Is the LDS Church the true successor to Joseph Smith's Church of Christ?

If so, why is that? What makes it more valid than the Community of Christ, or the Strangite Church, or the FLDS Church? What proof is there that the Church in Utah is the TRUE Church re-established by Joseph Smith?

The leadership of the Church rested upon the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, who were the only ones anointed as prophets, seers and revelatory. The President of the Quorum was Brigham Young. None one else had all the keys of the Priesthood. Others made claims to be heirs of Joseph including his son. None were sustained by the membership of the church in solemn assembly, except Brigham Young. They organized their own churches, but they did not have an unbroken chain of apostolic authority.

Joseph Smith never designated a successor and Brigham Young's authority as prophet is largely drawn from an LDS myth where people claimed to see Joseph Smith's image when Brigham spoke in a meeting shortly after the former president's death.

What all of this seems to imply to me is that there is no "true successor" because the systems used by the various sects to claim succession were all invented ad hock after Joseph Smith was killed.

Funny how God is so interested in authority and tokens of the priesthood and rules and levels. Yet He forgot to tell His new chosen people how to pick a successor.

Perhaps He spent all His energy fighting with Smith over polygamy. God had to send several angels with drawn swords to tell Smith he absolutely had to do it.

You would just think succession would be as important.

Smith seemed to think Hyrum would take over, and made references to it being a family post, and how his sons would inherit the presidency.

It isn't nearly as clear cut as LDS think, but then they only know what the LDS leaders tell them.

All the keys of the priesthood resided with the quorum of the 12 apostles following the death of the prophet.

That is the LDS premise for the authority that exists in the church. It was the 12 apostles (under the senior apostle, Brigham Young) that led the church to Utah.

You mention several other denominations by name (I'm not even aware that the Strangites exist anymore--their founder was killed by the his followers if I understand right)

As for proof--the first things that come to my mind are,

1. What proof is there that Joseph Smith ever became a fallen prophet? (that eliminates a few, if he never fell)

2. God won't let the prophet lead His church astray. (that eliminates a few more)

Look at where it all steamed from, Joseph Smith. After finding out his true character, I would not trust him one bit. Lying, telling people to lie, the extent of polygamy, the bigamy, asking for friends young daughters for wives, secret marriage ceremonies, arson, conning the wealthy, ETC...
Then you have Good ole' Brigham Young, that name should explain alto. (as a member I had no IDEA of his history)

The FLDS consider these true prophets in their history also. They just wanted polygamy on Earth, the LDS believe it will be in Heaven but are not practicing it here on Earth because of Laws against it, oh and God said to wait a bit.

The Community of Christ, is more Jesus Christ centered (IMHO) and follow Smiths son.

http://www.realmormonhistory.com/

I guess it depends on what path has the "supposed" direct priesthood line went. The FLDS believe that have the prop per priesthood, and the LDS church does also. There are many groups that believe they are correct.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latter_Day_Saint_movement
LDS/Mormon map of space...
http://www.realmormonhistory.com/space_map.htm

I copied and pasted this, but it's a good read.

Brigham Young Becomes the Leader of the Church

After Joseph Smith was murdered, the Saints in Nauvoo were very sad and worried. The Prophet and the Patriarch (Hyrum Smith) were dead, and most of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were away on missions. Joseph Smith had written to the Apostles in June 1844 and asked them to come back to Nauvoo, but the Apostles did not receive these letters until after the Prophet had been killed. The Apostles all came back to Nauvoo as soon as they heard of the Prophet?s death. The Nauvoo City Council instructed the Saints to ?be peaceable, quiet citizens, doing the works of righteousness? until the Apostles returned and gave them further directions (History of the Church, 7:152). William W. Phelps, a city councilman who was also Church publisher and the Prophet?s scribe, helped keep the city calm.

