Here are some highlights from the recent joint statement between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Community of Christ church, as found on a FAQ page shared by Church Newsroom.
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Beyond the Kirtland Temple, some of the most significant items in the transfer of ownership include:
- The Smith Family Homestead in Nauvoo, Illinois
- The Mansion House in Nauvoo, Illinois
- The Nauvoo House in Nauvoo, Illinois
- The Red Brick Store in Nauvoo, Illinois
- The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
- Seven letters from Joseph Smith to his wife Emma
- John Whitmer’s history of the Church
- Original portraits of Joseph and Emma Smith
- The cornerstone of the Nauvoo House
- The original door of Liberty Jail
- A document with the title of “Caractors,” which may contain a sample of inscriptions from the gold plates
More personal items have also been included in the transfer, like Emma Smith’s walking stick, a washstand associated with Hawn’s Mill, Lucy Mack Smith’s rocking chair, a couch from the Whitney family home, inkwells from the Red Brick Store, and some of Joseph Smith’s writing desks.
A transaction of this kind between the two churches is not unprecedented. According to the FAQ page, in 2012, the Community of Christ sold several properties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the Hawn’s Mill Massacre site and the Joseph and Emma Smith home in Kirtland. Five years later, the Community of Christ church sold the Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon to the Church. The joint statement from both churches says that discussions leading to this agreement have been ongoing since June 2021.
The FAQ page also states that the historic buildings in Kirtland and Nauvoo closed on March 5, 2024, and will reopen to the public on March 25, 2024.
And one question is on the mind of many Latter-day Saints: Will the Kirtland Temple be converted into a functioning Latter-day Saint temple? The FAQ page answers that as well.
Will the Kirtland Temple be converted into a functioning Latter-day Saint temple?
No. The Kirtland Temple will be maintained and presented as a historic building that is open to the public. President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple in Cleveland in April 2022, and the Church released its site address in December 2022 and a rendering in July 2023.
You can read the entire FAQ page on Church Newsroom.
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