History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.
In 1844, after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the New York Weekly Herald contained the headline: “Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet is dead. Thus ends Mormonism.”
In a more lengthy, embarrassingly unfulfilled prophecy, Thomas Ford stated in 1854: “Thus fell Joe Smith, the most successful impostor in modern times; a man who, though ignorant and coarse, had some great natural parts which fitted him for temporary success, but which were so obscured and counteracted by the inherent corruption and vices of his nature that he never could succeed in establishing a system of policy which looked to permanent success in the future.”
(For more pathetic prophecies of the demise of Mormonism, you can find a compilation here. They are pretty comical.)
And yet, here we are. Almost 200 years later and Mormonism has not ended. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 16 million strong, still stands as a light to the world, declaring that God lives and His plan of salvation is for all, Jesus is the Savior of the world, priesthood authority is again on the earth, and the Book of Mormon and Holy Bible are the word of God to all men, women, and children.
But in case you didn’t know, the death of Mormonism has again been predicted. I’ve heard it twice in the past week. Yeah, apparently the church is finished.
The End Is Near
I’ve read the following two comments online: “Tik Tok will destroy the church.” “The internet will be the end of the church.”
Tik Tok is swarming with anti-Mormons who are seeking to bring to light the “dark secrets” of the Mormon church – doing exactly what President Nelson counseled us not to do in April 2021’s General Conference. They hope they “can find a flaw in the fabric of a prophet’s life or a discrepancy in the scriptures.”
And proponents of “the internet will destroy the church” doctrine feel that all of “Mormonism’s lies and inconsistencies” exposed to the world will awaken people to the awful cult.
The internet will be the downfall. Yup. Sounds pretty similar to this 1866 beauty of a quote:
“The click of the telegraph and the roll of the Overland stage are its [Mormonism’s] death rattle now. The first whistle of the locomotive will sound its requiem; and the pickaxe of the miner will dig its grave.” – Samuel Bowles, The North American Review, April 1866
Am I the only one that giggled while reading that bold prediction?
There’s something those of old didn’t know, and the modern-day rhyme-makers don’t either – you can’t destroy the truth. The truth will always prevail. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. While some may leave the church after they learn things about church history they didn’t know, others learning those same things rely on the Lord to seek answers and strengthen their faith in the restored gospel.
Through Which Lens?
In a previous article we posted about the backlash from President Nelson’s April 2021 General Conference talk on faith, one reader responded to a comment from someone claiming that church history can’t stand up to scrutiny. This was David’s response to that statement:
I’ve spent 40 years studying church doctrine and a decent amount of that has been church history. And how you process that information depends on which lens you look at it. If you look at church history through the eyes of the world, you’ll see what the world wants you to see. If you look at church history through the eyes of the gospel, you’ll see what the Savior wants you to see. It just depends which lens you choose to look through.
So I ask you, through which lens are you looking at church history? Is it through the lens of the world, or through the lens of the Lord?
As Joseph Smith said in his Wentworth Letter penned in 1842: “Persecution has not stopped the progress of truth, but has only added fuel to the flame.”
Although the Church was very small in the beginning, Joseph Smith had a prophetic sense of its grand destiny. Wilford Woodruff recalled that during a priesthood meeting at Kirtland, Ohio, in April 1834, the Prophet tried to awaken the brethren to a realization of the future state of God’s kingdom on earth:
“The Prophet called on all who held the Priesthood to gather into the little log school house they had there. It was a small house, perhaps 14 feet square. But it held the whole of the Priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were then in the town of Kirtland. … When we got together the Prophet called upon the Elders of Israel with him to bear testimony of this work. … When they got through the Prophet said, ‘Brethren, I have been very much edified and instructed in your testimonies here tonight, but I want to say to you before the Lord, that you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother’s lap. You don’t comprehend it.’ I was rather surprised. He said, ‘It is only a little handful of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South America—it will fill the world.’”
On the Talking Scripture Podcast, one of the hosts, Bryce Dunford, shared a dream that he had of being in that room with Joseph and those early elders. When Joseph spoke to the brethren, Bryce’s hand shoots up and he explains to the group that he lives in 2021 and 20 temples were just announced, there are missionaries spreading the gospel all over the world, there are over 16 million members, and Joseph turns to him and says, “Bryce, you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother’s lap.”
As this video below demonstrates, the truth of God is growing boldly, nobly, and independent of any attempt to strangle it.
