Establishing The Church of Jesus Christ
Bickerton remained in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, and never moved to Greencastle with Rigdon. By April 1847, the Adventure Farm community had collapsed and Rigdon had abandoned his followers. Bickerton described his situation upon the collapse of the Rigdonite church:
"... The Church disorganized. Here I was left to myself. I paused to know what course to pursue. I knew my calling was from Heaven, and I also knew that a man cannot build up the Church of Christ without divine commandment from the Lord, for it would only be sectarianism, and man's authority. But the Lord did not leave me; no, he showed me a vision, and in the vision I was on the highest mountain on the earth; and he told me that if I did not preach the gospel I would fall into a dreadful chasm below, the sight thereof was awful. I moved with fear, having the Holy Spirit with me. Here I was, none to assist me, and without learning, popular opinion against me, and the Salt Lake Mormons stood in the way. I could not turn back unto Methodism again. No, I knew they had not the gospel. I stood in contemplation. The chasm was before me, no other alternative but to do my duty to God and man. I went ahead preaching repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Some believed my testimony and were baptized, and we met together the Lord met with us ...."
Having a strong conviction in the beliefs he had gained, but left without an organization, Bickerton associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania from March 1851 to March 1852 and became an elder in the Elizabeth congregation of the LDS Church. In 1852, representatives of LDS Church president Brigham Young visited Bickerton and informed him that he must teach plural marriage. Bickerton replied, "If the approval of God were to come to me by accepting the doctrine of polygamy, I prefer the displeasure of God.". Bickerton disassociated himself from the LDS Church because of its adherence to doctrines that he felt could not be substantiated in the Bible or the Book of Mormon, particularly plural marriage.
Bickerton continued to preach and by May 1851 a branch of the church was organized under the leadership of Bickerton in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. Other ministers were ordained and branches were established in Allegheny, Rock Run, Green Oak, and Pine Run, Pennsylvania, as well as Wheeling, West Virginia. Many visitors inquired of this organization's position concerning Latter Day Saints who followed Brigham Young. The following statement was officially recorded in 1855:
"As some individuals have been inclining to the people of Salt Lake and their doctrines, we have felt it our duty while sitting in Council before the Lord, that all who hold such doctrines, after due examination before witnesses, shall be cut off from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as the spirit may direct and shall have no fellowship with the Saints."
At a conference of believers in Green Oak (also known as Greenock), Pennsylvania in July 1862, leaders of several branches of the faith in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia came together and formally organized what they called The Church of Jesus Christ. Bickerton presided over the conference and reorganized the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. Bickerton was accepted by his followers as the rightful successor to Joseph Smith, Jr. as a prophet, seer, and revelator. The past and present members of this church are sometimes referred to by historians as Bickertonites, and The Church of Jesus Christ has been nicknamed the "Bickertonite church" or the "Bickerton organization".
At a conference in 1872 in West Elizabeth, Bickerton was chosen to spend the remainder of his days on missionary work. His missionary endeavors culminated in 1875: Bickerton, accompanied by approximately thirty-five to forty families of the church, moved to Kansas to found the Zion Valley Colony, which later became the town of St. John, Kansas.
Read more about this topic: William Bickerton
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