List of sects in the Latter Day Saint movement

Contents

♦ Before 1844 ♦ *Brigham Young*: Mainstream LDS Woolley / other fundamentalists Progressive Miscellaneous
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♦ *Other lineages: Joseph Smith III Hedrick Rigdon Bickerton Cutler Strang Additional factions ♦ Self-originated*

♦ Relationship tree Arrangement rationale Photo gallery See also References Further reading External links

♦ *Index: ABCe Church of––– Co DEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ♦ Biggest 8:*
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*1st sect* AUB Ch of Christ–Elijah Ch of JC ('Bickerton') Ch of JC–LDS Comm of Christ / RLDS FLDS Restoration Branches

This list of sects in the Latter Day Saint movement provides a listing of churches that form a part of 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...

—sometimes collectively referred to as Restorationism or 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...

—whether still extant or not. A member of any of these sects is properly referred to as a Latter Day Saint in the general sense, regardless of the particular church to which he or she may belong (or belonged). While this list is far from complete, it currently incorporates all of the major known sects within the movement, past or present.

The Latter Day Saint movement includes:

The original church within this movement, founded in April 1830 in New York by Joseph Smith, Jr., was the Church of Christ, which was later named the Church of the Latter Day Saints. It was renamed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1838, which remained its official name until Smith's death in 1844. This organization subsequently splintered into several different sects, each of which claims to be the legitimate continuation of this original church, and most of which dispute the right of other sects within the movement to claim this distinction.
The largest denomination within the contemporary movement is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church or, colloquially, 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...

church) with 14 million members. It is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...

, and uses the term Latter-day Saints to describe itself and its members (note the hyphenation and variation in capitalization usage).
The second-largest denomination is the Community of Christ
Community of Christ
The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...

(first named the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from 1872–2001), a Missouri-based, 250,000-member denomination. Though members of this church have traditionally been called Latter Day Saints (without the hyphen), the Community of Christ has more recently stated that it rejects the use of the term Saints as a designation for its members in any official reference or publication.
Other sects within the movement either formed around various would-be successors to Joseph Smith, Jr., or else broke from sects that did. These, together with the two sects listed above, are detailed in the table of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, below.

The term Mormonism is often used as a collective description of the movement and especially of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; however, many other Latter Day Saint sects are opposed to the use of this term, as they consider it to be derogatory and connected to the polygamy

Polygamy

Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...

once practiced by the Utah church. These other groups tend to prefer the terms Restorationist or Latter Day Saint.

Though a few minuscule factions broke with Smith's organization during his lifetime, he retained the allegiance of the vast majority of Latter Day Saints until his murder

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 June 1844. Following Smith's death, his movement experienced a profound leadership crisis which led to a schism within his church. The largest group followed Brigham Young

Brigham Young

Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...

, settling in what would become the Utah Territory

Utah Territory

The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The second-largest faction coalesced around Joseph Smith III

Joseph Smith III

Joseph Smith III was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and Emma Hale Smith...

, eldest son of Joseph Smith, Jr. (the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Community of Christ

The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...

), currently headquartered in Independence, Missouri

Independence, Missouri

Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...

. Other would-be leaders included the senior surviving member of 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...

, Sidney Rigdon

Sidney Rigdon

Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...

, the newly-baptized James Strang

James Strang

James Jesse Strang was an American religious leader, politician and self-proclaimed monarch who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , a faction of the Latter Day Saint movement...

from Wisconsin, and Alpheus Cutler

Alpheus Cutler

Alpheus Cutler was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement who served in several church positions under Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr...

, one of the Council of Fifty

Council of Fifty

The Council of Fifty was a Latter Day Saint organization established by Joseph Smith, Jr...

. Each of these men still retains a following as of 2010—however tiny it may be in some cases—and all of their organizations have experienced further schisms. Other claimants such as Granville Hedrick

Granville Hedrick

Granville Hedrick was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession crisis. In 1863, Hedrick became the founding leader of the Church of Christ , which is one of many churches that claim to be a continuation of the Church of Christ founded by Joseph Smith, Jr...

, William Bickerton

William Bickerton

William Bickerton was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession crisis. In 1862, Bickerton became the founding president of the church now known as The Church of Jesus Christ , which is one of many churches that claim to be a continuation of the Church of Christ founded...

and Charles Thompson

Charles B. Thompson

Charles Blancher Thompson was an American leader of a schismatic sect in the Latter Day Saint movement from 1848 to 1858. He claimed the title Baneemy and his followers were known as "Baneemyites"....

, among others, later emerged to start still other factions, some of which have further subdivided.


List of Latter Day Saint – movement churches


Era of Joseph Smith, Jr.

Joseph Smith's original church, and those bodies which broke with him during his lifetime.


Original church within movement
The original organization, founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1830, later called the Church of the Latter Day Saints and then Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.


Name	Organized by	Date	Current status	Notes
	Joseph Smith, Jr.	April 6, 1830	Joseph Smith's original organization; multiple sects currently claim to be true successor	In 1834, official name changed to "Church of the Latter Day Saints". In 1838, official name changed again to "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Unofficial names included Church of God and Church of Jesus Christ.


Breakaway churches established before 1844
Other small churches formed on the basis of disagreements with Smith prior to his murder in 1844 (including church established by William Law within 1844), all of which are now defunct.


