Elder Linder

Part 2 of “The Living Foundation: Prophets in Christ’s Church”

In our previous post, we explored how Christ established His Church on the foundation of prophets and apostles. Today, we’ll examine how Old and New Testament prophets foresaw the loss of this foundation—a period known as the Great Apostasy. Understanding these prophecies helps us appreciate both the gravity of what was lost and the necessity of its eventual restoration.

In a poignant moment during His mortal ministry, Jesus shared a parable about a householder who planted a vineyard. After carefully preparing it, he “let it out to husbandmen” and went away. When he sent servants to collect the fruit, the husbandmen beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Finally, he sent his son, saying, “They will reverence my son.” But instead, they killed him too (Matthew 21:33-39).

This wasn’t just a story—it was a prophecy. The vineyard represented God’s kingdom, the servants were His prophets, and the son was Jesus Christ Himself. Through this parable, Jesus foretold both His own rejection and a pattern that would continue after His death: the rejection of divine messengers and authority.

Later, looking over Jerusalem, Jesus lamented, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37). This wasn’t just grief over past rejections—it was a foreshadowing of what was to come.

The prophet Amos had earlier forewarned of the consequences of rejecting prophets: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11-12). This prophecy would find its ultimate fulfillment in the centuries following the deaths of Christ’s apostles.

Paul was particularly clear about this coming apostasy. Writing to the Thessalonians about Christ’s Second Coming, he warned, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The Greek word used here for “falling away” is apostasia, meaning a deliberate abandonment of a previously held position.

Why would this happen? Paul explained to Timothy: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Notice the progression:

1. Rejection of sound doctrine
2. Seeking teachers who say what people want to hear
3. Turning from truth to fables

This wasn’t a sudden event but a gradual process. As the foundation of apostles and prophets was rejected and removed, the very structure that Christ had established began to change. Without living prophets receiving continuing revelation, the Church would lose its connection to its divine cornerstone.

Understanding these prophecies helps us appreciate several crucial truths:

1. The apostasy wasn’t unexpected—God foresaw and foretold it
2. It wasn’t a failure of Christ’s Church but a result of human agency rejecting divine authority
3. It wouldn’t be permanent—a restoration was promised

As we’ll explore in our next post, these prophecies were fulfilled exactly as foretold. The foundation of apostles and prophets was indeed rejected, leading to centuries without direct revelation from heaven. But understanding these prophecies also helps us recognize the significance of what would eventually be restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

I testify that these ancient prophets saw our day and forewarned us of both the apostasy and the promised restoration. Their warnings and promises stand as witnesses of God’s foreknowledge and His commitment to eventually restore the foundation of prophets and apostles to His Church.