The LDS Church teaches there was a complete apostasy of Christianity and the church all but disappeared from the face of the earth. We’re wondering if that means all of the apostles apostatized as well…
How could there be a complete apostasy if the Mormon Church claims there were apostles that never died and are still here roaming the earth?
We’ve written about this before and we’re still waiting for someone from the Church to respond… six years after our initial query with the following set of questions, we’re still patiently waiting…
Three Nephite Apostles Never Die
If 3 of the Nephite apostles never died then why did Joseph Smith say there wasn’t any church on the face of the earth that was obeying God? This is a huge contradiction and makes absolutely no sense!
Introduction of 3 Nephi 28 “Each of the twelve is granted his heart’s desire – Three elect to remain on earth until the Lord comes in his glory…They are made immune to death and disaster”.
D&C 7:1-8 “… John, my beloved, what desirest thou?…if you shall ask what you will, it shall be granted unto you…Lord, give unto me power over death…And for this cause the Lord said unto Peter: If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? For he desired of me that he might bring souls unto me, but thou desiredst that thou mightest speedily come unto me in my kingdom….And I will make thee to minister for him and for thy brother James …”
John 21:21-23; “Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?”
There are a couple of different ways you can interpret this passage of Mormon scripture. You could look at it and believe that none of the three apostles mentioned here died. You could also look at it and think that John was the only one that didn’t die. If the latter is true then where are the other two apostles now – weren’t they supposed to be ministering to John?
D&C 7 is a false prophecy. See our article here with some interesting facts about the body of Christ in the first 300-400 years after Jesus’ death.
The church was indeed operating very well after Jesus’ death, therefore proving there was no need for a “restoration”.
I am praying that by studying the true, historical facts it may dispel the darkness of the lies in Mormonism as well as inspire members of the LDS Church to find out more information.
And then there are the obvious questions…
If John never died, where is he today and why the need for a restoration?
What purpose does it serve the Church to have this as “scripture”?
How does this cause growth in the faith of the members today?
See 3 Nephi 28:1-40 for a similar story. The chapter is filled with speculations as to where the three Nephite disciples lived and how their bodies were sustained for the past 2,000 years.
Also notice the passage in John chapter twenty-one mentioned above. The scripture corrects the rumors that were being spread at the time about John not dying. If the Church would only believe the Bible, they wouldn’t be writing untrue stories in the Book of Mormon!
Perhaps the three Nephite apostles can be found in Kinderhook, Illinois.
No Soldiermp, they’re in Zarahemla with the sword of Laben🗡️
I’ve been out of the church so long when I hear/read about Nephites I remember the old joke some told before they gave their sacrament meeting talk…..there’s a knee-fight going on behind the podium. The Bible is the answer to every lie invented by Joe and his buddies. The Bible, period.
you’ll have to share the Nephite story because I’ve not heard it! 🙂
LAM: Maybe it was just our ward but occasionally the sacrament meeting speaker would mention a knee-fight going on behind the podium b/c he/she was nervous. It always got a chuckle. I thought it was a church-wide joke. Silly me.
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