We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive
Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists,
and so forth.
Jesus Christ
personally visited his apostles and disciples in the old and new
worlds, that is Jerusalem and the Americas. They were actual
witnesses of Jesus Christ. They saw Him, they walked with Him, they
learned from Him.
Then the great
apostasy came. All of the prophets, apostles, and disciples were
killed off. The truth was taken from the Earth and the dark ages
came.
Joseph Smith was
called to be a prophet. He saw Jesus and God in a grove of trees near
his home. They told him all churches were false and they denied the
doctrine of Christ. None of them were to be accepted as the truth
church.
Joseph eventually
called apostles, twelve men to occupy the twelve vacancies that had
been left when the others were killed of. The church had been
restored to the Earth and it organization continued on from the old
days.
Why did Jesus not
personally visit and call these apostles Himself? It was how He did
things in the days of old. Why not continue on with that? Is He not a
God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.1
His ways never changing?
There are those who
would cite the Doctrine and Covenants:
What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself;
and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not
pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or
by the voice of my servants, it is the same.2
If the apostles of
old had received such a persona witness of Christ, why do the
apostles today not receive that same personal witness? Prophets in
these latter days, after Joseph Smith, do not declare they have seen
Jesus as Joseph once did. Why is that? Is it not the same church that
was established like that of old? Would it not be the same way?
1. Hebrews
13:8
2. D&C
1:38
Comments
Post a Comment