Elder David A. BedNar recently said: “I witness that this latter-day work will destroy the powers of darkness and bring about the salvation of the human family.”
I add my witness to Elder Bednar’s. The powers of darkness will be destroyed. Among that darkness is those who claim to seek truth but in reality only wish to destroy. Many of those who have fallen away for a time will be reclaimed as it prophecies in Doctrine and Covenants 50:7-8.
Behold, verily I say unto you, there are hypocrites among you, who have deceived some, which has given the adversary power; but behold such shall be reclaimed; But the hypocrites shall be detected and shall be cut off, either in life or in death, even as I will; and wo unto them who are cut off from my church, for the same are overcome of the world.
Nothing will destroy the Church and Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Caravan Moves On
To those who are thinking of or have given up on the Church, whatever questions you have with early church history or doctrine, whatever sin you have discovered in a church member, however you were offended, in whatever manner you chose to leave – for all experiences are different – I invite you to come back.
Listen to the powerful words in the video below from Elder Bruce R. McConkie. No matter the obstacles, the Church and Kingdom of God will continue on.
The truth of God will continue to roll forth “till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear.” Don’t be on the outside looking in when true prophecy is fulfilled.
There’s actually more than 17 million members, and over 68,000 missionaries. A lot of people who are casting stones at the Church have either never learned anything about us in person, those who believe in the written garbage of the anti-Mormon printing societies, the words of pastors who cast stones at the Church because they lose members of their congregations to the Church, or because it’s not easy being a member of the Church, they simply leave. Have you ever noticed that so much effort is directed against the Church by those who leave it? Instead of just leaving & going on their way, they attack it with religious zeal. We’ve had a lot of people who leave their own churches to become Latter-Day Saints, yet they don’t speak evil of their former churches, but many people who leave us do speak all manner of falsehoods against us. I feel it’s because Satan knows we have the truth and he is doing all he can to stop it. He might as well give up, because nothing will stop it, because it is what we claim it is, the true Church of Christ on the earth today. We say to people to keep the truth you have, and come and get more truth with us. I bear witness that the Church is true, Jesus is the Christ, and Joseph Smith was the Prophet of the Restoration. Christ is the Son of God, and Joseph was/is His prophet. Was Joseph perfect? Of course not, only Christ was and is. God uses the weak things of the earth to fulfill His purposes. I’ve studied the Church for 60 plus years, and know it’s true, by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
The Kingdom of God is now on the Earth in the Last Days and it won’t be destroyed… BUT… don’t giggle about it or be overjoyed for the cleverness of the Saints. Persecution will be hard and we will hardly escape from some of it. This is the Latter-days which is a time to tempt and try all the Saints to the maximum. Our truths will not save us from suffering pain but our LOVE might. LET US BE HUMBLE and SOBER and wish the best for ALL Mankind.
@Marleen Pope, I appreciate this story greatly, as someone who has been going through a bit of a faith crisis since my roommate died in a car accident, this helped a lot.
I’d be more concerned if the Devil wasn’t trying to take the church down personally.
There will always be opposition to the church and the gospel. That comes with the territory. The thing that many people forget is that the ridiculous claims of anti-Mormons drive discerning individuals, who are willing to search for the truth, into the church.
@Joyce Terry,
@Bonnie Wright,
@Fred Bishop, I’ve been an LDS member for 50 of my 73 years, so I guess I’m just getting started!
@Marleen Pope, What a bountiful experience you had and thanks for sharing it
@Freeman, thank you !! What a bountiful experience you had and thanks for sharing it
The sifting has been ongoing and its number will grow, especially in these times.
I have felt the truthfulness of the restored gospel touch my heart too many times to waver now. If I could join again today, and every day, I would do it. If anything, I wonder at the pristine lives of these human beings for whom other’s human foibles are too much to bear. If the church was built by perfect human beings.. wouldn’t that be something, but it wasn’t possible in the early days of the church, nor is it now. We are not perfect, but the Lord’s plan is, and everything will be okay. I enjoyed the article very much. Thank you!
@Marleen Pope,
I had a similar experience to yours and was baptized in 1978 in Houston. I hope you are doing well. Take care.
