Transcript The Great Apostacy

Copy of PowerPoint Presentation:
www.gbwells.net
In the Beginning . . .

“In the beginning was the gospel preached through the
Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with
the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of
God. The same was in the beginning with God.” (JST John
1:1-2)

“Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the
Word, even the messenger of salvation– The light and the
Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into
the world, because the world was made by him, and in him
was the life of men and the light of men. (D&C 93:8-9.)

“In him was the gospel, and the gospel was the life, and the
life was the light of men;” (JST John 1:4)
The “Great Apostasy” followed the pattern that
had ended each previous dispensation. The very
first was in the time of Adam. Then came
dispensations of Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses,
and others. Each prophet had a divine
commission to teach of the divinity and the
doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ. In each age
these teachings were meant to help the people.
But their disobedience resulted in apostasy.
Thus, all previous dispensations were limited in
time and location. They were limited in time
because each ended in apostasy. They were
limited in location to a relatively small segment
of planet earth. (Nelson, Russell M., The Gathering of
Scattered Israel , CR October 2006.)
© 1992 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Adam “went to Adam-ondi-Ahman to offer
sacrifice.” Upon offering the sacrifice:
“an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying:
Why doest thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And
Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord
commanded me. And the angel spake, saying: This
thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only
Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and
truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in
the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call
upon God in the name of the Son for evermore.”
(Moses 5:7-8.)
“And He called upon our father Adam by His
own voice saying: I am God; I made the world,
and men before they were in the flesh. And He
also said unto him: If thou wilt turn unto me, and
hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent
of all thy transgressions, and be baptized even in
water in the name of mine Only Begotten Son
who is full of grace and truth which is Jesus
Christ, the only name which shall be given under
heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the
children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost, asking all things in His name and
whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you.”
(Moses 6:51-52.)
“Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all
men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in
nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no
unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his
presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of
Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only
Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a
righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian
of time.
“Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to
teach these things freely unto your children,
saying:
“That by reason of transgression cometh the fall,
which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were
born into the world by water, and blood, and the
spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a
living soul, even so ye must be born again into the
kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be
cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only
Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and
enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and
eternal life in the world to come, even immortal
glory; . . .
“And now, behold, I say unto you: This is the plan of
salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine
Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of
time.” (Moses 6:57-59, 62.)
“Adam also received the keys of the holy
Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God
directly from Jesus Christ, and he in turn
bestowed it upon his posterity. Priesthood
is probably the most important single item
in the Gospel. Without it the ordinances
could not be performed; neither could the
true Church be established. Therefore, in
the very beginning all the principles and
ordinances of the Gospel were administered
through the power of the Priesthood.”
Regarding this important subject, Joseph Smith proclaimed:
“The Priesthood was first given to Adam; he obtained
the First Presidency, and held the keys of it from
generation to generation. He obtained it in the
Creation, before the world was formed. . . . He had
dominion given him over every living creature. He is
Michael the Archangel, spoken of in the scriptures.
Then to Noah, who is Gabriel; he stands next in
authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of
God to this office, and was the father of all living in this
day, and to him was given the dominion. These men
held keys first on earth and then in heaven.” (Teachings
of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 157.)
Three years previous to the death of Adam, he called Seth, Enos,
Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, who were all
High Priests, with the residue of his posterity, who were righteous,
into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon
them his last blessing:
“And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed
Adam, and called him Michael the Prince, the Archangel.
“And the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto
him, I have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall
come of thee; and thou art a prince over them for ever.
“And Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation, and
notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the
Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto
the latest generation.
“These things were all written in the Book of Enoch, and are to be
testified of in due time. (D&C 107:53-57.)
© 1992 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints



Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam. (JST Jude
1:14.) Enoch’s father, Jared, “taught Enoch in all the ways of
God.” (JST Gen 6:22.)
“Enoch was twenty-five years old when he was ordained
under the hand of Adam; and he was sixty-five and Adam
blessed him.” (D&C 107:48.)
“And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son,
prophesy unto this people, and say unto them--Repent, for
thus saith the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my
fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have
waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes
cannot see afar off;” (Moses 6:27; JST Gen 6:26.)
“And as Enoch spake forth the words of God, the people trembled,
and could not stand in his presence. And he said unto them:
Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we
are made partakers of misery and woe. Behold Satan hath come
among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him;
and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut
out from the presence of God. But God hath made known unto our
fathers that all men must repent. And he called upon our father
Adam by his own voice, saying: I am God; I made the world, and
men before they were in the flesh. And he also said unto him: If
thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe,
and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in
water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace
and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be
given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the
children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking
all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be
given you.” (Moses 6:47-52.)



