Week 5 Lab: The Reorganization

Joseph Smith III's 1860 claim by lineage, and the "Prairie Saints" who rejected polygamy as their founding pivot

22 March 2027

Before the lab#

Read about the 1860 formation of the Reorganized Church around Joseph Smith III, and about the doctrine of lineal succession it argues for.

In the lab#

A different succession theory entirely: authority passes by blood, not by quorum vote or eyewitness testimony. The Reorganization’s founders also needed a doctrinal pivot to distinguish themselves from Salt Lake, and found it by denying Joseph Smith Jr. ever taught polygamy at all — building an entire counter-history on that denial.

Afterwards#

This is the last of the four founding claims we study directly (the Twelve, Rigdon, Strang, the Reorganization). Next week, Assignment 1 asks you to run one of them — or your own chosen group — through the framework.