Church name	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
Pure Church of Christ Pure Church of Christ The Pure Church of Christ was the first known schismatic organization to emerge within the Latter Day Saint movement.The Pure Church of Christ was organized in 1831 in Kirtland, Ohio by Wycam Clark, Northrop Sweet, and four others who claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. was a false prophet. They had a...	1831	Church of Christ	Defunct	First schismatic sect in the Latter Day Saint movement.
Independent Church Independent Church (Hoton) The Independent Church was organized in 1832 in Ohio as a schism in the Church of Christ . Little is known about this second schismatic sect of the Latter Day Saint movement apart from the date of establishment, the surname of its founder, and that Hoton denounced Joseph Smith Jr. and the Book of...	1832	Church of Christ	Defunct	Little is known about this second schismatic sect apart from the date of establishment, the surname of its founder, and that Hoton denounced Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.
	1836	Church of the Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Taught that Joseph Smith was not a prophet, and the Book of Mormon was not scripture.
	1837	Church of the Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Believed that Joseph Smith was a "fallen prophet". Rejected the Book of Mormon and parts of the Bible Bible The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations... .
	1839	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Taught that the Latter Day Saints should remain in Missouri, and not emigrate to Illinois.
		Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Established with the special mission of ministering to African Americans.
Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, the Lamb's Wife Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, the Lamb's Wife The Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, the Lamb's Wife was a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement, which drew its membership primarily from members who had dissented from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when it was headquartered in Far West, Missouri in 1838.The church was...	1840	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Taught that Joseph Smith was not a prophet, and the Book of Mormon was not scripture.
	1842	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Little is known concerning this sect.
True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or Reformed Mormon Church was a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement. It was founded in the spring of 1844 in Nauvoo, Illinois by leaders dissenting from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.The Reformed Church's president...	1844	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Opposed plural marriage; published the Nauvoo Expositor Nauvoo Expositor The Nauvoo Expositor was a newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois that published only one issue, which was dated June 7, 1844. Its publication set off a chain of events that led to the death of Latter Day Saint movement founder, Joseph Smith, Jr.... . Charges levied against Joseph Smith over the destruction of this periodical led to his assassination.


Lineage of Brigham Young

Sometimes called "Rocky Mountain Saints," "Brighamites," or "Mormons", tracing their leadership or influence through Brigham Young Brigham Young Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah... .


The LDS Church
By far the largest and best known Latter Day Saint church, which is colloquially, but imprecisely, referred to as the "Mormon Church".


Name	Organized by	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
	Brigham Young Brigham Young Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah... and Quorum of the Twelve Quorum of the Twelve In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve was one of the governing bodies of the church hierarchy organized by the movement's founder Joseph Smith, Jr., and patterned after the twelve apostles of Christ In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the...	1844 (trust reorganized); 1851 (incorporated)	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	14 million members as of 2011	The largest Latter Day Saint denomination. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (abbreviated as the LDS Church), is often colloquially referred to as the Mormon Church. Adherents are popularly called 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 or Latter-day Saints. Resulted from Latter Day Saints that followed Brigham Young after succession crisis. Practiced plural marriage until the early 20th century.


Mormon break-away churches upholding polygamy
Churches that believe they are strictly following the revelations and teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. and Brigham Young Brigham Young Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah... , including the practice of plural marriage, which was discontinued by the LDS Church in the late 19th century.


