{"slug":"church-of-christ-temple-lot","title":"Church of Christ (Temple Lot)","summary":"The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) is a small Latter Day Saint denomination that claims to be the original church restored by Joseph Smith in 1830, distinguished by its ownership of the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, and its adherence to early Mormon doctrines while rejecting later developments.","content_md":"# Church of Christ (Temple Lot)\n\nThe **Church of Christ (Temple Lot)** is a small denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement that claims to be the original church restored by Joseph Smith Jr. on April 6, 1830 [1]. Headquartered in Independence, Missouri, the church is distinguished by its ownership of a 2.5-acre parcel known as the Temple Lot, which it considers the divinely designated site for a future temple in the \"New Jerusalem\" [2]. Members are sometimes called \"Hedrickites\" after Granville Hedrick, who led the group's acquisition of the Temple Lot in 1867 [2].\n\nUnlike the much larger Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) or Community of Christ, the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) maintains that it alone represents the continuation of Smith's original church without the doctrinal changes introduced by later leaders. The denomination has remained relatively small throughout its history, with membership estimated in the hundreds rather than thousands.\n\n## Origins and Early History\n\nThe Church of Christ (Temple Lot) traces its origins directly to Joseph Smith's restoration of April 6, 1830, but its distinct organizational history begins with the fragmentation of the early Latter Day Saint movement following Smith's death in 1844 [1]. While most followers joined Brigham Young's westward migration or remained with various other factions, a small group eventually coalesced around the belief that the original church had been corrupted and needed restoration to its primitive form.\n\nThe pivotal moment came in 1867 when **Granville Hedrick**, leading a small group of believers, purchased the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri—the same site where Joseph Smith had received a revelation in 1831 designating it as the location for a future temple [5]. This acquisition was based on Hedrick's claimed revelation in 1872 that directed the group to secure the sacred ground [5]. The church had been \"directed by God to go to Independence, Missouri, as a headquarters and a gathering place for a New Jerusalem with a Temple to be built in the future\" [6].\n\nThe group initially called itself simply the Church of Christ, emphasizing its claim to be the original organization without the name changes that had occurred in other branches of the movement. By 1830, the original church's name had been changed to \"the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,\" but the Temple Lot group maintained that this represented a departure from divine instruction [6].\n\n## Beliefs and Practices\n\nThe Church of Christ (Temple Lot) adheres to what it considers the original doctrines taught by Joseph Smith before 1834, rejecting many developments that occurred later in Nauvoo, Illinois. The church accepts the Bible and Book of Mormon as scripture but does not recognize the Doctrine and Covenants or Pearl of Great Price used by the LDS Church, instead maintaining its own collection of early revelations.\n\nKey distinctive beliefs include:\n\n- **Rejection of plural marriage**: The church maintains that polygamy was never a divine doctrine but a corruption introduced later\n- **Simplified temple theology**: Unlike the complex ordinances developed in Nauvoo, the church envisions temple worship more similar to the Kirtland Temple period\n- **Congregational governance**: The church operates with a more democratic structure than the hierarchical systems of larger Latter Day Saint denominations\n- **Premillennial focus**: Strong emphasis on preparing for Christ's Second Coming and the establishment of Zion in Independence\n\nThe church practices baptism by immersion, confirmation, and communion, but does not perform the endowment ceremonies or eternal marriage sealings characteristic of LDS temples.\n\n## The Temple Lot and Building Plans\n\nThe Temple Lot itself consists of approximately 2.5 acres in Independence, Missouri, and has remained largely undeveloped since the church's acquisition. In 1929, the church announced plans to construct a temple on the site, marking \"the first published announcement that a temple was to be built since the revelation to Joseph Smith in July 1831\" [5].\n\nThe 1930 temple plans drew inspiration from the Kirtland Temple design and notably \"did not include any provision for Nauvoo-era ordinances\" [4]. The proposed structure would have functioned \"much like the much larger RLDS Auditorium then under construction across the street\" [4]. However, these ambitious plans were never realized, and the lots have remained \"unoccupied for the past forty-four years\" as of various historical accounts [5].\n\nThe church constructed a modest meetinghouse on the south side of the property in 1889, which served as their primary place of worship [7]. This building represented a practical compromise between their temple aspirations and immediate congregational needs.\n\n## Modern Organization and Activities\n\nToday, the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) maintains its headquarters in Independence, Missouri, and continues to hold regular worship services and conferences. The church holds a **General Conference** every few years, with the next scheduled for April 5-8, 2026, at their Independence location [8].