Have you ever wondered how the Prophet Joseph Smith was able to restore so many ancient truths that were completely rejected by the society of his day? During the 1830s, many of the doctrines he introduced were considered incredibly unusual and entirely unacceptable by mainstream Christianity.However, modern scholars have since discovered that these exact teachings were prominently featured in the writings of the Early Church Fathers between A.D. 100 and 500. The embedded document below compiles 125 remarkable quotes proving that the Prophet restored original, ancient Christianity.
Early Church Fathers: The Pre-Earth Existence of the Spirit
One of the most defining doctrines of the restored gospel is that we lived as spirits before we were born. Amazingly, the document highlights 43 specific quotes from ancient Christians who taught this exact same principle. Writers like Rufinus of Aquileia clearly taught that there was an invisible world before this visible one came into being, and that souls inhabited heaven before entering mortal bodies.
Other ancient writers, such as Origen, taught that our spiritual natures and our mortal circumstances were heavily influenced by the choices we made in that premortal state.
The Reality of the Postmortal Spirit World
Mainstream Christianity often teaches that at death, souls go immediately to heaven or hell. However, 16 distinct quotes from these ancient texts reveal a belief in a temporary spirit world between death and the resurrection. Writers like Hippolytus described this locality as a place where souls await the time of judgment.
Christ’s Advent and Preaching to the Dead
The document provides 21 quotes detailing Christ’s descent into the spirit world, and 22 quotes regarding the preaching of the gospel there. Early leaders taught that the Lord descended to the regions beneath the earth to declare the remission of sins to those who would believe in Him.
They also taught that the apostles and teachers who died in the faith continued to proclaim the name of the Son of God to those who had previously fallen asleep.
Vicarious Baptism for the Dead
Perhaps the most stunning evidence is the 23 quotes discussing vicarious baptism for the dead. Ancient writers like Tertullian and John Chrysostom described how living individuals were literally baptized on behalf of those who had departed.
Tragically, later ecumenical councils officially forbade baptism for the dead and declared the doctrine of the pre-existence of the spirit to be anathema, or cursed. This resulted in these beautiful doctrines being lost during the Great Apostasy.
The True Nature of the Godhead
Finally, the document provides 13 quotes proving that early Christians viewed Jesus Christ as separate and subservient to God the Father. Justin Martyr and Origen both emphasized that they held Jesus in the second place, specifically citing the Savior’s own words that the Father is greater than the Son Early Church Fathers.
It is statistically impossible for Joseph Smith to have guessed these five pillars of ancient theology without divine assistance, especially since these publications were completely inaccessible to him. Take time to read the phenomenal 52-page document below! You can also check out our previous post on Reserving Temple Names, or read a fantastic scholarly paper on this topic from the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.
