I’ve visited some temples recently! “Gospel Tangents” recently hosted a surprise live session, a “late night unannounced edition,” much to the delight of its “night owl” viewers. I shared a whirlwind of Temples, Travels, updates, upcoming content, and even some breaking news from various Restorationist traditions.
Temples, Travels, & Timely Insights!
I’ve been traveling extensively, leading to a “boatload of pictures” and a significant backlog of videos waiting to be edited. Despite the busy schedule, i’m eager to share my experiences:
- Community of Christ World Conference in Independence: Rick attended and captured his reactions to Stassi Cramm being ordained the new prophet. While there, he met a man from New Zealand (a “Kiwi”) and expressed hope for interviews with people from the Temple Lot Church, including Tom from a fundamentalist group and potentially Stassi Cramm herself.
- Mormon History Association (MHA): This event also proved fruitful, including tours of LDS churches, such as an old one in Ogden and Joseph Soderberg’s church where President Hinckley reportedly gained his testimony.
- Exploring the Strangites in Wisconsin: This trip was a major highlight. I stayed with Bill Shepard, a former guest, and toured various Strangite sites with Gary Weber and David Boice.
◦ A key stop was the Hill of Promise, which the Strangites consider akin to the Hill Cumorah. It’s believed to be where James J. Strang found the Voree record, a “short record of the people of Raja Ramor.” This record described a people similar to those in the Book of Mormon, with a priesthood structure mirroring Joseph and James’s. The Hill of Promise also holds future significance, as Strangite revelations state that Daniel from the Bible will appear there to announce Christ’s approaching second coming.
◦ I also visited the site of the unbuilt Strangite temple in Burlington, which was planned to be “quite significant” in size.
◦ Rick also drove by James Strang’s house in Burlington, where Strang died three weeks after his assassination on the dock of Lake Michiga.
◦ A fascinating piece of news is that David Boice is moving to Utah at the end of July. Rick plans to visit Beaver Island (Strangite Island) in July or August, noting that while Gary Weber says there’s “not a lot to see,” one can rent a golf cart for getting around. He also mentioned Vicki Speek is working on a census of the island.
◦ For those unfamiliar, James J. Strang claimed an angelic ordination on the day Joseph Smith died (June 27, 1844). He translated the Voree plates and later the “plates of Laban” (published as the Book of the Law of the Lord). He settled in Burlington, then moved to Beaver Island, where he was crowned king and even served in the Michigan legislature. His efforts to stop Gentiles from selling liquor to Native Americans reportedly led to his assassination with the help of the U.S. Navy.
- Upcoming Trip to Calgary and Cardston, Alberta: Rick is flying to Calgary for his son’s wedding. He plans to make a video about the Cardston Alberta Temple, which was the first international temple for the LDS Church. Some compare it to the Mesa Temple and notes its “pioneer feel” like the Manti Temple. The Cardston Temple’s murals are darker, possibly due to varnish, and hopes for a refurbishment once a new temple opens in Lethbridge.
Book Giveaways and Exciting New Releases
The live session included a book giveaway for “Joseph Fielding Smith a Mormon Theologian,” won by Mark Francis. Looking ahead, the channel is celebrating the release of John Turner’s new book, “Joseph Smith The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet,” which launched in June on Amazon. (The contest is over now.) Rick gave away an autographed copy of this book.
Potentially “Breaking News” from the Temple Lot Church
I discovered some surprising news regarding the Temple Lot Church: they are “going to quit selling the Book of Commandments.” I was “shocked” to learn that they might be preparing to de-canonize it, based on hints from Randy Sheldon.
- For context, the Book of Commandments was the precursor to the Doctrine and Covenants, originally intended for publication in 1833 but largely destroyed by a mob. It is incredibly rare and thus “even more expensive” than a first edition Book of Mormon.
I want to express my gratitude to my viewers, particularly the “night owls” who joined the spontaneous live session. There will be many exciting videos in the pipeline, despite my ongoing travel and editing challenges.
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