Great Apostasy

According to LDS teaching, after the deaths of the original apostles, the divine authority and true organization of Christ’s church were lost from the earth. This condition remained until the restoration of priesthood authority through Joseph Smith in 1830. McKeever and Johnson summarize that Mormonism “was founded on the premise that the authority initially given to the apostles by Jesus Christ was lost until Joseph Smith restored true Christianity in 1830.”1

LDS leaders have also contrasted their belief in divine authority with that of other Christian denominations. President George Albert Smith stated, “The churches of the world are trying, in their way, to bring peace into the hearts of men. They are possessed of many virtues and many truths, and accomplish much good, but they are not divinely authorized. Neither have their priests been divinely commissioned. The Latter-day Saints are the only ones who bear the authority of our Heavenly Father to administer in the ordinances of the Gospel.”2

Biblical Interpretation and Debate

Evangelical scholars have contested the LDS teaching of a universal apostasy. Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson argue that while the New Testament warns about false teachers and partial apostasy, “a complete apostasy where God’s authority fully left the earth was never predicted or implied.” They note that 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, and 2 Peter 2:1 all warn of some falling away but not a total loss of divine truth. They further cite LDS scholar Charles R. Harrell, who acknowledges that the Mormon explanation “tends to overreach the New Testament texts,” observing that Paul predicted only that “some shall depart from the faith.”3

The Restoration and Its Implications

LDS teaching asserts that the restoration led by Joseph Smith was necessary because of this total apostasy. Through heavenly messengers, the lost priesthood authority was restored, granting the LDS Church exclusive legitimacy to perform essential ordinances such as baptism and confirmation. This belief forms the basis for the church’s missionary efforts and its claim to be “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.”4

References

  1. Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson, Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000), 94.

  2. George Albert Smith, quoted in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2011), 124–25.

  3. McKeever and Johnson, Mormonism 101, 97–98.

Generated from sources• Submit feedback