The Inevitable Apostasy
by Tad R. Callister
1. The purpose of the book is to answer the question,
"What happened to Christ's Church"?
2. HIs sources are 1) Scriptures 2) Writings of Ante Nicene
Fathers (pre- 325 AD).3. Chapter 1- "Thinking the unthinkable-Could Christ's Church have been lost"? “You ‘Mormons’ are all ignoramuses. You don’t even know the strength of your own position. It is so strong that there is only one other position tenable in the whole Christian world, and that is the position of the Roman Catholic church. The issue is between ‘Mormonism’ and Catholicism. If you are right, we are wrong. If we are right, you are wrong, and that’s all there is to it. These Protestant sects haven’t a leg to stand on; for if we are right, we cut them off long ago, as apostates; and if we are wrong, they are wrong with us, for they were a part of us and came out of us. If we have the apostolic succession from St. Peter, as we claim, there was no need of Joseph Smith and ‘Mormonism;’ but if we have not that apostolic succession, then such a man as Joseph Smith was necessary, and ‘Mormonism’s position is the only consistent one. It is either the perpetuation of the Gospel from ancient times or the restoration of the Gospel in latter days.” “Doctor,” said I, “that is a very clear and concise statement, and I agree with it in almost every particular. But don’t deceive yourself with the notion that we ‘Mormons’ don’t know the strength of our own position. We know it better than you do. We know it better than any other people can know it. We haven’t all been to been college, we can’t all speak the dead languages, and we may be ignoramuses as you say; but we know we are right, and we know you are wrong.” I was just as frank with him as he had been with me (Elder Orson F. Whitney, CR, April 1928, 60.).
4. Chapter 2 - "A formal Church or an informal body of believers?" - You need a church to 1) keep the doctrines pure, 2)the ordinances correct and 3) the membership growing. The Savior himself made reference to the Church (Matt. 16:18), Furthermore, Paul declared that Jesus was the head of the body, the Church (Colossians 1:18). The word church comes from the Greek word ecclesia, which means an assemble called together. It is mentioned more than 30 times in the NT-most of the times in the context of an organized congregation". (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 2:19-20)
The hallmarks of Christ's Church; 1) Teachings and doctrines were perfect because Jesus was the source. 2) It provided the ordinances necessary to save and exalt. 3) It possessed the Priesthood. 4) Provided and organized way spread the word, perform and monitor ordinances. God is the author of confusion. (I Cor. 14:33)
5. Chapter 3 - What Happened to Christ's Church?" 1) It flourished for a season. (Acts 2:47; 5:14; 6:7; 11:17-19, 21; 12:24; 19:10, 20) 2. The headquarters remained in Jerusalem for 10-12 years after Christ's ascension, then persecution forced the members to leave which allowed the gospel to spread. 3. The Lights went out; a) The apostles were martyred, b) the doctrines were corrupted and c) the keys of the priesthood were lost. "The apostasy was not a straight line descent. For a time following the death of the apostles, there were isolated islands of righteousness among certain congregations. There were devoted members of the Church, some of whom became righteous martyrs, but the overall level of righteousness was quickly waning. Spirituality was succumbing to secularity, and the pure doctrines of the kingdom were being overrun by heresy." p. 13) 4) The demise of Christ Church was known in advance. (2 Nephi 2:24)
6. Chapter 4 "External Persecution" - Although external persecution was a historical reality that had a substantial impact upon the early Church and its members, it was not the cause of the great apostasy. Such external persecution was leveled by the 1) Judaic religion (Mark 13:9; Acts 5:18; 5:33; 9:23; 12:1-2; 1 Thess. 2:15) & 2) the Roman government from the time of Nero 64 AD until Diocletian in 305 AD.