“And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God,
and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the
word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled,
even according to his command; and the rivers of water were
turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out
of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was
the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language
which God had given him.” (Moses 7:13.)
“And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the
people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city
that was called the City of Holiness, even ZION.” (Moses 7:19.)
“And Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in
the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that Zion was not, for God
received it up into his own bosom; and from thence went forth the
saying, ZION IS FLED.” (Moses 7:69.)
© 1992 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints



And it came to pass that Methuselah, the son of
Enoch, was not taken, that the covenants of the Lord
might be fulfilled, which he made to Enoch; for he
truly covenanted with Enoch that Noah should be of
the fruit of his loins.” (Moses 8:2; JST Gen 7:79.)
Enoch was sixty-five when his son Methuselah was
born. [“And Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begat
Methuselah.” (Moses 6:25.)]
“Methuselah was one hundred years old when he
was ordained [to the Priesthood] under the hand of
Adam. (D&C 107:50.) “Noah was ten years old when
he was ordained under the hand of Methuselah.”
(D&C 107:52.)
 “And
the Lord ordained Noah after his
own order, and commanded him that he
should go forth and declare his Gospel
unto the children of men, even as it was
given unto Enoch.” (Moses 8:19.)
 “And
it came to pass, that Noah
prophesied, and taught the things of God,
even as it was in the beginning.” (JST
Gen 8:4.)
“And it came to pass that Noah continued
his preaching unto the people, saying:
Hearken, and give heed unto my words;
Believe and repent of your sins and be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, even as our fathers, and ye shall
receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all
things made manifest; and if ye do not this,
the floods will come in upon you;
nevertheless they hearkened not.” (Moses
8:23-24)
© 1992 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
“I sought for the blessings of the fathers,
and the right whereunto I should be
ordained to administer the same; having
been myself a follower of righteousness,
desiring also to be one who possessed
great knowledge, and to be a greater
follower of righteousness, and to possess a
greater knowledge, and to be a father of
many nations, a prince of peace, and
desiring to receive instructions, and to keep
the commandments of God, I became a
rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right
belonging to the fathers.” (Abr 1:2)
“Abraham received the priesthood from
Melchizedek, who received it through the
lineage of his fathers, even till Noah; And
from Noah till Enoch, through the lineage
of their fathers; And from Enoch to Abel,
who was slain by the conspiracy of his
brother, who received the priesthood by
the commandments of God, by the hand
of his father Adam, who was the first
man.” (D&C 84:14-16.)
Abraham was taught about the Savior and His mission:

“Abraham was a great prophet who desired
righteousness and was obedient to all of the
commandments he received from God, including the
command to offer as a sacrifice his precious son, Isaac.
Because of his steadfastness and obedience, Abraham
is often referred to as the father of the faithful, and
Heavenly Father established a covenant with and
promised great blessings to Abraham and his
posterity.” (David A. Bednar, “Becoming a Missionary,” CR
October 2005.)

