1 Ne 13:5 The great and abominable church

Bruce R. McConkie

“Nephi saw the ‘church which is most abominable above all other churches’ in vision. He ‘saw the devil that he was the foundation of it’; and also the murders, wealth, harlotry, persecutions, and evil desires that are part of this organization (1 Ne 13:1-10)

“He saw that this church took away from the gospel of the Lamb many covenants and many plain and precious parts; that it perverted the right ways of the Lord; that it deleted many teachings from the Bible; that it was ‘the mother of harlots’; and finally that the Lord would again restore the gospel of salvation. (1 Ne. 13:24-42.)

“Similar visions were given to John as recorded in the 17th and 18th chapters of Revelation. He saw this evil church as a whole ruling over peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues; as being full of blasphemy abominations, filthiness, and fornication; as having the name, ‘MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH’; as drunken with the blood of the saints; as revelling in wealth and the delicacies of the earth; as making merchandise of all costly items and of ‘slaves, and souls of men.’ And then John, as did Nephi, saw the fall and utter destruction of this great church whose foundation is the devil.

“In this world of carnality and sensuousness, the great and abominable church will continue its destructive course. But there will be an eventual future day when evil shall end, ‘and the great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall be cast down by devouring fire.’ (D. & C. 29:21; Ezek. 38;  39; 1 Ne. 22:23; Rev. 18.) Before that day, however, desolations will sweep through the earth and the various branches of the great and abominable church ‘shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.’ (1 Ne. 22:13-14; 14:3.)” (Mormon Doctrine, pp.138-9)