General Conference: April 2013 Saturday Afternoon Review, by Mike Thomas

I have picked out for comment some themes I see running through the Saturday afternoon session of the Mormon conference. The theme of families increasingly causes problems for them and I touch on the changes made in their new edition of the Scriptures, a subject I will be covering in more detail soon. Particularly interesting are the “dry” statistical reports which, if you know what to look for, can be very enlightening, not so much for what they say as for what they don’t say.

In May my church will hold its AGM where the financial accounts will be made available to members. We do this because the church is the people, not the building or the institution, and church leaders are servants of the people, the church, to whom we are accountable.

Mormon Statistics

The Saturday afternoon session began with the sustaining of church officers and a report from Robert W Cantwell, Managing Director of the Church Audit Report:

“Based upon audits performed, the Church Auditing Department is of the opinion that, in all material respects, contributions received, expenditures made, and assets of the Church have been recorded and administered in accordance with appropriate accounting practices, approved budgets, and Church policies and procedures.”

Short on detail this wouldn’t inspire confidence in anyone but a true believing Mormon. The Mormon Church was incorporated in Utah as early as 1851 by Brigham Young and has several tax-exempt corporations including the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organized in 1916 to handle property, the Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organised in 1823 to handle money and Intellectual Reserve Inc. organised in 1997 to handle intellectual rights.

While UK law requires limited companies to submit accounts to companies house for public scrutiny no such legal requirement is made in US law. Businessweek produced an interesting study on the subject in July 2012. The Mormon corporation, therefore, is accountable neither to the the public from whom it derives tax benefits nor to its own members whose money they collect and use. By comparison a telling state of affairs.

The statistical report was as opaque. When Brook P Hales, secretary to the first presidency, reports that as of 31 December 2012 there were 3005 stakes and 29,014 wards and branches of the church those are simple facts but significantly short on detail. For instance, of the 29,014 wards and branches 17506 are in the United States (including Canada), 5,617 are in South America. This leaves, according to their own newsroom stats, 5,891 across the rest of the world. This is still an American church.

When he reports that “total membership of the church was 14,782,473” he is not telling the whole story. Historically it has been shown that, across the board, as much as 2/3 of that number have no meaningful involvement, are “inactive.” You can read how this works out in an article I wrote back in 2009. The numbers have changed but the working of them remains more or less the same. You can get the most recent stats by following this link.

Mormons and Gays

December 2012 saw the launch of a Mormon website, mormonsandgays.org,  dedicated to open dialogue between the church and members experiencing same-sex attraction. It is worth noting, therefore, how much emphasis is placed on families in this session.

The nuclear family is the ideal for Mormons (Elder Richard G Scott). The missionary enterprise is represented as being the product of the nuclear family (Elder Russell M Nelson), with mum and dad, grandparents saving to send their children, and young couples preparing to serve as mission president and companion, older couples serving in retirement. The importance of mum and dad in raising children is emphasised and families can bless a local ward of the church (Elder Stanley G Ellis)

I hold the biblical view of marriage being between one man and one woman and, of course, Mormons have always emphasised families. “Families are forever” they say, referencing their controversial doctrine on the eternal nature of families based on the idea that God has a wife/wives and we are literally his children; you can read something about it here. But consider those in your church who are single for various reasons, perhaps divorced, never married, called to singleness, perhaps single parents, and how they would be made to feel if the nuclear family was preached as being only and always God’s plan.

David A Bednar of the twelve speaks of chastity outside marriage and the command to Adam and Eve to procreate as a sacred duty. A questionable use of 1 Cor.11:11, “Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord,” is marshalled to promote marriage relations as “the only authorised channel through which premortal spirits enter mortality.”

The use to which the text is put is questionable because it comes in the middle of a passage about conduct in public worship and equality of men and women before God and not marriage. Again, I believe that children are best raised in that family setting with a mum and dad. But the focus on marriage and procreation as sacred and eternal duties puts the emphasis on what men and women do and not on what God has done in Christ. It is also exclusive of so many for whom marriage and families are not practical, possible, or something to which they feel called.