7. Chapter 5 "The True Cause of the Apostasy" - Mosiah 27:13* - The apostasy described in the New Testament is not desertion of the cause, but perversion of it. Wickedness in the early Church seems to have manifested itself in two principal forms; 1) Disobedience (Gal. 3:1; 1:6; Titus 1:16; 2 Peter 2:14-15; 3:17; 1 Tim. 5:15; 2 Thess. 3:11; James 2:6; Rev. 3:15-16 - principally immorality I Cor. 5:; 2 Cor. 12:21; James 4:4; Jude 1:17-19; Rev. 2:20) and Heresy, i.e. any doctrine or teaching that altars or dilutes the word of God. One many may be tricked by the falsehood that there is no further revelation after the Bible, another by the allegation that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was a onetime body, another by the mistaken notion that Christ was resurrected without a body and that all flesh is evil...
A return to the Law of Moses was a major heresy among the Jewish converts. (Acts 15; 21; Galatians 4:9, 11; Titus 1:10-11)
Hedonism, the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good, was another problem; (Rev. 2:6, 14, 15; Acts 20:29; Philippians 3:18-19.
As the Church expanded to outlying areas, the influence of Greek philosophy became profound. (Colossians 2:8). It is therefore the more remarkable that within a century and a half after Christianity and philosophy first came into closes contact, the ideas and methods of philosophy had flowed in such a mass into Christianity, and filled so large a place it, as to have made it no less a philosophy than a religion. Will Durant, "Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it... Christianity was the last great creation of the ancient pagan world....While Christianity converted the world, the world converted Christianity, and displayed the natural paganism of mankind." William Manchester, "Christianity was in turn infiltrated, and to a considerable extent subverted, by the paganism it was supposed to destroy."
When Constantine (c. AD 275-337) adopted Christianity as a quasi state religion, the majority of the empire was pagan. Many of these pagans became nominal Christians in order to avail themselves of the benefits & preferred status offered Christians. These pagans worship idols honoring their gods, such as Zeus, Mercury, or Diana. Unwilling to abandon their idols, these "converted" pagans merely switched to idols of Jesus or Mary or one of the martyrs. They likewise continued to burn incense in their worship services as they had done in their pagan rituals.
Gnosticism was one of those Greek philosophical heresies that infiltrated the Church and manifested itself in many forms.. There were some 60 Gnostic sects, each believing they alone had the understanding of the scriptures leading to salvation. New Testament writers were harsh on these scholars whose thought and practice was distinguished by the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis (knowledge). They denied the reality of Christ's mortal experiences, his suffering and death and the resurrection. (I John 4:3; 2 John 1:7; Acts 17:18; 2 Peter 2:1-2) For every man who was unwilling to hold to the iron rod, Satan had a heresy customized for the man's spiritual shortcoming. (Romans 16:17; 1 Cor. 3:3; 4:15-16, 19;11:18-19; 2 Thess. 2:7; 2 Timothy 3:13; 4:3-4; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Timothy 1:6-7; 4:1-2; 6:20-21; Titus 1:10; Rev. 2:2; I John 2:18-19) Irenaeus (115-202 AD) made reference to a multitude of heretical and named their leaders, then said, "But why continue? For it is an impracticable attempt to mention all those who, in one way or another, have fallen away from the truth."
He states the reasons for the Heresies were 1) Money (Titus 1:11; 1 Peter 5:2; Acts 8:18-21) and 2) Pride and arrogance (I Cor. 4:18-19; 3 John 1:9; Alma 45:24; Jude 1:16; Romans 16:18; 1 Nephi 13:9)
The apostasy was a process, not a singular event. The principal argument among church historians is not whether Christ's Church declined, but when it declined. The word apostasy come from the original Greek word apostasia and mean rebellion, mutiny revolt, or revolution and it is used in ancient contexts with reference to uprisings against established authority. The idea of a gentle drifting that comes to mind with the phrase ;a falling away' is not one of its meanings. It was indeed rebellion that was taking place within the church. (p. 43)
According to Adam Clarke the warning to the saints in Ephesus in Rev. 2:5 to "take away their candlestick" meant, "take away my ordinances, remove your ministers, and send you a famine of the word...if they did not repent, he would unchurch them; they should no longer have a pastor, no longer have the word and sacraments, and no longer have the presence of the Lord Jesus."
