Perhaps the only thing more shocking than the appearance of the Father and Son to Joseph Smith was what they told him. Joseph asked which of the Christian sects he should join and was answered that he must join none of them, for they were all wrong. The Bible informs us that Jesus came and preached the gospel, and the apostles preached it after him. This leaves only one way for Joseph’s claim to be accurate. The truth had to be lost. There must have been a great apostasy as the LDS Church teaches.

I hope you understand that when I say church, I’m not referring to a body of believers, but an organized superstructure consisting of a head, officers, doctrines, and priesthood ordinances. I also believe church can mean a body of believers, but this isn’t the church that fell away. In other words, faithful believers in Christ never disappeared, but the organization Jesus and the apostles established did. So when I say there was an apostasy, I don’t mean there were no Christians, or that every Christian doctrine was corrupted, I just mean the original and correct organization was lost.

Elijah Must First Come

In Matthew 17 Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the Mount of Transfiguration. At its top they see Moses and Elijah and hear God’s voice, proclaiming Jesus is His Son. On the way down the disciples ask the Master a question, “Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?” Elias is the Greek form of the name Elijah. This question is in reference to the final prophecy of the Old Testament in Malachi 4:5-6 which states: Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

The Jews were under the mistaken impression that the Messiah would only come once and promptly deliver them from Rome. So they were looking for Christ to come, but they also seemed to be looking for Elijah to come first. This is evident in the first chapter of the gospel of John. When John the Baptist confesses he is not Christ, he is immediately asked, “What then, art thou Elias? Art thou that prophet?” (John 1:21). In fact, Jews to this day believe Elijah will arrive as a sign of the Messiah’s coming. From a Christian perspective, and with the knowledge we gain in the New Testament, we understand there will be a second coming of the Messiah, which is often referred to as the great and dreadful day of the Lord in scripture. So the prophecy about Elijah’s coming in Malachi could safely be translated: Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the [second coming] of the Lord.

Let’s look at the Savior’s answer to his disciples’ inquiry.In Matthew 17:11 he says, Elias truly shall first come,and restore all things.“ By speaking in the future tense, Christ clarifies that the prophecy had yet to be fulfilled. He also explains that not only would Elijah come, he would restore all things. At the time Jesus said this he was on the earth, his apostles were called, and the gospel was being preached; so for all things to be restored, all things had to first be lost.

This is consistent with 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 where Paul writes: Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand. 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. Latter-day Saints believe the falling away Paul spoke of was an impending church-wide apostasy which would require a restoration through Elijah the prophet.

The Church’s Foundation

But doesn’t Christ’s promise that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church negate any possibility of an apostasy?

In Matthew 16:13-19 we read: When Jesus came into the coasts of Ceasara Phillipi, he asked his disciples saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am? And they said, Some say that thou are John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremias or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom do ye say that I am? And Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Obviously, a lot is said in this passage, so we don’t have a simple promise saying the Church is invulnerable to the gates of hell. Immediately before the promise, Jesus mentions that the Church was built upon a rock, which implies that his promise hinged on the Church remaining steadfastly on that rock. After all, the wise man built his house upon a rock, and when the rain beat upon the house it was stable because it was built on a rock, right? But the foolish man didn’t build his house on a rock, and it fell when the floods came. The same principle applied to the New Testament Church, without a strong foundation it was susceptible to collapse.

So what exactly is the foundational rock Jesus spoke of? Most believe the rock is Jesus himself. To this I would give an adamant yes! I absolutely believe that. Others have felt that Peter was the rock because he was called Cephas, which is interpreted: a stone. I agree with that too, since Peter was the head of the apostles and the Church after Christ was resurrected. But I would say it’s even more than that. Latter-day Saints believe the foundation of Christ’s Church consists of: Christ, prophets and apostles, revelation, and priesthood authority and keys.

