"The Christian expectation is apostasy at some point and restoration. That's the story of the Bible.
In Noah's day you had universal apostasy. Josiah experienced universal apostasy among his people. Jesus encountered it as well. By dictionary definition apostasy is An abandonment of what one has voluntarily professed; a total desertion or departure from one's faith, principles, or party; esp., the renunciation of a religious faith; as, Julian's apostasy from Christianity.
These definitions are important when trying to search out the truth. The LDS definition of apostasy is slightly different. The LDS definition of Apostasy is:
Latter-day Saints believe that apostasy occurs whenever an individual or community rejects the revelations and ordinances of God, changes the gospel of Jesus Christ, or rebels against the commandments of God, thereby losing the blessings of the Holy Ghost and of divine authority.
So you have four conditions that satisfy apostasy for the LDS:
1. Rejection of revelations of God
2. Rejection of the ordinances of God
3. Changes to the gospel of Jesus Christ
4. Rebellion against the commandments of God
#4 most certainly is always happening, but is it complete? Few Christians observe the Sabbath Day who would otherwise strictly adhere to the other Ten Commandments. The Trinity is another example of changes to the gospel of Jesus Christ
Let me continue my research and reading. I haven't finished reading History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: History of Joseph Smith the Prophet By Joseph Smith, B. H. Roberts.
I hadn't known this book was available until Szonian and you put me on to it and I was thrilled to find it online. I like going to the source and not just getting the opinions of men. Interpretations get filtered and all that.
I'm not going to read the whole thing for now, but just the chapter starting on page XL called Announcement of the Universal Apostasy "
On further research #1, #2 and #3 have also occurred.
The closing of scriptures is a refutation of further revelation from God. The Christian expectation should be the opposite. There isn't any Biblical passage that indicates revelation or scripture is closed.God is sovereign, not the Bible.
#2 is true. There are no ordinances without authority and most ordinances have been abandoned by "Christians".
#3 is a function of 1 & 2.
That's what B.H. Roberts spells out here:
Nope - that is NOT the Christian expectation 10 - it may be yours, but you fail epically.
In Noah's day you had universal apostasy.
Except for Noah and his family - hence NOT universal. Yawn, your repetition if boring 10.
Josiah
Time wasn't UNIVERSAL apostasy either as there were still many who believed. Tsk, tsk, stupidity is doing the same thing over and over, as you are here, and expecting the same results. Read your bible
Yes, definitions are important - however the presence of INDIVIDUAL apostasy does not equal the complete, total and universal apostasy your mormon prophets claimed were in existence prior to smith's scam operation 10.
On further research #1, #2 and #3 have also occurred. The closing of scriptures is a refutation of further revelation from God.
LOL, sorry 10, repeating what your echo chamber sez doesn't prove a total, complete and universal apostasy existed in Christianity.
But your last commentary is worth refuting in detail. What 'PROOF' do we have that this 'further revelation from God' (which ever one that may be in mormondom) is a TRUE revelation from God. Your whole testimony hinges on a subjective FEELING that smith was a prophet. Facts are a pesky thing to such a dogmatically adhered to 'faith'. Every aspect of smith's life shouts that he was a false prophet. That is the judgement OF scripture 10. Every facet of the bom story has been shown to be false - it comes up empty every time and not a single proven artifact or discovery in the americas to support it. How about all the different first vision stories 10 - smith contradicts himself multiple times over.
Fact is, just like there never was a complete, total and universal apostasy of Christianity - this supposed 'continuing' revelation is shown to be fraudulent as well.
The Christian expectation should be the opposite. There isn't any Biblical passage that indicates revelation or scripture is closed.God is sovereign, not the Bible.
No, history shows otherwise - many heretical sects came up because they had their own 'revelations'. But then you are filtering your understanding through the peepstone of mormonism. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would bring to REMEMBRANCE that which he HAD (past tense) taught them. The Bereans didn't look to the teachings of Paul to verify his message - they went to the existing scriptures - the OT. There is nothing that the bom can add to the message of the Bible. But the message of MORMONISM is repudiated by the Bible at every turn.
There are no ordinances without authority and most ordinances have been abandoned by "Christians".
LOL, except where those 'ordinances' never existed in Christianity to begin with.
Roberts is wrong as are you. The gates of hell didn't prevail against the Church and Christ was true to His promise to never leave or forsake His church at any stage of its existence. Your regurgitation of Roberts fails when it strikes that pesky fact of history.
Smith was a false prophet, the bom is a false witness and mormonism is a false religion, facts that I can testify to according to the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ preserved for us in the Bible.