It seemed that the Church at the end of the first century was hanging by a thread. (Rev. 3:4, 8; 13:7; 2 Tim. 1:15; 3:5; 4:16; Acts 20:29) This apostasy was triggered by widespread disobedience and by a proliferation of heresies. The apostasy did not happen because the apostles were gone; the apostles were taken because the apostasy was in effect. With the power vacuum created by the death of the apostles, the local leaders quickly filled the void. Each local bishop became autonomous and governed his own region according to his own dictates. The death of the apostles did not mean that no institutionalized church continued, but rather that a different church evolved-one without revelation and priesthood authority.
"In Smith's bible dictionary, written by 73 noted divines and bible students, this statement is made that 'one must not expect to find the gospel of Holy Writ upon the earth today. It is not to be found thus perfect in the total fragments of Christianity, and much less in any one fragment."
8. Chapter 6 - "When was Christ's Church Taken Away?" Perhaps the process of removing Christ's church from the earth was somewhat akin to the church's restoration process. On April 6, 1830 the church had no 12, no 70, no temple work, no keys for gathering Israel.
9. Chapter 7 - "Differing Beliefs About The Apostasy" - 1) The Church established by Jesus continued in its fulness. 2) There were substantial heresies, but the Church survived. 3) The Church continued but over time there was a need for serious reformation. The reformers believed they were empowered to make the necessary course corrections by starting their own churches. 4) The Church organized by Christ disappeared from the earth. One cannot graft a good branch into a dead tree and expect it to bear fruit. A total restoration was required.
10. Chapter 8 - "Evidences of the Apostasy" - While there existed isolated goodness on the earth, there was not an organized, priesthood-centered church. Some of the evidences of this apostasy will be discussed in succeeding chapters.
11. Chapter 9 - "First Evidence: Loss of the Apostles and Revelation - (Ephesians 2:19-20; 4:11-14) Neither the New Testament nor early Christian history offers support for a notion of apostolic succession to the bishops of today. Contrary to the assertion of papal succession, the Church, after the death of the apostles, operated as local congregations, and not under a central command. Local bishops with equal, but local, authority continued until about 848 AD. Catholics, Lutherans and Baptists all believe in ancient revelations recorded in the Bible, but not in any modern, or future revelation. "Jordan Vajda, a Catholic priest who after intense study jointed the LDS Church, acknowledged that the loss of the apostles and revelation triggered the apostasy...What I find in the LDS Church is a restoration, a fullness: once more there are living apostles to guide and direct the Church, to receive revelation that teaches and instructs us."
12. Chapter 10 - "Second Evidence: The Testimony of the Scriptures" - There are more than 70 scriptures in the bible that speak of the apostasy. It is a recurring theme throughout the Old and New Testaments. (Amos 8:11-12; Matt 24:5, 9-12, 24; 2 Thess. 2:1-3; Rev. 13:7)
13. Chapter 11 - "Third Evidence: The Bible Ends" - If Christ's Church had continued, the bible would not have ended at approximately 100 AD, but rather apostolic epistles would have continued through the ages in order to bring the Saints to a unity of the faith.
14. Chapter 12 - "Fourth Evidence: The Loss Of Miracles and Gifts of the Spirit" - John Wesley (1703-91 AD) the founder of Methodism said, "It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost (speaking of 1 Cor. 13) were common in the Church for more than 2 or 3 centuries. We seldom hear of them after that fatal period when the Emperor Constantine called himself a Christian....The Christians had no more of the Spirit of Christ than the other Heathens." (See Mormon 9:20; Moroni 7:27, 36-37)
15. Chapter 13 - "Fifth Evidence: The Dark Ages" - The Dark Ages, by their very name, are evidence that the light of the gospel of Christ had been snuffed out. (Is. 60:2; Micah 3:6; John 9:4; D&C 1:30). If one were to deny the existence of the Dark Ages (at least as defined between 500-1000 AD) because there were a few isolated bright spots, one might as well say the world was not wicked at the time of Noah because there lived 8 righteous souls whom God chose to save.
