For anyone interested in Latter-day Saint history, March 5, 2024, is a day that will linger long in their memory. Already it is an event that most interested parties can recall exactly when and where they were when they heard the news. A press release sent by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the purchase of the Kirtland Temple, several historic properties in Nauvoo, and many historic manuscripts and artifacts from Community of Christ. The announcement was the culmination of years of negotiation between the two faiths, dating back to June 2021. The transfer was noted by President Russell M. Nelson, who announced, “We are deeply honored to assume the stewardship of these sacred places, documents, and artifacts,” adding, “We thank our friends at Community of Christ for their great care and cooperation in preserving these historical treasures thus far. We are committed to doing the same.” Stephen M. Veazey, president of Community of Christ, also released a statement saying, “Through funding from increased endowments, Community of Christ will have greater capacity to pursue our mission priorities around the world.”[1] It was an event that many people on both sides of the transfer never expected to see in their lifetimes.

What Was Part of the Transaction?

An announcement made in the Church News laid out the essentials of the transaction. The transfer of ownership of the Kirtland Temple, the first temple built by the Church, was the central focus of most of the attention given to the sale. But the sale also included several significant properties in Nauvoo, including the Smith Family Homestead, the Mansion House, the Nauvoo House, and the rebuilt Red Brick Store. Each of these properties was the site of dramatic events in Church history. The Smith Family Homestead is where Joseph Smith and his family lived during the Nauvoo period for all except the last eight months of the Prophet’s life. It served as a hub of activity during the Nauvoo period and is the likely place where Doctrine and Covenants 124, 125, and 126 were received.

Included in the sale was the Nauvoo House, which the Lord commanded the Saints to build in Doctrine and Covenants 124:28. Intended as a house where “the weary traveler may find health and safety while he shall contemplate the word of the Lord” (Doctrine and Covenants 124:23), construction on the Nauvoo House was abandoned when the Saints were forced to leave Nauvoo. Lewis Bidamon, Emma Smith’s second husband, partially completed the Nauvoo House and later operated it as a hotel. Emma Smith was living there when she passed away in 1878.

In addition, the sale included the Mansion House, where Emma and Joseph’s family rented rooms during the final months of his life. The Mansion House was also where the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum were displayed following the martyrdom.

The sale also included the rebuilt Red Brick Store, which hosted many historic events. Here the Relief Society was organized, the first Nauvoo endowments were administered, and the Council of Fifty met.[2]

Accompanying the sale of these historic sites was the transfer of many artifacts with great importance to the history of the Saints. Chief among these were the manuscripts for Joseph Smith’s new translation of Bible (JST), along with the marked Bible used in that project. High resolution photographs of the JST became available on the Joseph Smith Papers website several years ago, but to see the physical JST materials in the hands of the Church History Department is a great blessing. Along with the JST materials came an eclectic collection of artifacts including the door of Liberty Jail, original portraits of Joseph and Emma, and the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House where the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon was placed by Joseph Smith. Other documents included early Church historian John Whitmer’s history of the Church (see Doctrine and Covenants 47), seven letters between Joseph and Emma Smith, and the “Caractors” document, which is a possible sample of the characters from the gold plates of the Book of Mormon.[3]

Reactions to the Transaction

Many members of BYU Religious Education have close ties to members of Community of Christ, and for many of them the message was met with a peculiar mixture of joy and sorrow. News of the transaction spread quickly on social media, and many noted the devastating impact on members of Community of Christ when they became aware of the transaction. David Howlett, a historian in Community of Christ and a close associate of many in Religious Education, shared his feelings in a social media post: “We live in complex times, and people are forced to make hard choices to create a future for themselves and those they love. . . . I am heartbroken. I do not envy the church leaders who had to make this difficult decision.”[4]

One member of Community of Christ noted the impact on the relationship between the two churches after the sale. “Relationships take work, and any description of the Latter-day Saint and Community of Christ relationship other than ‘it’s complicated but we’re trying’ is either public relations or non-understanding. The historic sites relationship will take that work especially after the emotions the transfer caused.”[5]

Lachlan Mackay, another close friend of Religious Education, filmed a video in which he described his wrestle over the sale of the historic properties. “The decision to part with these places has been devastating emotionally. There was a time when I thought it might break me. But if I inherited anything from Joseph Smith III, it’s his pragmatism, and, intellectually, the path forward is clear. I care deeply about our past, but I care even more about our future.”[6]

At the time of the sale, an interfaith dialogue was already scheduled between faculty members of BYU Religious Education and leadership from Community of Christ. This dialogue group produced a collaboration exploring the two faiths in the RSC book Restorations: Scholars in Dialogue from Community of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2022. Three members of Community of Christ—Andrew Bolton, David Howlett, and Matthew Frizzell—participated in the meetings and shared their feelings over the sale of the historic sites and artifacts.

