Since Denver Snuffer's last lecture the many people who hung on his every word are now gathering in 'communities'. Denver always insisted he did not want a following, but he has one. I guess since he has distanced himself from the creation of these communities, he can still claim (lawyer like claim) that he has no following, doesn't want one and will never start a church. It will just get done around him as he denies being the instigator.
They have a website http://www.zion.community/ where other his followers can meet up and create their groups. One of the things Denver claimed was that for a man to exercise the priesthood (he got from the LDS church) he must be 'sustained' by seven women--including his wife if he has one (at least that is how I interpreted it, but since some of these men won't have approval from their wives, that could get sticky) so they need to find enough women in their group to get that done, before they can officiate.
Another thing they need is another baptism. Apparently their LDS baptism wasn't good enough (even though their LDS priesthood if conferred before April 2014 IS valid) so they must be rebaptized--by a man whose been sustained by the prerequisite seven women.
Then they also need to meet together to have a proper sacrament, since the LDS one (which they got from the LDS church) is not good enough because you need to use wine or grape juice(for the hold outs who aren't ready to break with all LDS teachings). Oddly, here is a people who claim to believe everything Joseph revealed, but yet, water isn't good enough--even though Joseph received a revelation saying it was: D&C 27:2.
If you read some anger in my tone, you are perceptive. Personally, I do not begrudge anyone from leaving the faith, if they no longer believe and I would have no problem with these people leaving, but that's just it. They aren't leaving!
Only a couple have taken the step to resign or be honest with their church leaders. The rest, with Denver Snuffer's encouragement fully intend to remain in the LDS church, attend meetings (probably not all of them, but some) and then go to their clandestine 'community' meeting with other Snuffer followers where they can plan on how to gain more converts to the 'remnant' they are forming.
This is why I feel so strongly that they need to come out in the open and admit who they are and what they believe. If they are allowed to create a 'shadow church' within the LDS church we are in trouble.
Snuffer teaches his people the 'philosophies of snuffer...mingled with scripture'; an example is his belief that seven women need to sustain a man for him to use his priesthood. Where did he get this? He's interpreting Isaiah in a way he likes. He also told his followers that Zion, the New Jerusalem did not have to be in Independence, Mo. (even though the scriptures in D&C are crystal clear that it does need to be built in Independence Mo.) I suspect this is in anticipation of building his one temple-which will have to be built someplace other than Indep. Mo so he's got to receive 'revelation' that it can be someplace else.
He also encourages that after April 2014, if a person wants their son to receive priesthood in the LDS church, that they go ahead and do it--but then get together with the 'community' and redo the ordinance--properly...so it is 'binding'. What will this teach their children? Do they not see how dishonest this is?
THIS IS APOSTASY. There is no nice way to put it. These people cannot be allowed to hide within the LDS church and undermine the faith of others to bring more followers to Snuffer's cause.
I'm not sure what is going to be done, but I know something will need to happen. This cannot be allowed to play out as they hope it will.
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