The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Community of Christ announced today the responsibility and ownership of the Kirtland Temple, several historic buildings in Nauvoo, along with manuscripts and artifacts officially transferred from Community of Christ to the Church of Jesus Christ.
Discussions of the transfer of ownership began in June 2021, according to the joint news release.
“This exchange of assets is significant for our church,” said Stephen M. Veazey, president of Community of Christ. “Through funding from increased endowments, Community of Christ will have greater capacity to pursue our mission priorities around the world, including continuing to fulfill the divinely envisioned purposes for our Temple in Independence, Missouri.”
“We are deeply honored to assume the stewardship of these sacred places, documents, and artifacts,” said Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We thank our friends at Community of Christ for their great care and cooperation in preserving these historical treasures thus far. We are committed to doing the same.”
The Church of Jesus Christ says the Kirtland Temple will remain an historic building and will reopen on March 25 for free public tours. Other historic buildings will also reopen on March 25, including the Smith Family Homestead, the Mansion House and the Red Brick Store.
In a Frequently Asked Questions section linked to the announcement, the two organizations say the Church of Jesus Christ paid $192.5 million to Community of Christ for the buildings, land and documents.
Besides the manuscripts of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible, the Church of Jesus Christ will receive seven letters from Joseph to his wife, Emma Smith, a history of the church written by John Whitmer, the Book of Mormon “Caractors” document, portraits of Joseph and Emma Smith, circa 1842, attributed to David Rogers and other documents.
Artifacts included in the transfer of ownership include the original door of Liberty Jail, original elements of the Kirtland Temple like an oval window frame, front door keystone and frame, stone arch and more.
For a complete list of what was transferred, go to the Frequently Asked Questions section. You can also read the original joint statement.