The eternal family is the family of God and not the family of man. When we become Christians we are adopted into God’s family (Eph.1:5) and, while in this world God has placed many in earthly families, the family of God is for “whoever believes” (John 3:16) The Mormon/Gay initiative is laudable enough but sinners of all stripes need to be brought to Christ and not necessarily to marriage and parenthood.

Sherlock, Moriarty and Christian History’s 1800 year Black Hole

What most caught my attention was Elder John B Dickson’s talk, The Gospel to All the World. He gives a thrilling account of the early Christian Church, Jesus’ 40 day post-resurrection ministry (Acts 1:3), his commissioning of men to take the gospel out to the world (Mt.28:18-19), the revelation that included Jews and Gentiles as its recipients and Jesus’ words of commission:

He told them that, “. . . ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8)

…as well as the words of the angel on the Mount after Jesus’ ascension, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).

Elder Dickson declared, “We know that the gospel then went rapidly to the nations of the Gentiles.”

He goes on however, “… Now let us move 1,800 years forward to the time of the restoration of the gospel or the restitution of all things prior to the Second Coming.”

Having painted such a positive picture of the early Christian Church he, at a stroke, wiped out 1800 years of Christian history. God could not keep his church over a period of 1800 years when he had promised to keep it (Mt.16:18) and when he had kept Israel for more than twice that time? Christ’s commissioning, empowering and filling with the Holy Spirit of men and women of God to “go into all the world” somehow resulted in failure? The very thing they were sent to do they did but then there was a complete apostasy?

But where do Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty come into it?

That arch-villain and Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis Moriarty has become so integral to the canon of Holmes’ stories that most people think he is a primary figure in the great detective’s tales. The truth is Conan-Doyle invented him and put him in one story (The Final Problem) for the sole purpose of killing off Sherlock Holmes. He did such a good job in creating this character, however, people who don’t know better make him more. They imagine his influence reaches back beyond the one story in which he appears, filling in the gaps left by the fact he is actually not there.

In the same way, when a Mormon leader presents the idea of apostasy Mormons will happily fill in this black hole in Christian history with dark tales of corrupt Medieval popes and priests and general apostasy before Joseph Smith came along in 1820, never once realising that, as Moriarty was created for the sole purpose of killing Sherlock Holmes, so apostasy was introduced into the story solely to create a reason for Joseph Smith.

In Mormon teaching, once that hurdle has been got over, almost 2,000 years of Christian history can be ignored, all those teachers, preachers, commentators, reformers dismissed. The only subject for discussion is what happened post 1820. Church history for a Mormon is Mormon Church history.

They know nothing of Clement, Ignatius or Polycarp, Athanasius, Augustine, John Chrysostom. Nothing of church movements and initiatives in history (summed up only in that one, to a Mormon, desultory word “reformation”). Church councils are misrepresented as solely divisive and political, people like Wycliffe, Zwingli, Calvin, even Luther are mere names, no more than markers along the road to Joseph Smith.

Elder Dickson informs us, “From the time of the organization… in 1830 the Church has moved steadily across the world from nation to nation, culture to culture, people to people on the Lord’s calendar and in his time.” But he began by setting out the Lord’s calendar and saying it was all going according to God’s plan in “the Meridian of time.”

Think back on those statistics. In fact, if you took the first 180 years of the early Christian Church and compared it with the first 180 years of Mormonism the former had crossed and travelled outside a vast Roman Empire, becoming truly international. Christianity began as a Jewish sect but in that time established itself firmly in the Greek, Roman and Eastern worlds. Mormonism started as an American cult and is yet to establish a truly international presence, despite inflated claims to the contrary – an American religion even yet.

Africa!

