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Community of Christ urges peace
On Sunday, church elder Robert Gould paused before worship for a quick sprint down memory lane.
“I was quite taken with this young lady,” he said, gazing at Lois, his wife of 40 years. “Besides,” he chuckled, “she had a brown convertible.”
Lois, born a Southern Baptist, recalled her own first impressions when she heard the name of her future husband’s religion.
“Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” she wondered.
She liked his answer, but her puzzlement wasn’t surprising. Gould’s church, once called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reflected its complicated Mormon history – so complicated that in 2000, the church of 250,000 members worldwide voted to change its name to the Community of Christ.
“I was pleased it was changed,” said former pastor Dale Argotsinger, 76. “We were being distracted by the name.”
These days, renegade polygamist Warren Jeffs is in the news, but that’s only one wild, discredited thread in the Mormon story. Another thread leads to a congregation at 480 Marion St., a solid brick church in one of Denver’s most gracious neighborhoods.
These are the spiritual descendants of the branch of Mormons who never accepted polygamy, one among several beliefs that fell into dispute following the 1844 murder of founder Joseph Smith. They broke with Brigham Young, who marched off to what is now Salt Lake City, Utah, to establish the mighty Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, now with more than 12 million members. (The LDS church rejected polygamy in 1890.)
The Mormons who stayed behind “reorganized” in Independence, Mo., and chose Smith’s son, Joseph III, as their leader. Dedicated to furthering peace and doing vigorous, worldwide missionary work, they reached Denver in the 1880s.
On Sunday, a Labor Day crowd of 20 worshipers (35 is usual) worshiped with hymns, a sermon and relaxed, family-style banter.
“Somebody bring the dessert,” called out a voice as one church event was announced.
“Always!” somebody else said, to laughter.
This is the mother church for five healthy spinoff congregations throughout metro Denver. Pastor Rick Argotsinger, 47, was preceded as pastor by brother Ron and Dale, his dad, who both still attend with their families.
“When I was little,” said Rick Argotsinger, “I’d have these questions – other people are Methodists, Catholics or Mormons. What are we? And the answer was, ‘We’re the saints.’ ”
Today, the word “saint” isn’t used much. Other things differentiate. Both churches revere the Book of Mormon, but this one ordains women and offers communion to anyone. Issues like abortion and homosexuality should be decided in light of “ongoing revelation,” not established moral certitude.
“Up to 1960, we didn’t think of ourselves as enemies – but real close to it,” said Gould, a retired DPS teacher. He said they usually call the LDS church “the Utah church.”
Now they share a cousin-like affection. And no, they don’t believe the success of the LDS church is a sign of God’s greater favor. Some things may be attributed “not to the favor of God but the ingenuity of man,” Gould said.
“We are chagrined we are small in some senses, but we’re not totally distressed. We believe we have a mission in promoting peace.”
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