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III. Independent Church of Jesus Christ {of Latter Day Saints} (1986-92) Archive
The history of the ILDS Church charts the path of ex-Mormons in transition from Mormonism to Biblical Christianity. The Independent Church does not exist today, being disbanded in 1992. The articles in this section have been taken from different stages in the evolution of doctrine and practice of the first Independent Latter Day Saints (ILDS) before they discarded the Restoration paradigm and scriptures altogether. The doctrinal positions in these materials are not therefore representative of any living person or organisation today.
In 1992 the former members of the Independent Church of Jesus Christ (the 'LDS' designation was dropped two years earlier) reformed into a Sola Scriptura (Bible-only) body called the New Covenant Christian Fellowship (NCCF) and spent four years relearning the Gospel from scratch through biblical eyes. In 1996, after mass defections by members still trapped in the Mormon mindframe, NCCF reorganised for the last time into the New Covenant Church of God (NCCG) and in 2001 established New Covenant Ministries (NCM). Our experience of Mormonism is therefore unique and, we hope, insightful.
In brief, when the first ILDS began to find contradictions on Mormon history, they attempted to return to the teachings of the LDS pioneers (Smith & Young) only to find that the more they probed the farther back the corruption went, to the very days when the Church established by Joseph Smith was founded. They attempted to "reform the Restoration" only to discover that there was nothing to reform - the Restoration was corrupt from the very first day that the fallen angel Moroni/Nephi appeared to Smith.
The evangelical Christian character of the ILDS Church was evident from the beginning for it always worked out of the New Testament premiss that salvation was through Jesus Christ alone and that the authority of God's Holy New Covenant (Melchizedek) Priesthood was not something conferred legalistically by the laying on of hands but was apportioned to every believer (the 'Priesthood of all Believers'). They also taught that their church - and any church - was as true as its members and its faithfulness to the scriptural revelation. The path the Independent Saints walked plainly revealed that Mormonism has nothing whatsoever to do with supposedly correct perceptions God, Christ, doctrine and practice (which have constantly changed and mutated) but with authority. The god of Mormonism is the worship of authority, and everything else is purely incidental.
1. An Amazing Vision of the Mormon Church Seen by a Mormon in 1977
2. What is the True Church? Comparing New Testament and LDS Churches
3. The Book of Mormon and Mormonism: Official Statement
4. The Oracles of Mohonri, Latter-day Saintism, and the Reorganised NCCG
5. The LDS Scriptures: Official Statement #2 of the NCCG Patriarchate
6. An Approach to the Book of Mormon: For Those Leaving Mormonism
7. Doubt and Disobedience: A Gem from the Doctrine & Covenants
8. A History of Worship in the Church of Jesus Christ: An Historical Paper
9. The Independent
Church of Jesus Christ: 1984-1992 - An Historical Paper
10. Showing Forth Afterwards an Increase in Love: A Gem from the D&C
11. The Current Fire: Where Will It Go? ILDS Historical Document
12. The Joy of Christ: The First ILDS Sermon (Historical Paper)
13. 1992 General Conference Resolution: Changing Name
14. History of the Independent Church of Jesus Christ: (Historical Document)
15. Commemorative Sermon on the Death of Christ: 1 April 1989
16. The Mormon Church: Is it a Church of Modern Revelation?
17. Section 132 of the Doctrine & Covenants
18. NCCG: It's Historical Relationship to the Restoration Movement
19. A Journey Through Time - Looking at the Mormon Past
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V. Transition: Between Mormonism and Christianity
This section has been created to help those leaving Mormonism for Biblical Christianity and to illustrate the dangers that so many ex-Mormons go through in making the transition. For leaving Mormonism is not simply a matter of changing allegience from one church to another, but in (a) changing one's whole way of thinking - unlearning Mormon doctrine and literally starting from scratch; and (b) getting deliverance from the unseen controlling demonic powers behind that religion. As one who has been through that process, and who knows many others who are still struggling in a kind of "no-man's land" between the two, I know that it is no easy matter. This is especially true for spiritually sensitive and intelligent ex-Mormons who may have immersed themselves deeply in their former religion and experienced first hand what it is to come under cultic control.
By "Biblical Christianity" I shall be referring to that corpus of doctrine that is shared by all evangelical Churches, viz. the necessity of trusting in Christ alone for salvation without reference to churches or organisations. I call this "Alpha Christianity" - the first and most important stage in the Christian life - the deliverance and empowering stage, which cuts across all denominational differences.