The Book of Mormon Prophet Jacob tells us that the
command received by Abraham to sacrifice his son
Isaac was “a similitude of God and his Only Begotten
Son.” (Jacob 4:5.)
As descendants of Abraham, the tribes of
ancient Israel had access to priesthood
authority and blessings of the gospel, but
eventually the people rebelled. They
killed the prophets and were punished
by the Lord. Ten tribes were carried
captive into Assyria. From there they
became lost to the records of mankind.”
(Nelson, Russell M., The Gathering of Scattered Israel , CR October
2006)
© 2002 Brigham Young University
“[T]he Lord took Moses up on a high mountain and
there revealed to him how the earth came into
existence, and also told him about our father Adam in
the garden of Eden, how he fell from grace, and
furthermore that the gospel that we are preaching here
today, and in which we rejoice at the present time, was
preached to Adam in the beginning, and did not come
into existence in the meridian of time. John was not the
first man who baptized, but Adam was taught the
principle of baptism. The gospel, as we receive it now,
and as we understand it, was revealed to father Adam,
was revealed to Enoch and Noah, was preached to
Abraham, and was known in part in the days of Moses.”
(Elder Andrew Jenson, Conference Report, April 1924, Third Day-Morning
Session, p.130.)
“Moses . . . received the higher Priesthood, which
holds the keys of receiving revelations from
God for the government of His affairs among the
children of men, and without which Priesthood,
the Lord has said the power of Godliness is not
manifest unto men in the flesh. But Moses
honored this Priesthood, and he sought to
sanctify all his people . . . that they might come to
a higher standard in the enjoyment of the
Gospel, and the authority and power of the holy
Priesthood. He sought to sanctify them that they
might have the manifestations of the glory of
God, and he sought to promote them to that
standard,
but when he went up to commune with the Lord on Mount Sinai, he had to
draw a boundary line, and say to them that they should not pass over it
because of their unworthiness; and he went up and communed
with the Lord, and he received the mind and will of the Lord; and
when he came down to communicate it to the House of Israel, they
could not look upon his countenance, because it shone with the
Spirit of God it shone with that power of Godliness which was
reflected through the Priesthood which the Prophet Moses held;
but they could not be sanctified, for the reason that they rejected
the higher law of the Gospel, which had been delivered to the
Prophet Moses and through which he sought to sanctify them. As
they were unworthy to continue in these higher blessings the Lord
decreed that they should continue in the ordinances of the Lesser
Priesthood the administration of sacrifices, symbolical of the
sacrifice of the Son of God for the redemption of mankind. He was
called to do that work; to stand at the head of the House of Israel; a
man that was called of God by revelation a man that had been
faithful. (Elder Matthias F. Cowley, Conference Report, October 1898,
First Day-Morning Session.)
“Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the
wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that
they might behold the face of God; But they hardened their
hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the
Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them,
swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the
wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. Therefore,
he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood
also; And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood
holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the
preparatory gospel; Which gospel is the gospel of
repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and
the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his
wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the
children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being
filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb.” (D&C
84:23-27)
“These great
prophets taught the
gospel of Jesus
Christ as plainly as
did Jesus himself.
But in the Meridian
of Time Jesus came.
He came not only to
teach the gospel, but
also to be the
Redeemer of the
world.” (Elder Marion G.
Romney, Conference Report, April 1955,
Morning Session, p. 32.)
“And the same word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as
of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. John [the Baptist] bear witness of him,
and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake;
He who cometh after me, is preferred before me;
for he was before me. For in the beginning was
the Word, even the Son, who is made flesh, and
sent unto us by the will of the Father. And as
many as believe on his name shall receive of his
fullness. And of his fullness have all we received,
even immortality and eternal life, through his
grace.” (JST John 1:14-16.)
“With deep solemnity, and as a soul-searching test for
which the Twelve had been in unconscious preparation
through many months of close and privileged
companionship with their Lord, Jesus asked of them:
‘But whom say ye that I am?’ Answering for all, but
more particularly testifying as to his own conviction,
Peter, with all the fervor of his soul, voiced the great
confession: ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God.’ This was no avowal of mere belief, no expression
of a result at which he had arrived by mental process,
no solution of a problem laboriously worked out, no
verdict based on the weighing of evidence; he spoke in
the sure knowledge that knows no question and from
which doubt and reservations are as far removed as is
the sky from the ground. . . . [James E. Talmage]
“‘And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art
thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.’
Peter’s knowledge, which was also that of his brethren,
was of a kind apart from all that man may find out for
himself; it was a divine bestowal, in comparison with
which human wisdom is foolishness and the treasure of
earth but dross. Addressing Himself further to the first
of the apostles, Jesus continued: ‘And I say also unto
thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build
my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou
shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’ . . . [James
E. Talmage]
“Through direct revelation from God
Peter knew that Jesus was the Christ; and
upon revelation, as a rock of secure
foundation, the Church of Christ was to
be built. (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ (1981),
pp. 361-362.)
Elder James E. Talmage (Jesus the Christ (1981),
pp. 370-372):
“Jesus took Peter, James, and John and with
them ascended a high mountain, where they
would be reasonably safe from human
intrusion. There the three apostles
witnessed a heavenly manifestation, which
stands without parallel in history; in our
Bible captions it is known as the
Transfiguration of Christ.
“One purpose of the Lord’s retirement was that of prayer,
and a transcendent investiture of glory came upon Him as
He prayed. The apostles had fallen asleep, but were
awakened by the surpassing splendor of the scene, and
gazed with reverent awe upon their glorified Lord. ‘The
fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was
white and glistering.’ His garments, though made of earthwoven fabric, ‘became shining, exceeding white as snow; so
as no fuller on earth can white them’; ‘and his face did shine
as the sun.’ Thus was Jesus transfigured before the three
privileged witnesses.
“With Him were two other personages, who also were in a
state of glorified radiance, and who conversed with the Lord.
These, as the apostles learned . . . were Moses and Elias, or
more literally to us, Elijah; . . .
“The sublime and awful solemnity of the
occasion had not yet reached its climax.
Even as Peter spake, ‘behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them: and behold a voice out
of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye
him.’ It was Elohim, the Eternal Father, who
spake; and at the sound of that voice of
supreme Majesty, the apostles fell prostrate.
Jesus came and touched them, saying,
‘Arise, and be not afraid.’ When they looked
they saw that again they were alone with
Him. . . .
Aside from the proclamation of the Son’s divine
nature, the Father’s words were otherwise
decisive and portentous. Moses, the promulgator
of the law, and Elijah the representative of the
prophets and especially distinguished among
them as the one who had not died, had been
seen ministering unto Jesus and subservient to
Him. The fulfillment of the law and the
superseding of the prophets by the Messiah was
attested in the command-Hear ye Him. A new
dispensation had been established, that of the
gospel, for which the law and the prophets had
been but preparatory. The apostles were to be
guided neither by Moses nor Elijah, but by Him,
their Lord, Jesus the Christ. . . .
It becomes clear to us from nonbiblical sources
that the ordinances of exaltation were available
to the Lord’s disciples in the meridian of time.
President Heber C. Kimball taught that the
temple endowment available to us in our present
dispensation is the same, in principle, as was
available in the ancient Church of Jesus Christ.
He also said that Jesus “was the one that inducted
his Apostles into these ordinances” . . . President