Elder Dickson goes on, “Then in 1978 following the established pattern of revelation through the Senior Apostle, this time President Spencer W. Kimball, came the Revelation on Priesthood allowing all worthy males across the world to receive the priesthood and every blessing of the restored gospel…

… As a people West Africans believe in God, have absolutely no shame in declaring and sharing their belief with others and have tremendous leadership capacity.  They are coming into the Church by the hundreds and every week or so a couple of wards or branches are created somewhere in the Africa West Area with, in nearly every case, all African priesthood and auxiliary leadership.”

You might be aware that the Mormon Church has just this year released a new, “English edition of LDS scriptures, pointing to new wording about race and polygamy…” You can read about it in The Salt Lake Tribune. One of the most significant changes made was to the heading above the 1978 Declaration referred to:

“The Book of Mormon teaches that “all are alike unto God,” including “black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33). Throughout the history of the Church, people of every race and ethnicity in many countries have been baptized and have lived as faithful members of the Church. During Joseph Smith’s lifetime, a few black male members of the Church were ordained to the priesthood. Early in its history, Church leaders stopped conferring the priesthood on black males of African descent. Church records offer no clear insights into the origins of this practice. Church leaders believed that a revelation from God was needed to alter this practice and prayerfully sought guidance. The revelation came to Church President Spencer W. Kimball and was affirmed to other Church leaders in the Salt Lake Temple on June 1, 1978. The revelation removed all restrictions with regard to race that once applied to the priesthood.”

This has to be the most shameful piece of mendacity I have seen in a long time. If you want a clear account of what is behind this racist Mormon doctrine they are trying to dissemble over you can visit The Mormon Chapbook and read about Mormonism’s real secret doctrine.

But more telling perhaps than even this appalling misrepresentation of history is the admission that the Mormon Church, led by prophets, practiced and clearly taught this doctrine from 1848 through to 1978, 130 years out of its 180 year existence, without apparently knowing why! Their Scripture texts are clear on the issue, their traditional teaching is unequivocal, generations of Mormons (including me) could explain it in a five minute talk on a Sunday morning yet now it seems even prophets can’t explain it.

And so they celebrate their move into Africa, failing to tell the truth about how generations of Mormons, people and prophets alike, were taught to think of people of African descent as inferior and unworthy. I suppose the American dollar, the promise of prosperity and purpose on a continent so bereft of both is enough to make most people believe those nice American boys at their door and not ask too many questions. Not the fault of a sometimes desperate and ambitious continent but of an already well-fed and greedy for more corporation. Read more about Mormonism in Africa.

Mormonism’s “Living prophets”

As we anticipate the Mormon annual conference this coming weekend it is good to remember the message of Mormonism centres on “living prophets”.

John Taylor, third Mormon president, wrote, “the principle of present revelation…is the very foundation of our religion” (Journal of Discourses, p.371). Elder Joseph W. McMurrin was one of the First Seven Presidents of the First Council of the Seventy. In a General Conference address in April 1902 he said:

“…the same divine authority, the same inspiration that came from God, our Father, which enabled the Prophet Joseph Smith to speak of the future history of this work, is with the Israel of God today. A Prophet of God stands in the midst of the people now, clothed upon with every gift, key, power, and authority, that was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and that same inspiration, that same power to penetrate the future, to comprehend the purposes of the Almighty, is with the Priesthood that is in our midst today.”

In 1977 Spencer Kimball, 12^th Mormon president declared in a General Conference address, “I bear witness to the world today that more than a century and a half ago…the heavens were once again opened, and since that time revelations have been continuous.”

The missionary discussions present it in this way:

“One important way God shows His love for us is by calling prophets, who are given the priesthood – the power and authority given to man to act in God’s name for the salvation of His children. Prophets learn the gospel of Jesus Christ by revelation. They in turn teach the gospel to others…The teachings of the prophets are found in sacred books called scriptures.

