Editing Great Apostasy (section)

==Restorationist perspective==
{{Main|Restorationism (Christian primitivism)}}

===Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints===
[[File:Joseph Smith first vision stained glass.jpg|thumb|LDS Church members believe that [[Joseph Smith]] was called by God to restore the true teachings of Jesus Christ]]

According to the [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church), the Great Apostasy started not long after the [[Ascension of Jesus Christ|ascension]] of Jesus and continued until [[Joseph Smith]]'s [[First Vision]] in 1820.<ref name = PMG35>{{Cite book | title = Preach My Gospel (A Guide to Missionary Service) | publisher = LDS Church | year = 2004 | page = 35 | url = http://media.ldscdn.org/pdf/scripture-and-lesson-support/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/2005-04-00-preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service-eng.pdf?download=true | isbn = 0-402-36617-4 | access-date = 2017-01-23 | archive-date = 2017-01-27 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170127194606/http://media.ldscdn.org/pdf/scripture-and-lesson-support/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/2005-04-00-preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service-eng.pdf?download=true | url-status = dead }}</ref> To LDS Church members, or [[Latter-day Saints]], the Great Apostasy is marked by:
*the difficulty of the [[Twelve apostles|Apostles]] to keep early Christians from distorting the teachings of Jesus and to prevent the followers from dividing into different ideological groups;<ref name = MARV1>{{Cite book | last = Richards | first = LeGrand | author-link = LeGrand Richards | title = [[A Marvelous Work and a Wonder]] | publisher = Deseret Book Company | year = 1976 | page = 24 | isbn = 0-87747-161-4}}</ref>
*the [[Persecution of Christians|persecution]] and [[martyr]]dom of the church's Apostles;<ref name = GA1>{{Cite book | last = Talmage | first = James E. | author-link = James E. Talmage | title = The Great Apostasy | publisher = The Deseret News | year = 1909 | page = 68 | url =https://archive.org/stream/greatapostasycon00atalm#page/68/mode/2up | isbn = 0-87579-843-8}}</ref>
*the loss of leaders with [[Priesthood (Latter Day Saints)|priesthood authority]] to administer the church and its ordinances;<ref name = Eyring>{{Citation | last = Eyring | first = Henry B. | author-link = Henry B. Eyring | title = The True and Living Church | url =https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2008/05/the-true-and-living-church?lang=eng | journal = [[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]] | publisher = LDS Church | pages = 20–24 | date = May 2008 }}</ref>
*the lack of [[continuous revelation]] to instruct the leaders and guide the church;<ref name = PMG35/> and
*the corruption of Christian doctrine by [[Greek philosophy|Greek]] or other allegedly [[paganism|pagan]] philosophies such as [[Neo-Platonism]], [[Platonic realism]], [[Aristotelianism]] and [[Ascetic#Christianity|Asceticism]].<ref name = GA2>{{Cite book | last = Talmage | first = James E. | author-link = James E. Talmage | title = The Great Apostasy | publisher = The Deseret News | year = 1909 | pages = 64–65 | url =https://archive.org/stream/greatapostasycon00atalm#page/68/mode/2up | isbn = 0-87579-843-8}}</ref>

Beginning in the 1st century and continuing up to the 4th century AD, some [[List of Roman Emperors|emperors]] of the [[Roman Empire]] carried out violent persecutions against early Christians.<ref name = burning>{{Cite book | last = Renan | first = Joseph | author-link = Joseph Renan | title = The History of the Origins of Christianity. Book IV. The Antichrist | publisher = Mathieson & Company | year = 1890 | pages = 60–75 | url = http://www.ccel.org/ccel/renan/antichrist.viii.html }}</ref>

The LDS Church believes that all priesthood leaders with authority to conduct and perpetuate church affairs were either martyred, taken from the earth, or began to teach impure doctrines, causing a break in the necessary [[apostolic succession]].<ref name = PMG35/> It is a belief that what survived was a portion of the light and truth that Jesus had established: the Church of Jesus Christ, as established by him, was no longer to be found on the earth. Survivors of the persecutions were overly-influenced by various pagan philosophies either because they were not well indoctrinated in Jesus' teachings or they corrupted their Christian beliefs (willingly, by compulsion, or with good intentions but without direct revelation from God to help them interpret said beliefs) by accepting non-Christian doctrines into their faith. LDS Church doctrine is that many plain and simple truths of the gospel of Christ were, therefore, lost.<ref name = PMG35/>

The LDS Church and its members understand various writings in the [[New Testament]] to be an indication that even soon after the ascension of Jesus the Apostles struggled to keep early Christians from distorting the teachings of Jesus and to prevent the followers from dividing into different ideological groups.<ref name = Faust>{{Citation | last = Faust | first = James E. | author-link = James E. Faust | title = The Restoration of All Things | url = https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2006/05/the-restoration-of-all-things?lang=eng | journal = [[Liahona (magazine)|Liahona]] | publisher = LDS Church | pages = 61–62, 67–68 | date = May 2006 }}</ref> The doctrine highlights statements from the Scriptures that various Old Testament and New Testament scriptures, like 2 Thessalonians 2:3, that Jesus Christ prophesied this "falling away" or "apostasy." The Christian believers who survived the persecutions took it upon themselves to speak for God, interpret, amend or add to his doctrines and ordinances, and carry out his work without proper authority and divine direction from God. During this time, important doctrines and rites were lost or corrupted.<ref>{{citation|last= Merrill |first= Hyde M. |title= The Great Apostasy as Seen by Eusebius |url= https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1972/11/the-great-apostasy-as-seen-by-eusebius?lang=eng |date=November 1971 |journal= Ensign |publisher= LDS Church }}</ref> The doctrine of the [[Trinity]] adopted at the [[First Council of Nicaea|Council of Nicaea]] is an example shown of how pagan philosophy corrupted the teachings of Jesus. The LDS Church believes that Joseph Smith's visions and revelations taught an important and sacrosanct doctrine that God, the Eternal Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are not [[consubstantial|one substance]], but three separate and distinct beings forming one [[Godhead (Latter Day Saints)|Godhead]].<ref>{{lds|Doctrine and Covenants|dc|130|22}}</ref> Latter-day Saints reject the early [[ecumenical council]]s for what they see as misguided human attempts without divine assistance to decide matters of doctrine, substituting debate or politics for divine [[revelation]]. The LDS Church teaches that the often heated proceedings of such councils were evidence that the church was no longer led by revelation and divine authority. Indeed, the normative Christian view is that public revelation, or revelation that is binding on all Christians, concluded with the death of the last Apostle.<ref>http://www.catholic.com/tracts/private-revelation {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202233732/http://www.catholic.com/tracts/private-revelation |date=2013-12-02 }} (first paragraph)</ref>

