Church of Christ With the Elijah Message facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Church of Christ with the Elijah Message |
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Church of Christ "With the Elijah Message" meetinghouse in Independence, Missouri
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| Classification | Latter Day Saint movement |
| Orientation | Latter Day Saints |
| Polity | Church conference |
| Moderator | None; all members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles are equal |
| Region | United States |
| Founder | William Draves |
| Origin | 1943 |
| Separated from | Church of Christ (Fettingite) |
| Separations | Church of Christ with the Elijah Message - The Assured Way of the Lord, Inc.; Church of Christ with the Elijah Message, Inc.; Church of Christ - "The Church with the Elijah Message" - Established anew in 1929, Inc. |
| Members | c. 12,500 worldwide as of 1987 |
The Church of Christ with the Elijah Message is a Christian group that is part of the Latter Day Saint movement. Its main office is in Independence, Missouri. This church started in 1943. It separated from another group called the Church of Christ (also known as "Fettingites"). The split happened because of new messages claimed by its founder, William A. Draves.
William Draves was an elder in the Fettingite group. He said he received messages from an angel. This angel claimed to be John the Baptist. John the Baptist was also said to have appeared to Otto Fetting, who founded the Fettingite group. Many Fettingites believed Draves's new messages. However, some did not, which led Draves to start his own church. His followers believe it is the true continuation of Fetting's church. They also believe it continues the original Temple Lot Church of Christ. As of 1987, the church had about 12,500 members. These members lived in Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
Contents
Why the Name "Elijah Message"?
The church's name comes from the visits of John the Baptist. These visits were supposedly made to Otto Fetting and William Draves. In the Bible, Jesus Christ connects John the Baptist with the prophet Elijah. This connection is found in the book of Matthew. The Old Testament book of Malachi also talks about Elijah. It says Elijah will come before a "great and dreadful day." He will help families become closer.
Church members believe the angel's visits fulfill this prophecy. They see it as a sign that important events are happening.
Church History
Otto Fetting's Story
Otto Fetting was born in 1871 in Michigan. He joined the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1891. He became a priesthood leader in 1899. In 1925, Fetting joined the Temple Lot Church of Christ. This church was also called "Hedrickites." At that time, he did not need to be re-baptized. Both churches accepted each other's baptisms and priesthood. In 1926, he became one of seven Apostles in the Temple Lot Church.
In 1927, Otto Fetting said John the Baptist visited him. The angel gave him a message for the Temple Lot church. The message told them to build a Temple in Independence, Missouri. This temple was first mentioned by Joseph Smith in 1831. The Temple Lot church often received guidance through revelations. So, they accepted Fetting's messages at first. They published them in their magazine. They also started building the temple in 1929. Fetting said they had seven years to finish it.
The angel also shared details about the temple's design. It even told them to move survey markers. The angel also showed where Joseph Smith had buried special stones. These stones marked the original temple spot. Another message said the church's "Articles of Faith and Practice" were correct. They should not be changed. The angel also named specific men to become leaders.
Problems at the Temple Lot
The Temple Lot church accepted Fetting's first eleven messages. But they did not accept the twelfth message. This message said everyone joining the Church of Christ must be re-baptized. It stated that "the Lord has rejected all creeds and factions of men." At that time, the Temple Lot church accepted members from other groups without re-baptism. This message also said Fetting received the same special authority given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.
The twelfth message caused a big disagreement. In October 1929, the Temple Lot church stopped Fetting from sharing his messages. Fetting decided to leave the church. He took about half of the members with him. They formed their own "Church of Christ." This group became known as the Church of Christ (Fettingite). Since the Temple Lot church kept their main building, Fetting's group met in homes. Later, they built their own places of worship.
Fetting said the angel visited him 30 times before he died in 1933.
William A. Draves's Role
Four years after Fetting died, a young Fettingite elder named William A. Draves said the same angel visited him. Draves was from Colorado. At first, the Fettingite church was open to these new messages. But eventually, they decided to reject them all. This led to another split in 1943. Draves's followers formed the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message. They believe they are the true continuation of Fetting's original church.
William Draves announced 90 messages before he died in 1994. These messages were combined with Fetting's 30 messages. They were published in a book called The Word of the Lord Brought to Mankind by an Angel. Fetting's original church publishes its own book. It is called The Word of the Lord and only has Fetting's 30 messages.
Before Draves died, his last three messages caused leadership problems. These problems led to a division within the church. Some leaders, including Draves, were blocked from church property. After a legal dispute and no agreement, six of the twelve Apostles decided to form a new church. They called it The Church of Christ with the Elijah Message, Inc. This group later became the Church of Christ With the Elijah Message, The Assured Way of the Lord, Inc.. The other five Apostles kept the original church name and property.
Beliefs and Practices
The Elijah Message church shares many beliefs with the Church of Christ (Temple Lot). They accept Fetting's 30 messages and William Draves's 90 messages. Unlike some other Latter Day Saint groups, they do not have a single "President of the Church." Instead, they are led by their Quorum of Twelve Apostles. All members of this group are considered equal.
Like the Temple Lot church, they do not use the Doctrine and Covenants or the Pearl of Great Price. They also do not use Joseph Smith's Inspired Version of the Bible. They prefer to use the King James Bible and the Record of the Nephites (their name for the Book of Mormon). They also believe a new scripture will be revealed. The angel supposedly showed it to Draves in 1946.
They do not practice Baptism for the Dead or eternal marriage. They also reject polygamy and the idea of eternal progression. Members of the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message still believe a temple will be built on the Temple Lot. However, it will be different from other temples used by other Latter Day Saint groups.
In one of his messages, Otto Fetting quoted John the Baptist. He said Joseph Smith was a true prophet. But he "sinned before God" because of "pride." Fetting wrote that "Much of his work has been destroyed." However, he believed Smith would still be "saved." So, the Elijah Message church respects Joseph Smith as a prophet. But they do not accept all of his teachings. Fetting's angel also commanded that the "Articles of Faith and Practice" of the Temple Lot church should not change. These rules remain the same in the Elijah Message church and other Fettingite groups.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Cristo con el Mensaje de Elías para niños
