This is more a collection point than a new post. More than anything else, I want people to understand how the Kirtland Temple has proven to be a vital interfaith gathering point over the years. Likely, I would never have met and made several current friends and associates without the inclusive experience Community of Christ provided me at the Kirtland Temple. My pilgrimage there provided a much needed course correction to my wanderings. It may have even saved my life, but that’s another story. Here are some posts I invite people to read/watch again, or for the first time.
Kirtland Temple Sonnets
I worked harder on these two poems than probably any poems I’ve ever written. Weeks of work revising and tinkering. When it seemed clear to me they would never have a chance at being accepted by academic journals, I brought them to Wheat & Tares as a guest post submission. Soon after, I became a permablogger for W&T, and I’ve enjoyed some of the most prized and intellectually nourishing connections I’ve ever made in Mormonism.
A Kirtland Temple Love Story
About a year ago, writer Eli McCann shared a delightful story of taking his future husband on a tour of the Kirtland Temple. He recounts this beautiful story for the Salt Lake Tribune. The piece is behind a necessary paywall, but if the Trib allots you any free articles, or if are willing to support independent journalism even for a month, it is so worth reading!
Elon Musk Buys the Kirtland Temple
This parody piece I wrote last year has, by the numbers, been the most successful thing I’ve ever written for Wheat & Tares, landing on the radar of folks like Year of Polygamy host Lindsay Hansen Park and historian Benjamin E. Park (I’d say no relation, but word on the street is they are spirit siblings). I think this satire post turned out well. Hopefully it continues giving folks a good chuckle. It is as much a parody of our beloved Mormon bloggernacle as it is a lampoon of Elon Musk. And folks? We really oughta laugh at ourselves on a regular basis.
My Hot Take Instagram Reel
I did not write a script for this reel, opting instead to rep some thoughts in solitary reflection and then record them on the fly. I’ve since found a couple of flubs. I say “Plains Saints” when I should have said Prairie Saints. And I refer to Spur’s “older” brother, when I should have said twin brother. Alas, a hot take is never a properly copyedited take.
I think I make the right argument though. So I’ll say it here in print. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does NOT deserve the Kirtland Temple. If, as they claim, the chain of authority runs unbroken all the way from Russell M. Nelson back to Joseph Smith, Jr., then what I say next is fact. The restored Church of Jesus Christ ran away from the Kirtland Temple long ago. In so doing, the Church of Jesus Christ left a trail of disgraceful finances in their wake. The Church subsequently went all in on a State of Deseret which they never achieved. I am of the opinion that, for decades if not a century or more, the likes of Brigham Young were too fat and happy to care what happened to the building. They assume ownership now as fair-weather financial and evangelical opportunists. It’s sad.
I Bear You My Testimony
Prove me wrong, Latter-day Saints. Overcome the temptation to use the Kirtland Temple as a one-stop shop for aggressive proselytizing via missionary hard-sell tactics. As a matter of Christian charity, operate this temple as a true interfaith holy site welcoming all comers. Would you believe I totally think you have what it takes?
If I sound angry and defensive, it is only because I feel angry and defensive. Good news, though. Thanks to multiple visits to the Kirtland Temple a few years ago, I’ve met some folks who continue to teach me about pure religion and pursuing peace on Earth. They are called the Community of Christ. Were money no object, there is no other organization on the face of the Earth better suited to oversee and operate the Restoration’s first temple.
Wheat & Tares 
Thanks, Jake.
The Kirtland Houae of the Lord has been a personal touch stone for so many, especially in Community of Christ. Perhaps it can remain so.
I agree with you that the COJCOLDS does not “deserve” the Kirtland Temple. I think most W&T readers agree (if you don’t agree I’m sure you’ll say so below). But this isn’t a question of deserving. It’s a question of wealth and liquid assets. And let’s admit it: $200M is a drop in the bucket to the COJCOLDS. Meanwhile, the Community of Christ needs the money. It’s that simple. Church I wanted it. Church I has the money. Church II wanted to keep it but needed the money. So Church I bought it from Church II. End of story. It’s gross but it’s simple. And it has nothing to do with who deserves it. It has everything to do with pure $$$. I’d be utterly embarrassed if I were in charge.
Community Of Christ is no longer trying to prove it’s the true church and successor church. If the Mormons insist on being the true church and want to create a narrative that supports that, then this purchase will help them complete their takeover of Joseph Jr’s Legacy.
