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Apostasy
The Great Apostasy
Summary: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims that it is the restored Church of Jesus Christ. Fundamental to that belief is that the Church was lost for a time. Without such a loss, there could have been no Restoration. Critics, and especially those who are of Protestant, Orthodox, or Catholic Christian background, have argued that the Latter-day Saint belief in the Great Apostasy is erroneous on many grounds. Some have argued that Christ never established an official institution during His mortal life. Others have argued that He did found a church, but that the church was never lost.
Regardless of the criticism, it is a valuable exercise for Latter-day Saints to consider the historical, scriptural, and theological grounding for their belief in the Great Apostasy. While there are some aspects of this belief that lie beyond the ken of academics, Latter-day Saint belief is not contradicted by existing historical or scriptural evidence.
Defining the Apostasy
Defining what the Apostasy actually was is a matter of great importance. Without this definition, we cannot assuage the concerns of those studying this topic. It is important to define the Apostasy using scripture.
The word apostasy comes from the Greek word ἀποστασία (ah-poh-stah-SEE-uh). The prefix ἀπο means (away), and στασίs means "standing." Thus, etymologically, we get "standing away" or "standing apart" as the meaning of the word. "The word means ‘rebellion,’ ‘mutiny,’ ‘revolt,’ or ‘revolution,’ and it is used in ancient contexts with reference to uprisings against established authority."[1]
In 2 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul said, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for [the Second Coming of Jesus Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away ["ἀποστασία"] first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
Thus, in contrast to some who believe that external persecution was a primary cause, the New Testament and other passages of scripture actually place internal rebellion as the primary cause of the Apostasy. As we shall see, however, external persecution still played a role.
Internal rebellion is the primary cause of the Great Apostasy, but rebellion against what? Ultimately, it was a rebellion against key, essential doctrines taught by Christ and His Apostles. When we talk about someone who is an "apostate" or "apostatizes" from the Church today, we are usually referring to someone who is openly rebelling against the Church and its authority.[2]
Some have conceptualized the loss of priesthood authority, the changing of ordinances, and the corruption of scripture as part of the definition of the Great Apostasy. However, these are all merely symptoms of the internal rebellion that took place against some key, essential doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by His Apostles. The rebellion against these doctrines is what created many different Christian groups, each of which did not fully match the New Testament teachings about how Christ's Church should be run and what its members should believe. The creators of these sects thus become the primary rebels. Other Christians who belonged to these churches thus became the unfortunate inheritors and victims of the Great Apostasy rather than its perpetrators.
The Establishment of Christ's Church
If Christ's official, institutional Church was lost, then it must have been established. However, many today doubt that Christ ever established a church.
The Apostasy Predicted
Latter-day Saints have appealed to a variety of scriptures to support their belief in the Great Apostasy. Some of these scriptures are better to use than others. Some do not give good evidence to support belief in the Great Apostasy.
One scripture frequently used is Amos 8:11.
The most extensive evidence of an apostasy is found in the New Testament.
Scripture Outside of the Model=
Historical Evidence for the Great Apostasy
Patristic Evidence for the Apostasy
The Corruption of Scripture
The Introduction of Greek Philosophy and Redefining the Christian Concept of God
The Loss of Apostolic Authority
1800 Years of Spiritual Darkness and Confusion
==
Preparing the Way for the Restoration
The early Christian Church and the Great Apostasy
Jump to Subtopic:
- Evidence of a total apostasy
- Extent of the apostasy
- Reasons why the apostasy occurred
- The office of Apostle within the ancient Church of Jesus Christ
Evidence of a total apostasy
Jump to Subtopic:
- Biblical evidence of an apostasy after Christ
- Evidence of an apostasy after Christ from early Christian history other than the Bible
- Visible evidence of the apostasy
Biblical evidence of an apostasy after Christ
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: Is there any Biblical evidence that the apostasy began?
- Question: Was the apostasy predicted by the Bible not complete?
Evidence of an apostasy after Christ from early Christian history other than the Bible
Summary: Do the Early Church Fathers and other post-Biblical documents shed any light on the apostasy?
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: Is there any evidence of the apostasy from materials from early Christian history besides the Bible?
- Clement of Rome: "For this reason righteousness and peace are now far departed from you"
- Hegesippus: "These also, as there were none of the apostles left, henceforth attempted, without shame to preach their false doctrine against the gospel of truth"
- Ignatius: "the false prophets and the false apostles"
- Irenaeus: "evil is spread abroad among men"
- Tertullian: "Away with all attempts to produce a mottled Christianity of Stoic, Platonic, and dialectic composition!"
- Cyprian: Cyprian argued that since the Saints had sunk to such low levels of depravity they rightly deserved the harsh judgments of God
- Cyril of Jerusalem: "For men have fallen from the right faith; and some preach the identity of the Son with the Father...This, therefore, is the falling away"
Visible evidence of the apostasy
Jump to Subtopic:
Extent of the apostasy
Jump to Subtopic:
- Complete apostasy after Christ
- Apostasy and the "gates of hell"
- Priesthood on the earth during the apostasy
Complete apostasy after Christ
Summary: Do other Christian denominations believe that no other church on earth is complete, or is this an arrogant belief assumed only by the "Mormons"?
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: Did Christ establish a Church while on the earth?
- Question: Was the apostasy after Christ complete?
- Question: What is the Catholic view of the apostasy?
- Question: What is the reformation view of the apostasy?
- Question: Do Latter-day Saints believe that no genuine Christians exist outside of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
- Scholarly quotes on the historical evidence for apostasy
Apostasy and the "gates of hell"
Summary: Is Jesus' teaching about "the gates of hell" prevailing against "the rock" inconsistent with a belief in a universal apostasy?
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: Does the fact that Jesus said, "upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" mean that universal apostasy was impossible?
- Question: What are the "gates of hell" or "gates of Hades?"
Priesthood on the earth during the apostasy
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: Was the priesthood on earth during the apostasy?
- Question: Since John the Apostle and the three Nephites did not die, then how could there have been a "complete apostasy" on the earth?
Reasons why the apostasy occurred
Jump to Subtopic:
God permitted the apostasy to occur
Summary: If there were some people who would have accepted the Gospel as taught in Mormonism, why did God allow the earthly Church to pass from the earth?
Jump to Subtopic:
Relationship of Mormonism to other branches of Christianity
Summary: What does the apostasy doctrine mean with respect to the relationship of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to other branches of Christianity?
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: How does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints relate to other branches of Christianity?
- Non-LDS Christian Stephen H. Webb: Creedal Christians can learn from LDS views about Jesus Christ and creation
The office of Apostle within the ancient Church of Jesus Christ
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: Was Paul a "real" apostle, with authority over the Church like the original Twelve?
- Question: Were the early apostles married?
- Question: Was the Apostle Paul Married?
- Question: Does the Biblical reference by Paul to "apostles and prophets" refer to Church offices?
- Question: Why did Jesus call Twelve Apostles?
- ↑ Kent P. Jackson, From Apostasy to Restoration (Deseret Book, 1996), 6.
- ↑ General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “32.6.3.2 Apostasy,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, accessed July 17, 2026, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/32-repentance-and-membership-councils#sec17.