Apostasy

• “In fact, I have a theory about those earlier dispensations and the leaders, families, and people who lived then. I have thought often about them and the destructive circumstances that confronted them. They faced terribly difficult times and, for the most part, did not succeed in their dispensations. Apostasy and darkness eventually came to every earlier age in human history. Indeed, the whole point of the Restoration of the gospel in these latter days is that it had not been able to survive in earlier times and therefore had to be pursued in one last, triumphant age. We know the challenges Abraham’s posterity faced (and still does). We know of Moses’ problems with an Israelite people who left Egypt but couldn’t quite get Egypt to leave them. Isaiah was the prophet who saw the loss of the ten Israelite tribes to the north. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel were all prophets of captivity. Peter, James, John, and Paul, the great figures of the New Testament, all saw apostasy creeping into their world almost before the Savior had departed and certainly while they themselves were still living. Think of the prophets of the Book of Mormon, living in a dispensation ending with such painful communication between Mormon and Moroni about the plight they faced and the nations they loved dissolving into corruption, terror, and chaos. In short, apostasy and destruction of one kind or another were the ultimate fate of every general dispensation we have ever had down through time. But here’s my theory. My theory is that those great men and women, the leaders in those ages past, were able to keep going, to keep testifying, to keep trying to do their best, not because they knew that they would succeed but because they knew that you would. I believe they took courage and hope not so much from their own circumstances as from yours—a magnificent collection of young adults like you gathered by the hundreds of thousands around the world in a determined effort to see the gospel prevail and triumph.” Broken Things to Mend (Jeffrey R. Holland) Kindle Loc. 860-73
• Alma 31:8-11…Members that fall into great errors (1) stop observing to keep the commandments of God and his statutes; (2) Stop observing the performances of the church – (daily prayer and supplication to God); (3) Do pervert the ways of the Lord.
• Alma 30: 58-60…Those that pervert the ways of the Lord will pay the price.
• Alma 24: 30…Those that have once been enlightened by the Spirit, having had a great knowledge of righteous things, then falling away into sin and transgression, they are more hardened and their state is worse than if they never knew these things.
• Amos 8: 11-12...Prophecy of the Apostasy
• 1 Timothy 4:1-3….Beliefs during the Apostasy
• Mormon 8:32-34…Churches during the Apostasy
• 4 Nephi 1:24-26…Pride is the beginning of Apostasy
• 4 Nephi 1:43 …Pride is the beginning of Apostasy
• Mormon 1:13-14, 16 .. The beginning of the American Apostasy
• Mormon 8:26…The Book of Mormon will come forth from dust
• 1 Cor 4:9 … 12 Apostles of Jerusalem killed
• 1 Nephi 11:33-34 …  Apostles of Jerusalem killed
• Jacob 7:77…  And ye have led away much of this people that they pervert the right way of God, and keep not the law of Moses which is the right way, and convert the law of Moses into the worship of a being which ye say shall come many hundred years hence. And now behold, I, Sherem, declare unto you that this is blasphemy; for no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to come. And after this manner did Sherem contend against me.
•  Jacob 6: 8-11….8  Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you? 9  Know ye not that if ye will do these things, that the power of the redemption and the resurrection, which is in Christ, will bring you to stand with shame and awful guilt before the bar of God? 10 And according to the power of justice, for justice cannot be denied, ye must go away into that lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is endless torment.  11 O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life.
• “October 30th, 1994 – Sunday.  Puyo Ecuador…Tonight we talked to Wilson.  We taught him the 3rd Charla and he became contentious.  He told us that he’s seen people healed, and speaking in tongues.  He and Elder Delgado were going back and forth when I decided and felt to bear my testimony.  I asked him how many church’s Christ had.  He said one with a ton of synagogues and messengers.  I explained to him the fall of this Church of Christ & the Apostasy.  He agreed.  I then bore testimony that Christ restored the church through Joseph Smith, that Jesus Christ once again was the head of His church.  That we had synagogues (churches) and messengers (missionaries throughout the world).  I bore the truthfulness of the church & of Joseph Smith.  His face changed from contention to peace & said he needs to find out for himself what is true.  I told him he was exactly right & explained to him how to receive an answer.  The Lord guided my thoughts & words.  I know it.” – Clinton Brown Missionary Journal