Pot and Torch

Within the Mormon church, they hold to the teaching that after Christ had left this earth, there was a state of apostasy[1], and the true Church of God was not restored until the revelation given to Joseph Smith (the founder of the Mormon church). Below are some direct quotes from the Mormon’s Official Website:

Apostasy: A general falling away from the truth occurred after the death of Christ’s Apostles. This is called the Apostasy.

When Jesus Christ lived on the earth, He established His Church. After His Ascension into heaven, His Apostles carried on His work under His direction,.... After the Apostles and many righteous Church members were killed and other members departed from the truth, the Lord took the priesthood authority and His Church from the earth. Without God’s priesthood authority, the Church no longer functioned as Christ had established it. The ordinances were changed and many plain and simple truths were lost. While many good people and some truth remained, the original Church was lost. [2]

2 Thessalonians 2: 1 ¶ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
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;

The Apostle Peter prophesied of the “restitution of all things” before Christ’s Second Coming (Acts 3:19–21). Having been lost because of the Apostasy, Christ’s Church and the fullness of His gospel needed to be restored to the earth. This Restoration would make available the opportunity for all to receive once again all of the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Joseph Smith’s First Vision marked the beginning of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth[3]

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
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.

Point 1: One thing that the Mormons enjoy doing is reading into the text. If you are not careful you can easily be caught up into their trick. They will tell you something and then use a verse to show you that they are right. If you look at the verse in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3. There is no mention there at all of a total apostasy of the Church. They are reading into the text something that is not there.

Point 2: Paul is not referring to a wide scale event that is taking place, but is speaking of a specific distinguishable apostasy that has not yet come (rf. 1 Timothy 4:1-3, James 5:1-8; 2 Peter 2;3:3-6).

Point 3: It is obvious that there is no teaching here of an apostasy of Christ’s church. But a teaching that a day will come when one will rise up and try to denounce anything of God, and claim himself to be God.

There is no scripture whatsoever to say that the church founded by Christ was done away with

If you allow the portion of scripture quoted above to be read for itself and within context you will quickly learn there is nothing being mentioned here about a total apostasy of the church, and then a need for complete restoration of it.

The message in Acts 3 is being spoken to a Jewish group of people. Peter was offering them salvation through Christ, the one that would return and restore all things, including the restoration of Israel. Something the Jews were looking forward to

It is worth mentioning as well that there are many clear verses to show that there will not be a complete apostasy of Christ’s church and will continue to grow and be strong until Christ’s return:

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Eph. 3:21

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 1 Peter 1:25

[1] Abandonment of one’s religious faith, a political party, one’s principles, or a cause. (http://dictionary.com)

[2] http://mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/the-restoration-of-truth/the-great-apostasy

[3] http://mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/the-restoration-of-truth/the-restoration-of-the-gospel

Mormons and Church Apostasy