The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ: How Emma Smith's Faction Split From the LDS Church

After Joseph Smith's death, his widow Emma led a breakaway group that rejected Brigham Young's leadership and key doctrines, creating a separate church that survives today.

By Garret Merkley · Explainer · Jun 8, 2026

Branched from The Assassination of Joseph Smith: A Turning Point in Latter-day Saint History

Quick take

Emma Smith and supporters rejected Brigham Young's authority after Joseph Smith's 1844 assassination, forming the Reorganized Church in 1860.
The split centered on succession, polygamy, and whether the church should move west or stay in the Midwest.
Emma's faction claimed Joseph Smith never taught polygamy and that leadership should pass to his son, not Young.
The RLDS Church (now Community of Christ) remains independent and maintains different doctrines from the LDS Church.

The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (RLDS, now called the Community of Christ) emerged from a fundamental dispute over who should lead the Latter-day Saint movement after Joseph Smith's murder in 1844. Emma Smith, Joseph's widow, and her supporters rejected Brigham Young's claim to leadership and broke away to form a separate church, carrying forward their own interpretation of Joseph Smith's teachings. This split became one of the most significant divisions in Mormon history, creating two distinct churches with competing claims to Joseph Smith's legacy.

The Succession Crisis After Joseph Smith's Death

When Joseph Smith was killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, in June 1844, the church lacked a clear line of succession. Brigham Young, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, moved quickly to consolidate power and convince the bulk of the church membership that the Twelve should lead collectively, with Young as their head. However, Emma Smith and a significant faction believed the presidency should pass to Joseph's eldest son, Joseph Smith III, who was only eleven years old at the time. They argued that Joseph had established a dynastic line of leadership within his own family and that Young had no scriptural right to assume the top position.

Emma's group also questioned Young's authority in another critical way: they doubted whether Joseph Smith had ever actually taught or practiced polygamy. Young and other church leaders claimed that Smith had secretly revealed and practiced plural marriage, but Emma and her supporters insisted this was a fabrication invented after Joseph's death. This disagreement over a foundational doctrine made reconciliation impossible.

The Geographic and Theological Divide

Brigham Young led the majority of the church westward to Utah, where they could practice polygamy openly and build a theocratic society isolated from federal authority. Emma Smith and her faction remained in the Midwest, primarily in Illinois and Missouri, refusing to abandon their homes and rejecting the western migration as unnecessary. This geographic split reinforced the theological one: the Utah church under Young embraced polygamy, temple ordinances, and a more authoritarian leadership structure, while Emma's group maintained stricter monogamy, simplified worship practices, and a decentralized approach to church governance.

Emma herself remarried in 1847 to Lewis Bidamon, a non-Mormon, and lived quietly in Nauvoo, Illinois, until her death in 1879. She never formally joined the RLDS Church but tacitly supported it, and her presence in the Midwest lent legitimacy to the breakaway faction. The RLDS Church formally organized in 1860, with Joseph Smith III as its president—fulfilling Emma's vision of dynastic succession.

Core Doctrinal Differences

Polygamy: LDS Church openly practiced and defended plural marriage; RLDS rejected it as non-scriptural.
Succession: RLDS believed leadership belonged to Joseph Smith's direct descendants; LDS held that the Quorum of the Twelve held authority.
Temple Ordinances: LDS developed an elaborate temple ritual system; RLDS rejected many of these practices as additions to Joseph's original teachings.
Authority Structure: RLDS maintained a more congregational, democratic model; LDS developed a highly centralized hierarchy.
Book of Mormon Interpretation: Both accepted the Book of Mormon, but RLDS rejected the LDS claim that it supported polygamy.

Why This Split Mattered Then and Now

The RLDS split was consequential because it created a permanent alternative Mormonism that could claim direct descent from Joseph Smith's teachings without the polygamy, temple secrecy, and Utah isolation that defined the LDS Church. For critics of the LDS Church—especially in the 19th century—the RLDS Church offered proof that Joseph Smith's original vision did not require plural marriage or westward exodus. The RLDS Church grew steadily in the Midwest and eventually spread internationally, claiming at its peak around 250,000 members by the mid-20th century. Today, as the Community of Christ, it represents a more liberal, inclusive branch of Mormonism, having moved away from some of Joseph Smith's teachings altogether (such as the exclusive male priesthood) while maintaining reverence for him as a founding prophet.

The split also illustrates how contested Joseph Smith's legacy truly was. The LDS and RLDS churches read the same founder's life and teachings and arrived at radically different conclusions about polygamy, leadership, and doctrine. This disagreement has never been fully resolved, and both churches continue to interpret Smith's intentions through their own theological lens.

Key Timeline

1844: Joseph Smith assassinated; Brigham Young consolidates leadership of majority faction.
1846–1869: LDS Church migrates to Utah; Emma Smith and supporters remain in Midwest.
1860: Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints formally organized; Joseph Smith III becomes president.
1879: Emma Smith dies; RLDS Church continues as independent denomination.
2001: RLDS Church officially changes name to Community of Christ and begins ordaining women.

Did Emma Smith ever officially join the RLDS Church?

No. Emma remained neutral publicly and never formally joined the RLDS Church, though she supported her son Joseph Smith III's leadership of it. She lived in Nauvoo until her death in 1879 and married Lewis Bidamon, a non-Mormon, in 1847. Her tacit support and her son's presidency gave the RLDS Church legitimacy among those who believed in dynastic succession.

How many members does the RLDS/Community of Christ have today?

The Community of Christ claims roughly 250,000 members globally, with significant congregations in the Midwest, Canada, and scattered internationally. This is far smaller than the LDS Church, which has over 16 million members. The Community of Christ has experienced membership decline since the 1980s as it has become more liberal and moved away from some traditional Mormon doctrines.

Did the RLDS Church ever accept polygamy?

No. The RLDS Church rejected polygamy as a core doctrine and maintained this stance throughout its history. This was one of the defining differences from the LDS Church and a major reason Emma Smith's faction broke away. The RLDS Church's rejection of polygamy made it more acceptable to mainstream American society in the 19th century.

What happened to Joseph Smith III?

Joseph Smith III (1832–1914) became president of the Reorganized Church in 1860 and led it for 54 years. He was widely respected among RLDS members and worked to establish the church as a stable, organized denomination separate from the LDS Church. He traveled extensively, wrote about his father's teachings, and helped build RLDS institutions in the Midwest.

Why did the Community of Christ change its name in 2001?

The church officially renamed itself the Community of Christ to reflect its evolution away from strict Mormonism toward a more inclusive, progressive theology. The new name de-emphasized the 'Latter Day Saint' identity and signaled openness to members of all faiths. This change also reflected decades of doctrinal shifts, including the ordination of women (1984) and LGBTQ inclusion.

Sources

The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ) maintains historical records and archives documenting the 1860 formal organization and succession disputes.
Joseph Smith III's writings and leadership records provide primary-source documentation of the RLDS perspective on succession and doctrine.
Emma Smith's letters and biographical accounts (including from Mormon History Association sources) clarify her position on polygamy and succession after 1844.