David L. Roberts (d. 2009) was the founder of the New World Church of the Lord Jesus Christ (AKA True Church of Jesus Christ Restored/True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints/Word Church of Jesus Christ), a division within the “Strangite” tradition. After Roberts’ death, the Church ceased activity.
Their articles of faith contain
some rather interesting teachings, including binitarianism, consubstantiation,
and, unlike J. J. Strang, affirmed the virginal conception of Jesus:
1.
We believe in God the Eternal Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy
Ghost, which is the glory and power of God. It is neither a person nor a
personage in the godhead.
.
. .
4.
We believe and practice these ordinances of the true gospel of Jesus Christ
are: 1st, Father in the Lord Jesus Christ; 2nd, Repentance; 3rd, water baptism
for the remission of sins by immersion; 4th, laying on of hands for the true
gift of the holy ghost, with the physical evidence of speaking in other tongues
and the baptism of fire with the evidence of cloven tongues of fire coming upon
our physical body in order to receive divine health; 5th, the Lord's Supper by
the miracle of consubstantiation communion and washing of the saints feet
during the new moon Sabbaths and the seven annual feasts of the Lord our God.
.
. .
7.
We believe and practice the powers and gifts of the everlasting gospel, viz.,
the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the gift of great faith, the gifts
of healing, the gift of mighty miracles, the gift of prophesy, the gift of
beholding of angels and ministering spirits, the gifts of all kinds of tongues,
the gift of the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues,
dreams, visions, the gift of revelation, and the fruit of the spirit is love,
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and
temperance.
.
. .
15.
We believe that the seventh day is the true Sabbath of the Lod our God and the
seventh day Sabbath begins at sunset Friday to sunset Saturday and all believers
in Christ Jesus must keep this day as the true Sabbath day and no other day
ever.
16.
We believe that the new moon Sabbaths, the seven annuals feasts, the seventh
year Sabbath, and the jubilee Sabbath of the Lord our God must be observed and
kept by all believers in Christ Jesus forever.
17.
We believe that the law of clean and unclean meats and all other laws of health
must be observed and kept by all believers in Christ Jesus forever.
18.
We believe in salvation for the living and the death and in building temples
and in performing temple ordinances for both the living and the dead, such as,
the baptism for the dead, washings, anointings, sealings and marriage for time
and for all eternity, etc.
19.
We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. We believe that he was
conceived by the power of the holy spirit and that neither the seed of Mary nor
the seed of Joseph was used in the virgin birth. Also that the Virgin Mary only
encompasseth the child Jesus. Read St. Matt. 1:18-25; St. Luke 1:26-28; Isaiah
66:7 and Jeremiah 31:22.
.
. .
21.
We believe in the translation of the saints, such as Enoch, Elijah, John the Beloved
and the Three Nephite Disciples; also that the faithful saints on earth will
obtain complete Christ-like righteousness and be caught up in the air to meet
our Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Coming.
22.
We believe that Jesus (Yahshuah) the Messiah was crucified in the middle of the
week, that is Wednesday, and remained in the grave or sepulcher for three days
and three nights, which is seventy-two hours, and then, Jesus (Yahshua) arose
from the dead late on the Sabbath day, which is Saturday.
23.
We believe that Christ, Easter, Valentine’s day, Halloween, Lent or any other pagan
holidays are not to be observed or celebrated by any member or priesthood minister
of the church. (taken from Steven L. Shields, Divergent Paths of the
Restoration: An Encyclopedia of the Smith-Rigdon Movement, 2 vols [5th ed.;
Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2022], 1:107, 108-9)
