abstract
| - The Church of Jesus Christ has headquarters in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, and is a worldwide organization colloquially referred to as 'Bickertonites' or The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite). Its members generally do not favor this moniker. The colloquial name comes from Church organizer William Bickerton (1815-1905). Members commonly shorten the official name to The Church of Jesus Christ. The Church is not officially affiliated with any other church, organization or denomination of the Latter-day movement. Generally it is considered the third largest of the organizations emerging from the 1844 succession crisis, and the church has members in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa—for an approximate total of 15,000 worldwide. The Church of Jesus Christ claims to be the spiritual successor to the "Church of Christ," organized by Joseph Smith, on April 6, 1830. The Church of Jesus Christ claims that Sidney Rigdon was Joseph Smith's rightful successor in the 1844 succession crisis following the assassination of Smith, because Rigdon was Smith's first counselor in the First Presidency.
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