Report: Ex-Mormon's Movement Pulls Members From Church

A newspaper says an ex-Mormon who was kicked out of the religion several years ago for questioning church teachings is pulling away other Mormons with small in-home fellowship groups that resist the hierarchical elements of the church.

Sept. 4, 2017, at 4:46 p.m.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An ex-Mormon who was kicked out of the religion several years ago for questioning church teachings is pulling away other Mormons with small in-home fellowship groups that resist the hierarchical elements of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a newspaper reported. The leader of the Remnant movement, Denver Snuffer Jr., was in Boise over the weekend at what the group is calling a Doctrine of Christ Conference, The Salt Lake Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/2gz3qbt ). Hundreds of voters were expected to canonize a new set of scriptures at the conference, including a reworking of Mormonism's foundational text, the Book of Mormon, and its Doctrine and Covenants. Snuffer's message is that Mormonism's hierarchical structure abandoned Joseph Smith's heavenly visions and clarion calls to build Zion. "The last known major canonization was in 1672 by the Eastern Orthodox Church, so nothing like this has been seen in orthodox or Protestant Christianity in nearly 350 years," Chris Hamill, a spokesman for the project, said in a news release. The LDS Church declined to comment on Snuffer or his movement. Estimates indicate the Remnant movement has between 5,000 and 10,000 followers in 49 states and several countries. Some have been disciplined by the church, while others continue to participate in the Utah-based faith.

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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com

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Tags: Utah, Idaho