Autumn Lecture Series
Online Weekly Lectures: November 6 - December 4, 2025
Online Weekly Lectures: November 6 - December 4, 2025
Journey with us this fall as we explore a number of fascinating individuals and topics from Community of Christ's past. This season we will hear the story behind Apostle Cecil Ettinger's journey to Nigeria in 1963, learn about the political challenges faced in 1830s Kirtland, gain an understanding of the German influence within the Whitmer family and among early church members, and hear Andrew Bolton share his story as our fourth storyteller in the "Your Story is Church History" series. It's a series you don't want to miss!
Preserving the Historic Sites, One Lecture at a Time
Although the online lectures are free and open to the public, donations received from the lecture series go to support the development and expansion of new educational resources, student internships, and historic site preservation. Please consider contributing a $15 donation per lecture. Click "Donate" at the top of the page to learn more about how you can support the mission of the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation. Thank you for helping preserve Community of Christ heritage!
Although the online lectures are free and open to the public, donations received from the lecture series go to support the development and expansion of new educational resources, student internships, and historic site preservation. Please consider contributing a $15 donation per lecture. Click "Donate" at the top of the page to learn more about how you can support the mission of the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation. Thank you for helping preserve Community of Christ heritage!
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November 6 Lecture
"Nauvoo Polygamy and the RLDS Church" with Lachlan Mackay Join us as we kick off the Fall Lecture Series with one of our favorite historians, Lachlan Mackay. Lach will explore the diverse perspectives and challenges behind understanding the origins of Nauvoo polygamy within RLDS history. Click the blue button below to register for this free lecture. Program begins at 7 PM (Central). |
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November 13 Lecture
"A Peculiar People, Politically: The Saints and Politics in 1830s Ohio" with Seth Bryant Dive into 1830s Kirtland political history with Seth Bryant to learn why Latter Day Saint males were shut out of local politics. Disenfranchisement was a function of township government in Ohio and was used to "protect" funds and politics from those who were seen as unfit by local leaders. In Kirtland, the Saint's peculiar religion and differing political views were the major reasons why they were denied residency and its subsequent rights. Eventually, the Saints made inroads into township politics, and even voted their own into office, but not without challenges and negotiation. Click the button below to register for the November 13 lecture. Program begins at 7 PM (Central). |
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November 20 Lecture @ 1 pm (Central USA)
"From War and Poverty to Questing for Peaceable Zion: Andrew Bolton's Story" with Andrew Bolton Spend time with Andrew Bolton as he shares answers to a variety of questions about his journey through life. Questions such as: How did an English Catholic altar boy come to be baptised into Community of Christ in South Wales? How did a socially awkward college student end up marrying a nice girl called Jewell from Independence, Missouri? What was his Mum like? How did his dad’s experiences as a British World War II soldier shape Andrew’s upbringing and his passion for Zion? Did you know that the first time he worked for the church he was fired after just ten months, but years later became an apostle to Asia? What are the titles of his two latest books? Join Andrew (and meet Jewell) as he tells his story as testimonial history. Click the button below to register for the Nov. 20 lecture. Please note: Program begins at 1 PM (Central) to accommodate our guest speaker and attendees joining us from England and Western Europe. |
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Tuesday December 2 Lecture:
"The Peter and Mary Whitmer Family and Diversity in the 1830s Church of Christ" with Mark Staker Join Mark Staker as he shares a fresh perspective on members of the Whitmer family, a significant group of individuals that contributed to the founding and formation of our faith community. When the newly organized Church of Christ began in 1830, somewhere between one-quarter and one-half of the members of the community spoke German as their first language. They ate differently, the dressed differently, and they thought differently than did their English-speaking coreligionists. Pacifism had particularly been an important driving force in their community for two centuries. Mark Staker will discuss some of the family’s history and background that made them an important voice in the newly organized community and how understanding it influences our interpretation of some early historical events. Click the button below to register for an evening of Whitmer family history and insight. Program begins Tuesday, December 2 at 7 PM (Central). |
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December 4 Lecture:
"Cecil Ettinger's Journey to Nigeria" with David Ettinger Join David Ettinger, son of Apostle Cecil Ettinger, as he shares the story behind his father’s journey to Nigeria and the beginnings of Community of Christ in Nigeria. The evening lecture will feature original movie clips from Ettinger’s visits in 1963 and 1964. This lecture is the final program in the Autumn 2025 Lecture Series. Click the button below to save your online seat. Program begins at 7 PM (Central). |