Community of Christ

We are soon moving away from Zion, so we thought it might be our last chance to check out Restoration Movement offshoots such as Community of Christ. I’m always a fan of interfaith experiences and this was one I didn't think I’d be able to get outside of Utah. Obviously, it's also a group that is fascinating to me because of my beliefs on feminist and gender issues in the church. So I thought I’d share my impressions about my experience of worshipping with the Community of Christ.

We attended Sunday school first, which was a loosely-led group discussion on the idea of “Shalom,” which is the concept of true peace, the peace that only Christ gives. Shalom comes from living according to a person’s highest standard of integrity to oneself and the truth that they have. It also comes from being at peace with God, community and having positive relationships. It’s intricately bound up with the idea of building Zion. Comments focused on the evils of war and poverty and how we can’t have Shalom or Zion when there is war and poverty. I loved the beautiful, community aspect of peace which comes from Christ and how we must have that peace within ourselves and then help to build it in the world around us. I felt like more women commented in this Sunday school than I was used to in my ward.

The next meeting was a baptismal service for a husband and wife who were joining the church.  First the congregation leader, who was a woman named Barbara and a president of the Quorum of the 70 spoke. She quoted from Mosiah about the meaning of baptismal covenants. Then the husband and wife who were getting baptized spoke about the conversion stories. They used to be LDS and described their faith transition.

Then I watched as Barbara raised her arm to the square, called upon the Melchizedek priesthood, and baptized them by immersion. The Spirit was incredibly strong. I had tears in my eyes. Then the wife of this couple was confirmed by a woman in the ward who was an ordained Elder, and the husband was ordained by a man who was an Elder. My feelings were difficult to contain. It was beautiful to witness and a privilege to be there. The meeting closed with a prayer that was addressed to Heavenly Mother and Father.

Afterwards, there was a potluck and we felt like there wouldn't be many better opportunities to get our questions answered than having lunch with the President of the 70, so we sat down and talked with her about the church’s succession period after Joseph Smith’s death. We talked about the historicity of the Book of Mormon, about their church structure and revelation process, about their temple and its symbols and their meaning. We talked about their theology, their scriptures and their ideas about the Word of Wisdom. It was all fascinating. I felt so much love there, so much Christ-soaked goodness and … community. My overwhelming feeling was of Christ and love. It was really beautiful.

As we drove away and discussed our thoughts and feelings, I found myself wondering what it all means. A part of me felt a longing. My thought was, I wish that were my spiritual home. But I also found myself thinking about all the things that I couldn't give up, like the concept of a corporeal God, the idea that the Father and Son are separate and distinct, the idea that we can be sealed together as families and become like Heavenly Parents, the idea that we have a Heavenly Mother who is co-Creator and Goddess. It seemed ironic to me that in the LDS church, where we have relatively unambiguous conception of the Feminine Divine, we speak so little of Her. Also ironic that the revelation which gives us eternal families and the opportunity to become like Heavenly Parents also is the source of so much pain, suffering, and sexism from polygamy and false teachings about men and women.

My impression was that the Community of Christ has an incredible amount of truth, and I envy them so many aspects of their worship. I do hope that in some ways they show an example of what may await the LDS church in the future. But I guess, those truths which I’m unwilling to let go of make me want to stay where I am and wait, painful though it may be at times.

It was very refreshing, however, peaceful, and … quenching to attend church and not be reminded of my “auxiliary role” and the gender hierarchy that the church teaches. To not once be reminded of the cult of Patriarchy, Conservatism, and Traditionalism. It satisfied a deep desire within me to go to church and feel only love, only my Savior, only goodness and friendship. To see women in leadership roles, to see women performing ordinances.  I think what I felt there is what I wanted the temple to feel like: safe, sacred, loving, and yet inspiring to do and be more. In short, the same emotions that I feel from my Savior.