Apostolic United Brethren
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Name of researcher(s)
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Gretchen Allman
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Stated purpose
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Fundamentalist branch of Mormonism not on good terms with the LDS for its views on polygamy and its stance against allowing black people into the priesthood.
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Date established
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1954
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Established by
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Rulon C. Allred
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Membership
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7 500
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Research note
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About the structure: "The Apostolic United Brethren has a priesthood council, with the top leader called the President of the Priesthood. The number of men in the council varies, as there is no set number. The religion’s main headquarters are in Bluffdale, UT, with pockets of members in several places in Utah and Montana".
They regard both the Book of Mormon and the Bible to be sacred texts.
They view the LDS church as acceptable, but out of order, having dropped many important teachings and principles including "Adam-God teachings; united order or "full consecration"; proper conferral of the priesthood; the ban on blacks receiving the priesthood; the doctrine of dissolution; the kingdom of God as a separate organization from the Church; the ordinance of rebaptism; the ordinance of mother’s blessings; giving a complete temple endowment (as opposed to the shortened version now administered in the LDS Church); the wearing of a full length, unaltered garment; the unchanging nature of all ordinances; prayer circles outside of the temple; the law of adoption (sealing men to men as father/son); and the teaching that a living prophet can never lead you astray"
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Location
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Headquarters in Bluffdale, Utah. Other locations include Pinesdale MT, Rocky Ridge UT, Cedar City UT, Eagle Mountain UT, and Ozumba Mexico
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Outsider views of the group
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Several leaders have been accused of sexual misconduct. Most recently, former President Lynn Thompson accused by several younger females of molestation when they were children. However, one source claims that accusations of abuse are "no greater than what you would expect to find in the mainstream monogamist communities", and most perpetrators are excommunicated.
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Dehumanizing speech by group
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They do not allow black people to join the priesthood. One AUB member said of LDS when they changed their rules to allow men of all races to become priests, "I burst into tears... We were so sad... We believed the church had priesthood, and they just gave it away.”