Whenever people choose to disregard, disobey, or distort any gospel principle or ordinance, whenever they reject the Lord’s prophets…they distance themselves from God and begin to live in spiritual darkness. Eventually this leads to a condition called apostasy. When widespread apostasy occurs, God withdraws His priesthood authority to teach and administer the ordinances of the gospel.

To end each period of general apostasy, God has shown His love for His children by calling another prophet and giving him priesthood authority to restore and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ anew…Such periods of time headed by prophetic responsibility are called dispensations.

After the death of Jesus Christ, wicked people persecuted the Apostles and Church members and killed many of them. Without Apostles, over time the doctrines were corrupted…Without revelation and priesthood authority, people relied on human wisdom to interpret the scriptures…False ideas were taught as truth…The doctrines…became distorted or forgotten. This apostasy eventually led to the emergence of many churches.

When the circumstances were right, Heavenly father once again reached out to His children in love. He called a young man named Joseph Smith as a prophet. Through Him the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth….A living prophet directs the Church today” (Preach My Gospel, A Guide to Missionary Service, p.p.32-37, Pub. LDS Church, 2004, emphasis added).

The words of a Mormon hymn sum up well the typical Mormon’s attitude to this message:

“The morning breaks, the shadows flee; Lo, Zion’s standard is unfurled!

The dawning of a brighter day, Majestic rises on the world.”

Testing the Prophets

Using the teaching in the missionary lessons we might profitably test the prophets.

“The teachings of the prophets are found in sacred books called scriptures”

The Mormon Scriptures include the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, the Doctrine and Covenants(D&C), and the Bible. The D&C is what concerns us since the other three, while being scripture, are also historical documents pertaining to God’s dealings with people in the past. The D&C however is viewed as evidence that the heavens are open once more and that the church is led by living prophets. As the missionaries clearly teach “The teachings of the prophets are found in sacred books called scriptures”. If God speaks through prophets today it is here, or in even more additional “sacred books” that we should look for evidence that he does.

The D&C ends in the 19^th century, aside from section 138 which is purported to have been received in 1918 by Joseph F Smith, sixth Mormon Church president. The previous revelation in chronology, section 136, is dated January 1847, is given through Brigham Young, and concerns the organising of the saints to move westward. Young led the Mormons for another 30 years until his death in 1877, thirty of the most challenging and defining years in Mormon history, and yet nothing was added to the D&C to show that God was leading his people through a living prophet. There have been fourteen more prophets since then and yet no additional scripture is to be found, either in the D&C or any other additional work of “scripture”.

One would have thought, perhaps, that many volumes might exist by now showing that since the time of Joseph Smith “revelation has been continuous”. The Journal of Discourses (JOD), a 26 volume veritable encyclopaedia of early Mormon sermons and writings, seems to have been once regarded as filling the role. The Mormons refer to their official scriptures as Standard Works and the eight volume of the JOD (pub.1861) is prefaced with the following, written by George Q Cannon, ordained an apostle 1860:

“The Journal of Discourses deservedly ranks as one of the standard works of the church, and every right-minded Saint will certainly welcome with joy every Number as it comes forth from the press as an additional reflector of ‘the light that shines from Zion’s hill’.

We rejoice, therefore, in being able to present to the Saints another complete Volume – the Eight in the series; and, in doing so, we sincerely commend the varied and important instructions it contains to their earnest consideration.”

As time has passed the Mormon leadership has found the contents to be more embarrassing than instructional and it has been relegated to the role of historical curiosity. A recent correspondent, commenting on my use of the Journal, referred to it as “an obscure historical source”. It seems that the Mormon idea of continuous revelation being recorded in scripture has, itself, been relegated to history.

“A living prophet directs the Church today”

The prophet of the Mormon Church when I originally wrote this piece was Gordon B Hinckley. He was been prophet from 1995 to 2008. In that time he led the saints through a remarkable period of activity and growth, visiting members all over the world, more than doubling the number of temples, and raising the profile of the church. He was the busiest and most productive prophet the church has had for years. How does his record stand as prophet?

