A New Generation of Christianity

In the early years after the resurrection of Jesus, the apostles added members to their number as vacancies required. The first was a replacement of Judas Acts 1:21-26. This action establishes the principle, which is confirmed by the practice today of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that apostolic succession was to be continued and that the ancient apostles intended to replace members of the Twelve each time one died. In addition to Matthias, three others we are aware of became apostles after Jesus' ascension: James in Acts 12:17, Barnabas Acts 14:14; and Paul in Acts 14:14. These three were called early in the Church's history—before A.D. 50. But neither scripture nor other historical evidence gives us any indication of the calling of others. Reasonably near the middle of the first century, the calling of apostles ended and around A.D. 100 apostleship came to an end and the keys of the kingdom were taken. Thus, John's departure was the end of the Lord's Church in the Old World.

At the death of all the apostles commenced a new generation of Christians. It became a generation without aurthority.

The removal of apostolic power was no accident. Obviously had it been God's will, he would have chosen others to continue the apostolic succession. It would seem that the rejection of true doctrine and authority was so widespread the Church as Christ established it could not continue.

The Catholic Church was no more responsible for the Apostasy than were the Baptists, the Presbyterians, or any other of today's churches; like all other Christians since the first century A.D., they were the inheritors of it. The Apostasy had been underway for more than two centuries before what we call the Catholic Church came into existence. Medieval Christianity was the result of the Apostasy, not the cause.

Who, then, were the responsible parties, the ones whom history must see as accountable for the demise of the Early Christian Church? The answer is suggested in the New Testament. Christ and the Twelve foretold and later witnessed the time when Church members would look beyond the simple doctrines of the gospel and bring new ideas into the Christian faith, being no longer content with "sound doctrine" but still had "itching ears" for religion 2 Tim. 4:3-4. And they did what their counterparts do in our own day. They sought out what a modern apostle has called "alternate voices," teachers whose words they found to be more "pleasing unto the carnal mind" Alma 30:53—more intellectually stimulating, more in style with contemporary ideas, or more spiritually titillating—than were the teachings of the Lord's authorized servants, resulting in a spiritual transformation in the Church. The divinely revealed authority of apostles was replace by the self-appointed authority of intellectuals.

The Da Vinci Code, The Holy Grail, and The LDS Church

The source materials for this topic can be found at wikipedia, a web site of the author Dan Brown, and official and affiliated LDS Church websites

The Da Vinci Code is the second book in a trilogy novel written by Dan Brown and published nearly three years ago by Doubleday Fiction ( ISBN 0385504209). It remains a worldwide bestseller with 36 million copies in print (as of August 2005). This book has been translated into 44 languages.

The Da Vinci Code reveals an anciently born Roman Catholic Church conspiracy concealing the true story of Jesus Christ. The plot reveals the Vatican used secret combinations involving murder to remain in power. Steganography and other forms of black artistry in secret combinations are revealed. The novel has helped generate popular interest in speculation concerning the Holy Grail legend and the NEW role of Mary Magdalene in the history of Christianity.

The author, Dan Brown claims within the preface to The Da Vinci Code that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate". Of course, the truth described by Brown is under dispute by those who have most to lose in having it come to light.

The assertions made by The Da Vinci Code, a book that is now to become a movie, run as follows:

1. The writing of history goes to the winners. Historical truths can be conceiled by the winners.


2. Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus Christ and bore Him a daughter (Sarah) after his death. Thus, Mary carried the bloodline of Jesus Christ through French royalty.


3. The Bible has necessarily been corrupted to conceal the truth revealed in The Da Vinci Code.


4. Today’s mainstream orthodox Christian Churches must be held accountable for the errent path they follow in step with the Roman Catholic Church.


5. The secret of the Holy Grail (bearer of the blood of Christ) was His wife Mary. The Old French expression for the Holy Grail, San gréal, actually is a play on Sang réal, which literally means "royal blood" in Old French.


6. Leonardo da Vinci was a member of a secret order established by the Catholic Church entrusted to keep the secret.


7. Da Vinci left behind evidences/clues to understand what was conceiled about the mortal life of Jesus Christ. Mary Magdalene is actually seated to the left of Christ, centerstage in his “The Last Supper”


8. The Mona Lisa is actually a self-portrait by Leonardo as a woman. The androgyny reflects the sacred union of male and female which is implied in the holy union of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Such parity has long been a deep threat to the established power of the Church.


9. The name Mona Lisa is actually an anagram for "Amon L'Isa", referring to the father and mother gods of Ancient Egypt (namely Amon and Isis).


10. The Church has suppressed the truth about Mary Magdalene and Jesus' bloodline for 2000 years. This is primarily out of the fear of the power of the sacred feminine, which they have demonized as Satanic.


