Mormon Handbook

A REFERENCE TO THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

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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.

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

— B. H. Roberts

Mormon Seventy and Church Historian
History of the Church, Vol. 1, p. XLII

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

— James E. Talmage

Mormon apostle
The Great Apostasy, Preface


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.

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.

Pearl of Great Price

— Articles of Faith, No. 8


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

— B. H. Roberts

Mormon Seventy and Church Historian
History of the Church, Vol. 1, p. XLII


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.

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

— John Taylor

Third Mormon prophet
"The Kingdom of God or Nothing", Salt Lake City Tabernacle
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 25

The Christian world, so called, are heathens as to their knowledge of the salvation of God.

Brigham Young

— Brigham Young

Second Mormon prophet
"Civilization—Missionary Labors, etc.", Salt Lake City
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, p. 171

With regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world.

Brigham Young

— Brigham Young

Second Mormon prophet
"The Kingdom of God, etc.", General Conference, Salt Lake City Tabernacle
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, p. 199

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

— John Taylor

Third Mormon prophet
"How to Know the Things of God", General Conference, Salt Lake City Tabernacle
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 225


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

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

— Bruce R. McConkie

Mormon apostle
Mormon Doctrine (1958), p. 130

Who founded the Roman Catholic Church? The Devil, through the medium of Apostates.

Orson Pratt

— Orson Pratt

Mormon apostle
The Seer, p. 225


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

— Bruce R. McConkie

Mormon apostle
"The Bible, a Sealed Book"
churchofjesuschrist.org


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:

An Apostle and Three Disciples

LDS scripture contradicts the allegation that Christianity suffered a complete apostasy.


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.

Holy Bible

— Jesus Christ


Matthew 16:18

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.

Holy Bible

— Jesus Christ


Matthew 28:19-20

I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.

Holy Bible

— Jesus Christ


John 14:16

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