Editing Openai/691a45a6-8ed0-8010-a7d9-24657a41a9aa (section)

=== 2. Joe Heschmeyer’s Counter ===

Joe will respond by drawing a sharp distinction:

Joe:
“Patchy is not the same as contradictory. The early Church record is incomplete, but what we have is highly consistent: bishops, sacraments, Eucharistic realism, apostolic succession, and a Church that sees itself as one continuous visible society. That is positive evidence of continuity.

The LDS model requires discontinuity, meaning the record must show collapse, corruption, or replacement. We see none.”

He will add:

• Ignatius (110 AD) speaks of a threefold ministry: bishop, presbyter, deacon.
• Clement (96 AD) appeals to apostolic succession explicitly.
• Irenaeus (180 AD) gives a bishop-by-bishop list from the apostles to his day.
• No early Christian claims the Church lost authority.

This is a strong position: continuity doesn’t require perfect documentation, just consistency.