View source for Question: Do Latter-day Saints believe that the scriptural terms "church of the devil," the "great and abominable church," and the "whore of all the earth" refer to a specific religion?

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==Question: Do Latter-day Saints believe that the scriptural terms "church of the devil," the "great and abominable church," and the "whore of all the earth" refer to a specific religion?==
===According to the Book of Mormon, the "great and abominable church" and "whore of all the earth" refers to any organization that opposes the true Church of Jesus Christ===

The Church does not teach or endorse the idea that these terms refer to any specific religion or organization. It is clear that in cases where past church authorities have modified this definition through speculation, that the First Presidency has firmly declared those speculations to be in error.

The criticism is based upon references in the Book of Mormon to the "church of the devil," which is referred to as the "whore of all the earth." For example:

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And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. ({{s|1|Nephi|14|10}})
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===George Q. Cannon publicly associated the "whore of all the earth" with those that persecuted the Church===

Although the scriptures do not associate this "church" with a specific organization or religion, several early 19th century church leaders stated their opinions regarding who they considered the "whore of all the earth." For example, George Q. Cannon publicly associated the "whore of all the earth" with those that persecuted the Church:

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And to-day, those who are inciting mobs against this people; those who go to Congress, and incite persecutions against us; those who fulminate threats and frame petitions; those who meet together in conventions; those who gather together in conferences, are those who belong to this "mother of abominations," this "whore of all the earth," and it is through the influence of that accursed whore, that they gather together and marshal their forces in every land against the Latter-day Saints, the Church of the living God.<ref>{{JDfairwiki|author=George Q. Cannon|title=PREDICTIONS IN THE BOOK OF MORMON, etc.|date=April 6, 1884|vol=25|disc=17|start=128}} </ref>
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===Heber C. Kimball associated the "whore of all the earth" with the national government===

Heber C. Kimball associated the "whore of all the earth" with the national government that failed to help the Saints during their times of persecution:

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It is very easy to be seen that the nation that has oppressed us is going down. The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith something about the judgments that await the inhabitants of the earth, and he said in the revelations that the judgments should commence at the house of God. I will read to you parts of the revelations which speak of these things....and that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall be cast down by devouring fire, according as it is spoken by the mouth of Ezekiel the Prophet....<ref>{{JDfairwiki|author=Heber C. Kimball|title=OBSERVANCE OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD|date=January 6, 1861|vol=9|disc=23|start=131}}</ref>
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===Orson Pratt claimed that it was the founder of the Catholic Church in a publication that was later repudiated by the Church===

Orson Pratt, in his 1853-1854 periodical ''[[The Seer]]'', claimed that the founder of the Roman Catholic Church was “the Devil, through the medium of Apostates, who subverted the whole order of God” and that they derived their “authority from the Devil....”<ref>Orson Pratt, ''The Seer'' (Washington D.C., April 1854).</ref> ''The Seer'', however, never achieved sufficient circulation to propagate this idea through the general Church membership. In fact, ''The Seer'' was disowned by the First Presidency in 1865 for containing "doctrines which we cannot sanction."<ref>''Deseret News'' (12 August 1865): 373.</ref>

{{main|The_Seer|l1=Orson Pratt's ''The Seer'' repudiated.}}

===Bruce R. McConkie's first edition of ''Mormon Doctrine'' associated it with the Catholic Church, before that edition was refuted by the First Presidency===

Bruce R. McConkie is credited with promoting the idea within the modern church that the "great and abominable church" was in fact the Roman Catholic Church. The first edition of McConkie's ''Mormon Doctrine'', a book which contained sufficient errors that the First Presidency declared that the book was "not approved as an authoritative book"<ref>Dennis B. Horne, ''Bruce R. McConkie: Highlights From His Life & Teachings'' (Eborn Books, 2000), {{nc}}.</ref> and that it should not be re-published, contained this rather direct statement:

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It is also to the Book of Mormon to which we turn for the plainest description of the Catholic Church as the great and abominable church. Nephi saw this ‘church which is the most abominable above all other churches’ in vision. He ‘saw the devil that he was the foundation of it’ and also the murders, wealth, harlotry, persecutions, and evil desires that historically have been a part of this satanic organization.<ref>Bruce R. McConkie, ''Mormon Doctrine'' [1st edition] (Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 1958). </ref>
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===The offending language was removed in the second edition of ''Mormon Doctrine'' and replaced with language more consistent with the Book of Mormon===

When the first edition of ''Mormon Doctrine'' went into circulation, the idea that the "great and abominable church" was the Catholic Church became embedded in popular belief, despite the fact that this idea was never sanctioned or preached over the pulpit. A second edition of ''Mormon Doctrine'' was eventually released with the offending language regarding the Roman Catholic Church removed. In the second edition, McConkie states:

<blockquote>
The titles church of the devil and great and abominable church are used to identify all churches or organizations of whatever name or nature &mdash; whether political, philosophical, educational, economic social, fraternal, civic, or religious &mdash; which are designed to take men on a course that leads away from God and his laws and thus from salvation in the kingdom of God.<ref>{{MD1 | entry=| start=760}}</ref>
</blockquote>

This statement more closely aligns with what the scriptures themselves say, without any additional interpretation. Modern church leaders have stayed close to the definition in the ''Book of Mormon'', by identifying the "great and abominable" church as any organization the leads people away from the Church of Jesus Christ.
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[[de:Frage: Was ist die „große und greueuelreiche Kirche”, die im Buch Mormon genannt wird?]]
[[pt:Pergunta: Santos dos Últimos Dias acreditam que os termos bíblicos "igreja do diabo", a "igreja grande e abominável", e a "prostituta de toda a Terra" referem-se a uma religião específica?]]

[[Category:Becoming Gods]]
[[Category:Losing a Lost Tribe]]
[[Category:No Man Knows My History]]
[[Category:One Nation Under Gods]]
[[Category:The Changing World of Mormonism]]