"A Doctrine of Devils": Charles B. Thompson

The aftermath of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith was a tumultuous time for the Saints in which a number of individuals who rejected the leadership of Brigham Young and the Twelve and claimed authority to leader the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. George A. Smith, the Prophet Joseph Smith's cousin and an Apostle of the Church stated in 1858, "Charles B. Thompson, Francis Gladden Bishop, G. J,. Adams, and others arose until" he jokingly quipped, "prophets for a while were at a discount." (George A Smith, Divine Origin of Mormonism," January 10, 1858, in Journal of Discourses 7:117). Some of these individuals taught a doctrine of transmigration of souls, sometimes also called baby resurrection or multiple mortal probations. One of these was Charles  B. Thompson, who for a time gathered a group of followers who sometimes characterized as "Beneemyites." 

James Strang, another rival to the leadership of the Twelve claimed that Thompson may have been influenced by the teachings of William McCary who claimed to be Jesus Christ "and who was restoring the apostolic church by naming men after various members of it. It was said that in this process either Peter or Paul had been restored to earth in the person of this same Charles, who thereby either got the keys of the kingdom or became an apostle to the Gentiles.” James J. Strang, “Charles B. Thompson,” Gospel Herald, Voree, Wisconsin, October 5, 1848, 140.

Later Thompson claimed to have received several revelations which had made known his previous mortal identities. In a revelation he received in April 1850, it stated, “And now behold, I send unto you my servant Charles B. Thompson, in whom is regenerated my dear son Ephraim, my first-born, with the voice of Beneemy, in the spirit and name of Elias, to write in your hearts my law, and to restore unto you all things, according to the covenants of your fathers, and to bless the earth to you, that it may no more be smitten with a curse.” Revelation, April 1850, in The Laws and Covenants of Israel; Written to Ephraim, from Jehovah, the Mighty God of Jacob. Also, Ephraim and Beneemy’s Proclamations (Preparation, Iowa: Book and Periodical Office of Zion’s Presbytery, 1857), 128.

Another revelation dated April 15 1852 stated , “Because in thee is regenerated Ephraim, my firstborn, of the seed of Joseph, in which the birth-right of Israel was given by my servant Jacob.” Revelation, April 15, 1852, in The Laws and Covenants of Israel; Written to Ephraim, from Jehovah, the Mighty God of Jacob. Also, Ephraim and Beneemy’s Proclamations, 155.

After a few years, Thompson's followers rejected his leadership and scattered.

Missionaries who would be associated with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (now the Community of Christ), recorded an encounter with a former follower of Thompson by the name of Rowland Cobb. One missionary wrote wrote:

“Preparation, Monona County, Iowa, Monday, February 13. I came to this noted little village just before sunset. It was the headquarters of Charles B. Thompson. I am hospitably received by Elder Rowland Cobb, keeper of a hotel and general intelligence office of the place. I had met with him some years since at Elder Blair’s at Amboy, Illinois. He was then on a mission in the interest of Baneemyism, a firm believer in the first principles of the gospel, but had sidetracked with Charles B. Thompson, who had claimed special, divine call and introduced into his wild scheme an old doctrine of the ancient idolators of Indian; and a sect among the Romans of the transmigration of the soul; and common stock business as an agent for Beneemy ….

Wednesday, February 15, 1860. At half past ten o'clock in the forenoon …. Charles B. Thompson claimed no previous ordination to the presidency, according to the law. You are fully apprised of his untenable grounds and his absurd doctrine of the transmigration of souls; an old theory of idolaters of India, revived on these beautiful prairies of western Iowa.”

 Edmund C. Briggs, Early History of the Reogranization (Independence, MO: Price Publishing Company, 1998), 236-237.

One February 20-21, 1860, another missionary recorded, “Brother Rowland Cobb, who had been silenced for preaching that the soul of man passes into many mortal bodies by transmigration ere it attains celestial glory and perfection, was patiently heard for near two hours in defense and advocacy of that theory, after which scriptural and doctoral facts were presented in opposition to it, proving that man has but one earthly probation. He promised to no longer preach or teach that theory.” Frederick B. Blair, The Memoirs of President W. W. Blair (Lamoni, Iowa: Herald Publishing House, 1908), 99.