In Ephesians 2:19-20 Paul writes: And now ye are no more foreigners and strangers but fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. From this verse we can infer that Christ and his redeeming grace are the central and most important aspects of the gospel, but he does not make up the entire foundation. So why are apostles and prophets included in the foundation of the Church? Whenever there was a dispute in the Church, the problem was brought to the apostles, and their answers became doctrine. For example, The Acts chapter 15 tells us some new Christians began to say circumcision was still essential for salvation, but the matter was brought to the apostles who declared it unnecessary. The apostles were also largely responsible for the writing of the New Testament; so clearly they were privileged to know God’s will for the Church and had the authority to implement it.

Revelation, or direct communication from God to man, is an essential part of the Savior’s promise to Peter; when Peter confessed Christ was the Son of God, Jesus said, “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Peter knew who Christ was because he had received it directly from the Father. Jesus then said, “Upon this rock I will build my Church.” As long as the early Church could receive revelation as one body, through the prophets and apostles, it could continue to prosper.

Since the beginning of time the Lord has used a pattern of revelation, which He always gave to his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7), and in turn it was their mission to spread the message to His people (Ezekiel 3:17). So in the New Testament when Jesus established his Church and set apostles at its head that were able to receive revelation, it proved that he is a changeless being.

Revelation is also a very practical way to lead the Church; The Acts chapter 10 is a great example of how the early Church functioned. A man named Cornelius, a gentile, was visited by an angel and told to seek out Peter, and informed that Peter would tell him what to do. So Cornelius sent three men to Joppa where Peter was staying. Before Peter could be confronted with the situation, and forced to make a decision based on finite reasoning, he was shown a vision in which a great sheet fell before him, which was inhabited by animals deemed unclean and inedible by the Law of Moses. A voice then spoke to him saying, “Rise Peter, kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” The voice spoke to him again, “What the Lord hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” This vision was given to Peter so he might know not to call any man common or unclean because it was time for the gospel to go to the gentiles. Since Christ personally instructed the apostles to preach only to the Jews (Matthew 10:5-6), without indicating an expiration date for the command, it’s impossible to think Peter could have come to this conclusion without revelation.

It’s also quite telling that the Gentile emergence into Christianity happened through Peter. Why didn’t the angel tell Cornelius to start his own Christian denomination? It’s because apostles were a major part of the Church’s foundation! Two other essential components of the Church’s rock were priesthood authority and keys, which were held by the apostles and enabled the performance of ordinances of salvation (see my chapter on baptism). Matthew chapter 10 tells us that when Jesus called his twelve apostles he gave them authority to cast out devils and to heal all kinds of illness and disease. In John 15:16 the Lord told the apostles, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” In Matthew 16 Christ promised to give Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

The apostles didn’t take it upon themselves to lead the Church; they were chosen by Christ and given the authority. They had the keys to heaven: the keys to act in God’s name, to receive revelation in behalf of the Church, and to perform saving ordinances which were not only binding on earth, but in heaven. And so it’s no wonder there was a concerted effort to keep the sanctity of the twelve in the New Testament. After Judas took his life, there were only eleven apostles. In the first chapter of The Acts, Peter rehearses the fall of Judas to the other apostles and says, “It is written in the book of Psalms: Let his habitation be desolate and let no man dwell therein, and his bishopric let another take” (The Acts 1:20). Under the direction of the Bible, the apostles prayerfully chose who would replace Judas as an apostle. In verse 26 we read: And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Not long after this, James was martyred. Again the apostles numbered eleven, and again a replacement was appointed. The Lord called Paul to be an apostle. Unfortunately, the early Church suffered heavy persecution and the twelve were killed for their testimonies. Along with the apostles went the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and the only thing left was the one thing that couldn’t be taken away: the Cornerstone. The great apostasy was ushered in; it was a time the Lord alluded to in John 9:4 when he said, “I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work.”

Replacement vs. Evolution

Although Judas and James were replaced with new apostles, most Christians have embraced a theology of evolution: which is for one reason or another, the Church no longer needs prophets and apostles. Some of these reasons include that the apostles were only intended as eyewitnesses of Christ, that they became obsolete after the crucifixion or after the Bible was compiled, or that we know so much nowadays that apostles are no longer necessary. In any case, living prophets and apostles are often viewed as training wheels: a temporary crutch to get things started.

