John Hamer makes the surprising argument that the Auditorium is, in fact, a Community of Christ temple on the Temple Lot! This is a claim even many RLDS members have never heard. Why does he say this? It ties back to the unfinished temple project of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), also known as the Hedrickites. For a time, the two churches were essentially constructing rival temples side by side on the historic temple lot. Join us as we dive into this fascinating story!
John is the co-author of Scattering of the Saints: Schism Within Mormonism.
Don’t miss our other episodes with John Hamer! https://gospeltangents.com/people/john-hamer/
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
The concept and construction of temples have been a central, yet often contentious, aspect of the Restoration movement. While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is well-known for its extensive temple building, other branches of the Restoration tradition have also grappled with their own unique visions and challenges regarding sacred spaces. Historian John Hamer sheds light on the fascinating, and sometimes fraught, history of temple competition and diverse practices among groups like the Community of Christ (formerly RLDS), the Hedrickites, Strangites, and Cutlerites.
The Community of Christ’s Dual Temple Vision
For the Community of Christ, the idea of a “temple” has taken on multiple forms, leading to what some might see as competing sacred spaces.
- The Auditorium as a Temple: The Community of Christ Auditorium, located on the “greater Temple Lot” in Independence, Missouri, was envisioned by Fred M. Smith as a temple, though he used the modern term “auditorium”. Construction began in 1929 during the Great Depression, incurring significant debt. This massive structure, designed for conferences, worship, training, learning, and church headquarters offices, aligned with Joseph Smith III’s earlier vision for an Independence temple. Hamer explicitly states that the Auditorium is the temple for the reorganization, a fact often overlooked even within the Community of Christ itself.
- The Independence Temple: Despite the Auditorium’s existence, Fred M. Smith’s brother, W. Wallace Smith, who succeeded him as prophet, received revelations about the need to build a temple. This led to the construction of the architecturally magnificent “Spiral Temple,” also known as the Community of Christ Temple. Its design incorporates the Fibonacci sequence, symbolizing divine ratios and connecting to ancient Greek civilization, and was a significant draw for Hamer to join the Community of Christ. Hamer suggests that the lack of institutional memory regarding the Auditorium’s original purpose might have contributed to the decision to build a second temple.
Hedrickites and the Battle for the Temple Lot
The Church of Christ (Temple Lot), also know as the Hedrickites the earliest Restoration branch to return to Jackson County, Missouri. They hold a key portion of “the Temple Lot”. This property was part of a much larger parcel Edward Partridge originally bought for a total of 24 temples.
- RLDS Aggression and Backfire: The RLDS Church made aggressive attempts to acquire this land through lawsuits and a “sneaky” plan for “free association”. The idea was to absorb the tiny Temple Lot Church, which at the time had minimal active leadership.
- Otto Fetting/Competing Structures: This plan dramatically backfired when a thousand RLDS members, including Otto Fetting, transferred their membership to the Temple Lot Church. Otto Fetting then began receiving revelations to build a temple, which, strikingly, was designed as an Auditorium-like structure with assembly halls and offices, echoing the former RLDS members’ understanding of temples. This created a direct architectural and spiritual competition with the Community of Christ’s Auditorium. The Hedrickites believe they found cornerstones for a temple dedicated in the 1830s, though the authenticity of these stones remains unconfirmed by historians. Otto Fetting was later excommunicated by the Temple Lot Church, and the Hedrickite tradition has since diversified into “dozens” of churches, ranging from Anglo-Aryan/neo-Nazi groups to liberal-progressive ones that have even voted themselves out of existence.
Unique Temple Practices Among Smaller Restoration Groups
Beyond the Community of Christ and Hedrickites, other smaller Restoration movement churches have distinct approaches to temple work and sacred ordinances.
- The Cutlerites: This group stands out as the only non-Brighamite church to practice an endowment and perform sealings. Despite their deeply sacred practices, they currently have a very small, aging membership.
- The Strangites: While they do not have a physical temple, the Strangites practiced sealings as late as the 1950s. They believe that polygamy and baptisms for the dead are godly principles but do not practice them today, awaiting an angelic ordination of a new prophet, as apostles cannot ordain a prophet (the lesser cannot ordain the greater.) Notably, women in the Strangite Church are ordained to the priesthood office of Teacher and can lead meetings, often diligently studying historical texts to find operative rules for the church.
The diverse histories of these Restoration movement branches illustrate not only the enduring significance of temples and sacred ordinances but also the varied paths different groups have taken to define and enact their understanding of divine directives and community identity.
Don’t miss our other episodes with John Hamer! https://gospeltangents.com/people/john-hamer/
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:35 — 43.6MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Email | | More