If you look you can find a lot of anti-Mormon information online or in published form. A lot of it uses old documents from the past to prove the church is not true. Just because something was printed in a newspaper or a book many years ago does not make it true. There were a lot of false newspaper articles and books published in the early years of the church, some were written by men who were excommunicated or disfellowshipped from the church to get revenge. There have always been anti-Mormons from the beginning of the church and there always will be. When Jesus walked the earth there were people working to destroy him and his work. Satan works through people to destroy the Gospel of Jesus Christ; he has not been successful and never will be. He has been at this from the beginning, even before Adam and Eve set foot in the Garden of Eden. The church is not in danger of being destroyed by the Internet or TicTok; it is growing faster all the time and more temples are being announced and built.
I did not grow up in any Church and my knowledge of “God” was very limited. But there were things I just knew came from God. My life was difficult, lonely, etc. and I was pondering one day (in my teens) how I could end my life. Suddenly into my head came a man’s voice: “Marleen, you are here for a reason.” I know that was from God ( wasn’t aware of the Holy Ghost at that time) and I knew He wouldn’t lie to me. I knew I had a purpose and I did not want to fail God.
Over time I attended different Churchs but the right one was evasive. I wanted to go to a Church where I learned what God wanted me to do, not what people decided to do for Him. I knew there was one, but hadn’t found it. Finally I was attending a little Church and we were studying Baptism. Someone asked the teacher if we should be immersed or sprinkled. The teacher answered that it really doesn’t matter. Suddenly, and loudly, a man shouted out “That’s NOT TRUE!” I jumped in my seat and turned around to see who had said that . . . but no one else paid attention. I was the only one who heard!
Darn, I thought, I have to keep looking for the right one. Talking to my friend Eileen not long after I told her what had happened in my search for the “right Church.” Then I asked what Church she attended and if we could go too. She smiled and explained that she was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and yes, I was welcome. I replied that I wasn’t going to share my husband. She laughed and explained Polygamy and it’s history.
We agreed to meet that Sunday. As I was speeding down the street Sunday morning, I looked up and out loud said “God, if this is the right Church, please get me there on time!” I wizzed past 2 police cars parked to catch speeders . . . I kept looking in the mirror for the lights and sirens Nothing!
As I drove into the Church yard, the male voice said “There! Now DON’T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!” In my ignorance Heavenly Father answered my prayer, but the Holy Ghost let me know the speeding was wrong.
Going into the Chapel was so familiar and like I was “home.” The two Missionary Sisters from Utah (Laurie Walkenhorst and Carolyn Olds) taught me the Gospel. I was baptized July 24 1980.
The Church is True! I have had incredible Miracles in my life and I will not deny the truth!
My parents joined the Church when I was 9 years old, and my only sibling, a sister was 7. Before that, my mother taught us to pray and have faith in Jesus Christ when a member of the Church of Christ. While Dad was out to sea in the Navy, mother prayed nearly every night to understand what was missing in her life (nothing from a worldly standpoint was missing. We were well set as a family in a house we owned, with a nice garden, etc.). She often prayed to tears. Not long after her struggle, missionaries came to the door and asked if they could enter and talk about God. Mother, suspicious of religion promoters knocking on doors, said “no thanks”, and began closing the door when in her mind she thought, “I have been praying for God’s help, and not willing to talk about Him?” So, she opened back up and began learning. Dad soon returned, and he kindly allowed them to continue. After a few lessons, Mom began to feel uncomfortable since our Church culture and doctrine is so different from the norm. At that point, Dad, who had grown up with parents who had no trust in organized religion but only trust in the Bible, realized that this Church was practical, and taught a great cultural lifestyle without fanfare. So, he convinced Mom to continue. They were not baptized until after about a year, but they continued investigating and attending for thorough understanding, gaining testimonies of the reality of these new Bible and Book of Mormon truths and doctrines, and the way they were taught and lived.
Once they became members, they wanted more children ending up with 5. All of us served missions. The family remained faithful and active, temple worthy and so forth. Now, after 65 years since baptism, myself having married where both she and I were led to each other by the Spirit in a most unusual way, and having 9 children and now 37 grandchildren with more to come, we can look back on all those years and see numerous miracles through hard times and the best of times where divine promises were part of life. There is nothing about this Church which is objectionable except to the deceived and uniformed. This is clearly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints restored to the earth. Early on, persecutions raged just as they did in the early church against members and the early 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ. Persecutions against Christ Himself were of the worst kind! This Church is true. Jesus Christ speaks to its’ living prophets from Joseph Smith to successive living prophets since that early history to the present day. What is so amazing about this is that the Bible has several prophecies about Joseph Smith and the restoration, but, of course, not spelling it out by name or date. The Bible clearly teaches if people sincerely seek truth, prayerfully, with willingness to be obedient once truth is known, they will find this truth by the Spirit and put away all lies and deceivings so prevalent since Joseph Smith’s to the present day. Satan is very effective in turning even good people against the truth, and evil people to persecute, and will ever be until Christ Himself comes to reign upon the earth. He can even deceive the elect! Hence, we must read and study scripture, adopt His admonitions and strive to keep all His commandments, repent daily, feel gratitude, and stay actively engaged in doing good. We will not then be deceived and led away by the cares of the world, or the enticements of evil.