11. Mary Magdalene was of royal descent through the Jewish House of Benjamin. The Church invented the slander that she was a prostitute in order to obscure the marriage.


12. The secret relics contained the bones of Mary and documents attesting to her lineage. These relics were discovered by the Crusaders upon conquering Jerusalem in 1099.


13. The Priory of Sion and the Knights Templar were organized to keep the secret.



The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint was restored by God as a necessary step in once again revealing “the plain and precious truths” that have been extracted from the scriptures.




The Articles of Faith - #8:

We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.




As the One true church of God, our prophets in these latter days have revealed that Jesus Christ was married and sealed for all time as His Father required of Him. The reason that Jesus was sealed was the same reason He was baptized, “to fulfill all righteousness”. As it is true for baptism, it is true for all Temple covenants; they must be done in mortality.




Biblical errors abound. In this case it has been intentional and not a “slip of the pen”, as others continue to blindly assert. One cannot depend upon the Bible for all truth.





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What Do We Mean by "True Church"?

Consider this topic a companion to the current discussion taking place at BethAnne's place http://mylifeasafailure.blogstream.com/

Investigators who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are often puzzled when they hear us say that ours is the "true church." Because the Lord has declared such to be the case
D&C 1:30, we need not apologize for this assertion, nor should we think ourselves bold for believing it. But we do need to know what it means.

Obviously, if there is a true church, it is not because the people in it are "truer" than others or because they try harder to please God. BethAnne lists the attributes of the True Church. For the longest time it did not exist on this Earth. As BethAnne declared a church can only be the church of Jesus Christ if the Lord himself establishes it, authorizes it, and recognizes its works as valid and binding. The question, then, is not one of good intent but one of divine authorization.

• It provides the authority for God's earthly servants to act in his name,


• The teachings that are revealed from him and are acknowledged by him are correct.

As a consequence, the true church must possess true authority and true doctrine, and both of these must be revealed from God. I believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meets these necessary requirements.

True Authority

We must remember that the Lord taught his ancient apostles, whom he had identified to be ministers of the gospel, he said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you" John 15:16. Most readers of the New Testament overlook the importance of this short sentence, but it carries a message that is a fundamental principle of true religion. People do not have the right to call themselves to act in God's name. Need I say that nowhere in the scriptures do we have examples of the Lord's true servants designating themselves to his work.

Neither a yearning to serve, nor a sense of mission or purpose, nor any level of a love of God and fellowmen—however it may be confirmed and no matter how sincere these may be— authorizes one to enter the Lord's ministry. The only precedent is the scriptural precedent. The scriptures clearly show that the call must be from God. And where God already has true servants on earth, the call comes through them, his representatives.

True Priesthood Authority

This principle is taught in the New Testament in a discussion of priesthood authority: "No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron" (Heb. 5:4). Check out how Aaron was called in the Old Testament. The Lord's authorized servant, Moses, learned by revelation that it was God's will that Aaron serve (Ex. 28:1) Accordingly, the prophet called and ordained him (Ex. 40:12). Jesus called the apostles (Matt. 4:19) and seventy others to minister in his name. After his resurrection, the apostles, who served as his representatives on earth, called another to replace Judas and join them in their apostolic work (Acts 1:15-26)). They also called seven others to important assignments (Acts 6:3-6), as well as elders and bishops to preside in local congregations (e.g., Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). This pattern is always followed when authorized servants of God are found.

When the apostles gave the new believers the gift of the Holy Ghost, a convert named Simon, recognizing that the apostles had authority from God, attempted to purchase it (Acts. 8:18). Even with his confused understanding of the nature of priesthood, he realized that he could not call himself to it but must receive it from God's servants who already possessed it.

True doctrine flows from true priesthood authority.

True doctrine is not conjured up through the philosophies of men.

Joseph Smith taught that the Melchizedek Priesthood "is the channel through which all knowledge, doctrine, the plan of salvation and every important matter is revealed from heaven." It is "the channel through which the Almighty commenced revealing his glory at the beginning of the creation of this earth and through which he has continued to reveal himself to the children of men to the present time and through which he will make known his purposes to the end of time."

We proclaim that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored and that the Church of Jesus Christ, long absent from the earth, is again to be found and is acknowledged as the Lord's Church. Christ directs his Church as BethAnne describes in her most recent topic.

Why is it the true church? Because the Lord established it, revealed its teachings, revealed the authority under which it is governed, continues to direct its affairs, and recognizes its works as valid and binding. And where is the One God who does not change the directness of His path, it has been that way from the beginning. Unchanged from the beginning, only missing for a time.