Name	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
Short Creek Community Short Creek Community The Short Creek Community originally began in 1935 following the death of Joseph Leslie Broadbent, under the leadership of John Y. Barlow and Joseph W. Musser. Formerly located in Short Creek, Arizona , the group was notorious for the practice of polygamy due to media coverage during the "Short...	1920s	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Multiple sects claim to be true successor	Originally headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of the earliest Mormon fundamentalist groups, originating at end of plural marriage Plural marriage Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within... in LDS Church. Later splintered into several groups, particularly upon death of Joseph W. Musser in 1954. Most modern Mormon fundamentalist groups may be traced back to this organization.
	1926	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Roughly 2,000 members	Headquartered in Davis County, Utah Davis County, Utah Davis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2010 the population was 306,479, a 28.2% increase over the 2000 figure of 238,994. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion. The county is part of the Ogden–Clearfield Metropolitan Statistical Area as... . Commonly known as the "Kingston clan" and the "Davis County Cooperative Society".
Apostolic United Brethren Apostolic United Brethren The Apostolic United Brethren is a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist church within the Latter Day Saint movement. The sect is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...	1954	Short Creek Community	Approximately 10,000 members (1998)	Headquarters in Bluffdale, Utah Bluffdale, Utah Bluffdale is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, USA. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,700 according to the 2000 census... . Organized during schism between two groups over issue of presiding authority between Rulon C. Allred and Leroy S. Johnson, upon death of Joseph W. Musser.
	1954	Short Creek Community	8,000–10,000 members	Traditionally headquartered in Colorado City, Arizona Colorado City, Arizona Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town was 4,607... , with a community of roughly 700 members near Eldorado, Texas Eldorado, Texas Eldorado is a city in and the county seat of Schleicher County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,951 at the 2000 census, but dropped to 1,800 according to a July 2009 estimate.Eldorado is located on U.S... . Also called "FLDS Church" and is the largest group of Latter Day Saints who practice plural marriage and Mormon fundamentalism.
Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times The Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times is a Mormon fundamentalist sect headquartered in northern Mexico that was founded in 1955 by Joel LeBaron and members of his family.-Establishment:...	1955	Apostolic United Brethren	Under 1,000 members	Headquartered in Colonia Lebaron, Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... Established in northern Mexico, this group claims a priesthood line of authority through Benjamin F. Johnson Benjamin F. Johnson Benjamin Franklin Johnson was an early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a member of the Council of Fifty.... , a member of the Council of Fifty Council of Fifty The Council of Fifty was a Latter Day Saint organization established by Joseph Smith, Jr... .
	1972	Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times	Current status unknown, may continue in LeBaron family in Los Molinos, Baja California	Ervil LeBaron split with his brother, Joel F. LeBaron in 1972. Ervil then ordered his brother Joel killed in 1972, and Apostolic United Brethren leader Rulon C. Allred killed in 1977. LeBaron was extradited to the United States and sentenced to life in prison where he died in 1981.
	1975	Apostolic United Brethren	Headquartered in Salem Salem, Oregon Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood... , Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...	Previously called the "Church of Christ Patriarchal" and the "Evangelical Church of Christ". One of Bryant's estranged wives says Bryant converted temple ordinances into sexual rites and that he authorized a type of "free love Free love The term free love has been used to describe a social movement that rejects marriage, which is seen as a form of social bondage. The Free Love movement’s initial goal was to separate the state from sexual matters such as marriage, birth control, and adultery... " among the members.
Confederate Nations of Israel Confederate Nations of Israel The Confederate Nations of Israel is a hybrid church–political organization with roots in Mormon fundamentalism that was organized in 1977 by Alex Joseph...	1977	Apostolic United Brethren	Approximately 400 headquartered in Big Water, Utah Big Water, Utah Big Water is a town in Kane County, Utah, United States. The population was 417 at the 2000 census, a modest increase over the 1990 figure of 326. It is located 17 miles north of Page, Arizona on US-89 near Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam. It was originally called Glen Canyon City and housed...	Hybrid church – political organization patterned after the Council of Fifty. Members can be from any religious denomination or atheist. Around one-quarter of members practice plural marriage.
Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as The Righteous Branch, The Branch Church, The Peterson Group and Christ's Church, is a fundamentalist Mormon sect of the Latter Day Saint movement...	1978	Apostolic United Brethren	Approximately 100 members. Headquartered in Modena, Utah Modena, Utah Modena is an unincorporated community in far western Iron County, Utah, United States, near the Nevada border. It lies along State Route 56 west of the city of Parowan, the county seat of Iron County. Its elevation is 5,476 feet... .	This small group of about 100 people was founded by Gerald Peterson, who claims Rulon Allred returned after his death to restore the priesthood to Peterson.
	1982	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Headquartered in Salem, Utah	In 1968 Crossfield published the Book of Onias which, among other things, condemned many LDS Church leaders and was excommunicated in 1972. Through associations, and initially well received, with Mormon fundamentalists in Creston, British Columbia, Canada, in 1982 Crossfield established his own "School of the Prophets", presided over by a President and six counselors. Ron and Dan Lafferty, convicted of the 1984 murder of their brother's wife and infant daughter, served as counselors in the Provo, Utah School of the Prophets in 1984.
Centennial Park Centennial Park group The Centennial Park group is a Fundamentalist Mormon group, with approximately 1,500 members, who broke with Leroy S. Johnson, the senior member of the "Priesthood Council" and leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. However, there is no formal relationship...	1984	Short Creek Community	Roughly 1,500 members	Also known as the "Second Ward". Organized by group who broke from Leroy S. Johnson over questions regarding presiding authority.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Kingdom of God Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Kingdom of God The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Kingdom of God is a fundamentalist church in the Latter-day Saint movement. The sect was founded by Frank Naylor and Ivan Nielsen, who split from the Centennial Park group, another fundamentalist church. The church is estimated to have 200-300...	1990	Centennial Park	200–300 members. Headquartered in Bluffdale, Utah Bluffdale, Utah Bluffdale is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, USA. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,700 according to the 2000 census...	Also known as the "Naylor group" and the "Third Ward". Organized by group who broke from Centennial Park over conflicts in the leadership of Alma Timpson.
True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days is a breakaway sect of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is headquartered in Manti, Utah, United States, where as of 2004 it maintained a membership of 300 to 500 adherents...	1994	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	300–500 members (2004) Headquartered in Manti, Utah Manti, Utah -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,040 people, 930 households, and 742 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,560.2 people per square mile . There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 518.3 per square mile... .	Also called "TLC Church" and formed independent of the Woolley or the LeBaron priesthood lineages.
	2001	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Currently headquartered in Fromberg, Montana Fromberg, Montana Fromberg is a town in Carbon County, Montana, United States. It is part of the Billings, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 486 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fromberg is located at ....	Originally organized in Magna, Utah Magna, Utah Magna is a census-designated place and township in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population was 26,505 at the 2010 census, a moderate increase over the 2000 figure of 22,770... by former members of the LDS Church. Practice polygamy and the law of consecration. Dalton purports to be the Holy Ghost and the Father of Jesus.
Blackmore/Bountiful Community Bountiful, British Columbia Bountiful is a settlement located in the Creston Valley of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, near Cranbrook and Creston. The closest community is Lister, British Columbia....	2002	Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Headquartered in Bountiful Bountiful, British Columbia Bountiful is a settlement located in the Creston Valley of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, near Cranbrook and Creston. The closest community is Lister, British Columbia.... , British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... with approximately 700 members	Schism from the FLDS Church when Church president Warren Jeffs Warren Jeffs Warren Steed Jeffs was the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . In 2011, Jeffs was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault.... excommunicated Blackmore, causing the community of Bountiful to split nearly in half.


Left-of-center Mormon breakaway churches
The defunct Godbeites Godbeites The Godbeites were members of the Godbeite Church, officially called the Church of Zion, organized in 1870 by William S. Godbe. This dissident offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was aimed toward embracing all belief systems... and a few other small churches that broke with the LDS Church to pursue a more liberal, inclusive, or rationalist theology Rationalism In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"... .


Name	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
	1868	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Defunct	Also known as "Godbeites".
United Order Family of Christ United Order Family of Christ The United Order Family of Christ was a schismatic sect of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , which was founded in 1969 in Denver, Colorado by David-Edward Desmond and existed until at least 1973-74....	1966	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Lasted until at least 1973, probably until 1974.	Founded in Denver, Colorado Denver, Colorado The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains... ; the church was founded specifically for young gay Gay Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian".... men only, ages 18 to 30; members practiced the United Order United Order In the Latter Day Saint movement, the United Order was one of several 19th century church collectivist programs. Early versions of the Order beginning in 1831 attempted to implement the Law of Consecration, a form of Christian communism, modeled after the New Testament church which had "all things... .
Restoration Church of Jesus Christ Restoration Church of Jesus Christ The former Restoration Church of Jesus Christ , based in the United States in Salt Lake City, Utah, was a church in the Latter Day Saint movement that catered primarily to the spiritual needs of Latter Day Saints who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered .The RCJC was sometimes informally...	1985	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Around 500 members in Utah and California.	Majority of members are LGBT LGBT LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the... . Commonly called the "Gay Mormon Church" or the "Liberal Mormon Church". Originally called the "Church of Jesus Christ of All Latter-day Saints".


Additional churches claiming lineage through Brigham Young and/or founded in the U.S. Intermountain West
Several small churches rooted in Mormonism; formed under the belief that their leader was inspired to restore a new religious tradition in the mold of Joseph Smith, Jr.