16. Chapter 14 - "Sixth Evidence: Many Teachings were Perverted, Others Lost, and New Ones Invented" - (1 Nephi 13:28-29; D&C 10:63) The church continued until shortly after the death of the apostles; but when the sacred choir of apostles became extinct, and the generation of those that had been privileged to hear their inspired wisdom, had passed away, then also the combinations of impious error arose by fraud and delusions of false teachers. Theses also, as there were none of the apostles left, henceforth attempted, without shame, to preach their false doctrine against the gospel of truth." (Hegesippus (110-180 AD) Most of the errors which crept into the Church at this time arose from placing human reason in competition with revelation. A large part of what are sometimes called Christian doctrines, are in reality Greek theories and Greek usages changed in form and color by the influence of primitive Christianity, but in their essence Greek still.
I hold the precepts of Jesus, as delivered by himself, to be the most pure, benevolent, and sublime which have ever been preached to man. I adhere to the principles of the first age; and consider all subsequent innovations as corruptions of this religion, having no foundation in what came from him...If the freedom of religion, guaranteed to us by law in theory, can ever rise in practice under the overbearing inquisition of public opinion, truth will prevail over fanaticism, and the genuine doctrines of Jesus, so long perverted by his pseudo-priests, will again be restored to their original purity. This reformation will advance with the other improvements of the human mind, but too late for me to witness it. (Thomas Jefferson in 1820. He died in 1826)
The following is a sampling of some of the pure doctrines originally taught in the Bible that eventually became perverted or lost; 1)Nature of God, 2)One God or Three Gods? (John 14:28; 5:30; 5:31; 5:22-37; Genesis 1:26; I Cor. 15:24-25; Matt. 12:32; Acts 7:55) After reading the Athanasian Creed, Elder James E. Talmage observed: "It would be difficult to conceive of a greater number of inconsistencies and contradictions expressed in words as few." "It is a mystery." The truth is, it was a political compromise that ended in a maze of contradictions that could only be defended by camouflaging it in the garb of a divine mystery. 3)An Immaterial or Material God? 4) Premortal Existence (Jeremiah 1:5; Romans 8:29; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Acts 17:28; Hebrews 12:9; D&C 138:56; Jude 1:6; Isaiah 14:12-13; Job 38:4, 7; Acts 17:26). 5)The Fall of Adam. 6)Grace Versus Works. (The doctrine of being saved by grace along was introduced by the Gnostics. "So, if our evangelical doctrine that we are save by grace alone is true, we are faced with the uncomfortable reality that this doctrine was taught by deceivers and antichrists before it was taught by the church. p. 145-6) 7)The Doctrine of Deification (Becoming Like God) 8)The bible and Modern Scriptures 8) Baptism. 9) Preaching the Gospel to the Dead. 10) Multiple Heavens. 11) Eternal Marriage. 12) Celibacy of the Priesthood. 13) Abortion. 14) Homosexuality.
"Distinguishing between the doctrines of Christ's primitive Church and those of the 5th century church is somewhat akin to the dilemma of the farmer who could not distinguish one horse from another. They ran at the same speed; they carried the same load; their teeth were of the same appearance. Finally, as a last resort he measured them, and sure enough, the white horse was six hands higher than the black one. Such was the difference between the doctrines of the 1st-century Christianity as compared to those of the 5th-century. The apostasy had taken a heavy toll on the truth." P. 219
17. Chapter 15 "Seventh Evidence: Many Ordinances Were Perverted, Others Lost, and New Ones Invented" - (Isaiah 24:5; I Cor. 11:2) Pope Adrian VI in1522 AD said, "We know well that for many years things deserving of abhorrence have gathered round the Holy See. Sacred things have been misused, ordinances transgressed, so that in everything there has been a change for the worse. Ordinances that have been changed: 1)Blessing Babies - (Mark 10:16; Matt. 19:13-15; D&C 20:70) 2) Infant Baptism. 3) Baptism by Immersion (Ephesians 4:5; Matt. 3:16; John 3:23; Acts 8:38) Sprinkling was introduced around 250 AD as a matter of convenience to accommodate the infirm and the exception became the rule. 4) Baptism for the Dead 5) The Sacrament-In the 3rd century there were introduced A) long sacramental prayers, B) pomp and ceremony C) vessels of gold and silver D) the doctrine of transubstantiation. 6)The Laying on of Hands. 7) The Gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:17; 19:6) 8) Priesthood Blessings (Mark 6:5; 16:18; Acts 28:8) 8) Temple Ordinances and Covenants.
