Mark 16:9-20 — "The Longer Ending"

The Community of Christ affirms the theological witness of Mark 16:9-20 to the resurrection and post-resurrection appearances of Christ. However, the Community maintains openness to scholarly discussion about the textual status of this passage, recognizing that it does not appear in the earliest Mark manuscripts.

The Community's progressive approach allows for both canonical respect for the passage and scholarly awareness of its manuscript complexity. The passage is understood as Scripture and as expressing important truth about the risen Christ, even while acknowledging that its textual history is more complicated than some other passages. The Community affirms the resurrection message that Mark 16:9-20 conveys, regardless of questions about its original composition.