James E. Talmage's authoritative exploration of the Great Apostasy from the perspective of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon perspective). Studied by Mormon missionaries for generations, the book delves into the Great Apostasy-the concept that the practice of Christianity had diverged from the teachings of Jesus Christ and his twelve Apostles. Topics covered include: The Establishment of the Church of Christ, Conditions at beginning of Christian era, Religious systems, Jewish, Pagan, and Samaritan, Jewish sects and parties, Law of, Moses fulfilled and superseded, Apostles chosen and ordained, Apostolic administration, The Church established on the western, hemisphere, The "meridian of time, ", The Apostasy Predicted, The Church has not continued in unbroken succession, Divine fore-knowledge, The divine purposes not thwarted, Apostasy from the Church compared with the apostasy of the Church, Specific predictions concerning the apostasy, The Law of Moses a temporary measure, Isaiah's fateful prophecy, Predictions by Jesus Christ, By Paul, By Peter, By Jude, By John the Revelator, Apostasy on the western hemisphere predicted, Early Stages of the Apostasy, The apostasy recognized in apostolic age, Testimony of, Paul, "Mystery of iniquity, "Summary of Paul's utterances, concerning early apostasy, Testimony of Jude, Of John the, Revelator, Messages to the churches of Asia, Nicolaitanes, denounced, Testimonies of Hegesippus, Early schisms in the, Church, Declension of the Church before close of first, century, Apostasy on the western hemisphere, Destruction of, Nephite nation by the Lamanites, Causes of the Apostasy, External Causes Considered, Causes of the apostasy, external and internal, Persecution as an external cause, Judaism and Paganism arrayed against the Church, Judaistic persecution, Predictions of Judaistic opposition, Fulfillment of the same, Destruction of Jerusalem, Pagan persecution, Roman opposition to Christianity, explanation, of, Number of persecutions by the Romans, Persecution under, Nero, Under Domitian, Under Trajan, Under Marcus Aurelius, Later, persecutions, Persecutions under Diocletian, Extent of the, Diocletian persecution, Diocletian boast that Christianity was, extinct, The Church taken under state protection by Constantine the, Great, Causes of the Apostasy, Internal Causes, Diverse effect of persecution, Imprudent zeal of some, Return to idolatry by others, "Libels" attesting individual apostasy, Sad condition of the Church in third century, Testimony as to conditions of apostasy at this period, Decline of the Church antedates the conversion of Constantine, Departure from Christianity, Specific causes of the growing apostasy, First specific cause: "The corrupting of the simple principles of the gospel by the admixture of the so-called philosophic systems of the times, "Judaistic perversions, Admixture of Gnosticism with Christianity, Gnosticism unsatisfying, New platonics, Doctrine of the Logos, "The World, "Sibellianism, Arianism, The Council of Nice and its denunciation of Arianism, The Nicene Creed, The Creed of Athanasius, Perverted view of life, Disregard for truth, Second specific cause: "Unauthorized additions to the ceremonies of the Church, and the introduction of vital changes in essential ordinances, "Simplicity of early form of worship ridiculed, Formalism and superstition increase, Adoration of images, etc, Changes in baptismal ordinance, Time of its administration restricted, Ministrations of the exorcist introduced, Immersion substituted by sprinkling, Infant baptism introduced, Changes in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, Fallacy of transubstantiation, Adoration of the "host, "Proof of apostate condition of the Church, Third specific cause: "Unauthorized changes in church organization and government, "Early form of church government, Equality of the bishops, Origin of synods or church councils, Bishops of Rome claimed supremacy, Title of Pope assumed.