Let's set the record straight Part III

THE APOSTASY

The dictionary defines Apostasy as: a total desertion of or departure from one's religion, principles, party, cause, etc.


What makes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stand out in the Christian religion is The Apostasy, and all things related to it.

When members of the LDS church refer to the Apostasy they are referring to the Apostles Jesus chose not able to pass on their Priesthood keys (which includes revelation) to a faithful successor, because the successor strayed or the Apostle either died a martyr or from old age.

As a result if they died, they didn't pass on their priesthood keys to another. Or they passed the priesthood keys on to a successor that strayed from the teachings of Jesus.


How could a successor possibly start teaching false doctrine? For starters Jesus was hated for his new thinking, his teachings of love, etc. So, his teachings weren't widely accepted in the first place.

2nd For those that did accept his teaching, namely the apostles, they are recorded numerous times being corrected by The Savior on many points of Doctrine. Apparently only after his ascension did the Apostles start teaching doctrine without needing correction from the resurrected Lord (because correction from the Savior is not recorded, as far as we know.)


With only 3 years in a “crash course” on the Law being fulfilled, versus 4000 years of Old Testament ways it’s really not much time to get all the membership on the same page…compared to today where we have all sorts of nifty stuff to keep us all on the same page: the web, mass publications, etc.


So when the Apostles are journeying around from country to country for months and even years before going back to different groups of followers is it any wonder that false doctrine and misunderstanding crept into the Church?

On top of false doctrine creeping in between visits and letters from the Apostles, they were martyred; preventing them from continually teaching pure doctrine. Thus the philosophies' of men started finding there way into Christ's doctrine, and being passed off as Christ's doctrine.


Because of this Apostasy there were very vital things that were lost. Priesthood, the authority to act in the name of God: the power that enabled Moses to perform the miracles he did. It’s what allowed Jesus to perform miracles, rise from the dead, etc.
Revelation was lost too. It's that which is what keeps the church in line with what God wants taught.


This brings us to a short subject about the Catholic Church, related to this Apostasy.

Despite what many believe, even though Peter possibly had an unbroken line of successors, they didn't continue teaching what Jesus and Peter taught. Thus his successors lost their priesthood authority and everything associated with it, like Revelation.

Losing Revelation kept his successors from receiving continual guidance from God. They continued leading how they thought things should be taught.

Also, The Catholic church wasn't formed until 300 B.C., It wasn't formed when Christ died, leaving peter as the President of the Church of Jesus Christ.

So, if the Catholic church isn't what Christ established, then none of the break-off's, protestor churches (Protestants,) are the true church either.
Neither can any of the church's since then, because they were all started by men thinking some church before them isn't quite getting it right. They think they can do just a little better than the church they think isn't getting it right.

Which is the whole reason Joseph Smith inquired of the Lord which church was true, and was told none of them.