Joseph Fielding Smith and Elder Bruce R.
McConkie stated their belief that Peter, James,
and John received the endowment on the Mount
of Transfiguration. (Pace, “What It Means to Know
Christ,” p. 51.)
Heber C. Kimball:
Think of your holy endowments and what
you have been anointed to become, and
reflect upon the blessings which have
been placed upon you, for they are the
same in part that were placed upon Jesus;
he was the one that inducted his Apostles
into these ordinances; . . .” (Journal of
Discourses, Vol. 10, p. 241.)
Joseph Fielding Smith:
“There could be no baptisms or endowments or any other work
for the dead before the death of Jesus Christ. He it was who
carried the message of the gospel to the dead and bridged the
gulf spoken of in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. He it
was who, in fulfillment of the prophets, opened the door of the
prison house and permitted the prisoners to come free. Until that
time the dead were waiting for their salvation or redemption,
which should come through the blood of Christ.
“The disciples in that day did have the keys for this work. These
keys were given to Peter, James, and John on the mount when they
received this power from Elias and Moses, the latter conferring the
keys of the gathering of Israel. Christ told these three men, who I
believe received their endowments on the mount, that they were
not to mention this vision and what had taken place until after he
was resurrected. Therefore, the exercise of this authority had to
wait until Christ had prepared the way.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation,
edited by Bruce R. McConkie, Vol. 2, pp. 164-165.)
“Prior to His Crucifixion, the Lord Jesus Christ
had established His Church. It included apostles,
prophets, seventies, teachers, and so forth. And
the Master sent His disciples into the world to
preach His gospel. After a time the Church as
established by the Lord fell into spiritual decay.
His teachings were altered; His ordinances were
changed. The Great Apostasy came as had been
foretold by Paul, who knew that the Lord would
not come again ‘except there come a falling away
first.’” (Nelson, Russell M., The Gathering of Scattered Israel ,
CR October 2006)
“The period of apostolic ministry continued until
near the close of the first century of our era,
approximately sixty to seventy years from the
time of the Lord’s ascension. . . . The final
ministry of John [the Revelator] marked the close
of the apostolic administration in the Primitive
Church. His fellow apostles had gone to their
rest, most of them having entered through the
gates of martyrdom, . . . . Even while many of the
apostles lived and labored, the seed of apostasy
had taken root in the Church and had grown with
the rankness of pernicious weeds.” (James E.
Talmage, Jesus the Christ (1981), pp. 716-717.)
“When Constantine the Great came to the throne in the
first quarter of the fourth century, a radical change was
inaugurated in the attitude of the state toward the
church. The emperor straightway made the so-called
Christianity of the time the religion of his realm; and
zealous devotion to the church became the surest
recommendation to imperial favor. But the church was
already in great measure an apostate institution and
even in crude outline of organization and service bore
but remote resemblance to the Church of Jesus Christ,
founded by the Savior and builded through the
instrumentality of the apostles. Whatever vestiges of
genuine Christianity may have possibly survived in the
church before, were buried beyond the sight of man by
the abuses that followed the elevation of the churchly
organization to secular favor through the decree of
Constantine.
The emperor, even though unbaptized, made
himself the head of the church, and priestly office
was more sought after than military rank or state
preferment. The spirit of apostasy, by which the
church had become permeated before
Constantine threw about it the mantle of imperial
protection and emblazoned it with the insignia of
state, now was roused to increased activity as the
leaven of Satan’s own culture flourished under
the conditions most favorable for such fungoid
growth.” (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ (1981), p.
746.)
The Roman pontiff exercised secular as well as
spiritual authority; and in the eleventh century
arrogated to himself the title of Pope, signifying
Father, in the sense of paternal ruler in all things.
During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the
temporal authority of the pope was superior to
that of kings and emperors; and the Roman
church became the despotic potentate of nations,
and an autocrat above all secular states. Yet this
church, reeking with the stench of worldly
ambition and lust of dominance, audaciously
claimed to be the Church established by Him
who affirmed: ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’”
(James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ (1981), p. 747.)
“In her unrestrained abandon to the license of
arrogated authority, the Church of Rome hesitated not
to transgress the law of God, change the ordinances
essential to salvation, and ruthlessly break the
everlasting covenant, thereby defiling the earth even as
Isaiah had foretold. She altered the ordinance of
baptism, destroying its symbolism and associating with
it imitations of pagan rites; she corrupted the
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper and befouled the
doctrine thereof by the vagary of transubstantiation;
she assumed to apply the merits of the righteous to the
forgiveness of the sinner in the unscriptural and wholly
repellent dogma of supererogation; she promoted
idolatry in most seductive and pernicious forms; she
penalized the study of the holy scriptures by the
people at large;
she enjoined an unnatural state of celibacy upon her
clergy; she revelled in unholy union with the theories
and sophistries of men, and so adulterated the simple
doctrines of the gospel of Christ as to produce a creed
rank with superstition and heresy; she promulgated
such perverted doctrines regarding the human body as
to make the divinely formed tabernacle of flesh appear
as a thing fit only to be tortured and condemned; she
proclaimed it an act of virtue insuring rich reward to lie
and deceive if thereby her own interests might be
subserved; and she so thoroughly departed from the
original plan of Church organization as to make of
herself a spectacle of ornate display, fabricated by the
caprice of man.” (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ (1981), p.
748.)
“In the early Church, baptism was administered on
profession of faith and evidence of repentance, and was
performed by immersion at the hands of one invested with
the requisite authority of priesthood. . . .
“In the second century, however, priestly mandate had
restricted the baptismal ordinance to the times of the two
Church festivals, Easter and Whitsuntide, the first being the
anniversary of Christ’s resurrection, and the second the time
of Pentecostal celebration. A long and tedious course of
preparation was required of the candidate before his
eligibility was admitted; during this time he was known as a
catechumen, or novice in training. According to some
authorities a three years’ course of preparation was required
in all but exceptional cases.
“During the second century the baptismal symbolism of a new
birth was emphasized by many additions to the ordinance; thus the
newly baptized were treated as infants and were fed milk and
honey in token of their immaturity. As baptism was construed to
be a ceremony of liberation from the slavery of Satan, certain
formulas used in the freeing of slaves were added. Anointing with
oil was also made a part of the ceremony. In the third century the
simple ordinance of baptism was further encumbered and
perverted by the ministrations of an exorcist. This official indulged
in ‘menacing and formidable shouts and declamation’ whereby the
demons or evil spirits with which the candidate was supposed to
be afflicted were to be driven away. ‘The driving out this demon
was now considered as an essential preparation for baptism, after
the administration of which the candidates returned home,
adorned with crowns, and arrayed in white garments, as sacred
emblems,-the former of their victory over sin and the world; the
latter of their inward purity and innocence.’ It is not difficult to see
in this superstitious ceremony the evidence of pagan adulteration
of the Christian religion. . . .(James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy,
p.117-119.)
Blessing the water in the baptismal font:
“May this holy and innocent creature (the water) be
free from all the assaults of the enemy, and purified by
the destruction of all his malice. May it be a living
fountain, a regenerating water, a purifying stream: that
all those who are to be washed in this saving bath may
obtain, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, the grace of
a perfect purification. Therefore I bless thee, O creature
of water, by the living God, by the true God, by the holy
God, by that God who in the beginning separated thee
by his word from the dry land, whose Spirit moved over
thee . . . Do thou with my mouth bless thee clear waters:
that besides their natural virtue of cleansing the body,
they may also be effectual for the purifying of the soul.”
(Paul Matthews, “Basic Errors of Catholicism,” (1952), p. 75.)


