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This doctrinal evidence in support of the traditions handed down from the apostles of the Lord directly refutes the Mormon assertion that the Great Apostasy occurred shortly before A.D. 200. The writings immediately after A.D. 100, such as the [[Epistles of Ignatius]] of Antioch and the others included in the [[Apostolic Fathers]] show a continuity with the New Testament writings before them and with the subsequent Ante-Nicene Fathers and Post-Nicene Fathers after them, which strongly dismisses the Mormon claim of a Total Apostasy.  

This doctrinal evidence in support of the traditions handed down from the apostles of the Lord directly refutes the Mormon assertion that the Great Apostasy occurred shortly before A.D. 200. The writings immediately after A.D. 100, such as the [[Epistles of Ignatius]] of Antioch and the others included in the [[Apostolic Fathers]] show a continuity with the New Testament writings before them and with the subsequent Ante-Nicene Fathers and Post-Nicene Fathers after them, which strongly dismisses the Mormon claim of a Total Apostasy.  

The same kind of evidence also weighs heavily against the Fundamentalist position. Fundamentalists claim that the apostasy does not occur until roughly A.D. 325 at the [[Council of Nicaea]] when all of the 318 gathered bishops of Christianity in [[Fear|fear for their lives]] were completely intimidated and crushed into submission under the total [[Bullying|domination]] of Emperor [[Constantine]]. To a large degree, Protestantism believes that Constantine the Great merged [[paganism]] with Christianity, beginning with the Council of Nicaea, thereby seeking to bring unity and stability under his rule and to advance acceptance of and the power of his version of the Church as the official Imperial Roman State religion by all sectors of the empire.<ref>[http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum01.htm First Council of Nicaea - 325 A.D.] The Canons of the Council are listed. <br>''Compare the claim that false doctrine was introduced in them''.<br>See the anti-Catholic [[Wikipedia]] article [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Apostasy '''Great Apostasy''']</ref> But even here there is a complete continuity of teaching between the Ante-Nicene Fathers and the post-Nicene Fathers. There is no historical evidence that the Emperor Constantine had any decisive influence on the discussions, debates and decrees of the Council, made any threats, or did anything other than preside over the proceedings.<ref>See articles:

The same kind of evidence also weighs heavily against the Fundamentalist position. Fundamentalists claim that the apostasy does not occur until roughly A.D. 325 at the [[Council of Nicaea]] when all of the 318 gathered bishops of Christianity in [[Fear|fear for their lives]] were completely intimidated and crushed into submission under the total [[Bullying|domination]] of Emperor [[Constantine]]. To a large degree, Protestantism teaches that Constantine the Great merged [[paganism]] with Christianity, beginning with the Council of Nicaea, thereby seeking to bring unity and stability under his rule and to advance acceptance of and the power of his version of the Church as the official Imperial Roman State religion by all sectors of the empire.<ref>[http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum01.htm First Council of Nicaea - 325 A.D.] The Canons of the Council are listed. <br>''Compare the claim that false doctrine was introduced in them''.<br>See the anti-Catholic [[Wikipedia]] article [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Apostasy '''Great Apostasy''']</ref> But even here there is a complete continuity of teaching between the Ante-Nicene Fathers and the post-Nicene Fathers. There is no historical evidence that the Emperor Constantine had any decisive influence on the discussions, debates and decrees of the Council, made any threats, or did anything other than preside over the proceedings.<ref>See articles:

*[http://mb-soft.com/believe/txc/nicaea.htm Council of Nicaea (mb-soft.com)]

*[http://mb-soft.com/believe/txc/nicaea.htm Council of Nicaea (mb-soft.com)]

*[http://www.debate.org.uk/debate-topics/theological/council_nicaea/ Council of Nicaea: Purposes and Themes, N. S. Lane].  

*[http://www.debate.org.uk/debate-topics/theological/council_nicaea/ Council of Nicaea: Purposes and Themes, N. S. Lane].