As New Covenant Christians we do not, of course, acknowledge all churches as being equally "valid". Once on the Christian path the disciple has a personal responsibility to walk the Christian Way and to complete the race of mortality. This requires considerable searching as in this life we do not have the luxury of a visible "one and only true church" as the Mormons and other cults proclaim. That one will come, we have no doubt - the "Omega Christianity" of the Millenium. Our responsibility as believers is to seek out the fullness of truth in our own lives until we have been completely obedient, and to find churches or assemblies of Christians who are striving to reflect that Omega Church-to-be.
Like Mormons, New Covenant Christians believe that there will be a "one and only true church" but that it will be "restored", not on the basis of legal authority, but on Truth and Power. For now the true saints of God are scattered throughout the churches like leaven in the dough of Christendom, but that a time will come when they will gather into one Body. That will be when Christ separates the wheat from the tares.
1. The Three-Stage Departure from Mormonism
2. Deliverance from the Spirits of Mormonism
3. The Curse of 27 June - Pay-Back Day (21.01.2008)
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VII. A 'Catholic Clone' Site That Misrepresents NCCG
Nobody likes to be accused of something that is not true. All Protestants began as Catholics, broke out of the Catholic hegemony, and gradually reformed, going in various doctrinal directions, but I suspect they would all resent being called "Catholic Clones".
Our precursor organisation, the 'Independent Church', broke away from Mormonism, reformed, and eventually discarded all the Mormon paradigms, scriptures, authority structures, etc., and today its NCCG third-stage successor (viâ NCCF - New Covenant Christian Fellowship - our 'neo-Baptist' phase - today we consider comparisons with Hebraic Roots Messianics to be better) regards Mormonism as a cult. To accuse NCCG of being a 'Mormon Clone' (a 'clone' is an 'identical copy') would therefore be a gross misrepresentation.
I first came across the website appropriately styling itself as Balaam's Ass some years ago and was struck by its abundant use of sarcasm and its mocking tone of anyone who did not agree with its webmaster's brand of theology - see his remarks on an LDS portrait of Christ. A pity, really, because much of its material is excellent and needed. The webmaster is clearly of Protestant extraction in his belief structure and would probably resent being called a 'Catholic Clone'. However, I think I would be excused if I were to call him such, judging him on the same basis as he has judged us. So I call him a 'Catholic Clone' since he accepts some of the Catholic Creeds and demands their acceptance even though as Mormon-type "extra revelation" they destroy his Sola Scriptura stance and demands our acceptance of them as a test of faith (rejection of which led to the murder of thousands of innocent believers historically).
His real beef with us, I suspect, is the fact that we do not accept the Protestant dogma of the infallibility of the Greek New Testament (amazingly, since every Greek MS differs from every other one in some detail or other) but defer to the Aramaic and Hebrew originals. Our belief in the Sabbath leads him to wrongly conclude we were influenced by the Seventh Day Adventists and Ellen White (we consider this to be a cult ourselves) when in fact it was Messianism that was our tutor. He is also apparently upset by our rejection of the Pre-Trib Rapture heresy, a Golden Calf that is approaching a sacredness equal to that of the Trinity in many Protestant quarters. And finally our belief in a female Holy Spirit obviously "trashes" his Catholic Trinity doctrine (though this is not a Mormon teaching, incidentally, any more than the Sabbath is - yet we remain a "Mormon Clone" for some reason). Finally, he wishes to associate me with Wyatt (whom I regard as a charlatan) and Rives (whom I have never heard of).
We have tried to be completely honest and transparent here at NCCG even though we knew our openness about our earlier associations might lead to accusations of 'heresy' by the intolerant and unforgiving. And yet Balaam's Ass cites this page as though it were something secretly tucked away and in need of 'exposing' - people are supposed to be "blown away" by it. I suspect what actually needs "blowing away" is the Ass's neo-Catholicism and anti-Torah lawlessness ... and with a really good guff at that.
I commend the Ass for his zeal but he surely lacks integrity and sound wisdom in many areas. He tries to make associations with frauds (like Wyatt) simply because we may possibly share one or two similar beliefs (as he undoubtedly does with Catholicism). That is dishonesty and subtle character-assassination. His disrespect for, and mockery of, people is appalling, however erroneous their beliefs may be. And remember that most of the material he quotes is from a site run by a Mormon called David Bowie (not the rock star) which is hopelessly out of date (I have asked Bowie to update it several times but he has never responded) and which represents a position we have moved even further away from since 1996. By all means visit his site but use discernment and be sure to avoid the diluvian swill.
Balaam's Ass: Mormonism: Including an NCCG 'exposé' (added 2003)
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This page was created on 26 December 1997
Updated on 3 February 2020
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