Name	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
	1857	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Defunct	Potter wore a long beard and white robes; his followers wore black robes; followers emigrated from California to Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across... , in 1861.
Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite) Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite) The Church of the Firstborn was a sect of the Latter Day Saint movement that formed as an offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1861 and was involved in the Morrisite War...	1861	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Assumed defunct	Remnants of this organization survived into the mid-20th century. Involved in the Morrisite War Morrisite War The Morrisite War was a skirmish between a Latter Day Saint sect known as the "Morrisites" and the Utah territorial government.-Morrisites:In 1857 Joseph Morris, an English convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah, reported receiving revelations naming him the Seventh... ; believe in reincarnation Reincarnation Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant... . Morris claimed to be the successor of James Strang, though his organization broke from the LDS, not the Strangite, church.
	1861	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Defunct	Organized in Pacific Islands Pacific Islands The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago.... ; sold leadership offices to native peoples; gathering place established on Lanai Lanai Lānai or Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lānai City, a small settlement.... , Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... .
	1866	Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite)	Defunct	Lived a communal life near Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census... , from 1867 to 1881.
	1882	Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite)	Disbanded in 1969	The last known surviving remnant of the "Morrisites".
Order of Enoch James Brighouse James Brighouse was a late-nineteenth century American leader of a splinter sect in the Latter Day Saint movement called the Order of Enoch. Brighouse was one of the first persons to claim to be the "One Mighty and Strong" that Joseph Smith, Jr...	1884	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite)	Continues into in the 21st century	Believe in reincarnation Reincarnation Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant... ; rejected plural marriage; believe that Jesus Jesus Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity... reincarnated as Brighouse and again in 1909 as Dr. Dahesh Dr. Dahesh Dr. Dahesh was the name-title and pen name of Salim Moussa Achi founder of Daheshism.-Life:... and that the millennium Millennium A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system.... will commence in the 24th century.
Aaronic Order Aaronic Order The Aaronic Order, now usually referred to as the House of Aaron, is a Christian sect founded in 1942 by Maurice L. Glendenning ....	1942	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Less than 1,000 members	Also called "House of Aaron".
Zion's Order, Inc. Zion's Order, Inc. Zion's Order, Inc. is a sect in the Latter Day Saint movement that was founded by Merl Kilgore in 1951.Kilgore was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until 1950, when he left the church to join the Aaronic Order. He moved to Bicknell, Utah, where he and another member of...	1951	Aaronic Order and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Headquartered in Mansfield, Missouri Mansfield, Missouri Mansfield is a city in Wright County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,349 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mansfield is located at .... ; approximately 100 members	Formerly known as Zion's Order of the Sons of Levi; use all of the scriptures Standard Works The Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon.* The Holy Bible * The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ... of the LDS Church except section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants Doctrine and Covenants The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement... , plus 650 revelation Revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity... s to Kilgore.
	1955	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Unknown	Also called "Restored Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ of Immaculate Latter-day Saints"; Conway claimed to be the reincarnation of Moroni and to have been visited by a reincarnation of Joseph Smith.
	1983	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...	Bulla taught other Latter-day Saints that he was the "One Mighty and Strong" that Joseph Smith, Jr. prophesied would come to set the church in order. Bulla was interviewed in the anti-Mormon Anti-Mormon Anti-Mormonism is discrimination, persecution, hostility or prejudice directed at members of the Latter Day Saint movement, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints... movie The God Makers II The God Makers II The God Makers II is a documentary styled film produced by Ed Decker and Jeremiah Films. The film claims to be an exposé of secrets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints... with the title "Mormon Prophet" under his name.
	2007	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Headquartered in Derbyshire Derbyshire Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...	Met informally as "The Latter Day Church of Christ" until formal organization. Added the Book of Jeraneck to scriptural canon.


Other lineages

Those churches rejecting Brigham Young's leadership, in favor of some other claimant. These adherents are occasionally referred to, collectively, as "Prairie Saints."


Community of Christ or other "Josephite" Restorationist churches
The Community of Christ Community of Christ The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"... and related churches tracing their leadership through Joseph Smith III Joseph Smith III Joseph Smith III was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and Emma Hale Smith... .


