Source
Introduction
"When
individuals or groups of people turn away from the principles of the gospel,
they are in a state of apostasy.
"Periods
of general apostasy have occurred throughout the history of the world. After
times of righteousness, people have often turned to wickedness. One example is
the Great Apostasy, which occurred after the Savior established His Church.
After the deaths of the Savior and His Apostles, men corrupted the principles
of the gospel and made unauthorized changes in Church organization and
priesthood ordinances. Because of this widespread wickedness, the Lord withdrew
the authority of the priesthood from the earth.
"During
the Great Apostasy, people were without divine direction from living prophets.
Many churches were established, but they did not have priesthood power to lead
people to the true knowledge of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Parts of the
holy scriptures were corrupted or lost, and no one had the authority to confer
the gift of the Holy Ghost or perform other priesthood ordinances. This
apostasy lasted until Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son appeared to Joseph
Smith in 1820 and initiated the restoration of the fulness of the gospel" (True to the Faith, Apostasy).
The Great Apostasy
Was Predicted
"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: 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"
(Amos 8:11-12).
"Then
shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be
hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and
shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets
shall rise, and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:9-11).
"Take
heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy
Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath
purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall
grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own
selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after
them" (Acts 20:28-30).
"Now
we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our
gathering together unto him, 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. 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" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).
"Now
the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding
to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be
received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth" (1
Timothy 4:1-3).
"For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
"But
there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying
the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And
many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth
shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words
make merchandise of you" (2 Peter 2:1-3).
Details of the Great
Apostasy
"After
the death of Jesus Christ, wicked people persecuted the Apostles and Church
members and killed many of them. With the death of the Apostles, priesthood
keys and the presiding priesthood authority were taken from the earth. The
Apostles had kept the doctrines of the gospel pure and maintained the order and
standard of worthiness for Church members. Without the Apostles, over time the
doctrines were corrupted, and unauthorized changes were made in Church
organization and priesthood ordinances, such as baptism and conferring the gift
of the Holy Ghost.
"Without
revelation and priesthood authority, people relied on human wisdom to interpret
the scriptures and the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
False ideas were taught as truth. Much of the knowledge of the true character
and nature of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost was
lost. The doctrines of faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and the gift
of the Holy Ghost became distorted or forgotten. The priesthood authority given
to Christ’s Apostles was no longer present on the earth. This apostasy
eventually led to the emergence of many churches.
"After
centuries of spiritual darkness, truth-seeking men and women protested against
current religious practices. They recognized that many of the doctrines and
ordinances of the gospel had been changed or lost. They sought for greater
spiritual light, and many spoke of the need for a restoration of truth. They
did not claim, however, that God had called them to be a prophet. Instead, they
tried to reform teachings and practices that they believed had been changed or
corrupted. Their efforts led to the organization of many Protestant churches.
This Reformation resulted in an increased emphasis on religious freedom, which
opened the way for the final Restoration" (Preach My Gospel).
Key
Points (from Preach My Gospel):
• The Church of Jesus
Christ is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets (see Ephesians
2:19–20; 4:11–14). These leaders have divine priesthood authority. Through
revelation they direct the affairs of the Church. They maintain doctrinal
purity, authorize the administration of ordinances, and call and confer upon
others the priesthood authority.
• People rejected and
killed Jesus Christ and the Apostles (see Matthew 24:9; 1 Nephi 11:32–34; 2
Nephi 27:5). With the death of the Apostles, the presiding priesthood authority
was absent from the Church. Consequently, there was no longer authority to
confer the Holy Ghost or perform other saving ordinances. Revelation ceased,
and doctrine became corrupted.
• Even before the death
of the Apostles, many conflicts concerning doctrine arose. The Roman Empire,
which at first had persecuted the Christians, later adopted Christianity.
Important religious questions were settled by councils. The simple doctrines
and ordinances taught by the Savior were debated and changed to conform to
worldly philosophies (see Isaiah 24:5). They physically changed the scriptures,
removing plain and precious doctrines from them (1 Nephi 13:26–40). They
created creeds, or statements of belief, based on false and changed doctrine
(see Joseph Smith—History 1:19). Because of pride, some aspired to positions of
influence (see 3 John 1:9–10). People accepted these false ideas and gave honor
to false teachers who taught pleasing doctrines rather than divine truth (see 2
Timothy 4:3–4).
• Throughout history,
many people have sincerely believed false creeds and doctrines. They have
worshiped according to the light they possessed and have received answers to
their prayers. Yet they are “kept from the truth because they know not where to
find it” (D&C 123:12).
• Therefore, a
restoration, not a reformation, was required. priesthood authority did not
continue in an unbroken line of succession from the Apostle Peter. To reform is
to change what already exists; to restore is to bring back something in its
original form. Thus, restoration of priesthood authority through divine
messengers was the only possible way to overcome the Great Apostasy.
A Restoration
Foretold
"God
had foreseen the Apostasy and prepared for the gospel to be restored. The
Apostle Peter spoke of this to the Jews: “He shall send Jesus Christ, which
before was preached unto you: 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” (Acts 3:20–21).
"John
the Revelator had also foreseen the time when the gospel would be restored. He
said, “I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and
kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6)" (Gospel Principles,
The Church of Jesus Christ in Former Times).
For
more information about the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, see
For
more information about what needed to be restored, see
Guarding Against
Personal Apostasy
"Although
there will not be another general apostasy from the truth, we must each guard
against personal apostasy. You can safeguard yourself against personal apostasy
by keeping your covenants, obeying the commandments, following Church leaders,
partaking of the sacrament, and constantly strengthening your testimony through
daily scripture study, prayer, and service" (True to the Faith, Apostasy).
"If
the Saints who heard Paul had possessed a testimony of the value and the power
of the keys he held, perhaps the Apostles would not have had to be taken from
the earth" (Henry B. Eyring, October 2004 General Conference).
