In the early decades of the 1800s, the fertile religious soil of upstate New York and New England was teeming with new ideas, passionate preachers, and bold visions of restoring Christianity to its original purity. Among the lesser-known—but remarkably influential—movements was the Christian Connection (also called the Christian Connexion), a loose fellowship of independent congregations that rejected denominational creeds, emphasized the Bible alone, and called themselves simply “Christians.”
At first glance, their beliefs and practices might seem worlds apart from Joseph Smith’s later Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But a closer look reveals striking parallels: non-Trinitarian theology, rejection of traditional church hierarchies, a zeal for “primitive” Christianity, and a conviction that God was doing something new in their day. Even more intriguing, this movement was thriving less than 15 miles south of Palmyra—right in Joseph Smith’s backyard—years before the publication of the Book of Mormon.
Could it be that the Christian Connection’s ideals, language, and revivalist atmosphere provided the very framework into which Joseph Smith wove his own visions, revelations, and newly-revealed scripture? Was Mormonism born in isolation—or was it shaped by the powerful currents of restorationist thought already flowing through western New York? The story of the Christian Connection may not only shed light on Joseph Smith’s religious environment—it may also challenge the idea that early Mormonism was a wholly unique creation.
To understand these possible connections, we need to step inside the world of the Christian Connection as described by its own leaders. Their writings outline a movement driven by revivalist passion, Bible-only authority, and a vision of restoring the faith of the first-century church—a vision that, in many ways, mirrors the claims Joseph Smith would later make for his new religion. By comparing the beliefs, practices, and organizational structure of the Christian Connection with those of early Mormonism, we can trace the threads of similarity, pinpoint key differences, and explore how this nearby movement may have influenced one of America’s most enduring and controversial faiths.
Here’s a concise summary and comparison based on the Christian Connection (also called Christian Connexion) as described by David Millard, and its potential parallels with early Mormonism:
Christian Connection (Christian Connexion)
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Origins & Nature: Emerged in the U.S. late 18th/Early 19th century, arising independently in multiple regions without a central founder. Members rejected all denominational labels and human creeds, embracing simply the name “Christians” and the Bible alone as their guide webfiles.acu.eduWikipedia.
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Key Beliefs: Arminian in theology (believing in free will), non-Trinitarian or minimal doctrinal formulations; emphasized believer’s baptism by immersion; maintained congregational autonomy and simplicity in worship webfiles.acu.eduWikipedia.
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Structure & Spread: Churches governed locally but organized into voluntary associations; established periodicals and some schools; reached substantial membership across New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, etc., by mid-1800s webfiles.acu.eduWikipedia.
Comparison with Early Mormonism (circa 1830)
| Feature | Christian Connection | Early Mormonism |
|---|---|---|
| Restorationist impulse | Aimed to return to primitive Christianity, shedding creeds and traditions Wikipedia+1. | Claimed restoration of the original Christian church through new revelation, priesthood, and scripture (Book of Mormon). |
| Authority & Leadership | No single founder; aversion to centralized authority; each congregation independent webfiles.acu.eduWikipedia. | Centered on Joseph Smith as prophet and revelator with centralized leadership and hierarchy. |
| Doctrine | Simple, Bible-only theology; minimal creedal formulation; typically non-Trinitarian webfiles.acu.eduWikipedia. | Revealed complex theology including premortality, priesthood, degrees of glory, divine plurality, temple practices Mormonism Research MinistryFAIR. |
| Restoration Language | Not doctrinally centered on “restoration” terminology. | Adopted explicit restorationist terminology influenced by Stone-Campbell Reform Baptist language via Sidney Rigdon and others Dialogue Journal. |
Potential Connections & Influence
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Geographic and religious context: The Christian Connection’s activity—especially in upstate New York and New England—and its revivalist, anti-creedal ethos provide a cultural and religious backdrop into which Joseph Smith emerged.
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Shared impulse: Both movements reflect the broader Restorationist sentiment of the Second Great Awakening: a desire to refresh Christianity back to its New Testament roots Wikipedia+1.
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Sidney Rigdon’s role: Rigdon came from the Campbell/Stone Restoration tradition and introduced restorationist terminology and theological frameworks into early Mormonism Dialogue Journal.
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Contrast in implementation: While the Christian Connection embodied a decentralized, Bible-only paradigm, Mormonism institutionalized restoration through new scripture, prophetic authority, complex theology, and an organized church structure.
In Summary
The Christian Connection represents a grassroots, decentralized Restorationist movement rooted in biblical primitivism and congregation-led autonomy. Joseph Smith’s Mormonism, while sharing the Restorationist impulse, diverged sharply through its centralized prophetic authority, new revelations, expansive theology, and structured hierarchy. The similarities suggest that Smith operated within a religious environment shaped by Restorationist currents—perhaps even drawing upon language or ideas from figures like Rigdon—but his movement ultimately charted a distinctly different and more visionary course.
