Church of Jesus Christ in Zion

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For the breakaway from Scientology, see Church of Jesus Christ in Zion (Scientology).

The Church of Jesus Christ in Zion was a small, non-denominational Christian sect organized in 1987 and voluntarily dissolved in 1997. It was located in Independence, Missouri. The Church comprised diverse religious backgrounds and opinions, including Catholics, Jews, LDS, RLDS, Methodists, and Lutherans.

The Church was formed to create a forum for differing religious points of view to be expressed in a friendly and open environment. Most, if not all, of the participants "worshiped" at their own Churches on Saturday or Sunday. The discussions of the group were usually held on Friday night and did not include any religious practices such as communion or sacrament.

One of the objectives of the group was to present the various points of view over the Internet in an attempt to gain broader perspective. Internet viewers attended live discussions at the now inactive web site and could participate by watching the broadcasts and responding by telephone or by email.

One of the original founders of the Church was Roger E. Billings, best known for his research on the Hydrogen car. In the discussions, Billings revealed that he had previously been associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, but had left that Church when his membership was threatened for his discussing of the Adam-God theory. According to Billings, the "Adam-God Theory" was clearly taught in the Journal of Discourses by Mormon leader, Brigham Young as a "doctrine necessary to salvation". Billings did not think it "evil" to study and even discuss the teachings of the Mormon Prophet. He also discovered that the belief of the Church regarding the doctrine had become completely reversed over the years. If it was "divine truth" in Brigham Young's day, then it should still be true today, because truth does not change. And if it is necessary to salvation, then the current Church leadership should not censure study and discussion regarding the matter.

Billings was also uncomfortable with the Church's position on polygamy. As a Mormon missionary to Brazil in the late 1960s, Billings was given a book by the Mormon Church and told that it was "scripture -- the word of God". This book included the King James Bible, The Book of Mormon, and a collection of the revelations Joseph Smith received from God compiled into a volume called the Doctrine and Covenants. According to Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph Smith was praying to God to understand how God would justify the Old Testament prophets in "...their having many wives and concubines..." This revelation goes on to introduce several doctrines, including the doctrines of eternal marriage, exaltation, the holy spirit of promise, the sealing power, and the legality of plural marriage.

Billings believed that if the Church was sincere in their public rejection of polygamy, they needed to remove Section 132 from their canon of scripture and state that it is not a righteous way to live. In 1921 the Church added a section to the Doctrine and Covenants in which the practice of polygamy is officially rejected. The added text dates from 1890, although the actual cessation of polygamy occurred about two years earlier. Although polygamy was rejected, eternal marriage as described in Section 132 (of one man and one woman for all eternity) continues to be practiced and Section 132 remains in the Doctrine and Covenants to this day.

One point of disagreement is the interpretation of verses 3-4 of Section 132 that state "...all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same...if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory." Billings and several splinter groups that still practice polygamy interpret this as meaning that plural marriages are necessary to exaltation, however the LDS Church and most splinter groups interpret this to mean that eternal marriage through the sealing power is necessary to exaltation. The disagreement is over the antecedent of the phrase "this law" and the meaning of "obey the same", since Joseph Smith stated in 1844 that the "covenant" described refers not to polygamy, but to the eternal marriage covenant. See Celestial marriage.

Billings also expressed his opinion that "true worship" is done in the family, and that every father should preside over his individual family as the Family Patriarch. He said that if this were done, there would be no need for organized religion. He also taught that every person is a child of God and has the right to receive inspiration for themselves. He taught that anyone that gained a testimony of Jesus Christ by personal revelation was a Prophet in their own right, and that we should all be prophets.

Another popular theme of the discussions was the concept of Zion, a holy city that God would bring forth near the end of days on the Earth. Followers of Joseph Smith believed that Zion would be built in Jackson County, Missouri. Participants of Jewish background look for the coming of Zion in Jerusalem. Other Christians were not familiar with the notion of Zion.

Over time, the discussions, which were largely directed by questions and comments, evolved more into discussions of science, hydrogen energy, and other technical matters than of religion. There no longer seemed to be a need nor an interest in the non-denominational Church, and so it was dissolved and eventually the web site was taken down.

The discussions still continue on many Friday nights, but they are now, non-religious in nature.

External links

• Template:Cite web Internet Archive of Church of Jesus Christ in Zion from 20 October, 2004.