Of the members of the Church who were in fellowship in 1844-6, the
"Reorganized" Church has received no more, and likely less than 1,000
converts, which fact shows that the apostasy was not so great in 1844-6
as has been stated by the Senator from Michigan and members of the
"Reorganization." This statement is based on the testimony of William
W. Blair, one of the original members of the "Reorganized" Church, as
he testified before the United States court of appeals for the Western
district of Missouri, in 1894, in the temple lot suit, which was for
the possession of property in the hands of the "Church of Christ," or
"Hedrickites."
Before that court Mr. Blair, who was for many years a member of the
presidency of the "Reorganized" Church, testified that "1,000 was
probably too high an estimate for the members of the original Church,
that had joined the 'Reorganized' Church." He could "approximately
say," that 1,000 had joined the "Reorganized" Church, and "possibly
that estimate was too large." (Record pp. 180, 181).