Sidney Rigdon, who had been First Counselor to Joseph Smith in the First Presidency of the Church, had become displeased with the Church and had moved to Pennsylvania against the wishes of the Lord (see D&C 124:108?110). However, when he heard about the death of the Prophet, Sidney returned to Nauvoo. He felt that because he had been in the First Presidency, it was his right to be the next leader of the Church. Before all the Apostles returned to Nauvoo, Sidney was able to convince some people that he should lead the Church. When all the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were back in Nauvoo, they met with Sidney, who told them why he should be leader of the Church. Brigham Young, who was then President of the Quorum of the Twelve, declared that he wanted to find out what the Lord wanted them to do. He said:

?I do not care who leads the church, ? but one thing I must know, and that is what God says about it. I have the keys and the means of obtaining the mind of God on the subject. ?

?Joseph conferred upon our heads all the keys and powers belonging to the Apostleship which he himself held before he was taken away, and no man or set of men can get between Joseph and the Twelve in this world or in the world to come? (History of the Church, 7:230).

At a meeting of the Church on 8 August 1844, Sidney Rigdon gave an hour-and-a-half-long speech on why he should be the leader of the Church. Brigham Young then gave a short talk, and while he spoke a miracle occurred. To the people in the audience, Brigham Young suddenly looked and sounded like Joseph Smith. Zina Huntington said of this experience: ?President Young was speaking. It was the voice of Joseph Smith?not that of Brigham Young. His very person was changed. ? I closed my eyes. I could have exclaimed, I know that is Joseph Smith?s voice! Yet I knew he had gone.? George Q. Cannon said, ?It was the voice of Joseph himself; ? it seemed in the eyes of the people as though it was the very person of Joseph which stood before them.? Wilford Woodruff declared, ?If I had not seen him with my own eyes, there is no one that could have convinced me that it was not Joseph Smith speaking? (quoted in Church History in the Fulness of Times, p. 292).

Cornelius and Permelia Lott, who ran Joseph Smith?s farm just outside Nauvoo and who had seen the Prophet frequently, attended the meeting with their children. When Brigham Young got up to speak, eleven-year-old Alzina Lott thought he was Joseph Smith, and she turned to her mother, Permelia, and said, ?Mama, I thought the Prophet was dead.? Her mother answered, ?He is[,] Alzina, and this is the way our Heavenly Father has told us who is to be our next leader and Prophet? (quoted in Descendants of Cornelius Peter Lott, pp. 10?11).

That afternoon the members of the Church held another meeting. Brigham Young said at the meeting, ?If the people want President Rigdon to lead them they may have him; but I say unto you that the Quorum of the Twelve have the keys of the kingdom of God in all the world? (History of the Church, 7:233). These keys, or rights to use the authority of the priesthood, were given to each member of the Quorum of the Twelve by Joseph Smith before he died. The members of the Church voted unanimously to sustain the Twelve Apostles as their leaders.

Sidney Rigdon was not willing to admit that the Twelve Apostles had greater authority than he had, and he continued to try to obtain leadership over the Church until he was excommunicated in September 1844. He organized his own church, but it lasted only a few years.

Through the miracle of the transformation of Brigham Young, the Saints learned that after the Prophet died, the power and authority to lead the Church were held by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Three and a half years later Brigham Young, the senior Apostle and President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was set apart as the new President of the Church. Today when the prophet dies, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles leads the Church. The senior Apostle (the man who has b

The LDS Church continued the true line of priesthood authority. It was passed from Joseph Smith to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Brigham Young being the chief apostle. Brigham Young carried that proper priesthood authority with him to Utah and passed it on to others.

The other churches you mentioned did not have the priesthood authority,

In fact, the Community of Christ broke away from the main LDS Church due to their belief that the prophets would be descending from father to son. The Community of Christ broke away because of this succession belief. It is interesting that now, in this day and age, the Community of Christ "ran out" of Smith descendants and no longer have any Smiths to ordain as prophet. In other words, the reason that they broke away from the main LDS in the first place no longer is practiced.........Does not make sense to me.

By their fruits ye shall know them. The prophecies made about Christ's Church are being fulfilled in the LDS church. I invite you to investigate it.

Besides, as was stated above me, the Community of Christ broke away 'cause they believed that descendants of Joseph Smith should be his successors. Today they do not have a prophet who is related to Joseph Smith, so that seems to throw out that idea. You won't be able to find any scriptural basis that ones calling as prophet is dependent upon lineage.