The Reorganized Church Of Jesus Christ

Of Latter Day Saints

¶

      In 1878, a conference held in Plano, Illinois by the World Church sent Heman C. Smith as a missionary to the Southeastern Missionary District. In June of that same year Brother Smith came to Mississippi, where he baptized 19 people on June 24, 1878, and organized the Three Rivers Branch which was located a few miles north of Escatawpa, MS.

      In February, Brother Heman Smith and James Faulk came to the Bluff Creek Community. Not very much is known about the conditions these men met coming to this community. Travel was hard and hazardous, they probably came a good ways by foot or maybe in a row boat. They could have come by schooner since much charcoal was produced and shipped by men of the community to New Orleans, LA., a large port on the mouth of the Mississippi River. They most likely even slept in the old buildings they preached in during their journeys.

      After 5 weeks of preaching, Brother Smith and Brother Faulk baptized 12 people and on march 17, 1879, this branch known among men as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was organized.

      The 12 people baptized or the original charter members were:

Civil Barnes
Eli Broadus
Simeon Cochran
Amon DePriest
Albert Goff
David Goff
Ellen C. Goff
Miranda O’(King) Jones
Richard M. King
Catherine Livings
Mary J. (King) Page
Mary A. Williams

      (One of the charter members was Brother Albert Goff. He was born February 7 1846, in Jackson County Mississippi. He was baptized March 16, 1879, at Bluff Creek, MS. By Heman C. Smith. He died December 29, 1914. Many of his descendents are active in our branch today.)

      The first Pastor of the newly formed branch was Brother Richard M. King and Simeon Cochran served as teacher. They held their meetings in a little log cabin which was called the "Ebenezer School House" located approximately one mile south of our present location.

      The Ebenezer School House was shared with the Methodists and the Baptists. Each Sunday the different congregations would alternate ministers. In the afternoons after church, the members would have spelling classes, in which all ages would participate. The building served a dual purpose, it was a place of worship and also a school to educate the children in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Only 4 months of school were available to the church pioneers in this vicinity being November, December, January, February, when the children would be spared from tilling the soil. If a member wanted to attend church, he would usually have to get ready very early. This was because he had to walk, usually a great distance, or ride in a wagon drawn by a horse or mule.

      Taken from a newspaper article is this obituary of an old pioneer in the Bluff Creek Branch:

      "Rogers, at Vancleave, Miss. March 4, 1897, Brother Francis Rogers was born in Union District, South Carolina, on December 29, 1833. He was baptized by Brother M. M. Turpen at Bluff Creek, Miss., August 23, 1892. His wife and 9 children remain to mourn their loss. Prayer at grave by W. L. Booker."

      In 1893, the Saints moved from the Ebenezer School House to a new church building which was located in the Mount Pleasant Community. It was approximately 4 miles north of the old Ebenezer School House.