From Missionary to Mormon Fundamentalist (Justin Francom 1 of 4)

I sat down with Justin Francom, an independent Mormon fundamentalist living in Missouri, to discuss his journey from a traditional LDS background to an Independent Mormon fundamentalist. Francom’s story is a compelling look at how his search for deeper doctrine can lead a “Jack Mormon” turned missionary into the world of independent fundamentalist.

Don’t miss our other conversations on Mormon fundamentalism: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/fundamentalim/

Path to a Faith Crisis

After serving an LDS mission in South Korea and marrying in the temple, Francom experienced a profound “culture shock” within the mainstream LDS Church in Utah. This feeling was exacerbated by changes to the temple ceremony, which left him spiritually unsatisfied. His search for answers led him to the writings of Denver Snuffer, specifically Passing of the Heavenly Gift. However, Snuffer’s thesis—that the Restoration had essentially failed—left Francom feeling cynical and depressed.

Finding Light in “Lost” Doctrines

Francom’s path took a turn when he discovered the works of fundamentalist author Ogden Kraut. Unlike Snuffer’s work, Kraut’s writings on “lost” history and doctrines, such as prayer circles in the home and the Adam-God doctrine, rebolstered his faith and testimony. Francom describes receiving a personal spiritual witness of these doctrines, which created a wedge between him and mainstream LDS leadership, whom he felt had been untruthful about Church history.

Rejecting “One-Manism”

A central theme of Francom’s transition is his rejection of “one-man doctrines“—the belief that priesthood authority is a rigid control structure funneled through a single living prophet. After investigating various groups like the AUB and the Peterson group, Francom found that they often emulated the same authoritarian behaviors he found troubling in the LDS Church. This led him to remain an independent Mormon fundamentalist, believing that the true vision of the Restoration was to create a “nation of prophets and priests.“

Reimagining Priesthood Authority as Mormon Fundamentalist

The summary of Francom’s theological shift concludes with his introduction to a new interpretation of Section 132 via Sean Anderson. He argues that the “one man” referred to in scripture relates to the serial nature of conferring the fullness of the priesthood (the second anointing) rather than a restriction on how many people can hold the authority at once. By viewing priesthood as something to be perpetuated and shared rather than controlled, Francom finds a way to maintain his testimony of Joseph Smith and the temple while remaining outside of traditional institutional boundaries.

What do you think?

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