2. But if the restored church falls into apostasy, will there be a 3rd gathering? no. The 2nd time will be the Last time.1st: Matthew 23:37- O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
2nd: The restoration in 1830.
See Jacob chapter 5:16-29 for the first sequence, and Jacob 5:30-75 for the 2nd sequence
3. Is there prophecy in the Book of Mormon about if the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints would be faithful? Yes.Jacob 6:2 And the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard; and after that the end soon cometh.
see also 2 Nephi 6:14; 2 Nephi 21:11; 2 Nephi 25:17; 2 Nephi 29:1
4. But what about the prophecies in the Book of Mormon that says the Gentiles would reject the Lord? Yes, most of them will. Remember that the Jew rejected Christ when he ministered unto them, but a small fraction of the Jews accepted him and faithfully operated his Church, however despite this, the Jews are considered to have rejected Christ. The Gentiles will be the same.Jacob 5:72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.
5. Did Joseph Smith predict whether or not the church would fall into apostasy? Yes he prophesied that it would not according to his writings and first hand accounts from Orson Hyde, William G Nelson, Heber C Kimball, and Ezra T Clark, and a second hand account from Joseph Fielding Smith.3 Nephi 21:22 But if they (the Gentiles) will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance;
6. Is there anywhere else that says the church would or would not fall into apostasy in the last days? Yes, The Lord declared that the keys of the kingdom would remain with the 1st Presidency and Daniel said that the restored gospel would roll forth and would never fall into apostasy (D&C 65:2 confirms this to be the case). No scripture tells of an apostasy happening after the time of Joseph Smith.Joseph Smith:
“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:540)
Orson Hyde:
Joseph the Prophet … said, ‘Brethren, remember that the majority of this people will never go astray; and as long as you keep with the majority you are sure to enter the celestial kingdom. (Orson Hyde, Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, June 21, 1870, p. 3.)
William G. Nelson:
The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “I will give you a key that will never rust, if you will stay with the majority of the Twelve Apostles, and the records of the Church, you will never be led astray.” (Young Woman’s Journal, Dec. 1906, p. 543)
Ezra T. Clark:
“I heard the Prophet Joseph say that he would give the Saints a key whereby they would never be led away or deceived, and that was: The Lord would never suffer a majority of this people to be led away or deceived by imposters, nor would He allow the records of this Church to fall into the hands of the enemy.” (Ezra T. Clark, “The Testimony of Ezra T. Clark,” July 24, 1901, Farmington, Utah; in Heber Don Carlos Clark, Papers, ca. 1901–74, typescript, Church Archives.)
Heber C. Kimball:
I will give you a key which Brother Joseph Smith used to give in Nauvoo. He said that the very step of apostasy commenced with losing confidence in the leaders of this church and kingdom, and that whenever you discerned that spirit you might know that it would lead the possessor of it on the road to apostasy. (Heber C. Kimball, Deseret News, Apr. 2, 1856, p. 26)
Joseph Fielding Smith:
“The Prophet declared that he knew not why, but the Lord commanded him to endow the Twelve with these keys and priesthood, and after it was done, he rejoiced very much, saying in substance, ‘Now, if they kill me, you have all the keys and all the ordinances and you can confer them upon others, and the powers of Satan will not be able to tear down the kingdom as fast as you will be able to build it up, and upon your shoulders will the responsibility of leading this people rest.’” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56), 1:259.
7. But if I still believe that the church is in apostasy and the current Q15 and the 16 presidents since Joseph Smith are evil, lying conspirators, should I still take the sacrament, pay tithing, and get baptized? yes, and you should repent of your ways.D&C 81:22 Unto whom I have given the keys of the kingdom, which belong always unto the Presidency of the High Priesthood:
Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings (when the European nations gain strength in the 1800's) shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
D&C 65:2 The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth.
D&C 13:1 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.
D&C 121:16 Cursed are all those that shall lift up the heel against mine anointed, saith the Lord, and cry they have sinned when they have not sinned before me, saith the Lord, but have done that which was meet in mine eyes, and which I commanded them.