Smithicism

Smithic Church
𐐝𐑋𐐮𐑃𐐮𐐿 𐐗𐐳𐑉
The squared, circled priesthood knot is officially designated as the primary symbol of Smithicism.
Type	Nontrinitarian Abro-united
Structure	Hierarchical
Lord President	Calvin F. Murray
Region	Deseret
Headquarters	Hallowed Temple, Zion, Deseret
Founder	Gregor John Smith
Origin	September 30, 1736 Nephi
Members	est. 45 million
Official website	smithic.de

The Smithic Church (Deseretan: 𐐝𐑋𐐮𐑃𐐮𐐿 𐐗𐐳𐑉)is a Nontrinitarian Christian Abro-united church based in the theocratic state Deseret. The church reports 30 million members worldwide, with the highest concentration in Deseret. It was originally founded by Gregor John Smith in the mid 18th century in the Second Nephite Empire, and has spread to over 40 countries.

History

The history of the Smithic faith is generally divided into four distinct periods: (1) its early history under Gregor John Smith and his direct successors; (2) the period of unrest preceding the Great Smithic War; (3) the Great Smithic War and its aftermath; and (4) the modern period of the Smithic state under Deseret.

Early Church

During the 1730's a young Arthuristan exile, Gregor John Smith, and a small group of his religious followers arrived in Nephi. Having fled his home country after being pursued by Arthuristan authorities for fraud, he quickly began re-establishing his religious organization in Nephi under the name the Community of the Lord. He drew in new converts with his publishing of pamphlets spreading his message of a Christian sect that would "assert the rights of the every man to a community of which every man may prosper."

The organization found early success amongst the lower classes of the major Nephite cities, including Nephite itself, Bountiful, and Lehi.

Smithic Unrest

As the Church suffered from considerable revocations and restrictions of their exercised power by the waning Second Nephite Empire, the movement for the Church to form its own state grew significantly among the clergy and devout. The formation of organizations, such as the Sons of the Saints and the Onyx Bees, drew in thousands of young, disenfranchised Smithics. Church President Daniel Jules Charleson resisted the movement, seeking to maintain as much of the status quo as possible and pushing for a political peace.

The policy of peace ended abruptly with the assassination of Emperor Darwin II by the Onyx Bees in July of 1819. In the following weeks, with the strong personality of Darwin II removed, the empire shattered. As various generals took up armies to carve out regions from the former imperial territories, the remnant of the empire retaliated with the seizure of property and the mass arrest of Smithics. In the chaos, President Charleson and the First Presidency was killed, believed to have been assassinated, though it is unclear by who.

With the empire collapsing around them and the death of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve opted to elect Samuel Mordecai, a young bishop over the largest ward in Bountiful, as temporary president as an intended sacrificial lamb during the time of upheaval. This proved to be a miscalculation, as President Mordecai proved to be far more ambitious and influential than the Quorum could have expected. Almost immediately, he began mobilizing the manpower of the Church's followers to prepare for securing his position and the position of the Church in the coming years.