“The form or mode of baptism also underwent a radical
change during the first half of the third century,-a change
whereby its essential symbolism was destroyed. Immersion,
typifying death followed by resurrection, was no longer
deemed an essential feature, and sprinkling with water was
allowed in place thereof. No less an authority than Cyprian,
the learned bishop of Carthage, advocated the propriety of
sprinkling in lieu of immersion in cases of physical
weakness; and the practice thus started, later became
general.” (James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy, p. 119.)
The Catholic church performs baptisms by sprinkling,
pouring, or immersion. (Cardinal James Gibbons, “The Faith of our
Fathers,” (1917), p. 228.) In addition, “infant baptism originated
in the Catholic dogma of original sin.” (Paul Matthews, “Basic
Errors of Catholicism,” (1952), p. 73.)
“You can buy anything in this world for money.”
In illustration of the indulgences as sold in Germany
in the sixteenth century, we have the record of the
doings of John Tetzel, agent of the pope, who traveled
about selling forgiveness of sins. . . . The people
believed that the moment any person had paid the
money for the indulgence he became certain of his
salvation; and that the souls for whom the
indulgences were bought, were instantly released
out of purgatory. John Tetzel boasted that he had
saved more souls from hell by his indulgences than
St. Peter had converted to Christianity by his
preaching. He assured the purchasers of them, their
crimes, however enormous, would be forgiven.”
(James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy, p. 137.)
While indulgences had been used for centuries
to raise money for the church, Pope Urban II
raised them to a new level when he issued the
first Crusade Indulgence: “‘If any man sets out to
free the Church of God at Jerusalem out of pure
devotion and not out of love for glory or gain, the
journey shall be accounted as compete penance
on his part.” The pope “granted an indulgence,
or free pardon from the punishment due to sin, to
all Crusaders, which was equivalent to a lifetime
of hard penance. For hard-boiled and violent
men in a world much preoccupied with sin and
its consequences, this was a powerful incentive.”
(Eamon Duffy, Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes (2nd
ed., 2001), p. 136-137.)
© 1992 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
“The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper has
been regarded as an essential ordinance
from the time of its establishment in the
Church of Jesus Christ. Yet in spite of its
sanctity it has undergone radical alteration
both as to its symbolism and its accepted
purpose. The sacrament, as instituted by the
Savior and as administered during the days
of the apostolic ministry, was as simple as it
was sacred and solemn. Accompanied by
the true spirit of the gospel its simplicity
was sanctifying; . . .
“as interpreted by the spirit of apostasy its simplicity
became a reproach. Hence we find that in the third
century, long sacramental prayers were prescribed,
and much pomp was introduced. Vessels of gold and
silver were used by such congregations as could
afford them, and this with ostentatious display. Nonmembers and members “who were in a penitential
state” were excluded from the sacramental service-in
imitation of the exclusiveness accompanying
heathen mysteries. Disputation and dissension arose
as to the proper time of administering the sacramentmorning, noon, or evening; and as to the frequency
with which the ordinance should be celebrated.”
(James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy, p.120.)
“At a later date the doctrine of Transubstantiation
was established as an essential tenet of the
Roman Church. This briefly summarized, is to
the effect that the species, i.e., the bread and
wine used in the sacrament, lose their character
as mere bread and wine, and become in fact the
flesh and blood of the crucified Christ. The
transmutation is assumed to take place in such a
mystical way as to delude the sense; and so,
though actual flesh and actual blood, the
elements still appear to be bread and wine.”
(James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy, p.120.)
The consecrated emblems, or ‘host,’ being regarded as
the actual flesh and blood of Christ, were adored as of
themselves divine. Thus, ‘a very pernicious practice of
idolatry was connected with the reception of this
doctrine. Men fell down before the consecrated host,
and worshiped it as God; and the novelty, absurdity,
and impiety of this abomination very much struck the
minds of all men who were not dead to a sense of true
religion.’ ... The celebration of the mass is taught to be
an actual though mystic sacrifice, in which the Son of
God is daily offered up anew as a constantly recurring
atonement for the present sins of the assembled
worshipers. . . . The perversion of the sacrament is
evidence of departure from the spirit of the gospel of
Christ, and when made an essential dogma of a church
is proof of the apostate condition of that church.” (James E.
Talmage, The Great Apostasy, p.122.)
By the twelfth century in the Western
Church, “the laity dared approach the
Lord’s table only very infrequently,
perhaps once a year at Easter, otherwise
leaving their priest to take the bread and
wine while they watched in reverence.
Even when laypeople did come up to the
altar, they received only the bread and
not the wine . . .” (Diarmaid MacCulloch, The
Reformation: A History (2003), p. 11.)
The ordinances of baptism, confirmation,
the sacrament, etc., are referred to as
Sacraments in the Catholic Church. As
such, the ordinance of the Sacrament is
distinguished as The Sacrament of the
Holy Eucharist. It is now encompassed
by four dogmas:



