The Great and Abominable Church

K. Douglas Bassett

2 Ne. 10:16; 2 Ne. 26:21; Rev. 17-18; D&C 86:1-4; Doctinal New Testament Commentary, McConkie, 3:548-552; Mormon Doctrine, McConkie, p. 137-139; Book of Mormon Prophecies, Warner, pp. 183-188; First Nephi. The Doctrinal Foundation, BYU Religious Studies Center, pp.177-191; New Witness for God, Roberts, 3:263-265; Defense of the Faith and the Saints, Roberts, 1:30-31

“We should emphasize at this point that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not officially identified the great and abominable church. We are left to our own supposition and conclusion. If a person identifies it as one church in Europe, that is his personal opinion. And if another wishes to define it as all organizations in Europe, Asia Minor, and the Middle East through which the devil operated, that is his opinion. The scriptures are before us to study, but in the absence of an official declaration from the Church, our conclusions remain our private views and should not be taught as Church doctrine. As one studies chapter 13, one should be more concerned with what the great and abominable church did than with who or what the great and abominable church was.” (Robert E. Parsons, Studies in Scripture, ed. by K. Jackson, 7:47)
“[Nephi] witnessed the great and abominable church in two separate time periods: the period following the New Testament era, [1 Ne.13] wherein the mother of harlots would essentially be apostate Christianity; and its rise in the last days to global status (1 Ne.14). After the restoration of the gospel in its fulness, Lucifer’s forces—social, economic, political, fraternal, and religious—would become rampant in defiance of the church of the Lamb of God.” (R. Millet and J. F. McConkie, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 1:111)
“Individual orientation to the Church of the Lamb or to the great and abominable church is not only by membership but by loyalty. Just as there are those on the records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who belong to the great and abominable church by virtue of their loyalty to Satan and his life-style (2 Nephi 10:16), so there are members of other churches who will eventually belong to the Lamb by virtue of their loyalty to him and to his life-style, which will lead to their accepting the saving ordinances. The distinction is based on who has your heart, not on who has your records.” (Stephen E. Robinson, First Nephi, The Doctrinal Foundation, BYU Religious Studies Center, p. 184)

Latter-Day Commentary on the Book of Mormon

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