LDS Doctrine — The Great Apostasy
“I will come out on the top at last.
I have more to boast of than ever any man had.
I am the only man that has ever been able to
keep a whole church together since the days of Adam.
A large majority of the whole have stood by me.
Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it.
I boast that no man ever did such a work as I.
The followers of Jesus ran away from Him;
but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet.”
— Joseph Smith
Mormonism founder
History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 408-409
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims to be the only true Christian church today.
- By boasting such a claim, it shows how necessary the First Vision is, during which Joseph Smith was told not to join any church, ‘for they were all wrong’.
- If all churches are wrong, then sometime after Jesus’ Apostles died, by necessity His church had to fall into apostasy.
Nothing less than a complete apostasy from the Christian religion would warrant the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. | |
 | — B. H. Roberts
Mormon Seventy and Church Historian
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If the alleged apostasy of the primitive church was not a reality, the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the divine institution its name proclaims. | |
 | — James E. Talmage
Mormon apostle
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Distrust of the Bible
Mormons believe that if Christianity suffered a complete apostasy, then the Bible too must have suffered textual corruption over the years.- While the King James Version is part of the LDS canon, Mormons generally regard it as less authoritative than other Mormon scripture. This second-rate treatment is evidenced in the church’s Articles of Faith.
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. | |
 | — Articles of Faith, No. 8
|
- Therefore, whenever Christian and Mormon doctrine differ, it must be, by necessity, the Christian doctrine that has been corrupted.
But if men through apostasy had corrupted the Christian religion and lost divine authority to administer the ordinances of the Gospel, it was of the utmost importance that a new dispensation of the true Christian religion should be given to the world. | |
| — B. H. Roberts
Mormon Seventy and Church Historian
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Biblical Errors
The biblical texts were originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. That there are minor errors in the English translations is a given.- Atheists, Mormons and Muslims share the same allegation that the Bible has been corrupted over the years.
- In this case, the burden is on the critic to prove where a textual error has resulted in corrupt or false doctrine.
- The theory of a complete Christian apostasy, without proof, is merely ‘begging the question’—it starts with the assumption that the LDS church is true, and then seeks to discredit the Bible and Christianity in order to support that assumption.
Contempt for Christians
Mormon prophets have voiced contempt for Christians.
Are Christians ignorant? Yes, as ignorant of the things of God as the brute beast. | |
 | — John Taylor
Third Mormon prophet |
The Christian world, so called, are heathens as to their knowledge of the salvation of God. | |
 | — Brigham Young
Second Mormon prophet |
With regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world. | |
| — Brigham Young
Second Mormon prophet |
What does the Christian world know about God? Nothing; yet these very men assume the right and power to tell others what they shall and what they shall not believe in. Why, so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest fools; they know neither God nor the things of God. | |
| — John Taylor
Third Mormon prophet |
Contempt for the Catholic Church
The Book of Mormon speaks of an ‘abominable church’ founded by the devil that is the ‘whore of all the earth’. It claims this church removed ‘plain and precious’ truths from the Bible. 1 Nephi 13, 14, 22; 2 Nephi 6, 28- General Authorities have identified the abominable church as the Catholic church.
It is also to the Book of Mormon to which we turn for the plainest description of the Catholic Church as the great and abominable church. Nephi saw this "church which is the most abominable above all other churches" in vision. He "saw the devil that he was the foundation of it"; and also the murders, wealth, harlotry, persecutions, and evil desires that historically have been a part of this satanic organization (1 Ne. 13:1-10). | |
 | — Bruce R. McConkie
Mormon apostle
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Who founded the Roman Catholic Church? The Devil, through the medium of Apostates. | |
 | — Orson Pratt
Mormon apostle
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- The LDS church has since backed away from these statements. After authorizing Orson Pratt to publish The Seer, it later condemned it. The church also forced Bruce R. McConkie to republish a softer toned Mormon Doctrine. However the question remains, if not the Catholic church, what is the ‘abominable church’ in the Book of Mormon?
The Inspired Version
That Joseph translated his own version of the Bible complicates the allegation that it has suffered textual corruption, as surely Joseph would have corrected any errors.
The Joseph Smith Translation, or Inspired Version, is a thousand times over the best Bible now existing on earth. It contains all that the King James Version does, plus pages of additions and corrections and an occasional deletion. It was made by the spirit of revelation, and the changes and additions are the equivalent of the revealed word in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. | |
| — Bruce R. McConkie
Mormon apostle |
- It is notable that the LDS church has not canonized the JST, as that would take away its ability to claim that the Bible is not fully trustworthy. It seems the church has concluded that it is best to maintain the perception of doubt in order to preserve its claim as the restored church.
Book of Mormon spared the Apostasy
If we entertain the theory of an apostasy, then the Book of Mormon—which was buried for over 1,400 years—would have been spared corruption. Therefore, it should contain pure doctrine. Paradoxically, it is silent on the many doctrines that separate Mormonism from Christianity:- Aaronic priesthood
- Baptisms for the dead
- Celestial marriage
- Church organization
- Exaltation
- Heavenly Mother
- Polytheism
- Temple endowments
- Three heavens
An Apostle and Three Disciples
LDS scripture contradicts the allegation that Christianity suffered a complete apostasy.- It says that three disciples would not die so they could preach the gospel until the second coming of Jesus Christ. 3 Nephi 28
- It says that Apostle John would not die so he could preach the gospel until the second coming of Jesus Christ. Doctrine and Covenants, Section 7
Conclusion
Jesus Christ made several promises that an apostasy would never take place.
Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. | |
 | — Jesus Christ
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Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen. | |
| — Jesus Christ
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I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever. | |
| — Jesus Christ
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