Real Presence: The bread and water are the
literal flesh and the literal blood of Jesus Christ
Transubstantiation: The transformation from
merely bread and water occurs when the priest
consecrates the emblems of the bread and water.
The Sacrifice of the Mass: Because of the
transubstantiation, at each “mass” or sacrament,
Christ is offered again very much as He was on
the cross.

Communion Under One Kind:
“The [Catholic] church teaches that Christ is contained
whole and entire under each species; so that whoever
communicates under the form of bread or wine receives not
a mutilated Sacrament or a divided Savior, but shares in the
whole Sacrament as fully as if he participated in both forms.
Hence, the layman who receives the “consecrated Bread
partakes as copiously of the body and blood of Christ as the
officiating Priest, who receives both consecrated elements.”
(Cardinal James Gibbons, “The Faith of our Fathers,” (1917),
p. 245.)
(Paul Matthews, “Basic Errors of Catholicism,” (1952), pp. 8290.)
© 1992 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

“The use of olive oil for the anointing of the sick was
in vogue in the Church of Jesus Christ of former days.
James says: “Is any sick among you? let him call for
the elders of the church; and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And
the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up: and if he have committed sins,
they shall be forgiven him.” (Joseph Fielding Smith,
Doctrines of Salvation, edited by Bruce R. McConkie, Vol. 3:, p.
182.)

This practice was changed to the Sacrament of the
Extreme Unction, which was given “preparation to
death.” (Paul Matthews, “Basic Errors of Catholicism,” (1952), p.
102.)
© 1992 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 The “monastic
celibacy rule was extended
to the rest of the non-monastic secular
priesthood. Celibacy became officially
universal in the West for secular as well as
regular clergy after the second general
Church Council . . . in 1139.” (Diarmaid
MacCulloch, The Reformation: A History (2003), p. 28.)

Any concept of eternal marriage was
abandoned and any male who received the
“priesthood” was forbidden to marry.
“I believe the Bible as it read when it
came from the pen of the original writers.
Ignorant translators, careless
transcribers, or designing and corrupt
priests have committed many errors.”
(Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.
327.)
“And
the angel of the Lord said unto me: Thou hast beheld that
the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it
proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the
fulness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles
bear record; and they bear record according to the truth which
is in the Lamb of God. . . .
And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the
Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation
of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable
above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away
from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and
most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they
taken away.
And all this have they done that they might pervert the right
ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the
hearts of the children of men. (1 Ne 13:24-27.)
“We neither need to nor should look later
than the second century for these changes.
By the early second century, Christianity
had fragmented into dozens of splinter
groups with each group charging that the
other possessed both forged and corrupted
texts.”
(John Gee, “The Corruption of Scripture in Early
Christianity,” in Noel B. Reynolds (ed.), Early Christians
in Disarray: Contemporary LDS Perspectives on the
Christian Apostasy, pp. 163-164.)
“Tertullian was a lawyer who lived at the end of the second
century. He was a prolific author and the first Christian father to
write in Latin. Tertullian wrote against many of the Christian sects
in his day . . .. He claimed there was ‘proof of the Gospel ... having
become meanwhile adulterated.’ Tertullian notes that a Christian
sect of his day ‘does not receive certain Scriptures; and whichever
of them it does receive, it perverts by means of additions and
diminutions, for the accomplishment of it[s] own purpose; and
such as it does receive, it receives not in their entirety; but even
when it does receive any up to a certain point as entire, it
nevertheless perverts even these by the contrivance of diverse
interpretations.’ One of the sects that Tertullian deals with is that
of Marcion, a Christian leader in the early second century who
accepted Paul and a modified form of Luke, but rejected all other
Christian scriptures. Tertullian specifically claims that ‘Marcion
expressly and openly used the knife, not the pen, since he made
such an excision of the Scriptures as suited his own subjectmatter,’ and that ‘Marcion seems to have singled out Luke for his
mutilating process.”
“Another sect that Tertullian writes about is the Valentinians,
named after Valentinus, a mid-second century Christian
leader who almost became bishop of Rome. Tertullian also
claims that although Valentinus ‘seems to use the entire
volume, he has none the less laid violent hands on the truth
only with a more cunning mind and skill than Marcion,’ for
although he ‘abstained from such excision, because he did
not invent Scriptures to square with his own subject-matter,
but adapted his matter to the Scriptures; and yet he took
away more, and added more, by removing the proper
meaning of every particular word, and adding fantastic
arrangements of things which have no real existence.’”
(John Gee, “The Corruption of Scripture in Early Christianity,” in Noel B.
Reynolds (ed.), Early Christians in Disarray: Contemporary LDS
Perspectives on the Christian Apostasy, pp. 170-171.)
“Toward the end of the second century, a
text attributed to Clement of Alexandria
notes that the Carpocratians changed
scripture to sanction their own
homosexual and other immoral
practices.”
(John Gee, “The Corruption of Scripture in Early
Christianity,” in Noel B. Reynolds (ed.), Early Christians
in Disarray: Contemporary LDS Perspectives on the
Christian Apostasy, p. 183.)


