Apostacy and Restoration

The Church of Jesus Christ or Latter-day Saints is not a Protestant Christianity but Restored Christianity. We do not accept any of the Christian Creeds of the 3rd Century AD. We believe that after the martyrdom of the Apostles and the Bishops or Early Church Fathers of the 1st Century AD, that the Church of Christ was lost from the Earth. Someone asked me why God would permit the keys and authority of His church to be lost if God was all-knowing. God could have prevented it. God could have prevented it. But that's not what God does. God warned us and prophesied it, but allows sin because this life is a test of our agency. So, were does God warn about a complete falling away from the truth? I will proceed to list several prophecies that foretell this worldwide falling away.

Amos 8: 11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

Amos says that this spiritual famine, a person looking over the whole Earth would not find the words of the Lord. When has that ever happened that someone looking for the word could not find it? Abraham lived in Apostasy but had to leave Ur and found the word with Melchizedek. Moses had to leave Egypt and found the Word with Jethro in Midian. Those at the time of Christ had to leave Jerusalem and found the word with John the Baptist in the wilderness and with Christ himself. But this famine would be complete and worldwide.

Dan. 2: 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Daniel interpreted the king of Babylon's dream and saw the image with the gold head (Babylon), silver shoulders (Persia), the bronze torso (Greece), the Iron Legs (Rome) and the feet of iron and clay (Europe/NATO/United Nations/EU). Daniel said in the days of those kings of the iron and clay feet, would God establish a kingdom which would never again be destroyed. The stone cut out of the mountain without hands wasn't done during the days of Christ who lived during the Roman Empire that destroyed the Church, but during the feet of iron and clay (today in the Last Days). And this kingdom would grow and destroy the image. This wasn't talking about things that would happen after the Millennium, but just prior to the Millennium. Remember that the stone is cut out and has to build up momentum. And then after the Millennium does the stone become a great mountain itself (temple) until it fills the whole Earth.

Ezek 37:26-29 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

This prophecy says that there will be a day when Israel will no longer be divided and be two nations, but will be unified by the stick of Judah (Bible) and the stick of Ephraim (Book of Mormon). And that the temple will be restored but will not administer the Law of Moses Covenant, but the everlasting temple will be a temple after the order of the Melchizedek Priesthood. It will be a Christian Temple, and not a Jewish Temple. And it will administer the Everlasting covenant to sanctify the church which is Israel and actual blood Israel eventually.

[Epistle of Barnabas Chapter 14. The Lord has given us the testament which Moses received and broke. This explains that God was going to give Moses the higher covenant but the people said they didn't want to speak with God and sent Moses to speak for them and when Moses returned and found the people worshipping the golden calf, God gave a preparatory covenant. God wanted Israel to be a kingdom of Priests, and holy nation and a peculiar people, but this wasn't realized. Again, Peter said the same thing].

Isaiah 2: 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house (temple) shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord (temple), to the house of the God of Jacob (temple); and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Isaiah prophecies about this temple which will be built in the Last days before the Millennium. But its not to be a Jewish, Law of Moses, Aaronic Priesthood Temple. The Temple to be rebuilt is to be a Melchizedek Priesthood, Christian, Everlasting Covenant Temple. If the fullness of the gospel of Christ was had during this whole time, why didn't the temple exist during this whole period as well?

Rev. 12: 6, 14 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. . . And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

John prophesies that the woman (church) fled into the wilderness (Apostasy) for 3 and 1/2 years after the dragon (Satan) devour her child (Christ). The time, times and half a time or 1260 days = 3 1/2 years and alludes to the famine during the days of Elijah that lasted 3 1/2 years, but speaks of a spiritual famine or Amos which precedes the the Millennium when Christ (the man child) returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

2 Thes. 2: 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The falling away is (Apostacia) or apostasy. This cannot be just before the Millennium because the stone rolling forth, cut out the mountain is supposed to get bigger and bigger and never be destroyed but overcome and destroy the Image in Daniels dream. The Early Christian Fathers understood that the "Antichrist, man of sin, son of perdition" was already revealed and it was the Gnostic doctrine or any doctrine that denied the physicality and tangibleness of God and Christ.

But if there is to be a literal fulfillment and someone who sits in the temple at Jerusalem and does miracles to fool the the people in the Last days it is because the temple that the Jews rebuild is the wrong temple, it is a Jewish temple and not a Melchizedek Priesthood temple. Or, why would God permit it to be defiled again. God only allows destruction as a consequence for disobedience.

Rev. 13: 7 And it was given unto him [the beast] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Christ said that a church build on the rock of revelation and the keys of the kingdom given to Peter would never fall and the gates of hell would not prevail. But here in Revelations John is saying that the Saints would be overcome by the beast. And that is because the keys and authority of the priesthood were lost which is the authority to receive direct revelation from God for the church.

Apostasy and Restoration is a Type of Christ

Just as Christ was killed and resurrected. God allowed His own son to die, God allowed His temple and holy house to be desecrated, and his church and they keys and authority of His priesthood to be lost. But as Christ was resurrected, so too was the church, priesthood, temple, and Holy word in the Last Days through the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Evidence of this Apostasy is recorded in human history. Just at the moment when you would expect a flood of blessings to be showered from heaven upon Europe because of accepting Christianity, you see the exact opposite. You see Europe descend into the Dark Ages where all the plagues of the Book of Revelations were poured out upon the people for adding and subtracting to God's word.

But then you see the light of learning begin with the Reformation and the steps taken towards the establishment of the United States which is a free nation that protects individual liberty and freedom of religion. And then the Restoration could be brought about. While the Saints were persecuted and driven from New York to Ohio, to Missouri, to Illinois and then forced to leave the United States and establish the Territory of Utah in what was then Mexico. And even after having an extermination order signed into law in Missouri, the United States sent Johnston's Army to Utah to destroy the Mormons and burn our cities to the ground. But the LDS met the army peaceably and allowed them to set up a base and occupy the Utah territory in exchange for concessions with eventually led to statehood. And now we see the gospel going forth to every kindred, nation, tongue and people and temples are being build all over the world allowing the hope of Moses, and Peter for his people to become a holy nation, and a royal priesthood by administering the everlasting temple covenant to all people.