18. Chapter 16 "Eighth Evidence: The Mode of Prayer Was Changed" - The apostles would have been shocked to hear the prayers of the post-primitive church. Sincere, humble prayers to the Father had been replaced in many, if not most, instances by rote prayers to patron saints.
19. Chapter 17 "Ninth Evidence: The Scriptures Were Removed From the Lay Members" - In the early Church the scriptures were accessible and regularly read by the Saints, yet it was not too many years thereafter that the scriptures were found only in the hands of the clergy. To make matters worse, the scriptures were often unavailable in the language of the layman.
20. Chapter 18 "Tenth Evidence: Wickedness Within the Church Hierarchy" (Mormon 8:32; 1 Nephi 13:7)
21. Chapter 19 "Eleventh Evidence: The Decline of Moral Standards and Loss of Church Discipline"
22. Chapter 20 "Twelfth Evidence: The Ongoing church No Longer Bore Christ's Name" - In the USA, it seems there was no organization using any form of the Lord's name as a title for their church before the Church was restored in 1830. (See 3 Nephi 27:4-8)
23. Chapter 21 "Thirteenth Evidence: The Priesthood Was Lost" - See John 15:16; Hebrews 5:4; Acts 19:2-6. The keys of the priesthood are the rights of presidency. They are the right to direct how and when certain powers of the priesthood should be used. Roger Williams (1603-1683) was the founder of Rhode Island sensed something was missing in his day, "The Apostasy hath so far corrupted all Christian churches, that there can be recovery out of that apostasy until Christ shall send forth new apostles to plant churches anew. Frances A. Sullivan, a Catholic professor of theology said, One conclusion seems obvious: Neither the New Testament nor early Christian history offers support for a notion of apostolic succession as an unbroken line of episcopal ordination from Christ through the apostles down through the centuries to the bishops of today."
24. Chapter 22 "The Summation" What happened to the doctrines of premortal existence, postmortal evangelism, proxy baptism, and eternal marriage? Why did they vanish from the canon of the ongoing church when they appeared in the canon of the New Testament? Callister lists 19 doctrines. I give 7.
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The original doctrine as taught by Christ
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Perversions of the doctrine as a result of the Apostasy
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Scriptures supporting original doctrines.
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Nature of
God: the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are 3 distinct personages, but one
is goal & unity; the Father & Son have glorified bodies of flesh &bones,
the Holy Ghost is a spirit person.
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Nature of
God: The Father, Son & Holy Ghost are 3 separate entities, yet
mysteriously they are also one substance; each of the members of the Godhead
is a spirit without a physical body.
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Gen. 1:26; 5:3; 32:30; Matt. 3:16-17; 12:32; 27:46;
Luke 24:39; John 5:30; 14:28; 17:21; Acts 7:55-56; Rom. 6:9; I Cor. 3:8-9;
15:24-25; Heb. 1:3; James 2:26; D&C 130:22-23; JSH 1:16-17
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Premortal
Existence: Men & women lived in God's presence as his spirit children
before they were born in mortality.
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Premortal
Existence: This doctrine was lost
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Job 38:4, 7; Eccl. 12:7; Jer. 1:5; John 3:13;
9:1-2; Rom. 8:29; Eph. 3:15; 2 Tim. 1:9; Jude 1:6; Rev. 12:4-7; Alma 13:1-9
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Fall of Adam:
Adam & Eve lived in a state of innocence in the Garden of Eden &
would have had no children there. The Fall was necessary for them to have
children & gain knowledge so they could become more like God
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Fall of
Adam: If Adam & Eve had not transgressed they would have had children
in the Garden of Eden & lived happily ever after
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2 Nephi 2:23; Moses 5:11
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Grace &
Works: We are saved by grace after all we can do.