Name	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
Community of Christ Community of Christ The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...	1860	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; some early members came from Strangite church	More than 250,000 members as of 2006	Second-largest Latter Day Saint denomination. Headquartered in Independence, Missouri. Previously known as the "Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" (RLDS church); organized by Joseph Smith III Joseph Smith III Joseph Smith III was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and Emma Hale Smith... in 1860.
	1918	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Split with Reorganized Church over belief that Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage Plural marriage Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within... ; Evans published a book documenting evidence that Smith was a polygamist, then went on to reject most of the tenets of Mormonism.
Church of Jesus Christ (Toneyite) Church of Jesus Christ (Toneyite) The Church of Jesus Christ is a sect of the Latter Day Saint movement that was organized by Forrest Toney in 1980.Toney was raised as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Spokane, Washington. He later moved to Independence, Missouri and in 1977 claimed that he...	1980	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Headquartered in Independence, Missouri	Left Reorganized Church in 1980; claimed to be "Elijah and only prophet" of his organization.
Independent RLDS / Restoration Branches Restoration Branches The Restoration Branches movement is a Christian/Latter Day Saint religious sect which was formed in the 1980s by members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in a reaction against the events of the RLDS 1984 world conference...	1980s	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	As of 1993, 15,000–30,000 sympathizers who yet retained membership in the RLDS Church (Community of Christ) Community of Christ The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"... ; as of 2011, c. 10,000 members attending several hundred distinct congregations.	Affiliated branches and study groups, with each branch relatively autonomous and the movement as a whole centered in Independence, Missouri Independence, Missouri Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area... . RLDS church branches that became independent of the RLDS church individually throughout the 1980s, due to opposition to changes in RLDS church doctrines and practices. Most priesthood holders of these branches soon became affiliated with the "Conference of Restoration Elders". At a three-day conference in November 2005, the "Joint Conference of Restoration Branches" was formed, which had 6,000 to 7,000 members as of 2010. Members consider themselves members of the [historical] Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in a direct line of succession from those who dissented following doctrinal changes roughly coinciding with the RLDS denomination's name change to Community of Christ Community of Christ The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"... .
Church of Jesus Christ Restored 1830 Church of Jesus Christ Restored 1830 The Church of Jesus Christ Restored 1830 is a small sect in the Latter Day Saint movement that is headquartered in Tarkio, Missouri. The church broke away from the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the year 2000 under the leadership of five members of the First Quorum of...	Mid-1980s	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Members in Missouri Missouri Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It... and Africa Africa Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area... ; headquartered in Tarkio, Missouri Tarkio, Missouri Tarkio is a city in Tarkio Township, Atchison County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,583 at the 2010 census . It was platted in 1880 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Tarkio" is from a Native American word meaning "place where walnuts grow"...	Regards Wallace B. Smith Wallace B. Smith Wallace Bunnell Anthony Smith was Prophet-President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , from April 5, 1978 through April 15, 1996. Son of President W. Wallace Smith, he was designated as his father's successor in 1976, and ordained church president in 1978 when his... as a "fallen prophet" of the RLDS church, for opening the priesthood to women and for choosing to build the Independence Temple Independence Temple The Temple in Independence, Missouri, is a house of worship and education "dedicated to the pursuit of peace". It dominates the skyline of Independence, Missouri, USA, and has become the focal point of the headquarters of the Community of Christ... as opposed to the city of Zion.
	1985	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Headquartered in Oak Grove, Missouri Oak Grove, Jackson County, Missouri Oak Grove is a city in Jackson and Lafayette counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 5,535 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oak Grove is located at ....	Also known as "Lion of God Ministry". Clark broke from the RLDS church in November 1985. In May 1987 Clark began to issue a newsletter, "The Return". Group adheres closely to the King James Version of the Bible and "The Record of the Nephites", but does not consider other Mormon scripture to be authoritative. They keep annual feasts, including Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, etc.
Church of Jesus Christ (Zion's Branch) Church of Jesus Christ (Zion's Branch) The Church of Jesus Christ is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement and is headquartered in Independence, Missouri. It was formed on April 6, 1985 by individuals who had separated from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints due to certain doctrinal changes which...	1986	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	200 or so members; headquartered in Independence, Missouri	Largely composed of former members of the RLDS church who oppose what they consider to be recent doctrinal innovations, especially the giving of the priesthood to women in 1984.
Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement headquartered in Independence, Missouri...	1989	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Headquartered in Independence, Missouri	The church broke off from the Community of Christ because of its belief that women should not hold the priesthood.
Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement. The president of the church is Frederick Niels Larsen, a direct descendant of Joseph Smith, Jr....	2000	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	1,000–2,000 members; headquartered in Independence, Missouri	Chiefly composed of former members of the RLDS church who oppose what they consider to be recent doctrinal innovations, especially the passing of the church presidency to someone not descended from Joseph Smith, Jr. (Larsen is a descendant of Joseph Smith, Jr. through his grandson Frederick Madison Smith Frederick Madison Smith Frederick Madison Smith , generally known among his followers as "Freddie M.", was an American religious leader and author and the third Prophet-President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , serving from 1915 until his death.Smith's paternal grandfather was Joseph Smith,... ).


Restorationist churches ("Hedrickite")
The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) Church of Christ (Temple Lot) The Church of Christ is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement headquartered in Independence, Missouri on what is known as the Temple Lot. Members of the church have been known colloquially as "Hedrickites", after Granville Hedrick, who was ordained as the church's first leader in July 1863... and related churches tracing their leadership through Granville Hedrick Granville Hedrick Granville Hedrick was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession crisis. In 1863, Hedrick became the founding leader of the Church of Christ , which is one of many churches that claim to be a continuation of the Church of Christ founded by Joseph Smith, Jr... .


Name	Organized by	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
Church of Christ (Temple Lot) Church of Christ (Temple Lot) The Church of Christ is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement headquartered in Independence, Missouri on what is known as the Temple Lot. Members of the church have been known colloquially as "Hedrickites", after Granville Hedrick, who was ordained as the church's first leader in July 1863...		1863	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; some members from Gladdenites	5,000 members; headquartered on the Temple Lot Temple Lot The Temple Lot, located in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, is the first site to be dedicated for the construction of a temple in the Latter Day Saint movement... in Independence, Missouri	Owns the Temple Lot Temple Lot The Temple Lot, located in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, is the first site to be dedicated for the construction of a temple in the Latter Day Saint movement... ; adherents commonly referred to as "Hedrickites."
Church of Christ (Fettingite) Church of Christ (Fettingite) The Church of Christ is a denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement which split from the Church of Christ —informally known as "Hedrickites"— in late 1929...		1929	Church of Christ (Temple Lot)	Sect divided into various factions	A denomination which split with the Temple Lot church over reported revelations from John the Baptist John the Baptist John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River... to its founder, Otto Fetting; adopted sabbatarianism under Apostle S.T. Bronson in 1950s.
Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff is a small denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement...		1932	Church of Christ (Temple Lot)	Headquartered at Schell City, Missouri Schell City, Missouri Schell City is a city in Vernon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 286 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Schell City is located at .... ; less than 100 members	Members originally believed Otto Fetting Otto Fetting Otto Fetting was an American realtor and editor from Port Huron, Michigan who served first as a pastor and evangelist in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and then later as an apostle in the Church of Christ , commonly referred to as the "Hedrickites"... 's revelations but did not join the Church of Christ (Fettingite) Church of Christ (Fettingite) The Church of Christ is a denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement which split from the Church of Christ —informally known as "Hedrickites"— in late 1929... . Formally named "Church of Christ at Zion's Retreat" until a 1972 schism in which Dan Gayman led most of its followers away to his Church of Israel Church of Israel The Church of Israel is a denomination that emerged from the Church of Christ in the Latter Day Saint movement and is now affiliated with the Christian Identity movement, a charge which its leader, Dan Gayman, denies.The Church of Israel was first organized in 1972... .
Church of Christ (Restored) Church of Christ (Restored) The Church of Christ is a denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement that split from the Church of Christ in the late 1930s under the leadership of Elder A.C. DeWolf. This schism was provoked by a difference in opinion regarding a series of claimed "messages" received by William Draves,...		ca. 1937	Church of Christ (Fettingite)	Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri;approx. 450 members	Split from Fettingite organization in late 1930s when that sect initially accepted William Draves' "messages"; claims to be the true continuation of Fetting's church. Non-sabbatarian.
		1943	Church of Christ (Fettingite)	c. 12,500 members worldwide as of 1987. Headquartered in Independence, Missouri	Split with the Church of Christ (Fettingite) when that sect rejected revelations from John the Baptist John the Baptist John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River... given to its founder, William Draves, following the death of Otto Fetting.
Church of Christ (Hancock) Church of Christ (Hancock) The Church of Christ , also known as the Basement Church, the Church of Christ and the Church of Christ was a sect of the Latter Day Saint movement founded in Independence, Missouri in 1946 by Pauline Hancock...	Pauline Hancock Pauline Hancock Pauline Bailey Hancock was the founder of the Church of Christ in Independence, Missouri in 1946, and was the first woman to found and lead a denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement...	1946	Church of Christ (Temple Lot)	Defunct as of 1984	First Latter Day Saint denomination to be established by a woman; accepted KJV Bible and Book of Mormon only; later rejected Book of Mormon and dissolved itself in 1984. Among its former members were Jerald and Sandra Tanner Jerald and Sandra Tanner Jerald Dee Tanner was an American writer and researcher who, with his wife Sandra McGee Tanner spent nearly fifty years annotating and publishing archival and evidential materials which, the Tanners claim, accurately portrayed the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints... , opponents of the Latter Day Saint movement and founders of the Utah Lighthouse Ministry.
		1965	Church of Christ with the Elijah Message	Around 35 members	Leighton-Floyd and Burt Split with the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message during the reincorporation of that church under its present name. Leighton-Floyd left shortly after the formation, with Burt assumed leadership of the group. The membership is centered on an agricultural cooperative near Holden, Missouri.
Church of Israel Church of Israel The Church of Israel is a denomination that emerged from the Church of Christ in the Latter Day Saint movement and is now affiliated with the Christian Identity movement, a charge which its leader, Dan Gayman, denies.The Church of Israel was first organized in 1972...		1972	Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff	Headquartered in Missouri	Name was "Church of Our Christian Heritage" until incorporation in 1981. The church has been accused of being a Christian Identity Christian Identity Christian Identity is a label applied to a wide variety of loosely affiliated believers and churches with a racialized theology. Many promote a Eurocentric interpretation of Christianity.According to Chester L... church, a charge which is denied by Gayman. Few Latter Day Saint beliefs or practices remain in the church.
Church of Christ with the Elijah Message (The Assured Way of the Lord) Church of Christ (Assured Way) Church of Christ The Church of Christ , better known by its full name of the The Church of Christ with the Elijah Message , Inc., is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement based in Independence, Missouri...		2004	Church of Christ with the Elijah Message	Headquartered in Independence, Missouri	Split from the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message, Inc., which in turn split from the Church of Christ With the Elijah Message; founders claim that they are the legitimate continuation of William Draves' organization.


