J.R. Graves was born in Vermont in 1820. In 1841 he moved south and united with the Mount Freedom Baptist Church in Jessamine County, Kentucky. In May of 1842 Graves was ordained by this church. What is interesting is that three years before J.R. Graves joined this church, they voted on two doctrinal questions related to landmarkism. The below quote is from S. J. Conkwright’s 1923 “History of the Churches of Boone’s Creek Baptist Association” , under the Mount Freedom Baptist Church section on page 98.

“In January, 1838, on a motion made by Joseph Minter, the following two questions were put to a vote.
1st Query: Is it right that a member of this church should commune with any other church that is not of the same faith and order? Answer: No.”
“2nd Query: Is it right for this church to receive a member’s baptism valid that was baptized by another society, that is not of the same faith and order with us? Answer: In the negative.” “

This is just one more historical example that proves that the vast majority of Baptists in the south, as well as the north, rejected alien immersion and open communion long before J.R. Graves published the Cotton Grove Resolutions in 1851. The idea that Graves invented the doctrines of Landmarkism is proved once again to be false. A special thanks to Bro. Jim Duvall for finding this important quote – http://www.geocitie s.com/baptist_ documents/ ky.jessamine. mt.freedm. bc.html

Email post by Ben Stratton Landmark Southern Baptist Group List.