According to Snuffer's interpretation of the scriptures, the present
Gospel dispensation, as restored through Joseph Smith, has ended, and a new Gospel dispensation has begun. Adherents believe
all splinter groups that formed following the death of Smith had the opportunity to re-enter the covenant with God, but they all failed to do so and instead entered a state of final apostasy, with the
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church), now known as the Community of Christ (CoC), and LDS Church being the last two to do so. As foretold in scriptures, remnants, especially the
indigenous peoples of the Americas, will adopt Christ's covenant in these Last Days. (The indigenous remnants are likely mixed-blooded; in LDS belief, such individuals are considered among the
House of Israel). The present period is a time of the Lord calling out those to transition between the dispensation that resulted in the establishment of the Church of Christ through Smith and this next, foretold dispensation of Israel. With regard to the 1844 succession crisis within Mormonism after the murder of Smith, the Snuffer movement holds beliefs similar to those formerly maintained by the CoC, namely that
Brigham Young, who ultimately took leadership of the largest portion of Smith's followers, was in apostasy from Smith's teachings. The movement rejects Young's assertions to have possessed authority to fill the position held by Smith. The movement agrees with the current teachings of the LDS Church in rejecting Young's theological innovations such as his attempt to formulate his
Adam God theory. The movement goes further and rejects any doctrinal innovations by Young. Most in the movement agree with the CoC's formerly maintained belief that Smith did not practice
plural marriage, believing instead that Young promulgated this innovation. Unlike either the LDS Church or CoC, movement believers hold that spiritual authority to perform certain
gospel ordinances as restored through Smith passed from the earth at Smith's death but will be restored upon the building of a new
temple. The fellowships believe Smith taught that the Last Days covenant people should forswear allegiance to any institution but to enact the same to each individual's own covenants and to
Smith's open canon of scripture. (Compare these beliefs with some of the aspects of
Sola Scriptura, a doctrinal foundation of
Protestantism. In this respect, movement beliefs perhaps occupy some ground between the institutional authoritarianism of the LDS Church and individual conscience-privileging
Nonconformist Protestantism.) "I believe that the many revelations in the D&C identifying Joseph as the spokesman for God means exactly that: Joseph was and IS the spokesman God sent. Joseph's words need to be heeded as if they came from God directly to us. No one has the right to change or ignore them. No one (and I mean NO ONE) has the right to claim they are Joseph's equal. There are no "keys" or "key holders" who can alter Joseph's teachings except at their peril. When they ignore or contradict Joseph's revelations, and teach others that they can ignore the message and warnings given by that prophet who was called by God to begin this dispensation, they damn themselves and any who listen to them."—Denver Snuffer, September 25, 2013 The movement is supra-denominational. It teaches belief in Christ, initial
baptism or
re-baptism by authorized movement brethren in living water (i.e., running water),
receiving of the Holy Ghost, and acceptance of the movement's scriptural canon as prerequisites for participation. Beyond these basics, the beliefs among participants vary."After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses…."Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; …when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions-Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the Saints who held communion with the general assembly and Church of the First Born [TPJS, pp. 150-51]."The Lord has counseled his Saints to "seek his face" (D&C 101:37-38). No sinful person can endure his presence, and hence will not obtain the blessing (D&C 67:10-13; JST Ex. 33:11, 20). In God's wisdom, some faithful individuals are blessed with the Second Comforter while remaining in mortality."[
See also Calling and Election; Jesus Christ: Latter-Day Appearances of Jesus Christ.]— Fellowships include participants who are current or former members of the LDS Church, CoC (or other groups within the
"Reorganized" tradition founded by Smith's son,
Joseph Smith III),
fundamentalist Mormon denominations,
Catholic Church, and Protestant denominations. Fellowship participants need not leave their former faith tradition, whether this be Christian or another faith.
Fellowships meet in homes or outdoors. The requirement for baptism in living waters entails meetings along streams. According to some in the movement, the divine command through Smith to build
the temple in Nauvoo, Illinois for
"endowment" rites has not been fulfilled. Movement believers are consecrating funds toward building a temple of Zion, which they believe the Lord eventually will command for a Zion people to build. Some participants in the movement keep the annual Passover in preparation for the temple practice. A subset of the Remnant’s followers have been publicly associated with or have expressed support for far-right political ideologies. Among them is former U.S. Space Force officer and current undersecretary for the U.S. Air Force
Matt Lohmeier, whose public statements and activism have been described by media outlets as aligned with far-right political narratives. Lohmeier was relieved of command after claiming anti-american policy in military in 2021. ==Scriptures==