Primitive Christianity and Refuting Talmadge

The Great Apostasy, Part III

This article is Part 3 in my discussion of the Great Apostasy. If you have not read Part 1 and Part 2, please read them first. In this final article on the Great Apostasy, we’ll examine some elements of what the early first-century church looked like and then discuss which church most closely resembles it. Unfortunately, space does not permit me to be exhaustive or comprehensive.

To set the framework for this discussion, let’s again review Talmadge’s fundamental reasons for the apostasy from chapter 40 of his book, Jesus the Christ.

The most important of the internal causes by which the apostasy of the Primitive Church was brought about may be thus summarized: (1) The corrupting of the simple doctrines of the gospel of Christ by admixture with so-called philosophic systems. (2) Unauthorized additions to the prescribed rites of the Church and the introduction of vital alterations in essential ordinances. (3) Unauthorized changes in Church organization and government.¹

Why am I picking on Talmage? First, he specifically calls out the reasons for the apostasy. Second, his book Jesus the Christ, is one of only four books that are officially sanctioned for study by missionaries worldwide. Lastly, Talmage was an LDS apostle, and his book was finalized in the LDS temple with the full backing, support, and endorsement of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency.

A primitive church…

Primitivism², a post-reformation idea, holds that there was an original “primitive” church that needed to be recovered.³ The concept of a “primitive church” is used heavily in discussions of “The Apostasy” and within Joseph Smith’s First Vision.

But what does “primitive church” actually mean?