| House of Aaron | |
|---|---|
 House of Aaron logo | |
| Classification | Christian[1][2][3]: 5–8 |
| Leader | John M. Conrad[4] |
| Headquarters | Eskdale,Utah 39°6′27.61″N113°57′10.87″W / 39.1076694°N 113.9530194°W /39.1076694; -113.9530194 |
| Founder | Maurice L. Glendenning |
| Origin | August 18, 1943[3]: 33 Utah |
| Separated from | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[1][2][3] |
| Members | Between 1,500 and 2,000[1] |
| Official website | House of Aaron website |
TheHouse of Aaron, less commonly known as theAaronic Order orThe Order of Aaron,[1] is an American religious sect that believes they are descendants ofAaron and believe in the Aaronic writings. The sect is centered inEskdale, Utah,[1] a small farming community inMillard County, with additional branches inPartoun andMurray, Utah. The House of Aaron was founded in 1943 by Maurice L. Glendenning and has an estimated membership between 1,500 and 2,000.[1]
Glendenning was born 15 February 1891 inRandolph, Kansas. He and his family were unfamiliar with theLatter Day Saint movement and theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). However, as a boy, he confided in his father that he could "hear heavenly music even when wide-awake".[3] As a young teen, the heavenly music became interspersed with angelic voices uttering poetry, which he began to write down in notes he kept private out of fear of ridicule.[3] As a young man, the "angelic poetry" evolved into doctrinal and philosophical statements,[3] and he gradually began sharing the text of his messages with more and more friends and relatives.
In 1928, Glendenning and his family moved toProvo, Utah, looking for employment. Counseled by LDS missionaries, Glendenning began to feel that a number of LDS doctrines, including thepriesthood andproper authority, helped him understand his experiences and writings.[3] Glendenning and his wife were baptized into the LDS Church on August 14, 1929.[3]
On January 15, 1945, he wasexcommunicated as the "Instigator of the Aaronic Order".[3]: 35 LDS ChurchGeneral Authorities asserted that Glendenning was an apostate or heretic. While LDS members could receive divine inspiration for themselves, no one could receive authentic divine messages for the church as a whole, except thePresident of the Church.[5] However, Glendenning claims not to have received divine messages for the LDS church as a whole; rather, he was accused of wrongdoing presumably because he had claimed to receive divine inspiration that, if true, would affect the validity of some of the teachings of the LDS Church.[5]
Glendenning died October 5, 1969, inUtah.
The House of Aaron does not consider itself to be part of theLatter Day Saint movement.[3]: 5 However, religious researchers have categorized it as part of the Latter Day Saint movement, due to Glendenning's membership and excommunication from the LDS Church,[2] the LDS roots of most of its founding members,[2] the similarities between Glendenning's claims and those of Mormonism's founderJoseph Smith, and theUtah location of its commune and branches.[3][6][7]
The House of Aaron ministry is currently under the leadership of John M. Conrad,[4] who states, "Our passion and mission is to assist in the gathering of Israel into a Holy Nation withYeshua as King and theTorah (Word) as its constitution. Our focus is on Yeshua (Jesus)."[9] The House of Aaron website states its mission is "to participate in and hasten the preparation of the Body of Jesus Christ for Hissecond coming." Its vision is to "restore the Biblical,Levitical ministry to its prophesied fullness in Jesus Christ and to reconcile individuals, families, and fellowships to their places in the Body of Christ."[10]
The following statement comes from the official House of Aaron website:
The House of Aaron is the Biblical name of the family of Israelite priests ordained by God to serve Him at the Tabernacle in the wilderness and, later, at the temple in Jerusalem. Aaronites were a family within the tribe of Levi. This entire tribe was called by God to minister to him and then to the people. The specific duties of the Levites were to assist Aaron in the work of the Tabernacle, in teaching, ministering in music and judging all the tribes of Israel. God made clear that Levi was to have no inheritance in the land but Him. (Deuteronomy 18:1–2) Thus, no territory was identified as Levi and Aaron's home. Instead, 48 Levitical cities were scattered about the land, some in each tribe to remind Levi that his ministry extended to all the tribes of Israel.[10]
The House of Aaron considers its beliefs to be strictly Biblical and part of the broader messianic movement united under theAlliance of Redeemed Israel (ARI). Its basic beliefs have never included theBook of Mormon, nor any otherLDS scriptures.[3]: 5–8
In 1978 theLevitical Writings was published. This book was a compilation of 1944'sBook of Elias, or the Record of John, 1948'sNew Revelations for the Book of Elias, or the Record of John, and 1955'sDisciple Book.[3]
Currently, House of Aaron says that the "Levitical Writings" is only mentioned and studied on occasion but is not used for doctrine.[9][11][12] House of Aaron leader John Conrad states unequivocally that the Bible is "the undisputed basis of our doctrine and teaching."[9]
The Aaronic Order teaches that Christ is seen as having a Heavenly Father, butalsois to be thought of as the Father and that theHoly Ghost is the spirit of God and Jesus Christ resumed after his resurrection.[3]
The Aaronic Order believes that members given the Aaronic Priesthood in thepre-mortal existence, and need not beordained.[3]: 75, 89–93 Members therefore believe that they are Biblical leaders who werepredestined to come to the earth and fulfill their responsibilities.[3]
In 1955 the church established a communal settlement calledEskdale, Utah, named afterEskdale,Scotland.[13] Eskdale has become a small unincorporated farming area inMillard County, Utah, located just east of theNevada border.
In its early years, Eskdale community was isolationist, and a uniform was worn: the men in blue slacks and shirts with "Aaron" embroidered in gold over the pocket; women in blue and white dresses with "Levi" embroidered on their small, white caps.[1] However, over the past several decades, the community has slowly become an open, integral part of the local valley, and the dress code has been relaxed.[4]
Since 1958 they have observed theSeventh Day Sabbath because of a revelation from Glendenning.[14]
In 2005, due to numerous publications which claimed the House of Aaron practicedplural marriage, the House of Aaron was included in theUtah Attorney General's Office and theArizona Attorney General's Office publication titledThe Primer.[1] It was included within the list of "Fundamentalist Groups" that are practitioners of plural marriage.[1] However, in 2011 the House of Aaron was removed from the publication.[15] The House of Aaron states that they have never believed in or practicedpolygamy and House of Aaron leader John M. Conrad has described polygamy as "abhorrent and disgusting."[9]
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