I’m pleased to introduce you folks to a group blog that friends of mine in the Community of Christ and I have recently launched. I believe this is the first Community of Christ blog designed on the model of BCC and the many other venerable group sites of the Mormon bloggernacle. Like Times & Seasons, the Millennial Star, the Juvenile Instructor, and Keepapitchinin (among others), Saints Herald takes its name from a historic Latter Day Saint publication. Published continuously since 1860, the Community of Christ’s Herald periodical was originally entitled The True Latter Day Saints’ Herald and through most of its history was published as the Saints Herald.
Although it’s just getting started, I think there’s already a number of contributors who have posted on topics you may find of interest.
In his first post, Matt Bolton who lives in Nairobi, Kenya, and who recently received his PhD in government from the London School of Economics, argues that “The Community of Christ is not a Peace Church.” Matt believes that the church’s recent emphasis on peace is largely rhetorical and he makes a number of substantive proposals for how the Community of Christ can put its money where its mouth is.
This post has drawn a number of vigorous responses, including a guest post by Community of Christ Apostle J. Andrew Bolton (who happens to be Matt’s father). (Yes, Saints Herald has already had its first apostolic guest post!)
In his most recent post, Seth Bryant, a graduate student in historical studies in religion at Vanderbilt, contrasts the diverse experience of attending different Community of Christ congregations with the highly correlated uniform experience of attending different LDS wards.
Barbara Walden, the director of Kirtland Temple, talks about President Stephen M. Veazey’s recent address to young adults in the Community of Christ, including her own experiences in leadership at the temple and in her congregation. She argues that the opportunities for leadership in the church are here for the taking, if young adults are prepared to put in the effort and commit themselves.
Matt Frizzell, who is finishing his PhD in Theology at the Chicago Theological Seminary, and who is simultaneously the Community of Christ’s Chicago Mission Center President (Stake President), speculates on the role of trained theologians in the church.
I have a little piece on the history of the church’s name, which touches on what I see as a general brand identity problem in Mormonism.
And there’s more! Although the two churches are on fairly different pages on a number of issues, the Community of Christ and the LDS Church have a common origin, and their members are cousins — you may want to check in from time to time and see what your cousins are up to.
By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog 
You’ve got a great group of folks there, John; with the high quality writing, it is bound to be a continued success. I’ll be reading with interest.
You hear that Elders Cook & Holland? The line has been drawn in the sand!
Love the Saints’ Herald. It has been a publication extremely valuable to several of my projects, including its preservation of a version of a Brigham Young conference talk that never made it into either the Deseret News or the Journal of Discourses but which appears to be completely authentic. You just have to read everything with an accent when it comes to commentary about the Latter-day Saints.
May its blog incarnation be just as valuable … and have just as recognizable and exotic an accent.
I have already been to Saints Herald site and love the site. It discusses all kinds of issues of interest to the Restoration Movement.
This is great, John. I hope it succeeds in every way you desire.
Very exciting! Thanks, John!
Excellent. I’ve read each post with interest and am thrilled with the group of bloggers you’ve assembled and the product thus far.
excellent.
Very cool John! and good work!
This will be such a valuable resource! Way to go.
I used a quote from a 19th century issue of Saints Herald in a Sacrament talk once.
Thanks folks, I’m very excited about the project and I think it’s a great group of people on board (and hopefully we’ll have a few more on board soon too)!
Ardis (3) and Kim (11): I love the old Saints Heralds. A very cool source. Whenever I’m somewhere where they have a complete bookcase full (Kirtland, Lamoni, Independence), I always take a random volume off the shelf and page through. Ron Romig (the Community of Christ archivist) has a volunteer who is working on digitizing the whole thing. But the process has been long and slow paced, so I’m not sure when any such thing will be available to scholars. It’ll be great when it is.
This looks great John. I’ve really enjoyed reading these posts.
Very cool, John. I look forward to reading and learning more about my cousins.
John, this is great! I’ve added to my list of blogs I’m following. Exciting stuff.
Exciting! I’ve read each post so far… excited for more :)
It looks great! Thanks for pointing it out to us (me).
there is a site: latter day truth ministries where i find Saints heralds through 1866. I have cut and pasted many a great branch report from Wisconsin. Kim siever, are you jeffs brother from Detroit. If yes, hello from the 70″s. I am a librarian in Minneapolis working on history articles for John Whitmer Association and am looking forward to the sesequetennial at Amboy.