Some of the “mistranslations of the Old Testament were
more comic than important. One of the most curious was at
Exodus 34, where the Hebrew describes Moses’ face as
shining when he came down from Mount Sinai with the
tablets of the Ten Commandments. Jerome [Vulgate],
mistaking particles of Hebrew, had turned this into a
descriptions of Moses wearing a pair of horns – and so the
Lawgiver is frequently depicted in the art of the Western
Church, even after humanists had gleefully removed the
horns from the text of Exodus.” (Diarmaid MacCulloch, The
Reformation: A History (2003), p. 82.)
“And when Moses came down from the mount Sinai, he held
the two tablets of the testimony, and he knew not that his
face was horned from the conversation of the Lord.”
“It was as hard to determine by worldly wisdom
which books should be included in the Bible as it is
to gain, from that same uninspired source, a sure
knowledge of the verity with which any given
passage is translated. Those who compiled the
books of the Bible were neither prophets nor seers
nor revelators. They were simply men who made
their choices, not by the power of the Spirit, but by
the power of the intellect. Those books in the Bible
that now is ours were chosen by a process of
disagreement and debate, of contention,
compromise, and confusion. Various councils
approved different sets of books. Every prominent
bishop and theologian of renown, down through the
dark and dreary apostate centuries, had his own selfselected and self-approved books. . . .
As now constituted, the Bible simply contains those
portions of the divine word that survived the
confusion of the centuries. Other books of equal
worth are not there. Providentially, that which is
now published, at least in the Protestant world,
does have a general stamp of divine approval; in
the main, and in substance and thought content, as
far as it goes, it is true. Indeed, in the light of all
that has transpired historically, it is a marvelous
and wondrous thing to find the Bible as accurate
and sound as it is. Truly, to the degree consistent
with His providence, a divine hand has been over
the preservation and translation of his holy word.
(Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p. 406.)
Lutheranism and Protestantism
In the Fourteenth century, “John Wickliffe of Oxford
University had boldly denounced the corruption of the
Roman church and clergy, and particularly the restrictions
imposed by the papal hierarchy on the popular study of the
scriptures. Wickliffe gave to the world a version of the Holy
Bible in English. These manifestations of independent belief
and action the papal church sought to repress and punish by
force. . . . Wickliffe was the subject of severe and persistent
persecution; and though he died in his bed the
vindictiveness of the Roman church was unsated until she
had caused his body to be exhumed and burned and the
ashes scattered abroad. . . . Though the church had become
apostate to the core, there were not lacking men brave of
heart and righteous of soul, ready to give their lives to the
furtherance of spiritual emancipation.” (James E. Talmage, Jesus
the Christ (1981), pp. 749-750.)
The Reformation “began in Germany about 1517 when Martin
Luther, a monk of the Augustinian order and an instructor in the
University of Wittenberg, publicly opposed and strongly
denounced Tetzel, the shameless agent of papal indulgences.
Luther was conscientious in his conviction that the whole system of
church penances and indulgences was contrary to scripture,
reason, and right. In line with the academic custom of the day-to
challenge discussion and debate on disputed questions-Luther
wrote his famous ninety-five theses against the practice of
granting indulgences, and a copy of these he nailed to the door of
Wittenberg church, inviting criticism thereon from all scholars.
The news spread, and the theses were discussed in all scholastic
centers of Europe. Luther then attacked other practices and
doctrines of the Roman church, and the pope, Leo X, issued a ‘Bull’
or papal decree against him, demanding an unconditional
recantation on pain of excommunication from the Church. Luther
publicly burned the pope’s document, and thus declared his open
revolt. The sentence of excommunication was pronounced.” (James
E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy, p.152)

