Church Restoration

Mormon doctrine claims that after the death of the apostles, the church ceased to exist on the earth until Joseph smith was commissioned to restore it.1 This is in contradiction to:

"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." (Matthew 16:18)

The Mormons use the following verse as though it were prophesying a restoration of the church:2

"Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:21)

They blatantly fail to appreciate that the verse clearly specifies what will be restored...that which the holy prophets said would be restored, namely the nation of Israel to their land under the Lord Jesus Christ as their King. This was the grand hope of Israel!

"Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land." (Jeremiah 23:7-8)

"And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever." (Ezekiel 37:25)

"To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" (Acts 1:3)..."When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." (Acts 1:6-7)

In addition, the church was never mentioned by the prophets in the old scriptures as testified by the apostle Paul (see context of the following verse):

"Which (the church which is Christ's body) in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;" (Ephesians 3:5)
  1. The Falling Away and the Restoration Foretold, (The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1979), p. 12
  2. Ibid, p. 12

|<< TOP < PREV NEXT >

http://www.BibleTruths.org/cults/MormonismRestoration.html
updated September 4, 1998 by Webservant@BibleTruths.org