Teacher

We are told that a key role of the prophet is teacher. What can president Hinckley teach us about LDS doctrine?

“Brigham Young said if you went to Heaven and saw God it would be Adam and Eve. I don’t know what he meant by that.” Pointing to a grim-faced portrait of the Lion of the Lord, as Young was called, Hinckley said, “There he is, right there. I’m not going to worry about what he said about those things.” I asked whether Mormon theology was a form of polytheism. “I don’t have the remotest idea what you mean,” Hinckley said impatiently. – Hinckley Interview in “Lives of the Saint”, New Yorker, January 2002

Question: “There are some significant differences in your beliefs [and other Christian churches]. For instance, don’t Mormons believe that God was once a man?”
Hinckley: “I wouldn’t say that. There was a little couplet coined, ‘As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become.’ Now that’s more of a couplet than anything else. That gets into some pretty deep theology that we don’t know very much about.” Interviewing Gordon B. Hinckley, San Francisco Chronicle, April 13, 1997, p 3/Z1

Question: “Is this the teaching of the church today, that God the Father was once a man like we are?”

Hinckley: “I don’t know that we teach it. I don’t know that we emphasize it. I haven’t heard it discussed for a long time in public discourse. I don’t know. I don’t know all the circumstances under which that statement was made. I understand the philosophical background behind it. But I don’t know a lot about it and I don’t know that others know a lot about it.” Interviewing Gordon B. Hinckley, Time Magazine, Aug 4, 1997

From a interview Jan 29th, 2002 conducted by reporter Helmut Nemetschek, ZDF television, Germany, at Salt Lake City, Utah, in the Church Administration Building:
Question: “Until 1978 no person of color attained the priesthood in your church. Why it took so long time to overcome the racism?”

Hinckley: “I don’t know. I don’t know. (long pause) I can only say that. (long pause) But it’s here now. We’re carrying on a very substantial work on Africa for instance and in Brazil. We’re working among their people developing them.”

Question: “Now, Mr. President, one question which is a little bit complicated for me to understand but I heard it and one colleague asked me to ask you. What will be your position when DNA analysis will show that in history there never had been an immigration from Israel to North America? It could be that scientists will find out?”

GBH: “It hasn’t happened. That hasn’t been determined yet. All I can say is that’s speculative. No one really knows that, the answer to that. Not at this point.” Interview Jan 29th, 2002 conducted by reporter Helmut Nemetschek, ZDF television, Germany, at Salt Lake City, Utah, in the Church Administration Building.

“Beyond the wonderful and descriptive words found in sections 76 and 137 [D&C 76; D&C 137] we know relatively little concerning the celestial kingdom and those who will be there. At least some of the rules of eligibility for acceptance into that kingdom are clearly set forth, but other than that, we are given little understanding.”
“The next question you ask is why Eve was created from Adam. I can only respond that an all-wise Creator did it that way….”
“Now, Virginia, you call attention to the statement in the scriptures that Adam should rule over Eve. (See Gen. 3:16.) You ask why this is so. I do not know.” The Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, November 1991 Young Womens Conference, “Daughters of God,” (Ensign, Nov. 1991, Page 97)

Prophet, Seer, Revelator

A prophet is also one who “foretells the future”. What is the record of president Hinckley?

“I hope that prayer will take on a new luster in our lives. None of us knows what lies ahead. We may speculate, but we do not know.” The Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2001 General Conference “Till We Meet Again,” (Ensign, Nov. 2001, Page 89)