Martin Luther “was not long left to fight singlehanded. Among his able supporters was Phillip
Melanchthon, a professor in Wittenberg. . . . The
religious controversy spread throughout Europe. . . .
John, Elector of Saxony, supported Luther in his
opposition to papal authority, and undertook the
establishment of an independent church, the
constitution and plan of which were prepared at his
instance by Luther and Melanchthon. Luther died in
1546, but the work of revolution, if not in truth
reformation, continued to grow. The Protestants,
however, soon became divided among themselves,
and broke up into many contending sects.” (James E.
Talmage, The Great Apostasy, p. 153.)
“In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli led in the
movement toward reform. He was
accused of heresy, and when placed on
trial, he defended himself on the
authority of the Bible as against papal
edict, and was for the time successful.
The contest was bitter, and in 1531 the
Catholics and Protestants of the region
engaged in actual battle, in the which
Zwingli was slain, and his body brutally
mutilated.” (James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy,
pp. 153-154.)
“John Calvin next appeared as the leader of the
Swiss reformers, though he was an opponent of
many of Zwingli’s doctrines. He exerted great
influence as a teacher, and is known as an
extremist in doctrine. He advocated and
vehemently defended the tenet of absolute
predestination, thus denying the free agency of
man. In France, Sweden, Denmark, and Holland,
leaders arose and the Protestants became strong
in their opposition to the Roman Church, though
the several divisions were antagonistic to one
another on many points of doctrine. (James E.
Talmage, The Great Apostasy, p. 154.)
While during “the Reformation, the zeal
of the reformers led to many fallacies in
the doctrines they advocated, . . . their
ministry contributed to the awakening of
individual conscience, and assisted in
bringing about a measure of religious
freedom of which the world had long
been deprived.” (James E. Talmage, The Great
Apostasy, p. 156.)
“At the time of Martin Luther’s revolt against the
Church of Rome, Henry VIII reigned in England.
In common with all other countries of western
Europe, Britain was profoundly stirred by the
reformation movement. The king openly
defended the Catholic Church and published a
book in opposition to Luther’s claims. This so
pleased the pope, Leo X, that he conferred upon
King Henry the distinguishing title, “Defender of
the Faith.” This took place about 1522, and from
that time to the present, British sovereigns have
proudly borne the title.
“Within a few years after his accession to this title of
distinction, we find King Henry among the bitterest enemies
of the Roman Church, and the change came about in this
wise. Henry desired a divorce from his wife, Queen
Catherine, to give him freedom to marry Anne Boleyn. The
pope hesitated in the matter of granting the divorce, and
Henry, becoming impatient, disregarded the pope’s
authority and secretly married Anne Boleyn. The pope
thereupon excommunicated the king from the Church. The
English parliament, following the king’s directions, passed
the celebrated Act of Supremacy in 1534. This statute
declared an absolute termination of all allegiance to papal
authority, and proclaimed the king as supreme head of the
Church in Britain. Thus originated the Church of England,
without regard for or claim of divine authority, and without
even a semblance of priestly succession.” (James E. Talmage,
The Great Apostasy, p. 156-157.)
“During the reigns of Edward VI, Queen
Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, persecutions
between Catholics and Protestants were
extensive and violent. Several nonconformist sects arose, among them the
Puritans and the Separatists. These were so
persecuted that many of them fled to
Holland as exiles. From among these came
the notable colony of the Pilgrim Fathers,
who crossed in the Mayflower to the shores
of the then recently-discovered continent,
and established themselves in America.”
(James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy, p. 157.)
“Some time in the second year after our removal
to Manchester, there was in the place where we
lived an unusual excitement on the subject of
religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but
soon became general among all the sects in that
region of country. Indeed, the whole district of
country seemed affected by it, and great
multitudes united themselves to the different
religious parties, which created no small stir and
division amongst the people, some crying, ‘Lo,
here!’ and others, ‘Lo, there!’ Some were
contending for the Methodist faith, some for the
Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist.
“For, notwithstanding the great love which the converts
to the different faiths expressed at the time of their
conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the
respective clergy, who were active in getting up and
promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling,
in order to have everybody converted, as they were
pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased;
yet when the converts began to file off, some to one
party and some to another, it was seen that the
seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the
converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of
great confusion and bad feeling ensued--priest
contending against priest, and convert against convert;
so that all their good feelings one for another, if they
ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and
a contest about opinions. . . .
“The Presbyterians were most decided
against the Baptists and Methodists, and
used all the powers of both reason and
sophistry to prove their errors, or, at
least, to make the people think they were
in error. On the other hand, the Baptists
and Methodists in their turn were equally
zealous in endeavoring to establish their
own tenets and disprove all others.”
(Joseph Smith History 1:5-9.)
Between the Savior’s resurrection and his
appearance to the Nephites, there was a
great darkness in the Americas. The
description of this physical darkness is
useful in understanding the spiritual
darkness of the world at the beginning of
the nineteenth century:
And it came to pass that there was thick darkness
upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the
inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the
vapor of darkness;
And there could be no light, because of the darkness,
neither candles, neither torches; neither could there
be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry
wood, so that there could not be any light at all;
And there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor
glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars,
for so great were the mists of darkness which were
upon the face of the land. (3 Ne 8:20-22.)