What is apostasy or a falling away?
Apostasy or a falling away is a departure from the true gospel of Jesus Christ by those who once held to it. This means that apostasy or a falling away is not something that happens outside of the church. It is not something that happens to pagans, but to those who were once known as Christians.
This apostasy or a great falling away already happened
This falling away or apostasy slowly began in the late first century and gradually grew in the second and the third century leading to the formation of the devil’s church about the fourth century. This devil’s Church is the Catholic Church.
The devil’s Church (the Catholic Church) gave birth to the Protestants (also known as reformers). The Protestants birthed other churches and these churches also birthed other churches which churches continue to birth other churches today
PLEASE NOTE: All present-day churches are rooted in the Catholic Church and are therefore false and corrupt. The spirit of error that began with the Catholic Church spread to all its sons and daughters. The Catholic Church became the mother of all harlots and abominations spoken of in Revelation 17:5.
The faithful remnant
It is important to note that there is a difference between the so-labelled church (the earthly organization) and the real true Church (the true believers known only to God)
Throughout biblical history (such as the prophets in Elijah’s time who had not bowed to Baal), God preserves a faithful remnant who refuse to conform to corrupted systems. Sincere believers across history have often chosen to step outside or challenge institutional hierarchies when they felt those systems replaced gospel truth with doctrines of men and demons.
God’s Restoration by the Record of Nephi: The purpose of the Record of Nephi
The Record of Nephi’s primary purpose is to be another witness after the Bible that Jesus is the Christ the Eternal God. Here is GOD’S LAW OF 2 OR MORE WITNESSES- By divine principle, at the testimony of 2 or more witnesses, any matter is established. The truth that Jesus is the Christ is the foundation of the Gospel message. The Bible was the first witness that God gave to the world that Jesus is the Christ the Eternal God. The Record of Nephi is God’s other witness to the world that Jesus is indeed the Christ the Eternal God. By giving us these two witnesses, God has established His word. The Record of Nephi contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ
The other purpose is to restore Israel. The Record of Nephi has a key role to play in the restoration and gathering of Israel. The book tells us that Israel will not only be restored spiritually but also physically and this will include a return to lands previously promised.
Do not add to or take away from
When some people are presented the Record of Nephi, they always give Revelation 22:18-19 as a defense to reject it. Let’s look at what this scripture says.
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Firstly, this scripture does not say ‘anyone who adds to or takes away from the bible’ but ‘anyone who adds to or takes away from the prophecy of this book. The prophecy of this book means the book of Revelation. Remember the bible was not written as one book, but with time a collection of these books took place. Councils sat to do ‘addition to’ until they got the final books. Some books were rejected, others were accepted, so it was adding one book onto the other.
Secondly, we need to understand the meaning of the words ‘taking away or adding to’. ‘Taking away or adding to’ means to teach something contrary to the meaning of the message by adding to or subtracting from the meaning of the message. The Record of Nephi simply builds earlier given scripture which is the bible; it does not add to or take away from the message of the Bible. In fact it is the masterkey to the understanding of the Bible.
He who seeks rightly will find the truth
If you desire to know whether or not the Record of Nephi is true, read the book and investigate it, for God has promised that he who seeks in the right way shall find the truth of all things.