Bennett founded a secretive Strangite fraternal society known as the Order of Illuminati, but his presence disrupted Strang's church and ultimately led to his excommunication.

All of these persons, with the exception of George Miller ( who would remain loyal to Strang until death ), would leave the Strangite church by 1850.

The date of his coronation, July 8, is still mandated as one of the two most important days in the Strangite church calendar ( the other is April 6, the anniversary of the founding of Joseph Smith's church ).

Since Strang refused to appoint a successor, and insisted that the next Strangite prophet must be ordained by angels just as he and Joseph Smith had been, Strang's church was left leaderless and vulnerable.

Strangite church building in Voree, Wisconsin.

Wingfield W. Watson, a High Priest who had known and served under Strang personally, kept the Strangite church alive into the 20th century.

* The Prophet / President of the Strangite church is openly referred to throughout the book as a " King ," rather than as a " President " ( as under Joseph Smith ).

In addition, a " King's Council " and a " King's Court " are established, though none function within the Strangite church today.

Animal sacrifice was instituted in the Strangite church under Strang's leadership, for forgiveness of sins and as a part of Strangite celebration rituals.

The Strangite church observes the seventh-day Sabbath, as the Book of the Law commanded it in lieu of Sunday.

Strangites believe in Baptism for the Dead ; the Strangite church practiced this to a limited extent in Voree and on Beaver Island.

While still believed in, baptisms for the dead are not currently performed in the Strangite church due to the lack of a temple and prophetic leadership.

Eternal marriage is taught in the Strangite church, though it is not required to be performed in a temple, as in the LDS church.

Conservation of forests and resources is mandated by the Strangite church.

The practice of plural marriage has never been officially proscribed in the Strangite church, unlike in the LDS church.

No " endowment " rituals comparable to those in the Utah LDS church appear to have existed among his followers, and no Strangite temples exist today or are contemplated.

In August 1846, Harris traveled on a mission to England for the Strangite church, but the Mormon conference declined to listen to him ; and when he insisted on preaching outside the building, police removed him.

Other notable minor factions of the Latter Day Saint movement include: the Church of Christ ( Temple Lot ), which owns the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri ; the Church of Jesus Christ ( Cutlerite ), founded by a member of Joseph Smith's Council of Fifty ; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ), founded by James J. Strang in 1844 ; the Church of Jesus Christ ( Bickertonite ), founded by a follower of Sidney Rigdon in the early 1860's ( and now the third-largest Latter Day Saint denomination ); the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message, founded in the 1940's by a man who claimed to be receiving revelations from John the Baptist ; and the Restoration Branches, which broke with the Community of Christ in 1984 when that church began ordaining women.

Strang founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ), claiming it to be the sole legitimate continuation of the church " restored " by Joseph Smith.

Strangite church building in Voree, Wisconsin.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ) uses the 1846 edition that was published in Nauvoo, Illinois ; this version is virtually identical to the 1844 edition.

Animal sacrifices are no longer practiced by the diminunitive Strangite organization, though belief in their correctness is still required.

The community of Voree, home to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ), is located just outside the city.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ) is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement with around three hundred members as of 1998.

Another unique feature of Strangite doctrine is its unique version of the Decalogue, the " Ten Commandments " allegedly given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

The Strangite Decalogue is different from any other Jewish, Catholic, Islamic or Protestant version, for it offers a commandment none of the others has: " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

However, with federal and state bans on the practice, and a divine injunction to obey " the law of the land ," plural marriage has been given up in the contemporary Strangite organization, though belief in its correctness is still required and affirmed.

While Strang's organization is formally known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the term " Strangite " is usually added to the title to avoid confusing them with other Latter Day Saint bodies carrying this or similar names.

Animal sacrifices and baptisms for the dead are not currently practiced by the Strangite organization, though belief in each is still affirmed.

He " reigned " for six years, and the date of his coronation, July 8, is still mandated as one of the two most important dates in the Strangite church year ( the other being April 6, the anniversary of the founding of Joseph Smith's church ).

The Book of the Law of the Lord is a book accepted as scripture by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ).

It is alleged to be a translation by the Strangite prophet James Strang of the Plates of Laban, originally acquired by Nephi, a leading character in the early portion of The Book of Mormon.

** The Prophet / President of the Strangite church is openly referred to throughout the book as a " King ," rather than as a " President " ( as under Joseph Smith ).

However, with federal and state bans on the practice, and a divine injunction to obey " the law of the land ," plural marriage has been given up in the contemporary Strangite church, though belief in its correctness is still required and affirmed.

It is best known as the historic and current headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ), a denomination of the Latter Day Saint ( Mormon ) movement.

The complete text of Strang's " Letter of Appointment " is located at Strangite. org.

Other Mormon groups include those that are not headquartered in Utah or Missouri and do not practice polygamy, such as The Church of Jesus Christ ( Bickertonite ) and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ).

From 1844 to 1850, the town of Voree, just to the west of Burlington, was the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ), one of many sects founded during the succession crisis following the death of Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr ..

The first newspaper in the Burlington area was the Voree Herald, published in Voree in January 1846 by James Strang, the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ).

* James Strang, founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ) from Voree, on the outskirts of Burlington.

These plates were found in the so-called Hill of Promise, which would become the temple site in the new Strangite town of Voree.

* The Voree Plates A detailed description of the " Voree Plates " and the story behind them, from a Strangite point of view.

One former Strangite claimed that Strang's law partner conspired with Strang to fabricate his Letter of Appointment and the Voree Plates, though no proof of this was ever produced.

** The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Strangite ), similarly asserts that the finding and translation of the Plates of Laban, also known as the Brass Plates, into the Book of the Law of the Lord and Voree plates by James Strang, One Mighty and Strong, establishes the existence of God.

According to a Strangite website, one Derek J. Masson, a non-Mormon scholar, reportedly argued in an unpublished 1977 paper: A Comparison of the Voree Record with Some Eastern Scripts that Strang's translation was sound.

* The Voree Plates Strangite site containing a large reproduction of the Voree Plates, with translation and other information.