It is a historical fact that the church as a corporation was literally and legally disincorporated by a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1890.

After that, it was reincorporated as a "corporation sole," which it remains today, meaning a legal corporation with one officer only who happens to be whoever the current President of the church is. This person and ONLY this person has full control and responsibility for the church as a corporation. The Q12, let alone any of the Seventies or any other GA, does not have any legal authority.

It is most interesting to me that the government literally ended the legal entity that was the church and came close to seizing all its property including the temples then existing.

I just wonder how many members or missionaries are even aware of this historical fact or consider its consequences.

The standard narrative is that the church was founded in 1830 and just continued on its way despite all persecution and controversy ever since.

There is a strong taboo against discussing any of the church's major failures (Kirtland bank failure, Zion's Camp, the various name changes) but the concept that the church was actually brought to an end and had to be re-incorporated under a totally different structure, one in no way even hinted at in any canonized revelations even at the time, is a huge blind spot.

A reasonable person would think that important matters like corporate structure which touch upon the church's relationship with the government would be spoken of by "the Lord" and canonized in the D&C, and submitted to a General Conference to be sustained or vetoed. Upon whose authority, specifically, was the church reincorporated as a "corporation sole?"


"The Late Corporation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. United States, 136 U.S. 1 (1890), was a Supreme Court case that upheld the Edmunds–Tucker Act on May 19, 1890. Among other things, the act disincorporated The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

The ruling in Late Corporation would have directed federal escheat of substantially all the property of the legally disincorporated LDS Church, which was estimated at $3 million. Following the decision, the U.S. Attorney for The Utah Territory reported seizing only $381,812 in assets. Real property, including LDS temples, was never seized, although the ruling authorized it. Within five months, the LDS Church officially discontinued the practice of plural marriage with the 1890 Manifesto."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Corp._of_the_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-Day_Saints_v._United_States

More details on the corporation itself. Note the original incorporation date, which would have been during the presidency of Heber J. Grant.

The church was disincorporated in 1890, but I have not found any information as to its legal status between 1890 and 1923.

Also no information as to whether the structure was solely Grant's idea or if he was advised, and by whom -- lawyers? the Q12? Why wouldn't the Q12 want a corporation structure that included themselves as officers?



CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Entity Number: 555534-0145
Company Type: Corporation - Sole
Address: 50 EAST NORTH TEMPLE Salt Lake City, UT 84150
State of Origin: UT
Registered Agent: CORPORATE AGENT SERVICES, LLC
Registered Agent Address:
36 S STATE ST STE 1900
Salt Lake City, UT 84111


Status: Active as of 11/26/1923
Status Description: Current
Employment Verification: Not Registered with Verify Utah

Registration Date: 11/26/1923


NAICS Code: 9999 NAICS Title: 9999-Nonclassifiable Establishment

Doing Business As
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF UTAH, THE
SALT LAKE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR, THE
MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR
DESERET PASTA
PROMISED VALLEY PLAYHOUSE
TABERNACLE CHOIR AT TEMPLE SQUARE, THE
FARM MANAGEMENT COMPANY

https://secure.utah.gov/bes/details.html?entity=555534-0145

"It is a historical fact that the church as a corporation was literally and legally disincorporated by a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1890."

This wasn't the original church, and there were a number of rival churches which claimed continuity.

"Strangites", may I ask, why is that your name here? Are you a member of it?

Strangites Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "It is a historical fact that the church as a
> corporation was literally and legally
> disincorporated by a decision of the U.S. Supreme
> Court in 1890."
>
> This wasn't the original church, and there were a
> number of rival churches which claimed continuity.


Yes I know ... the one I'm discussing is the one involved in the 1890 legal case as detailed in the Wikipedia link above, and that reincorporated as a corporation sole in 1923.

When you have God leading your church, who cares what the Supreme Court says?

That’s sarcasm, in case you’re TBM.

babyloncansuckit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When you have God leading your church, who cares
> what the Supreme Court says?
>
> That’s sarcasm, in case you’re TBM.


I'd give them respect if they actually acted like they believed that. In the end, they submitted to the judgement of the court.

I would love to see if there's any notes or documentation regarding the reincorporation in 1923 and how the leadership arrived at that decision. Or whether there was any public discussion or anything printed about it in official church publications at the time.

Somehow Heber J. Grant bullied the entire Q12 into accepting this plan, in any case.

I learn something new here on RfM every day. I thought I was aware of most everything with church history, but I must've been out to lunch on this one! I didn't realize that the Supreme Court disincorporated the church in 1890. No wonder they came up with that sudden "revelation" that God changed His mind on polygamy; fast forward to 1978 and behold: another "revelation" that got the church out of hot water. Strange how God and the government seem to be on the same page.