Thought of the Day about Mormonism and the Great Apostasy

While putzin’ around on the internet this morning I came across what Mormons think of the Great Apostasy.  Now I’d love to just sit and read their info (seriously), but I find that my days aren’t filled with enough hours to do so.  However, this little clip of information stopped me in my tracks.

When I first read this I thought “oh no, someone’s posted bogus info about the Church because they wouldn’t have said this”…

I was wrong.

I looked in my Gospelink program and sure enough, the Mormon prophet Joseph Fielding Smith did indeed say there’s never been a complete apostasy.  Read here for yourself:

Answers to Gospel Questions 2:45; “Moreover, the Lord, of necessity, has kept authorized servants on the earth bearing the priesthood from the days of Adam to the present time; in fact, there has never been a moment from the beginning that there were not men on the earth holding the Holy Priesthood. (Moses 5:59.) Even in the days of apostasy, and apostasy has occurred several times, the Lord never surrendered this earth and permitted Satan to have complete control. Even when the great apostasy occurred following the death of the Savior’s apostles, our Father in heaven held control and had duly authorized servants on the earth to direct his work and to check, to some extent at least, the ravages and corruption of the evil powers. These servants were not permitted to organize the Church nor to officiate in the ordinances of the gospel, but they did check the advances of evil as far as the Lord deemed it necessary.”

This totally negates what Joseph said in his testimony and refutes the whole premise of what the Church was built upon.

Joseph Smith’s Testimony 1:18-20a; “My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.  19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”  20 He again forbade me to join with any of them…”

This scenario reminded me of a comment posted by an active Mormon on a pro-Mormon website about people who have ministries for Mormons.  Here’s part of his conversation and see for yourself how ironic this whole thing is.  This man doesn’t like “anti-Mormon” websites and believes that ministries and websites like this one should just stop what we’re doing.

“I don’t rail against your departure from the church, but I do rail against your refusal to leave the church alone. If you have left because you do not believe the doctrines, then go away. Why continue to rail against something you don’t believe? Leave it. Go away. You’ve made your choice.” http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/joannabrooks/5635/time_for_mormons_to_come_to_terms_with_church_history/?comments=view&cID=25147&pID=25078#c25147

My theory on his comment is that Joseph should’ve done what he’s accusing us of doing!  Because Joseph didn’t agree with what was going on around him, he should’ve just gotten over it.  Right?  We receive a lot of comments like the one listed above from not only Mormons but Christians too.  It perplexes us that people don’t see this correlation.

Secondly and most importantly, the Bible tells us to always be ready with a defense so here we are!  (1 Peter 3:15)  We will continue to raise questions as long as the Mormon Church continues to contradict not only the Bible, but themselves as well.  We are here and ready to do what God has commissioned us to do.

If Joseph had gone on his merry way we’d not be stuck with the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants or the Pearl of Great Price.  We also wouldn’t have to deal with the dozens of offshoots of Mormonism.