Latter-day Saints believe in replacement: that is, prophets and apostles aren’t the training wheels to a bike, they’re the tires. And when a tire goes flat, it must be fixed or replaced; otherwise the vehicle won’t function properly. To us, saying we don’t need apostles and prophets, is like saying, “I’m so healthy I don’t need legs anymore.”

Jesus was also a proponent of replacement. In Matthew 9:16-17 he says, “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.” When Israel apostatized, Christ came and started a new Church. When James died, God didn’t allow the Church leadership to evolve to church fathers, pastors, or a pope, He called a new apostle.

I admit there’s an evolution taking place in our understanding and circumstances, but it’s this very evolution that makes Church-wide revelation so imperative! Whereas the Bible is static, and doesn’t necessarily expound on modern problems, revelation is dynamic and can accurately answer new questions.

The reason for prophets, apostles, and other Church officers is given in Ephesians 4:11-14 which reads: And [Christ] gave some apostles, and some prophets; and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

If the work of the ministry must go on, then so to must the priesthood keys which govern the work. If we still require guidance so we’re not deceived by false doctrines then revelation to the Church as a whole is essential. And if we still haven’t come in the unity of the faith and been perfected, we still need prophets and apostles.

The Restoration of all Things

It’s hard to read the beginning of the New Testament without getting excited. As Matthew expounds on Christ’s life, he reflects on Old Testament prophecies again and again, often repeating the phrase: all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet. Matthew wasn’t making some philosophical argument that Christianity was true, he was writing about events that were actually happening! He was writing about prophecy being fulfilled! This automatically elevates Christianity above Judaism, since a religion with fulfilled prophecies is always more substantiated than a religion with unfulfilled prophecies. In much the same way, the story of the restoration is empowered by the fulfillment of prophecies.

The Bible prophesies of a great apostasy where revelation and priesthood keys are lost: in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Paul forewarns, “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts they shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” In Amos 8:11-12, Amos prophesies, “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.” And in John 9, Christ says the night is coming when no man can work, which symbolizes a lack of light from revelation and an absence of authority to work in the ministry.

Malachi’s prophecy, along with Jesus’ foretelling that Elijah would come and restore all things, has also been fulfilled. On April 3, 1836 in the Kirtland temple, in the presence of Joseph Smith the prophet and Oliver Cowdery, Elijah the prophet returned. This is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 110:13-16 which states: After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us and said: Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi-testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come- To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse- Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.

The Bible even prophesies of when the restoration would take place! In the second chapter of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar has a vision which Daniel the prophet vividly describes. In verses 31-35 he says, “Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”

In the verses that follow, Daniel interprets the dream. The great image King Nebuchadnezzar saw was a timeline, with the head representing the present and the lower parts symbolizing the distant future. The different body parts, made up of diverse metals, were nations which would hold unrivaled power during their tenure. The image’s two legs of iron most likely represented the Roman Empire, since it was split in two kingdoms. The toes represented a time when many nations would share power. Daniel finishes his interpretation in Daniel 2:44-45 which reads: 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. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it break in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

To Latter-day Saints it’s significant that the stone representing God’s kingdom fell on the image’s feet in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision. The kingdom shown in the vision could not have been the New Testament Church, since it was founded during the reign of the Roman Empire. It’s also unlikely that the stone would represent the second coming, the millennial reign, or anything thereafter. Let me explain: according to the timeline of the vision, God’s kingdom only had a narrow window to be established. It would come at a time when kings were in power, and lately monarchy has not been on the rise. Consider this: the LDS Church was founded in 1830. The French monarchy fell for the final time in 1870, the Portuguese monarchy ended in 1910, the Chinese monarchy ended in 1912 and after World War I the Russian and German monarchies fell. As time has passed, more and more monarchies have ended, making Nebuchadnezzar’s vision less and less likely to occur anytime in the future.

The LDS Church is the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, destined to fill the whole earth. The apostasy, the restoration of the Church, and the return of Elijah have all happened, as Matthew would say, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord, through the prophets.