This is part three of my series of articles overviewing evidence indicating the Church will be deceived by the Antichrist.
In part 3, here I aim to show the scriptural foundation of the idea that the Mormon Church could be deceived by the antichrist in the last days. So, I will try to cover any significant prophecies of apostasy and judgement that I could find in the scriptures here. I understand that this is not something you have been taught, so all I ask is for you to look at these scriptures with an open mind.
A Parallel to the Nephites
To start off, I believe that our situation is similar to that of the Nephites. Any avid scripture reading Nephite should have known that the Nephite civilization was destined to collapse because of the following scripture:
2 Nephi 26:10 – Nephi plainly prophecies that the Nephites will be destroyed.
However, it appears many Nephites didn’t understand the future of their society, given this scripture:
Alma 45:9–14 – Alma delivers a secret prophecy to his son (that his son should not share with the people), that the Nephites would be destroyed.
Why would it be necessary to keep this prophecy secret, if everyone already was aware and understanding of the contents of 2 Nephi 26:10?
It appears that this confusion arises from the fact that the Lord decided to reveal most of his prophecies in the hypothetical – the Nephites will be destroyed if they don’t repent, rather than plainly stating that the Nephites will be destroyed. Examples can be seen in these scriptures:
Mosiah 12:8 – unless the Nephites repent, they will be destroyed
Helaman 13:5-6 – the sword of justice hangs over the Nephites in 400 years unless they repent.
Will the Gentiles Repent?
So are we in the same situation as the Nephites? Are we destined to collapse as a society and a Church, but not fully self-aware of this due to the fact that the prophecies applicable to us have also been written only in the conditional form – if we don’t repent we will be destroyed? At first blush, there does appear to be several scriptures prophesying the downfall of the gentiles if they don’t repent:
3 Nephi 16:13-15 – the house of Israel will crush the gentiles if they don’t repent
1 Nephi 14:1-2 – Gentiles numbered among the house of Israel *if* they repent.
Ether 2:11 – the gentiles will not feel the wrath of God if they repent.
If we look deeper in the scriptures, we see the answer to this question: The Gentiles will not repent.
D&C 45:28-29 – Gentiles shall not receive the gospel.
Will the Church Repent?
Obviously there is a possibility that these scriptures are not referring to the Church, but to the rest of everyone on earth (though the Book of Mormon does say that the Gentiles are the ones who receive the book of Mormon here: 1 Nephi 15:13). However, we get similar conditional warnings against the Church in these scriptures:
Doctrine and Covenants 124:45–48 – a warning against the possibility that the saints indeed build a temple, but then pollute it with follies and abominations, bringing judgement.
Doctrine and Covenants 43:8–10 – a warning that if the church doesn’t properly edify in meetings that the truths it has received will be taken.
As I have argued in the previous article in this series, both of these things (polluting the temple and failing to properly edify in meetings) have already occurred. However, are there any scriptures that can confirm that the Church will end up going astray? Actually, there is one very interesting scripture here:
Doctrine and Covenants 85:7-8 – God shall send forth a man to set in order the house of God. However, he shall go astray and be struck down.
From this scripture, it appears that at some point, God will send a prophet to correct the Church, but the prophet will fail. Later in the chapter, we then learn about those who were appointed to the “High Priesthood” in the Church will not have their names written in the book of life, and it will be like how the children of the priest in Ezra had apostatized (Ezra 2:61-62). To me this seems like a pretty clear prophecy that eventually the prophets in the Church will go astray (which is what I have been claiming).
Judgement Starts in the House of the Lord
Beyond just that the Church will have leaders that go astray, there are also a few sobering prophecies that judgement will come upon the church:
Doctrine and Covenants 112:24–26 – Judgement actually starts in the Church particularly among those who have professed to know God but haven’t.
1 Peter 4:17 – Judgement begins at the house of the lord
More Condemnation upon the Church
We also get a few additional sobering warnings against the Church. These scriptures don’t specify a time frame so obviously interpretations may vary, but they seem to align with the idea that the Church eventually will be condemned:
Doctrine and Covenants 84:55–57 – Vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. This includes “children of Zion, even all”.
D&C 50:2-4 – Satan has sent forth false spirits to deceive the world, including the Church, and God has looked upon the Church and seen abominations.
Avenues by which the Church is Deceived
In the Doctrine and Covenants, we also get a few warnings about leaders going astray. This (in my view) is the seed of apostasy in the church.
Doctrine and Covenants 50:4–9 – Deceivers and Hypocrites are within the Church, giving Satan Influence
Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46 – Priesthood leaders misusing their authority and seeking after the things of the world
False Prophets
We also get this interesting scripture about false prophets and apostles:
D&C 64:38–40 – Zion shall judge the liars and hypocrites including the false “apostles and prophets”.
It is easy to dismiss this scripture as referring to other churches. However, firstly, what other Churches have both apostles and prophets as callings? And more importantly, these verses also discusses condemned Bishops and councilors who have not been faithful in their stewardship. So clearly it is referring to our church. This scripture seems like pretty good proof that the Church leaders will go astray in the last days. It also aligns with an interesting scripture in the old testament:
Jeremiah 23:9, Jeremiah 23:15 – which discusses how prophets will go out from Jerusalem and spread falsehoods throughout the whole land.
Secret Combinations (aside)
I hope that in this essay I have adequately established the scriptural foundation that the Mormon Church will be deceived in the last days. Therefore, as an aside, I would like to also draw attention to a related different topic of destruction:
Ether 8:23–25 – I will quote this entire scripture below:
23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.
25 For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.
Basically, the lord is promising destruction upon the gentiles if they allow secret combinations to take hold of their society. I don’t know if you have been reading the news or not, but to me it seems extremely obvious that we unfortunately have indeed allowed secret combinations to gain a hold over us (in America). In my view, this is likely linked to the cause of why the Mormon church will go astray.
Conclusions
It is very frustrating and depressing to me that the world had to be like this. It seems like reality would be better if the Church would not go astray, and I can’t help but think that it should have been within God’s power to protect the Church from apostasy. However, we must remember that there is a purpose in all of it:
2 Thessalonians 2:3 – the end of the world will not come until first there is a falling away, so that the man of sin may be revealed.
Here, we learn that one purpose of the apostasy is to allow the workings of Satan to be revealed. To me, this scripture is but one puzzle piece; I must confess, I still don’t fully understand the necessity for the Church being deceived. However, I do trust that the Lord does have a plan, and that it will all make sense in the end.
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