Restorationist churches ("Rigdonite" and/or "Bickertonite")
Churches tracing their leadership through Sidney Rigdon Sidney Rigdon Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:... and/or William Bickerton William Bickerton William Bickerton was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession crisis. In 1862, Bickerton became the founding president of the church now known as The Church of Jesus Christ , which is one of many churches that claim to be a continuation of the Church of Christ founded... .


Name	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
	1844	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Dissolved by 1847	Originally also used the name "Church of Christ". Also known as Rigdonites.
	1862	Organized by former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zion (Rigdonites), by then defunct	12,136 as of 2007; headquartered in Monongahela, Pennsylvania Monongahela, Pennsylvania Monongahela, colloquially called "Mon City," is a Third Class City in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area, located approximately south of the city proper. The population was 4,761 at the 2000 census...	Adherents commonly referred to as Bickertonites Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) The Church of Jesus Christ is a Christian religious denomination headquartered in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, United States. The Church of Jesus Christ is a Restorationist church and is historically part of the Latter Day Saint movement... (church actively opposes use of this term).
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ was a schismatic sect that was created in 1907 from dissenting members of The Church of Jesus Christ . Like its parent church, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ was a Rigdonite and Bickertonite organization: it traced the claim of succession to Latter Day...	1907	Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)	Defunct	Dispute over nature of life in the millennium Millennium A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system.... split Bickertonite Quorum of the Twelve in two; later merged with the Primitive Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) Primitive Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) The Primitive Church of Jesus Christ was a schismatic sect that was created in 1914 from dissenting members of The Church of Jesus Christ . Like its parent church, the Primitive Church of Jesus Christ was a Rigdonite and Bickertonite organization: it traced the claim of succession to Latter Day... .
Primitive Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) Primitive Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) The Primitive Church of Jesus Christ was a schismatic sect that was created in 1914 from dissenting members of The Church of Jesus Christ . Like its parent church, the Primitive Church of Jesus Christ was a Rigdonite and Bickertonite organization: it traced the claim of succession to Latter Day...	1914	Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)	Defunct	Rejected 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... as a valid leadership organization of the church; later merged with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ was a schismatic sect that was created in 1907 from dissenting members of The Church of Jesus Christ . Like its parent church, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ was a Rigdonite and Bickertonite organization: it traced the claim of succession to Latter Day... .


Restorationist churches ("Cutlerite")
The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) The Church of Jesus Christ is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement headquartered in Independence, Missouri. This church derives its epithet from its founder, Alpheus Cutler, a member of the Nauvoo High Council and of Joseph Smith's secretive Council of Fifty... and related churches tracing their leadership through Alpheus Cutler Alpheus Cutler Alpheus Cutler was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement who served in several church positions under Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr... .