It was an emotional gathering, with many on both sides sharing their strong feelings over the impact of the sale on their shared friendships. One member of the BYU faculty later reflected, “When I heard about the sale of the historic properties and artifacts my first emotion was shock, then elation. I love these sacred spaces and objects. But shortly after, I began to receive messages from my friends in Community of Christ and other Restoration movements. The responses were quite different from mine, ranging from sadness to anger, to devastation, to pragmatic acceptance. I began to realize what a difficult day this was for many of the people that I care about. My impulse to celebrate was replaced with an impulse to “mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort” (Mosiah 18:9).[7]

Future of the Historic Sites and Artifacts

After just over three weeks of hectic preparations, the Kirtland Temple and the historic sites in Nauvoo reopened for visitors on March 25. Before the temple reopened, construction teams took steps to further strengthen the structure, adding in additional supports in the basement.[8] On hand for the reopening of the temple were Karl and Joyce Anderson, who lived in the Kirtland area for decades and guided many members of Religious Education through the historic sites. Now in his late eighties, Brother Anderson expressed his joy at seeing a tour in the temple led by Latter-day Saint missionaries. “This is one of the greatest days of my life,” Brother Anderson remarked. “It’s hard to express.”[9]

The tour led by Latter-day Saint missionaries is markedly different than the tour led by Community of Christ docents. Typical tours start on the top floor of the Kirtland Temple after guests ascend two steep staircases with thirty-three steps each.

On the top floor, missionaries share with visitors the vision experienced by Joseph Smith where he saw God the Father, Jesus Christ, Adam, Abraham, and his own father and mother along with his brother Alvin on January 21, 1836 (Doctrine and Covenants 137).

On the second floor, they are taught about the Lord’s instructions for the temple to be “a house of learning” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119).

On the first floor of the temple, missionaries share the account of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery of the appearance of Jesus Christ, along with the ancient prophets Moses, Elias, and Elijah in the pulpits dedicated to the Melchizedek Priesthood. In the complexities of the entire transfer, we cannot overlook the simple fact that a place where Jesus Christ stood and spoke is now in possession of the Church. Not only did Jesus appear, but the temple itself was transformed by his presence. Joseph and Oliver testified that the breastwork of the pulpit took on the appearance of “a paved work of gold, in color like amber” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:2). The Savior also told them that “the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands,” a prophecy still being fulfilled (Doctrine and Covenants 110:10).

Long-term plans for the historic properties and artifacts are still unknown, but for now members of every Restoration movement can take comfort in knowing the sites will be well maintained and well loved, just as they were under the stewardship of Community of Christ. The sacred spaces in Kirtland and Nauvoo will remain houses of learning, where visitors can learn the stories of the Restoration. Most of the artifacts from the sale have already been placed on display in the Church Museum of History and Art in Salt Lake City for the public to view. The stewardship over these sacred properties has changed, but they retain their vitality as part of the continuing Restoration.

Notes

[1] Quoted in Sarah Jane Weaver, “Church Purchases Kirtland Temple, Other Historic Buildings and Artifacts from Community of Christ,” Church News, March 5, 2024.

[2] See Casey Paul Griffiths, Mary Jane Woodger, and Bryan Ready, Search, Ponder, and Pray: Illinois Guide for Travel and Study (Springville, UT: Cedar Fort Publishing and Media, 2023).

[3] See Michael Hubbard MacKay, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, and Robin Scott Jensen, “The ‘Caractors’ Document: New Light on an Early Transcription of the Book of Mormon Characters,” Mormon Historical Studies, 14, no. 1 (Spring 2014): 131–52.

[4] David Howlett, Facebook post, March 5, 2024.

[5] Katherine Pollock, personal message to author, June 26, 2024.

[6] Lachlan Mackay, “Reflection – Apostle Lachlan Mackay,” Community of Christ, March 4, 2024, YouTube video, 1:19, https://youtu.be/ZANaxTXRUQQ?si=JAW9bJ0sADOaRMSa.

[7] Casey Paul Griffiths, “The Most Important Lesson Learned from the Kirtland Temple Agreement,” Meridian Magazine, March 19, 2024.

[8] Interview and tour with Grant Call, historic sites missionary, notes in author’s possession.

[9] Trent Toone, “Church Reopens Kirtland Temple—the First Temple in This Dispensation—for Public Tours,” Church News,March 25, 2024.