Announcing the Community of Christ Publications: Coming to UVA Libraries

These publications will begin circulating through UVA libraries this fall

UVA Mormon Studies is grateful to the Community of Christ Apostle Lachlan Mackay and the church archive team for the donation of over 400 Community of Christ publications to the UVA libraries for circulation.

About the Publications

These archival materials include publications from Herald House, the publishing division of the Community of Christ, which detail the theological and historiographical evolution of the church over its lifespan. These books include memoirs of Joseph Smith III, priesthood manuals, histories of the Community of Christ, and much more.

With this collection, UVA Mormon Studies hopes to expand the accessible research materials within the field of Mormon Studies in order to highlight the experiences of another tradition that traces its roots back to Joseph Smith, Jr.

Publication Highlight

Included among the Herald House imprints is a biography of Charles Neff, entitled Apostle of the Poor (Matthew Bolton, 2006). Neff was an apostle of the Community of Christ from 1958-84, during which time he greatly expanded the church into African and Asian nations, with a special emphasis on cultural sensitivity and liberation for the poor. Neff is considered one of the biggest 20th century influencers on the Community of Christ, helping to shape it into the globally oriented church it is today.

About the Community of Christ

The Community of Christ traces its lineage back to the Restoration Movement of Joseph Smith, Jr. Consolidated under the presidency of Joseph Smith III, the Community of Christ remained centralized in the Midwest while other Mormon groups moved westward. Since that time, the Community of Christ has become a global church with 250,000 members in over 60 nations. Their International Headquarters is based in Independence, MO, the site designated by an 1831 revelation to Joseph Smith, Jr. as the center place of Zion.