2 Nephi 26
For whatever reasons I am coming to recognize how a schism of the church would play out if the opposition within the church to the unbending stand on the sanctity, nature, and form of eternal marriage from the leadership of the church became strong enough and organized enough that those who opposed it were to leave or if some or all of those leading the opposition were excommunicated.
I am confident that in such a case a sizable population of the church, at least within the United States, would form an alternative church which would hold to their interpretation of whatever principles of the restored gospel that they favored. Among their ranks would be many who had held the priesthood before the schism, potentially even including a small number of General Authorities from the Lord’s church. What they wouldn’t have is any apostles.
Within the new church they would appoint a president and might very well esteem him as a prophet. If their aim is to mimic the church they left then they would establish a quorum of apostles. If their aim was to appeal to the wider community of Christians they might forego naming or claiming apostles. Whatever other causes they might embrace, I would expect them to at least espouse gay marriage and ordaining women to the priesthood.
It is possible that they might sure for a portion of existing church assets and depending on how the split played out in some geographic areas they might even win some in court (if they can afford the legal costs).
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