“Now we are at war. Great forces have been mobilized and will continue to be. Political alliances are being forged. We do not know how long this conflict will last. We do not know what it will cost in lives and treasure. We do not know the manner in which it will be carried out. It could impact the work of the Church in various ways.”
“No one knows how long it will last. No one knows precisely where it will be fought. No one knows what it may entail before it is over. We have launched an undertaking the size and nature of which we cannot see at this time.”
“I do not know what the future holds. I do not wish to sound negative, but I wish to remind you of the warnings of scripture and the teachings of the prophets which we have had constantly before us.”
“Now, I do not wish to be an alarmist. I do not wish to be a prophet of doom. I am optimistic. I do not believe the time is here when an all-consuming calamity will overtake us. I earnestly pray that it may not. There is so much of the Lord’s work yet to be done. We, and our children after us, must do it. I can assure you that we who are responsible for the management of the affairs of the Church will be prudent and careful as we have tried to be in the past. The tithes of the Church are sacred.” The Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Times in Which We Live,” October 2001 General Conference (Ensign, Nov. 2001, Page 72)

“Months ago I was invited to be interviewed by Mike Wallace, a tough senior reporter for the CBS 60 Minutes program, which is broadcast across America to more than 20 million listeners each week. I recognized that if I were to appear, critics and detractors of the Church would also be invited to participate. I knew we could not expect that the program would be entirely positive for us. … I concluded that it was better to lean into the stiff wind of opportunity than to simply hunker down and do nothing. It has been an interesting experience…”

“We have no idea what the outcome will be—that is, I don’t. We will discover this this evening when it is aired in this valley. If it turns out to be favorable, I will be grateful. Otherwise, I pledge I’ll never get my foot in that kind of trap again.” The Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, “Remember Thy Church, O Lord,” Spring 1996 General Conference, Ensign, May 1996, Page 82

The missionaries teach that, “Without revelation and priesthood authority, people relied on human wisdom.” What is the Mormon Church of today relying upon?

“At the close of one particularly difficult day, I looked up at a portrait of Brigham Young that hangs on my wall. I asked, “Brother Brigham, what should we do?” I thought I saw him smile a little, and then he seemed to say: ‘In my day, I had problems enough of my own. Don’t ask me what to do. This is your watch. Ask the Lord, whose work this really is.’

And this, I assure you, is what we do and must always do.”
“As I reflected on these matters that recent difficult day, I opened my Bible to the first chapter of Joshua and read these words: ‘Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee’ (Joshua 1:9). I said to myself: ‘There is never reason to despair. This is the work of God. Notwithstanding the efforts of all who oppose it, it will go forward as the God of heaven has designed it should do.’” The Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, Autumn 2003 General Conference, Sunday Morning Session

I can open my Bible and read what God has to say. I can comfort myself with biblical assurance. The question is “What has the living prophet got to say to me – today”? More to the point, what does God have to say to me today? Would it surprise you to find that the answer is found in the Bible?

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

(2 Timothy 3:14-17)

As you listen to those conference addresses this coming weekend remember that God’s word in Scripture enlightened and opened to our understanding by the Holy Spirit is the surest guide to our lives today as well as our hope for the future. Go to the sure Word of God and seek God’s wisdom (James 1:1-5).

The Great Apostasy? – By Vicky Gilpin

According to LDS Teachings there was a Great apostasy, a falling away from the truth. A time where the early Christian church disintegrated into nothing , and therefore according to LDS doctrine, leaving no priesthood authority upon the earth and leaving Christianity in a fallen state with no authority.

LDS Apostle B. H. Roberts wrote, “Saddening as the thought may seem, the Church founded by the labors of Jesus and His Apostles was destroyed from the earth; the Gospel was perverted; its ordinances were changed; its laws were transgressed; its covenant was, on the part of man, broken; and the world was left to flounder in the darkness of a long period of apostasy from God… a universal apostasy from the Christian doctrine and the Christian Church took place” (D.H.C., Vol. I, Introduction, pp. 39 and 41).

Apostle James Talmage said… ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims the restoration of the Gospel and the re-establishment of the Church as of old, in this, the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. Such restoration of re-establishment, with the modern bestowal of the Holy Priesthood, would be unnecessary and indeed impossible had the Church of Christ continued among men with unbroken succession of Priesthood and power since the ‘meridian of time.’ The restored Church affirms that a general apostasy developed during and after the Apostolic period, and that the primitive Church lost its power, authority, and graces as a divine institution, and degenerated into an earthly organization only… The evidence of the decline and final extinction of the primitive Church among men is found in scriptural record and in secular history (The Great Apostasy, by LDS Apostle James Talmage, Preface).