I think it’s a false assumption to assume the Community Of Christ is going to become more restoration principled, so this divestiture of its legacy properties is in line with its forward thinking.
“The restored Church of Jesus Christ ran away from the Kirtland Temple long ago. In so doing, the Church of Jesus Christ left a trail of disgraceful finances in their wake.”
That’s a bit too cynical for my tastes. It’s a known quantity that the financial crisis was precipitated by a regional bank failure. And let’s not forget that those who were obliged to leave Kirtland did so after making great sacrifices–themselves–to build the temple and establish the church.
“The Church subsequently went all in on a State of Deseret which they never achieved.”
Yes–but only after they were driven out of Kirtland, Independence, Far West, and finally Nauvoo where they had built a second temple–which was subsequently destroyed by their enemies. And you may be right that they never fully achieved the establishment of the society that they dreamed of. But even so, one could argue that Deseret–as it was–was the most stable society ever established in North America.
“I am of the opinion that, for decades if not a century or more, the likes of Brigham Young were too fat and happy to care what happened to the building.”
Jake, you’re certainly entitled to your opinion. But let’s not forget the difficult–even horrific in some cases–sacrifices made by the saints to establish the church in the Rockies. If anyone is sitting fat and happy–it’s us, today, reaping the benefits that came from their blood, sweat, and tears.
“They assume ownership now as fair-weather financial and evangelical opportunists. It’s sad.”
If we remember what the saints have sacrificed in order to build the Kingdom over the last two centuries we’ll see that this purchase is the farthest thing from opportunism. We should be humbly grateful that the Community of Christ has been a good steward of those properties and that we are now in position to receive them into our care. And I am personally grateful that the Kirtland temple will now be in the hands of those who believe in the supernal events that took place there–the endowment of power–which was the primary reason for it’s construction. Surely there are some members of the community of Christ who still believe in those happenings. But inasmuch as the church as an organization is distancing itself from its history it should come as no surprise that it is willing to let go of those properties in an effort to secure its future.
Jake: Being angry and defensive is right in line with modern liberalism. I was RLDS for 40 years and tried to weather the storms of change. But when there were no blessings that came from certain changes, I began to question their intent. The viewpoints of conservative members were shut down (or, in today’s lingo, CANCELLED). No diversity. But guess what, the conservative members were the ones paying tithing!
Mark, over the past almost 4 years, I have watched with keen interest whenever the frustration of older, conservative and progressive members percolates to the service of otherwise genial online meetings. I regard the older/conservative perspective to be essential to these discussions. Though I disagree with much of what you say here and on the “Spirit of God Like a Fire Sale” post, I thank you for providing it. As John Hamer said to the Beyond the Walls congregation of Centre Place in Toronto today: “There is no one right way to be Community of Christ.” Or, as we might copyedit it here for W&T readers, There is no one right way to be a community of Christ.
Must be said, here and often. Cancel culture is not merely a liberal thing. Conservatives love to cancel things. Here is an incomplete list of things conservatives in the Unites States of America are trying to cancel: women’s healthcare rights and bodily autonomy, LGBTQ+ rights and cultural acceptance, accurate history textbooks, scientifically enlightened reproductive healthcare tools and education, and the Affordable Care Act. Conservatives are crazy for cancel culture. Just sayin’
JACK! … You just had to use the word “supernal” didn’t you? 😆. Seriously, I strongly disagree with almost everything you said, BUT! Here’s something you said I kinda like, something we can all get behind, albeit for different reasons. “If anyone is sitting fat and happy–it’s us, today, reaping the benefits that came from their blood, sweat, and tears.” Jack, my brother. I appreciate this statement, and I think it’s fair enough. Thank you
jkenttt, josh h, and Rich, thank you for your comments as well. I think what I was hoping to see here, and am seeing from each of you, is a candid, edgier sense of what this sale means, and how we might process it in our minds and hearts. The carefully edited and polished joint statement of the two churches is informative but utterly lacking in this respect. For me personally, it certainly remains a question of “deserving.” I stand by that. Hopelessly subjective question with inevitably subjective answers? Yes. But it’s the better discussion to have when so many are in pain.
