Rethinking the Great Apostasy
In a recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune, the author noted, “Latter-day Saints generally believe that Jesus established a church during his ministry, but after the death of his apostles, that body fell away from its gospel foundation due to what is called “the Great Apostasy.”
"Many have come to think that God withdrew from the world at that time and remained distant through the Dark Ages until 1830 when Christ’s church was restored to its original form in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
As that is the narrative that I, like most Latter-Day Saints grew up believing, you can imagine my surprise as the author continued: “That is an overly simplistic, if not completely false narrative about early Christians, according to a new book of essays titled, “Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints,” from the Maxwell Institute at church-owned Brigham Young University.”
“The narrative of widespread apostasy ignores evidence that good Christians continually served each other and worshipped God throughout the history of Christianity, Jason R. Combs, who teaches religious education at BYU, writes in his introduction. The book’s editors have a lofty mission: to help fellow Latter-day Saints see ancient Christians as their spiritual ancestors and to connect with other believers.”
The book is “an act of devotion,” Coombs writes, “an act of turning our hearts to our spiritual fathers and mothers so that we can learn to love and appreciate them… A better knowledge of ancient Christians would free today’s Latter-day Saints from spending their time trying to prove other churches and religions wrong or apostate.”
The authors point out that “a quick look at history reveals that the Latter-day Saints did not originate the idea of a Great Apostasy but rather inherited it from Protestants during the Second Great Awakening.”
Apostasy and restoration were common themes among many upstart restorationist movements of the 19th century, including the Methodists, Baptists, Disciples of Christ, United Brethren, the Stone/Campbell movement (from which Sydney Rigdon had been a leading minister), the Christadelphians, the Apostolic Catholic Church, Seventh-Day Adventists, the Millerites, and many others.
As I pondered this new apostasy narrative, a happy smile spread across my face. It had always felt strange to me that God would leave the many good and faithful followers of Christ who lived during this period in history to struggle on their own.
Although at times men have rejected God, He has never rejected them. Scripture is replete with His promises of devotion and loyalty to us. For example, see Matthew 28:20, “..and lo, I am with you alway(s), even unto the end of the world.” Our Heavenly Father has not and will not abandon His children.
The traditional apostasy account sowed a division that has done more harm than good in reconciling the faith traditions of the Christian family. With this enlightened understanding, no longer do we need to feel apart from our sisters and brothers of different Christian faiths…they are just another branch of our family tree. Or better yet, we are a branch of theirs.
All that has occurred throughout the Christian world since the coming of Christ is meaningful, connected, and joins us with faithful believers of all ages and walks of life. One in purpose, one in fellowship, one in Christ!
From ‘Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-Day Saints’; “Instead of perceiving medieval Christians as deluded by apostasy, we should revere them for keeping the light of Christ alive by enculturating Christianity across the world, preserving and transmitting scripture, and developing rich traditions of worship and diverse modes of religious life. They devoted their lives to Jesus Christ.”
Certainly questions remain, such as Priesthood authority and ongoing revelation, but a clearer and more accurate understanding of the faithfulness of God to His children, and their faithfulness to Him throughout the previous centuries fills a void for me and provides an unbroken timeline of Christ's ministry to the present day.
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Author’s Note: Two commonly cited scriptural references are often used as proof-texts to support claims of a general, worldwide apostasy: Amos chapter 8, and 2 Thessalonians 2:3. In context, however, Amos chapter 8 is speaking of the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel, which occurred in 721 B.C. and not of a future worldwide apostasy. Amos writes that the end has come to God's covenant people dwelling in the land while in violation of His covenant and He will spare them no longer.
Although 2 Thessalonians 2:3 speaks of a falling away, the context does not suggest that there would be complete, worldwide apostasy. As I Timothy 4:1 notes, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.”
These understandings are consistent with the recent essays from BYU's Maxwell Institute.
TestifyofChrist
February-2023
