Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc.

For the church formally established by Joseph Smith in 1830, see Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints). For other churches using the name Church of Jesus Christ, see Church of Jesus Christ.

Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc.
Classification	Restorationist
Orientation	Latter Day Saint movement
Theology	Mormon fundamentalism
Polity	Hierarchical
Leader	Winston Blackmore
Headquarters	Bountiful, British Columbia
Founder	Winston Blackmore
Origin	September 2002 Bountiful, British Columbia
Separated from	FLDS Church
Members	Approx. 700 members[1]

The Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc. is a Mormon fundamentalist denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement, and is also known as the Blackmore Group.^[2] There are approximately 700 members of this group.^[1]

Establishment of Bountiful, British Columbia

Main article: Bountiful, British Columbia

In 1946, Harold (aka Michael) Blackmore, a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church), bought property near Lister, British Columbia, and moved there with his family.^[3] Other members of the church who believed in the principles of plural marriage soon followed. After Winston Blackmore became the bishop in the 1980s, the group took the name of Bountiful, British Columbia.^[3] In 1998, the estimated population of Bountiful was 600 and has since grown to about 1,000. Most of the residents are descended from only half a dozen men.^[4]

In September 2002, Mormon fundamentalists in Bountiful divided into two groups when Winston Blackmore split with the FLDS Church. Blackmore concluded that Warren Jeffs had exceeded his authority and become too dictatorial; as a result, Blackmore was excommunicated from the FLDS Church. About 700 people^[1] broke away and followed Blackmore to form what would eventually be named the Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc.^[5] About 500 people in Bountiful^[1] remained members of the FLDS Church.

See also

• Factional breakdown: Mormon fundamentalist sects
• List of Mormon fundamentalist churches
• List of Mormon fundamentalist leaders
• Mormon fundamentalism
• Plural marriage

References

1. Utah Attorney General's Office and Arizona Attorney General's Office. The Primer, Helping Victims of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in Polygamous Communities Archived January 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine:Fundamentalist Mormon Communities. Updated June 2006. Pages 11-22.
2. Utah Attorney General's Office and Arizona Attorney General's Office. The Primer, Helping Victims of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in Polygamous Communities Archived January 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Updated June 2006. Page 23.
3. Perrin, Dave, Palmer, Debbie (2004). Keep Sweet:Children of Polygamy. Dave's Press Inc. pp. x–xv. ISBN 0-9687943-3-5.
4. Religious Tolerance. "Polygyny in Bountiful, British Columbia, Canada". Retrieved 2007-08-09.
5. "LDS Church wins, Canadian polygamist loses in fight for 'Mormon' name". Salt Lake Tribune. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015. Finally giving up the fight, Blackmore has agreed to change his group's corporate name to the "Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc.