Rise and Fall of the RLDS Church

This coincided with the Rise and Fall of Joseph Smith III, the son of Joseph Smith the Prophet. 

He was only a boy when his father was murdered, and his mother never bothered to inform him of the many controversies going on (including Polygamy). 

He grew up and got married in Nauvoo, Illinois, but had no money. 

There was a church already formed of LDS members, which called itself the RLDS church, and it needed religious leaders. The obvious choice was the sons of the Prophet. who were available, because they had no other jobs. 

To make a long story short, with their mother's encouragement, they joined the RLDS church and became its employees (they took its money) bur stayed in Nauvoo, with their families. 

They intended to convert LDS members in Utah but could convert a single one. The RLDS church insisted they move to their headquarters in Plano, Illinois (close to Chicago).

This church (consisting mostly of farmers) bought farmland in Southen Iowa, and built a town on it they called Lamoni. 

Where the church remained for many years and Joseph Smith III made it his church, with more members and income. The statistics for this growth, however, are not available. 

The Church then moved to Independence, Mo, where it built the Stone Church and the Auditorium, where huge meetings could be held. 

I left the Church when I graduated from college in 1959, and was not aware of the changes going one there. 

It became The Community of Christ with the Presidency of Veazy, of which I know nothing.