The Great Apostasy

     The last post discussed the conditions of apostasy and how Heavenly Father responds to these conditions.  As discussed there have been many times when the children of men have fallen into conditions of apostasy.  Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognize one of these times as the Great Apostasy. 
     As we know Jesus came to earth as the son of Mary.  During His sojourn, He taught the messages of His gospel to the inhabitants of the lands around Jerusalem.  He called and ordained twelve apostles to lead His church when He no longer walked upon the earth.  He gave these men the Holy Priesthood, which is the authority to act in the place of Jesus Christ with the power of God.  Then came the day of His crucifixion.  Shortly thereafter He broke the bonds of death by taking up His physical body again and becoming the Resurrected Lord. 
     He then appeared unto many people, including Mary Magdalene, the twelve apostles, and a few others.  He demonstrated His resurrected condition and charged these individuals with the responsibility of teaching the inhabitants of the earth the messages of His gospel.
     The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ teaches that Jesus also appeared unto the inhabitants of the American continent after His resurrection.  He called and ordained twelve ministers in America to lead in sharing the messages of truth just as the Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem would do.  These men were also given the priesthood.  In Jerusalem, the Twelve Apostles and any other minister called to the work of teaching the gospel were successful, especially among the Gentiles, even though they faced harsh persecution.  In America, however, the people accepted their Lord and lived in peace.
     Both of these nations recorded the ministry of the Lord to their people.  This record in the areas around Jerusalem would become known as the New Testament.  In America, this record became a part of The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  These books of scripture were priceless to both nations. 
     Unfortunately, persecution lead to the martyrdom of the Apostles in the Jewish regions.  As these just men were martyred so quickly it became impossible to pass the Holy Priesthood on to others under the authority of Jesus Christ.  So the Holy Priesthood of Jesus Christ was lost. 
     With the loss of the Holy Priesthood, the remaining leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ found many differing interpretations of the Holy Scriptures testifying of Jesus Christ.  Such events as the Council of Nicaea were held in order to reconcile the differing opinions.  Many precious truths of the true gospel of Jesus Christ were lost, such as the truth about the individuality of the three members of the Holy Trinity, the true nature and personality of God, and the truth about the physical bodies of the Father and the Son. 
     Meanwhile, in America, the people started willfully rejecting the truths of the gospel.  The people even started slaughtering the people of God, hunting them until they became extinct.  So, the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, meaning all the important truths needed in order to follow the path set out by Jesus Christ, were lost from the earth.  The Holy Priesthood of God was also lost.  So it was that a state of apostasy descended upon the entire world.
     Fortunately, there were many who tried to hold true to the truth of the gospel through the Catholic Religion.  It's true that at many times leaders of this religion did wicked things in the name of God.  But a large number of people tried to hold true to what truths they had through this wonderful religion.  Through this religion God kept the path open to restore the fullness of the gospel in later times.  My next blog will turn to the history of just men who helped restore the truth.