\n\nThe denomination has embraced modern communication methods, maintaining an active website and engaging with online communities. Church members have participated in interfaith dialogue within the broader Latter Day Saint movement, including discussions on platforms like Reddit where they explain their distinctive beliefs and history [3].\n\nDespite its small size, the church has maintained institutional continuity for over 150 years and continues to attract individuals seeking what they consider a more authentic restoration of early Christianity through Joseph Smith's original teachings.\n\n## Relationship with Other Latter Day Saint Groups\n\nThe Church of Christ (Temple Lot) occupies a unique position within the Latter Day Saint movement due to its ownership of the Temple Lot, which is considered sacred by multiple denominations. This has occasionally led to legal disputes and theological debates with other groups, particularly the LDS Church and Community of Christ (formerly RLDS Church), both of which also trace their origins to Joseph Smith's restoration.\n\nThe church's insistence on being the sole legitimate continuation of Smith's original church has created both isolation and distinction within the broader movement. While maintaining cordial relationships with other denominations, the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) has generally resisted merger attempts or organizational cooperation that might compromise its claims to unique authority.\n\n## Related Topics\n\n- Joseph Smith Jr.\n- Latter Day Saint movement\n- Independence, Missouri\n- Community of Christ\n- Granville Hedrick\n- Temple Lot\n- Kirtland Temple\n- Book of Mormon\n\n## Summary\n\nThe Church of Christ (Temple Lot) is a small Latter Day Saint denomination that claims to be the original church restored by Joseph Smith in 1830, distinguished by its ownership of the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, and its adherence to early Mormon doctrines while rejecting later developments.\n\n\n\n","sources":[{"url":"https://www.churchofchrist1830.org/","title":"Church of Christ (Temple Lot) - Restored April 6, 1830","snippet":"The Church of Christ is the church restored by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to prepare the world for His return."},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Christ_(Temple_Lot)","title":"Church of Christ (Temple Lot) - Wikipedia","snippet":"The Church of Christ, informally called Hedrickites and the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement headquartered in Independence, Missouri, on a parcel of land known as the Temple Lot. The nickname for members of the church comes from the surname of ..."},{"url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/lds/comments/kedeg/i_am_a_member_of_the_church_of_christ_temple_lot/","title":"r/lds on Reddit: I am a member of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot). We were founded April 6th, 1830 by Joseph Smith. AMA","snippet":""},{"url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/ocoetr/1930_plans_for_a_temple_unbuilt_by_the_church_of/","title":"1930 plans for a temple (unbuilt) by the Church of Christ (Temple Lot). The inspiration was drawn from Kirtland and did not include any provision for Nauvoo-era ordinances. Functionally the space would have been much like the much larger RLDS Auditorium then under construction across the street.","snippet":""},{"url":"https://www.cesnur.org/2009/slc_addams1.htm","title":"The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and Their Quest to Build a Temple in Zion (Addams)","snippet":"The lots have been unoccupied for the past forty-four years.” This article was the first published announcement that a temple was to be built since the revelation to Joseph Smith in July 1831. Certainly with the Hedrick revelation of 1872, and perhaps before, the members of the Church of Christ wanted to build a meeting house or a place of worship."},{"url":"https://www.churchofchrist1830.org/history","title":"History — Church of Christ (Temple Lot)","snippet":"The name of the Church had even been changed to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church had been directed by God to go to Independence, Missouri, as a headquarters and a gathering place for a New Jerusalem with a Temple to be built in the future."},{"url":"https://ensignpeakfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/%E2%80%9CUpon-a-Lot-.-.-.-Not-Far-From-the-Courthouse%E2%80%9D-A-Photographic-History-of-the-Temple-Lot-in-Independence-Jackson-County-Missouri.pdf","title":"Addams and Baugh: Photographic History of the Temple Lot 31","snippet":"Photograph 2. Church of Christ (Temple Lot), 1889 meetinghouse, south side, ca."},{"url":"https://www.churchofchrist1830.org/events","title":"Events — Church of Christ (Temple Lot)","snippet":"Between April 5-8 the 2026 General Conference will be held at the Church of Christ, Temple Lot, in Independence, Missouri, USA."}],"infobox":{"Type":"Religious Organization","Founded":"1830 (claims continuity), 1867 (Temple Lot acquisition)","Scripture":"Bible, Book of Mormon","Key Figure":"Granville Hedrick","Membership":"Several hundred","Headquarters":"Independence, Missouri"},"metadata":{"tags":["latter-day-saint-movement","mormon-history","independence-missouri","temple-lot","restoration-movement","christian-denominations"],"quality":{"status":"generated","reviewed_by":[],"flagged_issues":[]},"category":"Society","difficulty":"intermediate","subcategory":"Religion"},"model_used":"anthropic/claude-sonnet-4","revision_number":1,"view_count":4,"related_topics":["joseph-smith-jr","latter-day-saint-movement","community-of-christ","book-of-mormon"],"sections":["Church of Christ (Temple Lot)","Origins and Early History","Beliefs and Practices","The Temple Lot and Building Plans","Modern Organization and Activities","Relationship with Other Latter Day Saint Groups","Related Topics","Summary"]}