Religion and Justice in the Church Courts of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Nineteenth Century

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints relied on their church court system for seeking “justice” or the cause of Zion throughout the nineteenth century for a variety of practical and theological reasons. First, the Saints believed that Isaiah’s cause of Zion transcended the more limited pur...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mangrum, Richard Collin (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Rabbi Myer and Dorothy Kripke Center for the Study of Religion and Society at Creighton University 2020
In: Journal of religion & society. Supplement
Year: 2020, Volume: 21, Pages: 226-245
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints relied on their church court system for seeking “justice” or the cause of Zion throughout the nineteenth century for a variety of practical and theological reasons. First, the Saints believed that Isaiah’s cause of Zion transcended the more limited purposes of the corrupt civil state. Second, the Saints had become alienated from the secular legal system by what they perceived were injustices they had received at the hands of the existing state authority. Third, the priesthood eschewed the corrupt and costly influence of they described as “gentile” lawyers. Fourth, church leadership reviled against the divisive influence of litigation before the ungodly. Fifth, civil courts relied upon man-made laws that were ill suited for building the Kingdom of God. A sampling of ecclesiastical court cases demonstrates each of the above reasons why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints preserved the exclusive jurisdiction requirement for their Church Courts for most of the nineteenth century.
ISSN:1941-8450
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion & society. Supplement