Groups:

Church of Christ (Patriarchal) (1975 - 1981), renamed Evangelical Church of Christ (1981 - 1985)

Church of the New Covenant in Christ  (1985 - present?)

Church of the Pearl (? - )

Alternate Name:

Samuel

Life:

1946 -

About:

Bryant was a former LDS Church member and missionary. He associated with the Apostolic United Brethren in the early 1970s until John the Beloved visited him in August 1974 and authorized Bryant to set up the "Order of the Ancients" among all who would believe. Bryant claimed a vision in which he traveled to the City of Enoch where Joseph Smith, Jr. and fundamentalist leader Joseph W. Musser ordained him president of the church and gave him "all the keys originally held by Joseph Smith, Jr." (Shields, p. 198). On this same occasion, Bryant also claimed "Lorin C. Woolley conferred the 'fullness of the keys of the patriarchy to the Church of Christ,' Joseph F. Smith conferred the 'fullness of the Keys of the Presidency of the Church' and John Taylor conferred the 'fullness of the keys of the Kingdom of God'" (Shields, pp. 197-198). Bryant also claimed to be the One Mighty and Strong.

Bryant founded the Church of Christ (Patriarchal) in 1975. In 1981 the name of the church was changed to the Evangelical Church of Christ, then to the Church of the New Covenant in Christ, and most recently to the Church of the Pearl.

According to Steven Shields, Bryant eventually became disillusioned and left his group in 1987. Some members still remained faithful, and reorganized the group, while still recognizing Bryant's teachings (p. 258).

According to an unconfirmed report, Bryant remains a leader in the Latter Day Saint Movement, and is now running the Church of the Pearl, whose membership is comprised in part from those affiliated with Bryant's previous groups. The Church of the New Covenant in Christ may still be operating as an advanced group within the larger Church of the Pearl organization.

References:

• King, Marsha. "Changing beliefs led family to rearrange plural union."Seattle Times, 1985-10-13.
• Melton, J. Gordon. Encyclopedia of American Religions. 1996, p. 569.
• Shields, Steven L. Divergent Paths of the Restoration. Herald House, 2001.
• Wikipedia entry