Hedrickites

According to our tour guide, Calvin Stephens, there were around one hundred different sects of Mormonism as of 1964. The official name of one of these groups, the Hedrickites, is "The Church of Christ (Temple Lot)." We were privileged to hear from one of their apostles on our visit to Independence, MO. He was sharp and feisty, eager to share his beliefs and doctrines. Like the Community of Christ, the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) believes in the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, and recognizes Joseph Smith as a prophet - up to a point. They believe the office of President of the Church is unscriptural, so they have a council of 12 apostles but no first presidency. They also believe they have been chosen to hold the temple lot identified by Joseph Smith as the site for a temple to be built in Independence, and will some day be called upon to build that temple. If you visit my flickr, you will see photos of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) building, located just next to the original temple lot. Also, there are pictures of the temple site marker and some stones they excavated from the lot. It was interesting to see the Hedrickite building, with its legal claim to the temple lot (they in fact purchased the property in the late 19th century), towered over by the Community of Christ Temple just across the way, a neighbor to our own LDS Visitor's Center. The air in Independence was heavy and hot, the humidity seeming to match the doctine-filled air of dispute.