Church of Christ (Whitmerite)

The Church of Christ (Whitmerite) is a denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement that traces its origins to the earliest days of the movement, specifically to disagreements following the death of Joseph Smith Jr. in 1844. This group rejected the leadership of Brigham Young and the subsequent migration to Utah, instead aligning themselves with figures like William E. McLellin, David Whitmer, and Oliver Cowdery (before his later reconciliation with the Utah-bound church).

The Whitmerite Church of Christ is distinguished by its reliance on the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants (in its earlier, pre-Utah version). They emphasize the importance of the original revelations received by Joseph Smith Jr. and advocate for a literal interpretation of scripture. A key tenet is the belief in continuing revelation through properly ordained leadership.

Unlike The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as the LDS Church), the Whitmerite Church did not embrace practices such as plural marriage, which they considered an apostasy. They maintained a focus on the original doctrines and practices as understood by them during Joseph Smith Jr.'s lifetime.

Over time, the Whitmerite movement experienced fragmentation. Various factions emerged, with differing interpretations of doctrine and leadership succession. While some groups have continued independently, others have merged with larger Latter Day Saint denominations, such as the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). The term "Whitmerite" is often used broadly to refer to those who adhered to this general stream of Latter Day Saint thought and practice, even if not formally affiliated with a specific organization using that name. The exact number of adherents and active congregations associated with the Whitmerite tradition is difficult to ascertain due to the independent nature of many of these groups and their historical tendency to merge or disband.