The Great Apostasy- Why?

[E-NOS]

I've been attending Miss Prep lately and we've been going through Preach My Gospel. In section 3 Lesson 1, there's a subheading called "Heavenly Father Reveals His Gospel in Every Dispensation." We were talking about how God loves His children enough to want to guide them through all times of history. The first paragraph actually states "One important way that God shows His love for us is by calling prophets, who are given the priesthood."
My question is if God loves us to call living prophets, why did there need to "come a falling away" (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and the Great Apostasy? Why couldn't there have been some sort of restoration before America.
I know many people say that a country with religious freedom had to be established first, but He's God. couldn't he have called someone before then and kept the church on the earth?

[pam]

Great talk by Elder Russell M. Nelson concerning this:

LDS.org - Liahona Article - The Gathering of Scattered Israel

[tubaloth]

Originally Posted by E-NOS

My question is if God loves us to call living prophets, why did there need to "come a falling away" (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and the Great Apostasy? Why couldn't there have been some sort of restoration before America.
I know many people say that a country with religious freedom had to be established first, but He's God. couldn't he have called someone before then and kept the church on the earth?

God COULD have done anything he wanted. If he wanted to restore the church sooner He could have. Your point is well taking. But God didn't do it that way. We have to trust God knew what he was doing, and Restored the Church as Soon as possible.
But I don't think he could have done it much sooner.

[pam]

Wasn't Joseph Smith foreordained to restore the gospel in this dispensation? And to restore the true Church and that would be when the Priesthood was once again restored upon the earth?

[bytebear]

Yes, I believe he was, as was every major prophet (i.e. every prophet that ushered in a dispensation). It's an interesting study, sensationalism. We think of main prophets, Adam, Moses, Enoch, etc.,) but there may have been other major prophets that we don't yet know about (as in we didn't know about Lehi until the translation of the Book of Mormon). So, there are times when God leaves man to his own understanding, and times when God sends prophets. I think it has to do with either an event or activity that needs leadership, or when the people are prepared to hear the word of God. Sometimes they are not the same though (as in Noah).

[livy111us]

Isaiah 5:2-6 gives a great explanation why the Lord did this. Because of the wickedness of the people, the Gospel was removed.

"And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break
down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down. And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned,
nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they
rain no rain upon it."

[rameumptom]

Alma 29:8 tells us that God gives to all people the amount of truth they are willing to receive. An apostasy happened because the people were not willing nor able to accept the fullness.
This has happened before. Even at Mt Sinai, the Israelites rejected the fullness of the gospel and Melch Priesthood, and so were left with a lesser truth and priesthood (Mosaic Law and Levitical Priesthood).

The Great Apostasy occurred, not because of anything God chose to do, but because he allowed people to accept or reject his gospel. History shows that even before the death of the apostles, divisions were starting to crop up in the Christian Church. Paul warned of grievous wolves that would enter into the flock after his departure. John's Revelation chews out several of the 7 Churches in Asia - perhaps the only ones left, worthy enough to be called God's church.

After their death, it got worse. Many people claimed to have the secrets of the apostles. Pseudo books with prophets and apostles' names on them cropped up. In fact, most scholars agree that all of the NT gospels were written decades later, and that about 1/2 of the Pauline Epistles were actually written by Paul.

In an attempt to get a handle on Christianity and its diverging sects, the proto-orthodoxy canonized a handful of religious books, creating the Bible. They rejected out of hand any new revelation or miracle as being non-canonical. Suddenly, they had cut themselves off from God's revelation, and ended up having to create committees of bishops to determine creeds and rules. Without revelation, concepts such as the Trinity, praying to saints, predestination, limited atonement, and baptizing babies came about.
Even today, amidst this great Restoration, there is a Great Apostasy that continues, as billions believe in lesser truths and error, with most rejecting the message brought by our missionaries and members.

[Hemidakota]

Originally Posted by pam

Wasn't Joseph Smith foreordained to restore the gospel in this dispensation? And to restore the true Church and that would be when the Priesthood was once again restored upon the earth?

We can be assured this probably occurred after the plan of salvation where the Son was given the authority to call forth His ‘friends’ [who stood by the Begotten of the FATHER] in given them assigned callings. I do believe Abraham spoke lightly of it in the Book of Abraham with those GOD chosen among all of HIS children.

We can assume, there was more than one pre-mortal council given that we are not written.

[beefche]

Originally Posted by E-NOS

I've been attending Miss Prep lately and we've been going through Preach My Gospel. In section 3 Lesson 1, there's a subheading called "Heavenly Father Reveals His Gospel in Every Dispensation." We were talking about how God loves His children enough to want to guide them through all times of history. The first paragraph actually states "One important way that God shows His love for us is by calling prophets, who are given the priesthood."
My question is if God loves us to call living prophets, why did there need to "come a falling away" (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and the Great Apostasy? Why couldn't there have been some sort of restoration before America.
I know many people say that a country with religious freedom had to be established first, but He's God. couldn't he have called someone before then and kept the church on the earth?

If you keep reading in Preach My Gospel in that section you will read that there have been many times the world fell into apostasy. One time was right before Jesus was born. So, apostasy wasn't anything "new".

Further, in Preach My Gospel, in the same chapter, there is a section called "The Great Apostasy" where it goes into more detail about the last apostasy (the one I think you are referring).

Keep reading and studying the scriptures provided in Preach My Gospel. Here's the church website that can give you some more talks, scriptures, etc to study.

[thankfull]

We know this is the last dispensation and the fullness of times and that this land and time was prepared for the foundation of this great church to never be taken away again. Knowing what Mosiah taught us of kings and the corruption and evil they might bring. How a evil monarchy would pervert and change the ways of the Lord and lead people to sin.. The bible is proof of this. I also believe as was stated above that the people were not willing or obedient enough to allow the blessings of the gopel during that time. I am sure however that their were good people and examples are those who gave their life in preserving and publishing the bible as best they could.

"trust no man to be your teacher except he be a man of God, and keep his commandments" Evidently the majority of the people hearts were hardened and would not have been obedient to a prophet during this time. We must continually recognize the importance of this time and how blessed we are to live during this last dispensation.