I’m a little late to comment on the sale. Just a couple of reflections. This has been in the works off an on for almost 2 decades. I was approached to give some legal advise at one point years ago. I can say there was never, at least from my observations, an overt anxiousness of the Utah church to push this. In addition there have been great strides over the last many years to improve relationships between the two bodies. Lachlan McKay and Karl Anderson had become great friends and collaborators. I participated in a private tour with the two of them and a joint sacrament meeting in the temple with a small group from both churches. It was an incredible and very moving experience.
To those that are concerned that the CJCLDS will turn this into a proselyting venue, that will not happen. As a sign at our local Chinese take out used to say, “That was the old boss, we change a new boss now.” The focus of the historic sites is history. Palmyra, Sharon, Kirtland, Nauvoo are no longer high pressure, give us referrals approach. They tell the story and the history. And they do a pretty good job. Frankly, in my opinion they do a much better job that the private bus tours that make money off of telling faith promoting but unfounded stories. Just like the Hill Cumorah Pageant, an overtly proselyting event is gone. So stop worrying about young ill informed missionaries turning these sites into mythology and high pressure sales. Missionary work aint the same as it was 20-30 years ago on your mission. And it certainly isn’t going backwards.
Attend the Mormon History Association and meet the dozens of high qualified academically trained, professional historians working in the church history department. They are not going to turn their back on professionalism to promote fable.
dlcroc58, at the risk of nitpicking dates, my most recent experience with missionary sales tactics was seven years ago in Historic Kirtland. And your statement, “Missionary work aint the same as it was 20-30 years ago on your mission” is just a Mormon variant on the summary dismissal of Gen-X experience and perspective. I am way too used to that slight
You paint an “All is well in Zion” picture of the current Church history scene. Admittedly, I haven’t been to a Church history site since before the pandemic, so I can’t roundly disprove what you’re claiming. But I am skeptical of your claims., My same-old, same-old experience with missionary sales tactics in Kirtland was only seven years ago. Glad to hear the breeze is purportedly blowing in a healthier direction at MHA meetings. But your attempt to sum up my concerns as unfounded, which you do by painting a picture of things being just fine these days, brings me back to my word choice in the Instagram reel above: whitewashed.
In any case, thank you for your long-view perspective on sale negotiations. Helpful information
“Missionary work aint the same as it was 20-30 years ago on your mission. And it certainly isn’t going backwards.”
I have 2 kids on missions in different parts of the world, and from what I see of their experiences, this is false. They are doing almost the exact same things as I did 30 years ago, right down to the “key indicators” they report daily, giving no more than 4 hours of community service a week, spending much of their time doing useless finding like knocking on doors, etc. etc. etc. And they’re having the same or even less success than I did, not unsurprisingly. If numbers are down, hammer obedience to arbitrary rules!
You can see this kind of drives me crazy. Sorry for off-topic.
Jale C., I am sorry that came off as dismissive. Was not my intent. MHA has been very independent from official Church influence for a very long time. The conference last year was in Rochester and included believers, non, unaffiliated, and some pretty harsh critics. The pres. of MHA this year is from CoC, and the presidency over the last several years that I have followed has little to do with religious affiliation, but everything to do with academics.
I certainly am not trying to paint an “all is well” approach. I have plenty of issues, more to do with church culture than structure (but some there as well) and it takes a lot longer to change culture, especially in areas of LDS dominance. But there is no question that the direction of the historic sites is history. Now that doesn’t mean when you get a senior missionary conducting a tour you wont get his missionary or even right wing political ideology kick in from time to time. But rest assured that when that happens they are off script and flying solo. Something they are told not to do. We can change policy quickly, culture takes generations.
Thanks, Jake. I appreciate your kind comments even though we disagree.
Reply to “really”
I agree with you. The challenge is and I have made this comment before, if an MP follows the counsel then the approach is indeed different. The training new MPs receive is clear – “Don’t do the same thing you did as an MP 30 years ago.” They all hear it and when they get in the field their old missionary muscle memory kicks in and the repeat what they did. MPs are incredibly autonomous both good and bad in that. My point is that it takes a very long time to turn the boat. But the freedom and direction is there to do it. Maybe someday I’ll do piece on this because it deserves some attention. I’ve served as a counselor to 4 MPs and served with my wife as mission leaders (such a better title), and supervised or worked closely with many more. I can tell you that the Brethren pay attention to letters from parents of missionaries. I’ve known 2 MPs (and know of several others) that were released early because the ship heading in the wrong direction. So if you have concerns write to your favorite apostle.