Jesus said I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
So this idea of the Mormons that the church got "lost" is directly opposed to what Christ said. We have the faith that was once delivered to the saints. It has come down to us from Christ Himself thru the preaching of the Apostles and countless disciples.
I don't know which part of the bible they think is true and which untrue or how they determine what to pick and what to toss out. Just a rudimentary look says that everything Paul preached is tossed, and no wonder, his words are their strongest condemnation.
Good point.
We're certainly thinking alike. My response to the lecture was to take my LDS friend to Galatians 1. The conversation ended shortly after that but by the look on his face, it was clear that Paul's cursing of those who brought a different gospel from an "angel of heaven" rattled him. Galatians 1:8 strikes right at the heart of the foundations of Mormonism by cursing the exact situation that gave rise to the "First Vision."
That conversation took place about 15 years ago and I've long since lost connection with this Mormon but I have always thought that the Holy Spirit planted a seed there that would bear fruit later.