The Great Apostasy For a time, the 12 Apostles led Jesus’ church (much of the New Testament shares their stories). But after a while, the people again rejected the Apostles, just as they had the prophets in the past, and the full truth of the gospel was lost and distorted. The authority to act in God’s name, which the Apostles held, was taken from the earth. This period of time lasted for centuries and is known as the Great Apostasy. While millions of good people lived and walked the earth during this time, Christ’s true church did not exist. No...