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The Great Apostasy [Mormonism labels ALL Protestant, Catholic & Orthodox churches ‘apostate’] WoW.... what a bazaar statement....ON the Other hand.... SOME OF THEM ARE... [Hosepipe]

LOL...you mean just like the Catholics. Seems Mormons and Catholics have tons of stuff in common and none of it true Christianity. [jodyel, post #41]

If you go back to my post #6, there's at least one point there that not only Mormons need to listen to, but fellow Protestants as well:

Martin Luther NEVER saw himself as beginning a "new church" from scratch. The REFORMERS saw themselves as REFORMERS only!

Hence note the quote in the article of this thread: ecclesia semper reformans, semper reformanda - "the church is always reformed and always reforming."

I then said in post #6: Has the historic Christian church always been in need of ongoing reformation? Of course!

I added other comments there...one being that: "Mormonism makes a mockery of the apostle Paul as an apostle, had a complete apostasy already occurred."

And PROTESTANTS too, dare not make this same mistake!

As I cite this verse below -- I am applying it to the pre-Martin Luther reformation years of the Catholic Church:

The apostle Paul prophesied -- in Ephesians 3:21:

21 Unto him be glory IN THE CHURCH by Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, WORLD WITHOUT END. Amen. [KJV]

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory IN THE CHURCH church and in Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS, FOR EVER AND EVER! Amen.

[Ephesians 3, NIV]

Question now for you fellow Protestants who want to condemn the pre-Luther reformation years of the Catholic church to total apostasy: What part of "in the church"..."throughout all ages/generations"... & "for ever & ever/world without end" don't you understand?

Yes, the 16th century (& before) Catholic church was badly in need of reformation; but be careful --lest you wind up calling the apostle Paul a "false prophet" for his declaration in Ephesians 3:21!

Per the prophetic declaration of Eph. 3:21, God in fact DID receive glory -- even if limited in many ways -- from those within the Catholic church prior to the Reformation.

A multiple-segment challenge to ALL Mormons:

STEP ONE

Read the "First Vision" account of Joseph Smith in the Pearl of Great Price...

(a) See if you can find EVEN ONCE where the entity that appeared to Smith is DIRECTLY referenced as God or as Jesus.

(Yes, there is a reference to one entity being the "son" of the other...but other than that they are unnamed)

(b) Concentrate especially upon verses 18-20...and then ask yourself:
* Do I believe that 100% of the Christian creeds are an "abomination" to God? [If you're not sure on this...read "The Apostles Creed" -- and then ask yourself what is so "abominable" about that???]

STEP TWO

Now read ... and re-read Ephesians 3:20-21 from your own Bible.

The apostle Paul prophesied -- in Ephesians 3:21:

21 Unto him be glory IN THE CHURCH by Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, WORLD WITHOUT END. Amen. [KJV]

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory IN THE CHURCH church and in Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS, FOR EVER AND EVER! Amen.

[Ephesians 3, NIV]

Now ask yourself:
* Do I believe God has received glory in the so-called pre-restored churches -- in EVERY generation???
* And: If I believe God received such glory, then why was a total restoration from scratch even needed?

CONCLUSION

If The Apostles Creed is not an "abomination" -- then the unnamed entity who told Smith it was was wrong. And if God has received glory in ALL generations IN THE CHURCH (Eph. 3:21), then the claims of total apostasy made by Mormon leaders are wrong. And they -- NOT the apostle Paul -- are the false prophets here.

What's it going to be?

And PROTESTANTS too, dare not make this same mistake!

As I cite this verse below -- I am applying it to the pre-Martin Luther reformation years of the Catholic Church:

The apostle Paul prophesied -- in Ephesians 3:21:

21 Unto him be glory IN THE CHURCH by Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, WORLD WITHOUT END. Amen. [KJV]

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory IN THE CHURCH church and in Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS, FOR EVER AND EVER! Amen.

Question now for you fellow Protestants who want to condemn the pre-Luther reformation years of the Catholic church to total apostasy: What part of "in the church"..."throughout all ages/generations"... & "for ever & ever/world without end" don't you understand?

STEP ONE

STEP TWO

The apostle Paul prophesied -- in Ephesians 3:21:

21 Unto him be glory IN THE CHURCH by Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, WORLD WITHOUT END. Amen. [KJV]

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory IN THE CHURCH church and in Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS, FOR EVER AND EVER! Amen.

CONCLUSION

Will you embrace Eph. 3:21...or the words of an unnamed entity who Smith said appeared to him?