AboutBrian Rogers Expertise LDS for over 45 years. Very knowledgable regarding LDS theology and practices, Early Christian history, Biblical inerrancy, etc. active on FAIR private list.
BYU and UoU
Expert: Brian Rogers Date: 5/16/2008 Subject: First Vision
Question Dear Brian,
As you know, the L.D.S. Church is founded upon the idea that Joseph Smith asked God which of the churches he should join and that God told him that he shouldn't join any of them because all their creeds were an abomination. Jesus says in Matthew 16:18, "And I say unto thee, That thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Please explain why God told Smith that His church needed to be restored when when Jesus, His Son, said that it would endure forever. Thank you.
Answer Good Morning Barbara, (well, it is morning for me)
LDS thought has a different take on Matthew 16:18. We believe Christ was focusing on 'the rock' and not the Church in this statement. The key to understanding this then is who or what the rock refers to. Having said that there are differing thoughts on what or who 'the rock' is. I have two possible interpretations that I accept.
First, the rock is Christ and obviously no matter what happens, hell will never prevail against the Savior. If the rock refers to Christ and not the Church, then the Church could fall away as prophesied in the New Testament.
Secondly and this is the more popular of the two, at least from my personal experience, the rock refers back to verse 15, which you did not cite. The rock refers to the revelation process by which Peter obtained his testimony of who Christ is. Certainly the gates of hell will not prevail against any testimony confirming Christ's divinity that comes for God.
I have received such a testimony and while I may drift into apostasy, that testimony is and forever will be valid, regardless of my actions.
