Keywords

apostasy, restoration, Joseph Smith

Abstract

Jesus Christ told Joseph Smith Jr. in the spring of 1820 that he must not join any church because they were all wrong: "all their creeds are an abomination in my sight .... Their hearts are far from me [and] they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of Godliness but they deny the power thereo£" This commandment prohibiting Joseph from joining a church due to corruption will be discussed at length in this chapter.

Original Publication Citation

Hatch, T., "An Apostasy and Restoration Culture," When the Lights Came On: Joseph Smith and the Return of Heavenly Manifestations (p. 25-59). Springville, UT, Cedar Fort, 2016. Earlier edition of this chapter in Visions, Manifestations, and Miracles of the Restoration (41-94). Orem, UT: Granite Publishing, 2008.