As a result, LDS Church members refer to the "restitution of all things" mentioned in {{bibleverse||Acts|3:20–21}} and believe that a [[Restoration (Mormonism)|restoration]] of all the original and primary doctrines and rites of Christianity was necessary.<ref name = Faust/> Church members believe that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Smith, then a 14-year-old boy, and called him to be a prophet.<ref>{{Citation | last = Roberts| first = B. H. | author-link = B. H. Roberts | title = [[History of the Church (Joseph Smith)|History of the Church]] | publisher = Deseret News Press | pages = 1–8  | year = 1902 }}</ref> Later Peter, James, and John, three of Christ's apostles in the New Testament, appeared from heaven to Smith and ordained him an apostle.<ref>{{Citation | title = D&C 27:12 | url = http://classic.scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/27/12#12 }}</ref> Through Christ's priesthood authority and divine direction, church members believe that Smith was called and ordained to re-establish Christ's church. Hence, members of the faith refer to their church as "The Church of Jesus Christ," a name which they believe to have been revealed to Smith after the church's founding on 6 April 1830, originally called the [[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Christ]]. Latter-day Saints is a term members believe refers to members of Christ's church who were originally called "saints" and that the LDS Church is Christ's restored church in these days, believed by many Christian denominations to be the last days prior to the prophesied second coming of Jesus.<ref>{{Citation | last = Cook | first = Quentin L. | author-link = Quentin L. Cook | title = Are You a Saint? | url = https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2003/11/are-you-a-saint?lang=eng | journal = Liahona | publisher = LDS Church | pages = 95–96 | date = November 2003 }}</ref>

===Adventists===
[[Ellen G. White|Ellen White]] wrote

{{blockquote|His word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite book
 | last = White
 | first = Ellen G.
 | author-link = Ellen G. White
 | title = The Great Controversy: Between Christ and Satan
 | orig-year = 1888
 | url = http://www.whiteestate.org/books/gc/gc.asp
 | access-date = 2006-06-06
 | year = 1999
 | publisher = The Ellen G. White Estate
 | isbn = 0-8163-1923-5
 | chapter = Enmity Between Man and Satan
 | chapter-url = http://www.whiteestate.org/books/gc/gc30.html
 | page = 581
}}</ref>|author=Ellen G. White|title=The Great Controversy: Between Christ and Satan|source=page 581}}

[[Seventh-day Adventists]] believe that the [[Mark of the beast|mark of the Beast]] refers to the apostate church which in the [[Eschatology|end times]] will legally enforce Sunday-worship. "Those who reject God's memorial of creatorship – the Bible Sabbath – choosing to worship and honor Sunday in the full knowledge that it is not God's appointed day of worship, will receive the 'mark of the beast.{{'"}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=Seventh-day Adventists Believe (2nd ed) |publisher=Ministerial Association, [[General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists]] |year=2005 |page=196}}</ref> "Sunday Sabbath is purely a child of the Papacy. It is the mark of the beast."<ref>Advent Review, Vol. I, No. 2, August, 1850.</ref> They see an apostate church that changed God's law, preferred pagan traditions, allowed pagan beliefs and ceremonies into the church, and brought oppression against and persecuted the true believers throughout the Dark Ages for 1260 years as prophesied in Revelation 12:6, 14–16.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EGW Writings®: The Complete Published Books of Ellen G. White |url=https://egwwritings.org/ |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=egwwritings.org |at=Chapter 15 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Seventh-day Adventists Believe (2nd ed)|publisher=Ministerial Association, [[General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists]]|year=2005|isbn=1-57847-041-2|pages=184–185}}</ref>

===Hyperdispensationalism===
{{main|Hyperdispensationalism}}
Hyperdispensationalism is a niche view in Protestantism which views Pauline Christianity or the beliefs and doctrines espoused by the apostle Paul through his writings as the purest form of Christian faith and worship from which the church fell away. [[Ethelbert William Bullinger|E. W. Bullinger]] framed the position for early apostasy thus:

{{blockquote|We are told, on every hand, today, that we must go back to the first three centuries to find the purity of faith and worship of the primitive church! But it is clear from this comparison of Acts xix.10 and 2 Tim.i.15, that we cannot go back ... even to the apostle's own life-time! ... It was Pauline truth and teaching from which all had "turned away".<ref>Carey, Juanita, ''E. W. Bullinger: A Biography'', p. 148, quoting from Bullinger's ''The Church Epistles''.</ref>|author=Juanita Carey|title=''E. W. Bullinger: A Biography''|source=page 148, quoting from Bullinger's "The Church Epistles"}}