Esdras, in His Second Book, Fourteenth Chapter of the Apocrypha, Being one of the Books Which Was Lost, and Has Now Come Forth, by the Gift of God, In the Last Days. After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr.
Death of Joseph Smith, Jr.
The death of Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844 marked a turning point for the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Smith was the founder and leader. When he was attacked and killed by a mob, Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, and running for President of the United States...
in 1844, Brewster began to accumulate followers in Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, from Latter Day Saints who were searching for a new prophet leader.
In 1848, Brewster and Hazen Aldrich
Hazen Aldrich
Hazen Aldrich was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr., Aldrich went on to lead a small denomination of Latter Day Saints known as the Brewsterites....
founded the Church of Christ
Church of Christ (Brewsterite)
Church of Christ was a schismatic sect of the Latter Day Saint movement that was founded in 1848 by James C. Brewster and Hazen Aldrich. Because of the church's belief that Brewster was a prophet, the group is often called the Brewsterites.-History:...
, which they claimed was the true successor to the Church of Christ Smith had founded in 1830. Aldrich was selected as the sect's first president with Brewster and Jackson Goodale as counselors in the First Presidency
First Presidency
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1832, and is the highest governing body of several modern Latter Day Saint denominations...
.
Brewster continued to receive revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
from God on behalf of the church, and in 1850 he declared that there was a land called "Bashan" in the Rio Grande Valley
Rio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
that God had selected as the new gathering place for the Latter Day Saints. In 1851, Brewster and Goodale led a wagon train of followers to find Bashan, while Aldrich — who had begun to doubt Brewster's prophetic abilities — remained behind in Kirtland.
There were disagreements between Brewster and Goodale and among the other member of the church on the journey to Bashan, and most of Brewster's followers, including Olive Oatman
Olive Oatman
Olive Oatman was a woman from Illinois who was famously abducted by a Native American tribe , then sold to another . She ultimately regained her freedom five years later. The story resonated in the media, partly owing to the prominent blue tattooing of Oatman's face by her captors...
and her family, deserted Brewster and headed for California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
After failing to discover the promised Bashan, Brewster settled in California and became a lecturer in Spiritualism
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
. He gained a small following of Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
s in California, but did not attempt to revive his church.