The LDS backs up its claims of apostasy with these verses, Amos 8:11-12, Isaiah 60:2,
Acts 20:29-30, Gal 1:6-9, 1 Tim 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 1:15, 2 Tim 3:1-5, 4:2-4, 2 Peter 2:1-3, Rev 3:14-17. None of these verses say there will be a total apostasy in the New Testament Church.

Let’s take a closer look at a couple of them,
Acts 20:28-30  28 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. 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

I’ve added in verse 28 here for context, and so that we can see that Paul is clearly speaking to the overseers of the church. In these verses Paul was speaking to the Ephesian Church which a decade or so later was indeed being ravaged from within by false teachers, even from among the elders themselves.

We can see this in these verses from Timothy…
1 Timothy 1:19-20 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

2 Timothy 2:17-18 17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

Lets look at another…
Galatians 1:6-9  6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
First off here, Paul is specifically talking to the Church in Galatia. Verse 7, ‘there be some that trouble you’ speaks of visiting preachers who had tried to persuade the Galatian church of the need for circumcision and obedience to the whole law as a means of Justification.

Galatians 4:17 17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them

Galatians 6:12 12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

Take the time to look at the other scriptures for yourself, looked at in context, are any of these verses speaking about a complete and utter apostasy of the Christian church? Looking at all of them together, do the sum of what these verses say, spell a total apostasy? Another verse Quoted by the LDS Church to say that there was an apostasy is:

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.

Verse 20, clearly speaks of the second coming of Christ, when Jesus shall be sent. Verse 21, says Heaven receives Jesus until the restitution of all things, again a clear reference to the second coming when Jesus will return.
What is the restitution of all things? Christ’s kingdom established upon the earth, even the earth itself being renewed.

Isaiah 65:17 17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Romans 8:20-21,“For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
Also see Isaiah 11:6-9

FAIR (The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research) uses these verses to explain that a restoration must come here.

Matthew 17:11, 11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. neglecting to add… 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”

Acts 1:6-7 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
neglecting to add… 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Jesus said he would build his Church upon a rock

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it,” (Matt. 16:18).

Who is the rock?

‘First of all, when we look at the Greek of Matthew 16:18 we see something that is not obvious in the English. “…you are Peter (πέτρος, petros) and upon this rock (πέτρα, petra) I will build My church…” In Greek nouns have gender. It is similar to the English words actor and actress. The first is masculine and the second is feminine. Likewise, the Greek word “petros” is masculine; “petra” is feminine. Peter, the man, is appropriately referred to as Petros. But Jesus said that the rock he would build his church on was not the masculine “petros” but the feminine “petra.” The feminine “petra” occurs four times in the Greek New Testament: (http://carm.org/is-peter-the-rock)

*Matthew 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter (petros), and upon this rock (petra) I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.”

*Matthew 27:60, “and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock (petra); and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.”

*1 Corinthians 10:4, “and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock (petras) which followed them; and the rock (petra) was Christ.”

*1 Peter 2:8, speaking of Jesus says that he is “A stone of stumbling and a rock (petra) of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.”

We can clearly see that in the three other uses of the Greek word petra (nominative singular; “petras” in 1 Cor. 10:4 is genitive singular) we find it referred to as a large immovable mass of rock in which a tomb is carved out (Matt. 27:60) and in reference to Christ (1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Pet. 2:8). Note that Peter himself in the last verse referred to petra as being Jesus! If Peter uses the word as a reference to Jesus, then shouldn’t we?

If the Church is built by Jesus with himself as the foundation, how can it fall?