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Grace &
Works: While Catholics believe in some form of works, most Protestants
believe we are saved by grace alone (works are an evidence of our salvation,
not a condition to it.
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Matt. 7:21-27; 10:22; 24:13; John 5:29; Rom. 2:6;
2:13; Phil. 2:12; Titus 2:14; James 2:17, 19-20; 1 Pet. 2:15; 1 John 2:4-5;
Rev. 3:2; 4:14; 20:13; 2 Nephi 25:23
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Deification:
Man is a spirit child of God & therefore through the grace of Jesus has
the capability of becoming a god.
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Deification:
This doctrine was lost; in fact, many teach the reverse. They declare it is
blasphemous to teach that a mortal might become a god.
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Gen. 17:1; Psalm 82:1, 6; Matt. 5:48; John
10:32-34; 17:22-23; Acts 17:28; Rom. 8:16-17; Eph 4:12-13; Phil. 3:14-15; 2
Tim. 2:12; 2 Peter 1:3-4; Rev. 3:21; 21:7; 3 Nephi 27:27; Moroni 10:32-33
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Baptism:
Baptism is essential for salvation
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Baptism:
Many teach that baptism is a symbolic confirmation of our saved condition,
but not a requirement for salvation.
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Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Luke 7:30; John 3:5; Acts
2:37-38; 8:12, 37-38; 10:47-48; 16:14; 18:8; 22:14-16; Gal. 3:27; Titus 3:4;
2 Nephi 9:23; 31:4-12
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Preaching
the Gospel to the Dead: If a person did not receive a fair opportunity to
hear the gospel in mortality, he will hear it in the spirit world before he
receives his final judgment.
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Preaching
the Gospel to the Dead: This doctrine was lost.
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Is. 24:22; 42:7; 61:1; Matt. 12:40; Luke 16:22-23;
23:43; John 5:25, 28; 20:17; Eph. 4:9; 1 Pet. 3:18-19; 4:6; Alma 40:12-14;
D&C 138
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27. Chapter 25 "Final Preparations For The Restoration" - An interesting chapter about the Lord's hand in the discovery and founding of America. Good quotes on Columbus, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams and others. Good details on the founding fathers appearance to Wilford Woodruff in the St. George Temple. To be read with 1 Nephi 13 & D&C 101:80.
28. Chapter 26 "Satan's Preemptive Strike" - Before the advent of something good and great, Satan always works the hardest. Brigham Young wrote, "If a 1000 bloodhounds were on this Temple Block, let loose on one rabbit, it would not be a bad illustration of the situation at times of the Prophet Joseph. He was hunted unremittingly."
29. Chapter 27 "The Restoration" - D&C 1:30 - The restored church is a "Living Church."
30. Chapter 28 "Who Was This Man Named Joseph" - The gospel is somewhat like a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. When Joseph came on the scene, perhaps 100 pieces were in place. Joseph under divine direction, put most of the other 900 pieces together.
31. Chapter 29 "The Price Of Truth" - The Wilford Woodruff and Robert Mason story.
32. Chapter 30 "Why Is It Important to Understand The Apostasy?" - Woven into the annals of history is the unmistakable hand of the Lord-the temporary removal of Christ's Church as spoken of by the prophets, the Reformation, the discovery of America, the Revolutionary War, the Constitution, and finally the glorious Restoration. These events were not a series of serendipitous acts. They were part of the master plan, pieces in the divine puzzle, carefully, meticulously and lovingly laid out by the Master Designer. These inspired events have become doctrinal pillars that help define our faith, fire our resolve, and spur us on to more godlike works. Knowledge of theses doctrines is power. It is the power to have peace in troubled times, power to forge ahead when all else has collapsed around us, power to confront falsehood and sin. In short, the doctrines of the kingdom are the greatest motivational power in all the world to be good and to do good. This is why it is important-nay, imperative-to grasp the key doctrines of the kingdom, of which the apostasy and the Restoration are critical components.
33. Appendix A - A Summary of the Lives and Works of Early Christian Writers
34. Appendix B- A Synopsis of the Apostasy and the Restoration
