The Apostasy

If you have read the posts up until now you might be thinking.. what makes Mormons or as we prefer to be called "Latter Day Saints" so different from other Christians? One of the things that make us unique is our unique claim.

That claim is simply this: We are the very Church that Jesus Himself set up.

We don't claim that our church came about as a result of the reformation, like the Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalian, Presbyterian and others. We also don't claim that we are the different brand of the Roman Catholic church. We also don't claim to be the true version of Eastern Orthodoxy.

We believe that within a few decades after the original church was organized, there was an apostasy. Not just a small apostasy where there were break offs from the church. But one on such a scale that caused the very keys that Jesus gave Peter to be taken from the earth.

When we talk about this it raises many questions and answers even more. But please don't confuse what we are saying to mean that we think all other Christian sects to be evil. On the contrary, we believe that God has give His children truth and that truth can be found in most any Christian sect and even non Christian faiths.

But it would be correct to say that we believe that some of that truth was lost to apostasy. In addition to the truths that were lost, so was the sacred authority to officiate in the priesthood. While personal revelation in some degrees continued in the earth, there was no one who could authoritatively speak in the name of the Lord for the whole world.

So to the questions:

Can you back this up with scripture?
Absolutely. This apostasy was prophesied about hundreds of years before it happened.

We read in Amos 8:11-12
11 ¶ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:
12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

Even at the time it was happening the Apostle Paul counseled those who were looking for the second coming of Jesus Christ:

2 Thes. 2: 3
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

And we read in Acts:
Acts 3: 20-21
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Why does there need to be a restitution if nothing had been lost? Also the word restitution connotes that what had been lost had at one time been here on the earth.

Why would God let His church fall into apostasy?
This is an excellent question. The truth is that God will not force us to do anything. He has given each of us our own free will or free agency. We have the power to choose good or evil. So the apostasy was not God's fault at all. While we don't know all of the details of how this happened, we do know that as a matter of principle, it happened out of the choices that were made by most of the people at that time. We do believe all of the apostles that led the church were faithful to the end. Many of them were martyred.

But Paul also give us a clue as to what might have happened:

Acts 20: 29-31
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.


Paul was in tears because he saw what was happening to the church and knew what it would lead to. He said "For I know this".

So the answer is that God let it happen because God will never interfere with our free will to choose.

Isn't God all powerful? Couldn't He save his Church?
Yes, God is all powerful. And Yes He could save His church if He felt it would be the right thing to do. But just as He would not save the 10 tribes of Israel after they turned to worship the Idol Baal. He would take His church back to Himself and away from the Grievous wolves.

So what happened after the apostasy?
Several good people tried to pick up the pieces and live the best they could with what they had. From this arose different sects of Christianity that all tried to claim an unbroken link with the original church. But what is very evident from the early christian writings is that there were all kinds of disputations over doctrine and they were clamoring to find the word as Amos had prophesied

12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

The keys had been taken from the earth. While it is true that there were probably those still on the earth that had been ordained to the priesthood by the proper authority and in the proper way.. they were powerless to exercise that priesthood without the keys.

When the Lord has His true priesthood on the earth, everything with that priesthood has to be done in order.

While many may be ordained to the priesthood, not all are given keys to exercise it.
For example:

I have been ordained an Elder in the priesthood and am entitled to perform sacred ordinances such as baptism. However that doesn't mean I can just go baptize anyone I want to. I would first need to get permission from my Bishop who holds the keys and therefore he has to "unlock" so to speak or authorize me to use my priesthood in that way.

But what about the scripture that says:

Matt. 16: 18
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

This scripture read in English could cause people to think that the Lord will not allow His church to fail.. but when you read the original Greek quite a different meaning comes to the front.

The word translated "Hell" in the King James Version of the Bible, was actually "Hades" in the Greek. Now, why would that matter? Because the word Hell as it's used in English means something very different than the word "Hades".

Hades was considered the world of Spirits by the Greeks. It was the place where all people went after they died, Good or Bad, Believer or Non-believer.

So how would the gates of Hades try to prevail against the Church?

Hades, or the Spirit World, holds the Spirits of all people. Through Jesus' Resurrection, all those Spirits will be reunited with their bodies one day. But also among those spirits there are those who were never baptized or even heard of Jesus Christ while they were alive. We have learned through modern revelation that these people have been separated from those who have died in the faith. Those who die in full faithfulness are put a holding place called paradise until they are resurrected. Those who didn't or never had the chance to accept Jesus are put in a different holding place until they are resurrected where they can have the opportunity to hear and accept His words. Peter is given the keys to perform ordinances on behalf of those people such as baptism for the Dead. Therefore Jesus goes on to say:

Matt. 16: 19
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The gates of Hades, or the place where people go after they die will not have the power to prevent the Church from using the keys of the priesthood on behalf of those within the Spirit World. I'll talk more about this when I post about baptism for the dead.


The gospel of Jesus Christ is Eternal in nature. Even though there was an apostasy, God had a plan to remedy it. In my next post I will discuss the Restoration or the Restitution of all things spoken of by Peter. (Acts 3: 20-21).

I testify with all my heart that an Apostasy did occur. While we don't know the details of the exact events that transpired, we do have both ancient prophets, and apostles testifying that it would happen. We also have the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith who was given direct revelation from God that it did happen.

In addition to those witnesses.. I add my own. I have been assured by the power of the Holy Ghost that the apostasy actually took place. And that is why it is so important to hear the message of the Restoration. The message of God through the prophet Joseph Smith.

The message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

If you would like to know more now.. please contact missionaries:

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