Some other foundation verses…
Ephesians 2:20 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Isaiah 28:16 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

1 Corinthians 3:11 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:19 19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Luke 14:28-29 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

Would Jesus set out to build his Church and not first ‘count the cost,’ surely Jesus knew that if he set up his church and gave the priesthood authority, (see the previous post on this) to all the apostles, then they would eventually die out and he’d have to come and set his church up again! It says in this verse that those who set out to build and do not finish, (or what they have built is insufficient), are then mocked by all who behold it.

Look at this parable, spoken by Jesus himself! Surely we are to accept that Jesus is a wise builder, as we have already seen in Matthew 16:18, Jesus said he built the church upon a rock. In this parable Jesus is saying that when you build upon a rock, a sure foundation, when the floods come the house (or church) will stand.

Matthew 7:24-27 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

By saying that the Christian Church fell into a total Apostasy, the LDS Church is basically calling Jesus a fool, not able to adhere to his own teaching.

Ephesians 3:21 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
For the Church to have fallen into Apostasy, Pauls prayer here must not have been answered. Jesus also must not have received an answer to this prayer…

John 179-23 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.
15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — 23 I in them and you in me–so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Jesus says’s here, ‘as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world!’ How was Jesus sent into the world? With power and authority!
He also says in verse 20, that he is praying not just for them, (the believers of that time) but for those who will believe in him through their message! Who are they? They are the people who the believers directly witness to, but they are also those who read their message in Gods word and believe, they are the Christians of today.

Jesus in his prayer repeatedly speaks about Gods word…

6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.

7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

John 17:14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

We come to know God through the word he has given us, believing in the message of Jesus, accepting the sacrifice that he made for us, and trusting in this alone to save us. Being sanctified, through the truth, which is his word, resulting in good works.

2 Timothy 3:16 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Jesus has given us his word, the Bible, through which we are to attain truth, he says so himself in his prayer as we have just seen. He doesn’t speak of giving us his priesthood authority, but his word, his truth. This being the case would God alow the bible be distorted, loosing many precious parts as the LDS church teaches?

What authority do Christians have?
Matthew 28:16-20 16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Was Jesus only speaking to the eleven? ‘Teach all nations’! How would this be possible for the eleven? The only way for this verse to make sense is to say, that this verse applies not only to those who were present but to those who they would reach with Gods message, and so on, even applying to Christians today. In verse 20 Jesus says…and lo, I am with you even unto the very end of the world. Again clearly Jesus is not speaking only to the eleven or how would this be possible. Jesus is with his people, his Chuch, even to the very end of the world!

Our authority comes not of ourselves but through Jesus! He says in Verse 17, All power is given unto me….Go ye therefore! As Believers we have power and Authority through His name, not an authority apart from him. As a Father with a family Business would allow his Son to use the authorithy that His name carries. So Our Father allows his Children, those saved through trusting in the name of Jesus Christ to use the authority that that name carries.

Mark 16:17  17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Acts 4:10,12 …It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth… [12] Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Jesus says to the 70…
Luke 10

9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you
17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

Matthew28:20
Verse 20 is an interesting verse, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you! Many of teachings and Ordenances of the LDS church are simply not in the Bible. The LDS Church is believed to be the ‘restoration of all things’. The church restored to how they were in the times of Jesus. But is it? Did the early Christian church have wards and stakes? Temples and Temple recommends? In order for the LDS church to be true, there would simply have to have been an apostasy, and if there wasn’t, then the LDS Church can’t be true.

Sandra Tanner Explains Mormon Temples.

Below are the three parts to an interview with Sandra Tanner about the Mormon Temple rituals compared to the Old Testament Temples which is what the Mormon Church claims their temples are a modern day fulfilment of.

For those who dont know Sandra Tanner is a descendent of Brigham Young who left the Mormon church many years ago and since then has produced masses of information about the Mormon church. Their Ministry website www.utlm.org is probably the best website on the internet to see many aspects of the Mormon church you would never hear through official Church releases.