I am a simple man. I didn’t find the Church, the Church found me, a 29 year old sailor, in 1977. For me, it all came down to two questions:
1. Did Joseph Smith see what he said he saw in that grove in 1820?
2. Who wrote the Book of Mormon if not translated from ancient records as Joseph Smith testified?
Both questions can only be answered on my knees in fervent prayer, something I had never done. When I finally took Moroni’s promise challenge literally, then, and only then, did I get my answer. That was 12 years after my baptism, long story, but from the moment I felt that warmth in my heart, I have tried to fulfill the promise to God I made that day to get my answer.
The message of Jesus Christ is simple: “Follow Me.” I can testify that this is not an easy path, but it is the true path. This is the true living Church of Jesus Christ, and Joseph Smith Jr. is the prophet of this dispensation. I know because God told me through the Spirit of its truth.
I prayed and searched for the most correct, gospel based Christian church that would help me grow closer to my Savior for 15 years. I finally learned about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, read the Book of Mormon, received an immediate testimony of the truth and was baptized. That was almost 32 years ago and I am so happy to be following the Lord and learning more day by day- as long as I put in the effort and have a heart that is open to what God wants me to learn and to do. I know that if we employ the Light of the Holy Spirit and focus on true principles of the Gospel we will continue to advance in knowledge and not be deceived. If we do otherwise then, sadly, we can be easily deceived, become faithless and bitter. It is completely up to us to choose. I am daily and eternally grateful for the opportunities to grow and the blessings that God showers upon me.
Someone pointed out to me that most people who grew up in the church wouldn’t be converts to it if they hadn’t…and we know that “even the very elect will be deceived” so it should neither dishearten nor come as a surprise when some choose to turn away. Only the Spirit of God, when sought with sincerity of heart, can testify of the truth of the restored gospel of Christ, to members and investigators alike.
I think the most important thing that we have ofttimes failed to do, in a cultural sense, is focus more fully on the doctrine and the love of Christ. We believe in repentance and the importance of making mistakes and learning from them as an essential part of our mortal journey, right? So we could probably stand to emphasize that more. Maybe we’d see less hemorrhaging of the church as people feel that they don’t fit in because of sins they have yet to work through. The Church is not built on lies, but on truth – and God works with plenty of imperfect people to bring about His work, so it can be messy. I hope to see more of those who live apparently squeaky-clean lives and those who do not live apparently squeaky-clean lives embracing one another with Christlike love and understanding. I most certainly speak to myself in this. We have plenty of work to do to, now and forever!
I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true! I also know without a doubt that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. Before I joined the church I knew absolutely nothing about it and its missionaries. I relied totally on the Spirit of the Lord to help me find the truth and lead me to His church because I wanted to be part of the “body of Christ”. Once I made the pledge to follow “Him,” things started to happen. My heart, my eyes, and my ears were opened and was led to the church by the Spirit of the Lord. As a result I joined the church on April 15, 1989. It is my testimony, knowlege, and the relationship I have with our Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost that keeps me strong and active in the church. I am so grateful for their redeeming love! I know God knows us by name! There is a Spirit world, God is real as is Jesus Christ! He lives! I am grateful for Joseph Smith and his sacrafices and the Spirit of the Lord that teaches me of truths. May we continue to keep our hearts, eyes, and ears open to to know what is true and stand firm with conviction that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true!
@jeddy tranquill, You have just quoted my history I am amazed I too have 61 years in my 79 as a member of the church it’s wonderful thanks Fred
It gives me great comfort to know the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored and that I have had a Testimony of that for 61 of my 79 years. It is the only possession that I will take with me to the spirit world while I await Judgement Day and I hope and pray that I have put enough “oil in my lamp”.