Name	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) The Church of Jesus Christ is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement headquartered in Independence, Missouri. This church derives its epithet from its founder, Alpheus Cutler, a member of the Nauvoo High Council and of Joseph Smith's secretive Council of Fifty...	1853	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Approximately 12 members (2010); headquartered in Independence, Missouri	Adherents commonly called "Cutlerites"; practice "United Order"; retains Nauvoo-era Temple endowment Endowment (Latter Day Saints) In the theology of the Latter Day Saint movement, an endowment refers to a gift of "power from on high", typically associated with Latter Day Saint temples. The purpose and meaning of the endowment varied during the life of movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr... and Baptism for the Dead Baptism for the dead Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism is the religious practice of baptizing a living person on behalf of one who is dead, with the living person acting as the deceased person's proxy... .
True Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) True Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) The True Church of Jesus Christ was a small Latter Day Saint faction which split from the Church of Jesus Christ in 1953 under its founder, Clyde Fletcher, and continued to exist until Fletcher's death in 1969...	1953	Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite)	Never more than 10; headquartered in Clitherall, Minnesota Clitherall, Minnesota Clitherall is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 112 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....	Split from Cutlerites over presidential succession issue; church folded with death of its founder in 1969 and schism was subsequently healed.
Restored Church of Jesus Christ Restored Church of Jesus Christ The Restored Church of Jesus Christ is a small Latter Day Saint church headquartered in Independence, Missouri. It was founded in 1980 by Eugene O. Walton , who had previously been an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ , and who claims to be the "One Mighty and Strong" prophesied in Mormon...	1980	Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite)	25 members; headquartered in Independence, Missouri	Split from Cutlerites when they rejected Walton's claim to be the "One Mighty and Strong One Mighty and Strong One Mighty and Strong is a person of unknown identity who was the subject of an 1832 prophecy by Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, echoing the words and prophecy of Isaiah 28:2. The One Mighty and Strong was said by Smith to be one who would "set in order the house of... ".


Restorationist churches ("Strangite")
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement with around three hundred members as of 1998... and related churches tracing their leadership through James Strang James Strang James Jesse Strang was an American religious leader, politician and self-proclaimed monarch who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , a faction of the Latter Day Saint movement... .


Name	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement with around three hundred members as of 1998...	1844	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	A few hundred members; headquartered in Voree Voree, Wisconsin Voree is an unincorporated community on the outskirts of present-day Burlington, in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States, in the town limits of Spring Prairie. It is best known as the historic and current headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , a denomination of the... (now Burlington Burlington, Wisconsin Burlington is a city in Racine and Walworth counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, with the majority of the city located in Racine County. The population was 10,421 at the 2009 census.-History:... ) Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...	Currently split between proponents and opponents of incorporation in 1961. Anti-incorporation factions headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States.... and Independence, Missouri Independence, Missouri Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
	1846	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)	Defunct	Short-lived sect formed in Voree, Wisconsin Voree, Wisconsin Voree is an unincorporated community on the outskirts of present-day Burlington, in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States, in the town limits of Spring Prairie. It is best known as the historic and current headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , a denomination of the... .
	1861	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)	Defunct	Led followers from Maine to Palestine; attempt to establish mission there failed.
Holy Church of Jesus Christ Holy Church of Jesus Christ Holy Church of Jesus Christ is a schismatic sect in the Latter Day Saint movement that formed under the leadership of Alexandre Caffiaux, a French member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ....	1964	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)	Congregations in France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... and New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...	Caffiaux claimed to be the rightful successor to James J. Strang. Church headquartered in France.
Church of Jesus Christ (Drewite) Church of Jesus Christ (Drewite) The Church of Jesus Christ is a schismatic organization in the Latter Day Saint movement which was organized in 1965 as a branch-off from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ....	1965	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)	Extant; one congregation led by Richard Drew, Theron's son	Drew organized the church after being excommunicated from the Strangite church, on account of Drew's promotion of Merl Kilgore as the "One Mighty and Strong One Mighty and Strong One Mighty and Strong is a person of unknown identity who was the subject of an 1832 prophecy by Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, echoing the words and prophecy of Isaiah 28:2. The One Mighty and Strong was said by Smith to be one who would "set in order the house of... " and a potential successor to James Strang James Strang James Jesse Strang was an American religious leader, politician and self-proclaimed monarch who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , a faction of the Latter Day Saint movement... .
	1974	Church of Christ with the Elijah Message and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)	Headquartered in Independence, Missouri	Difficult to categorize; Roberts claimed to be Strang's successor.


Additional LDS Restorationist churches (usually headquartered in U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains)
Other "Prairie Saint" branches of the movement, such as the Church of Christ (Whitmerite) Church of Christ (Whitmerite) The Church of Christ was a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement based on the claims of David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates.... , none of which is known to be extant today.


Name	Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
		Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Extant until around 1958	Wight rejected the claims of leadership made by Brigham Young, William Smith and James Strang. He moved a group of Latter Day Saints to the central Texas frontier. He accepted Joseph Smith III as his father's successor, but did not live long enough to join the RLDS church (though most of his followers later did).
Church of Christ (Whitmerite) Church of Christ (Whitmerite) The Church of Christ was a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement based on the claims of David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates....		Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Extant until around 1925	William E. M'Lellin claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. had designated David Whitmer David Whitmer David Whitmer was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates.-Early life:... , one of the Three Witnesses Three Witnesses The Three Witnesses were a group of three early leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement who signed a statement in 1830 saying that an angel had shown them the golden plates from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon and that they had heard God's voice testifying that the book had... , as his successor. By 1925, most remaining members of the Whitmerite church had united with the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) Church of Christ (Temple Lot) The Church of Christ is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement headquartered in Independence, Missouri on what is known as the Temple Lot. Members of the church have been known colloquially as "Hedrickites", after Granville Hedrick, who was ordained as the church's first leader in July 1863... .
Church of Christ (Brewsterite) 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:...	1848	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Published a periodical entitled The Olive Branch.
	1848	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Syfritt claimed to have been taken to heaven to converse with Joseph Smith, who designated him as his true successor.
	1848	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Defunct	Also called (Baneemyites and Conjespresites). "Thompson claimed to be "Baneemy" mentioned in . Said the church had been rejected by God following Joseph Smith's death, and he had been called to renew the priesthood among the gentiles.
	1851	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	Dissolved after Bishop's death in 1865	Many members later helped to form the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) Church of Christ (Temple Lot) The Church of Christ is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement headquartered in Independence, Missouri on what is known as the Temple Lot. Members of the church have been known colloquially as "Hedrickites", after Granville Hedrick, who was ordained as the church's first leader in July 1863... .
	1994	Several different Latter Day Saint sects	Extant as of 1998; Status currently unknown	The sect holds to the canonicity of the Bible and the Book of Mormon, but does not accept other texts in the Latter-day Saint movement such as the Pearl of Great Price Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism) The Pearl of Great Price is part of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some other Latter Day Saint denominations.... and Doctrine and Covenants.


