In general terms, ‘Apostasy’ simply means a falling away. In religious terms, Apostasy means any time a person or group of people fall away from (or choose a different path than) God.

Throughout history, God’s people have gone through periods of strength and apostasy. Everyone goes through periods of falling away, but when all the people fall away, and God’s prophets are killed, then there’s no one left to lead the people in righteousness. This is a general apostasy.

After each general apostasy, a restoration must take place for God to start up His church again. Each time, this restoration is brought about by God calling a prophet and authorizing him to preach and organize His church. When God calls a prophet to restore his church, it is the beginning of a Gospel Dispensation.

Abraham, Moses, Noah, and others were prophets of a dispensation who restored God’s church. Peter was one who Jesus called to lead His church in His absence. But when he and the other apostles were killed, there was no one left who was authorized to lead His church, and the world fell into apostasy. This is the famine of God’s word, spoken of in Amos 8:11-12.

The next prophet that God called to lead His church, and open the last dispensation, was Joseph Smith.

To learn about Joseph Smith and how he was called as the prophet to restore God's church in these latter days, Click Here.