HarmonyServant ancient prophets prophesied that the church would fall into apostasy and be restored in the future.
The gates would have to prevail because it was foretold that man made doctrines would into the church and the real and true priesthood authority was not on the earth.
Mormonism and “The Great Apostasy” Refuted from Scripture
2 Thessalonians 2:1-11
1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness
a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
4He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?
6And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom
the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,
10and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie
Mormon missionaries will suggest that “The Great Apostasy” must come before the return of Christ, which is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:8. However, verse 8 doesn’t suggest that the apostasy will occur before the return of Christ, but that the return of Christ will actually end that apostasy, destroying it with the “splendor of his coming”.
This seems to paint Mormons into a corner because there are only three possible conclusions:
a) the “great apostasy” has occurred and has ended, which means that the second coming of Christ has already occurred (Mormon missionaries, like Catholics, will reject that this is possible);
b) the “great apostasy” has occurred, and is
still going on (rather than ending with Joseph Smith) because 2 Thessalonians says that the coming of Christ would end it, not a “modern day prophet”. (Mormon missionaries will reject this because it would mean their Church, the supposed instrument of the restoration, is an apostate church, as well);
c) the “great apostasy” has not yet occurred.