While doing #52in52, one of the most surprising aspects has been the overwhelming kindness of Latter-day Saints. As a lifetime Protestant, my curiosity was only compounded by the divine claims of Joseph Smith and relentless faith of the LDS pioneers, who literally made a desert bloom in a 19th century re-telling of Exodus.
When Joseph Smith was martyred in 1844, it led to a succession crisis for leadership. The vast majority followed Brigham Young to Utah, but there were a few who originally sided with others who claimed to have legitimacy and splintered off. The most curious was James Strang.
Strang lived in southern Wisconsin, where he converted to Mormonism and was baptized by Joseph Smith. Strang claimed he received the "Letter of Appointment" from Smith days before his murder, thus naming him new leader. Strang went on to claim he had been ordained by a host of angelic beings, citing Hebrews 7:7 that the "lesser cannot ordain the greater." He would also uncover buried metallic plates in front of witnesses, both Strangites and non-Saints. Those within the LDS inner circle scoffed at Strang's claims, but early on, reportedly 12,000 followed Strang versus Young's 50,000.
The Strangites would move to Voree (meaning "Garden of Peace"), then expand to Beaver Island in Michigan. The Rise and Fall of Strang could be linked here, as Strang introduced polygamy and declared himself spiritual king of the church - the nickname "Beaver Island's Mormon King" has floated around, but that wasn't true. Gaining enemies, Strang was shot in the back by two dissenters, and although he had enough time to name a successor before he died, it didn't happen.
After Strang's death and no directive for leadership, what happened to the Strangites on Beaver Island was sickening. They were rounded up, property confiscated, and were shipped out by steamboat. They would be scattered throughout the docks of Lake Michigan between docks from Chicago through Green Bay. Those on missions who returned to family were left clueless what happened. Leaderless and scattered, most Strangites joined another group (RLDS, now Community of Christ), and those who remained loyal to the memory of James Strang have remained small ever since. So the belief is only Smith and Strang were prophets (since an angel must ordain), and now the Strangites represent the church in a probationary state until the last days.
For Week 39, went to the only remaining remnant church building of the Strangites. Through networking, I got in contact with their historian who invited me into his home to share the history before attending service. Though small, it's a friendly and healthy church. Despite having radically different beliefs, I can't say enough good things about the Strangites accepting me for this Saturday service to learn more.
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⛪ Seven years after completing 52 Churches in 52 Weeks, this video series chronicles the spiritual experiment for a second time. If you'd like to see what happens next, SUBSCRIBE and hit NOTIFICATIONS to see what happens each week.
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▶️ Timestamps:
0:00 Mormon Road
0:45 Week 39
2:10 Who is James Strang?
3:00 Latter-Day Saint Influence
5:38 Strang's Role in Succession Crisis
7:49 Inside Strangite Church
8:47 LDS Literature
9:32 Approach for this Visit
12:26 Rise and Fall of James Strang
17:32 Service Insights
20:32 Acceptance Despite Different Beliefs
22:01 Cardinal Sighting
23:35 Week 40 Preview
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🎵 Music:
Track: Unbroken Spirit by Sunfish Grove
• Sunfish Grove - Unbroken Spirit
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📚 Read "52 Churches in 52 Weeks" by David Boice on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3DKry4q
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#52churchesin52weeks #latterdaysaints #latterdaysaint #josephsmith #jamesstrang #strangite #52in52 #mormonstories
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