I am on a mission to learn about Mormon sects. I don’t necessarily want to convert to these sects, or convert people out of them. I want knowledge for knowledge’s sake.
The Remnant Fellowship is the 3rd 5th-ish largest Mormon sect and is less than 10 years old. Regardless, what they are and what they believe remains a relative mystery.
I happen to live very close to a very prominent member of the Remnant Fellowships (Snufferites). I sent him a message on FB and asked if he and I could sit down for lunch on Tuesday so I could ask him some questions. He agreed. I want to try to ask as many questions as possible so I can make the unknown a little more known.
These are the questions I have so far. If you have any you would like me to ask, let me know!
- What is the proper term for this movement? Is “Snufferite” a derogatory term (when though it follows other Mormon sect meaning conventions)?
- How is the Remnant Fellowship organized? Is it a church? How does it differ from a church?
- How/why is membership tracked?
- How does priesthood ordination and authority work? Can priesthood be expressly given or revoked?
- Are there callings/offices like deacon, teacher, priest, elder, high priest, seventy, patriarch/evangelist apostle, and prophet?
- When and why did the church fall into apostasy? Are we in a new dispensation?
- Can women hold the priesthood? Why or why not?
- Is Denver Snuffer your prophet? If not, what’s the difference? If so, who will be his successor?
- Why is it only he has a specific part in the Teachings & Commandments (Their Doctrine & Covenants)? Is Denver Snuffer the only one who is allowed to make revelations for the fellowship?
- Could you tell me more about how the scriptures were edited for the Remnant Fellowship?
- What level of bearing do the scriptures have on the Remnant Fellowship? Can there be dissention as to the canonized status of certain things? Can you have a non-literal interpretation of scripture, or must you take scripture literally?
- Is The Stick of Joseph scripture? Is there a movement to get it accepted as scripture?
- How do you prevent fraud when using online polls to canonize scripture?
- Denver Snuffer claims to have talked to Jesus face-to-face and these experiences are available to everyone. Are these experiences common? Do you believe Snuffer had these experiences literally or is this some sort of allegorical story?
- Why are there not Kirtland temple dedication/School of Prophets type spiritual experiences anymore? (This will be the point where I likely bring up entheogenic Mormonism 😉 )
- What will the function of the temple be? A meeting place? Endowment? Baptism for the dead? Sealing? Law of Adoption? What will these ceremonies look like?
- What bearing does the LDS temple ceremonies have on the Remnant?
- Do remnant folks wear garments? Why or why not?
- Who owns the funds for building the temple?
- are there talks of where the temple will be built?
- What is the “Restoration Scriptures Foundation” and “Restoration Archive LLC”? Is it a church? Do they own the copyright to the scriptures? Who are they owned by?
- What is the nature of God (Trinitarian (New York-era), binitarianism (Kirtland-era), or tri-theism (Nauvoo-era))
- Was Joseph Smith a polygamist? If not, why did many of his contemporaries say he was and why has that legacy carried on? Why would Community of Christ, which was founded upon him not being polygamist, admit to it?
- Are LGBT folks welcomed into full fellowship if they are actively LGBT?
- Does the remnant have a statement for excommunication or disfellowship?
- Was the black priesthood/temple ban from God?
- Would an openly racist person be disfellowshipped or excommunicated?