Spontaneous or unknown lineage

Those sects which originated independent from other organizations and do not trace their doctrinal or priesthood lineage to any 19th-century Latter Day Saint factions, but still hold Latter Day Saint beliefs.


Date	Split off / Continuation of	Current status	Notes
ca. 1953	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (with LDS Church influences)	Extant until around 1978	After LDS Church missionaries visited the town of Uyo in 1953, Obot decided to form unauthorized branches of the church in Nigeria and wrote for more information to LDS headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, due to Nigerian government visas restrictions and the absence of church leadership, these branches deviated from LDS Church doctrine. This included some practicing of polygamy and establishment their own black priesthood hierarchy, both of which were prohibited at the time by church doctrine.
1964	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (with LDS and RLDS influences)	Extant until around 1978	Upon receiving a copy of the Book of Mormon, Johnson started "Latter day Saint" congregations in Ghana independent from any other Latter day Saint sect. In 1976, Johnson went to find "The Mormons" (i.e., the LDS Church) and found the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints instead. However, no further contact was established with the RLDS Church. Upon the announcement of the Official Declaration—2 Official Declaration—2 "Official Declaration—2" is the formal 1978 announcement by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the church's priesthood would no longer be subject to restrictions based on race or skin color... , allowing those of of Africa Africa Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area... n descent into the priesthood, Johnson and most of his group were baptized into the LDS Church.
1976	Independent Latter-Day Saint congregations in Ghana	Extant for only a few months	The Cape Coast group of the independent Latter-Day Saint congregations in Ghana (Johnson) schismed when ongoing contact was not established with the LDS or RLDS churches in 1976. Some of the individuals in this group formed the Apostolic Divine Church of Ghana, however, this sect lasted only a few months.

Categorizing the churches

Given the large number of Latter Day Saint churches and their differing backgrounds, categorizing them can be difficult. A common approach in a number of histories and studies

Mormon studies

Mormon studies is the interdisciplinary academic study of the beliefs, practices, history and culture of those known by the term Mormon and denominations belonging to the Latter Day Saint movement whose members do not generally go by the term "Mormon"...

is to use Rocky Mountain Saints for those denominations headquartered in the American West and Prairie Saints for those sects that formed in and around Nauvoo, Illinois

Nauvoo, Illinois

Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...

; Voree, Wisconsin

Voree, Wisconsin

Voree is an unincorporated community on the outskirts of present-day Burlington, in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States, in the town limits of Spring Prairie. It is best known as the historic and current headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , a denomination of the...

; Independence, Missouri

Independence, Missouri

Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...

, and other locations in the Midwest and East. These terms do not necessarily relate the current geographical locations of all sects within those two groupings, but rather the original location of their respective parent organizations, which may be seen in the table below.

Another method uses provenance: for instance, all sects that ultimately trace their history back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah are organized as one factional group, since the LDS church is directly connected historically to Joseph Smith, Jr.'s, organization, of which it claims to be the sole legitimate continuation. Divergent Paths of the Restoration—a reference work on this subject—follows this approach.

In such studies, and in general Latter Day Saint parlance, the -ite-suffixed terms Josephite and Brighamite have been used for Missouri-based "Community of Christ" and Utah-based "LDS Church" respectively; and these terms have sometimes been used to distinguish groups of sects, as well. Those sects within each group share a common ancestry and basic beliefs that are different from groups sharing other provenances. The present article, in a similar fashion, distinguishes among groups of sects by use of commonly understood names such as Mormon Fundamentalist or else by short descriptions that often reference a founder of the first church within a factional group (for example, Joseph Smith III in reference to "Community of Christ" ("Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints") as well as various churches and factions that trace their origin to it).

Gallery

Index

Links to entries in this article
Bold: Sects estimated to have 10,000-or-more members . Non-italics: Existent as of 2011. Italics: Formerly existed or current existence unknown

	Aaronic Order 'Alston Church group' Apostolic Divine Church of Ghana Apostolic United Brethren	N	'Nigeria's independent Latter Day Saint congregations'
	>-valign="top"	N	'Nigeria's independent Latter Day Saint congregations'	'Centennial Park community'	Order of Enoch
Ch	Church of Christ (Assured Way) Church of Christ (Ezra Booth) Church of Christ (Brewsterite) Church of Christ (William Chubby) Church of Christ (David Clark) Church of Christ (Fettingite) Church of Christ (Hancock) Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints; note: original LDS-movement church ) Church of Christ (Leighton-Floyd/Burt) Church of Christ (Hiram Page) Church of Christ (Parrishite) Church of Christ (Aaron Smith) Church of Christ (Temple Lot) Church of Christ (Whitmerite) Church of Christ (Wightite)	P Q	Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Perfected Church of Jesus Christ of Immaculate Latter-day Saints Primitive Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)
	Church of Christ with the Elijah Message Church of the Christian Brotherhood	P Q	Pure Church of Christ
	Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite) Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of Heaven, The Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times Church of Israel	R	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)
	The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, the Lamb's Wife Church of Jesus Christ (Bullaite) Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zion Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) Church of Jesus Christ (Drewite)		Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Restored Church of Jesus Christ
	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The		Restoration Branches Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Gibsonite) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Kingdom of God Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) Church of Jesus Christ Restored 1830 Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Most High Church of Jesus Christ (Toneyite) Church of Jesus Christ (Zion's Branch)
	Church of the Lamb of God Church of the Messiah (George J. Adams) Church of the New Covenant in Christ Church of the Potter Christ Church of Zion, The	S	School of the Prophets (Crossfield) 'Short Creek community'
	Community of Christ Confederate Nations of Israel Congregation of Jehovah's Presbytery of Zion	T	True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days True Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints True Church of Jesus Christ Restored
	Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
	'Ghana's independent Latter Day Saint congregations'
	Holy Church of Jesus Christ
	Independent Church (Hoton)		United Order Family of Christ
	Kingdom of Heaven (Daviesite)	V W X Y Z	Zion's Order, Inc.
L M	Latter Day Church of Christ Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ

External links

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Categorizing the churches

Gallery

Index

See also

Further reading

External links