Mormonism charge that there was a universal apostasy and that there needed to be a restoration. They have made rather serious charges against historic Christianity.

But the truth is that the world did not reject the teachings of the twelve apostles. Have Mormon historians forgotten the great leaders of the church? What about the early church fathers and theologians like Origen and Aquinas? What about Wycliffe, in the Morning Star of the reformation, who translated the Latin Bible into English? What about Martin Luther, who literally formed the framework for Protestant theology, and John Calvin, who also played a key role in the reformation. What about John Bunyan, whose Pilgrim's Progress come second only to the Bible in number of printed copies? What about John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finley and so many others who have led thousands of lost people to Christ?

Do not be misled. Churches and church leaders before, during and after Joseph Smith's thirty nine years of life were not in spiritual darkness, perverted or an abomination to God. But when Joseph Smith had his vision, he claimed God had appeared to him to inform him that Christianity as practiced in his time was a false religion.