The Book of Mormon periodically refers to an evil church. It is called the great and abominable church or the church of the devil. What church are they referring to?
24 And the angel of the Lord said unto me: Thou hast beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God.
25 Wherefore, these things go forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God.
26 And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.
27 And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men. (1 Nephi 13)
The scriptures referring to an abominable church don’t actually refer to any specific religion at all. The church in this context is the world. Scripturally, the world is a term used to describe those who do not properly follow the Savior, and therefore follow Satan, however unintentionally. Those who didn’t recognize Jesus as the Savior during his lifetime were sometimes referred to as the World.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17)
Nephi was told that over time, many “plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.” (1 Nephi 13:28) These precious and clearly explained teachings were taken away through poor translation or through leaders wishing to impose their personal interpretations onto the text. Over time, as multiple translations were made, the original meanings were lost.
There are many churches in the world today, all teaching different things. They can’t all be correct, because God is not a God of confusion. In addition, there are many who wish to do away with religion altogether, or to take God out of religion. This has created a world filled with confusion, as the various groups battle for prominence. Those who seek only truth, and not what is politically correct, fashionable, or individually profitable are left with an overwhelming assortment of choices.
How can one be certain of finding the Lord’s truth, and not, by mistake, wandering into Satan’s world? There is only one certain source of truth: God. By praying, we can know exactly where God’s truth is found.
Doing this takes great courage. There is a lot of psychological and sociological pressure on us today to follow Satan’s paths. In some places, there are even attempts to criminalize those who stand for truth and righteousness. Do you have the courage to stand up to society and stand on God’s side? Pray, find out what His side is…and stand for truth.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
