The Political Rise and Fall of the Church

This thread follows Smith’s religious organization from a deliberately modest public front through expansion, persecution, and dispersal.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Church in Name

A Legal Form for Teaching An institutional disguise Smith establishes the Church of All Worlds because religious organizations can operate with protections unavailable to ordinary associations. Its early purpose is to attract people to Martian study. An unexpected public role The institution is not simply a fraud or a conventional congregation. It combines legal form, entertainment, instruction, and genuine fellowship.

The Outer Services

Curiosity Becomes Recruitment A performance for newcomers Smith’s outer services use jokes, demonstrations, and familiar religious language to hold a crowd’s attention. He studies listeners and identifies those prepared for deeper instruction. A different collection The service invites people to give or take from the collection rather than making payment a condition of entry. The unusual gesture expresses the community’s values while still drawing public interest.

The Inner Circles

Apprenticeship and Belonging A gradual commitment Students advance through circles as they learn Martian and practise the discipline. Sharing water and joining the Nest mark deeper commitments that cannot be reduced to membership paperwork. Leadership becomes communal Patricia, Gillian, Dawn, and other trained members teach and organize. The church increasingly depends on a network rather than on Smith alone.

Legal Persecution

A Movement Meets the Law Accusations multiply Authorities bring charges including public lewdness, disorderly conduct, and violations involving the community’s children. Religious exemptions and careful organization make conviction uncertain. Arrests precede destruction Smith and other members are arrested, leaving the Temple vulnerable. The timing turns legal pressure into an immediate physical crisis for the group.

Dispersal and Continuity

The Organization Survives Its Building An emergency escape The Nest relocates to a hotel hideout, while Smith’s abilities prevent authorities from reaching the group through ordinary force. The old temple is treated as a completed chapter rather than an irreplaceable home. New foundations Members plan to establish communities elsewhere and continue the dictionary. The institution’s resilience comes from trained people and shared practice, not a single building.

After Smith returns from his travels

During the Church’s first public meetings

During the months before the Temple attack

Shortly before the Temple fire

After the Temple burns