Marvin Cowan in Mormon Claims Answered, chapter 7:
The Apostle Paul wrote: “Unto Him (God) be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end Amen” (Eph. 3:21). Could that be true if there was a universal apostasy of the church for several centuries? Jesus also said, “Upon this Rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Notice that it is Christ Himself (not mortal men) who builds His church or adds to it (Acts 2:47), and Christ has all power in heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:18; Rev. 19:6). LDS often claim that the true church must be built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, as Eph 2:20 says. This is commented upon later in this chapter under the sub-title, “Apostles.” But Paul wrote, “…other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:11). Since Jesus Christ is the Foundation of the church, He is also part of the church! Could that church “collapse” or become extinct when the omnipotent Christ is the Foundation of it? Is it possible for Christ to lose “the church of God which He hath purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25)? Christ is called the “Good Shepherd” in John 10:11. But, any shepherd who loses all his sheep is not a very good shepherd!
Jesus must bear some responsibility for the existence of the church since God “gave Him to be head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1:22). The Lord Himself also nourishes (feeds) and cherishes (lovingly cares for) the church (Eph. 5:29). Jesus never told anyone else to go build His church. Instead, He declared, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). And after He ascended into heaven, Acts 2:47 declares, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” He needed no successor to build His church because He lives forever (Heb. 7:24-25). That is why Col. 1:18 declares, “He is the head of the body, the church.” Notice the present tense verb is used which shows that Jesus was still Head of His church even though He had ascended to heaven many years before that was written! And Jesus is still the Head of His Church and He is adding members to it today! Thus, when LDS claim that Christ’s church was prevailed against and ceased to exist, they insult the living Head of the Church!
As if Mormon doctrine itself wasn’t enough of an insult to the Great Shepherd, Joseph Smith boasted of having done more to “keep a whole church together” than Jesus Christ:
“Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet.” (Address of the Prophet—His Testimony Against the Dissenters at Nauvoo; Sunday, May 26, 1844)
