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"After
the deaths of the Savior and His Apostles, men corrupted the principles of the
gospel and made unauthorized changes in Church organization and priesthood
ordinances. Because of this widespread wickedness, the Lord withdrew the
authority of the priesthood from the earth.
"During
the Great Apostasy, people were without divine direction from living prophets.
Many churches were established, but they did not have priesthood power to lead
people to the true knowledge of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Parts of the
holy scriptures were corrupted or lost, and no one had the authority to confer
the gift of the Holy Ghost or perform other priesthood ordinances. This
apostasy lasted until Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son appeared to Joseph
Smith in 1820 and initiated the restoration of the fullness of the gospel"
(True to the Faith, Apostasy).
"Throughout
history, many people have sincerely believed false creeds and doctrines. They
have worshiped according to the light they possessed and have received answers
to their prayers. Yet they are “kept from the truth because they know not where
to find it” (D&C 123:12)" (Preach My Gospel).
For
more information about the Great Apostasy, see
Q Why did there need to be a restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ?
Q What needed to be
restored?
·
Revelation
from God through apostles and prophets
·
Priesthood
keys and authority
·
Church
organization
·
The
principles, ordinances, and covenants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the
living and dead
·
Important
truths
For
more information about what needed to be restored, see http://ldsgospellessons.blogspot.com/2014/03/NTChurch.html
Q What blessings have
come to you from each of the following that were restored?
Revelation
Restored
From the writings of Joseph Smith about his
experience in 1820 when he was about 14 years old:
"There was in the place where we lived
an unusual excitement on the subject of religion.... So great were the
confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible...
to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.... I often
said to myself: What is to be done? Who
of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and
how shall I know it?....
"I was one day reading the Epistle of
James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Never did any
passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at
this time to mine. It seemed to enter
with great force into every feeling of my heart.... For how to act I did not
know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know;
for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same
passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling
the question by an appeal to the Bible. At length I came to the conclusion that
I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James
directs, that is, ask of God....
"I retired to the woods [to pray]....
I kneeled down
and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.... I saw a pillar of
light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended
gradually until it fell upon me.... When the light rested upon me I saw two
Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me
in the air. One of them spake unto me,
calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!....
"No sooner, therefore, did I get
possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages
who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right... and which
I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all
wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an
abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that:
"they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me,
they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness,
but they deny the power thereof."....
"It
seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life,
that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom.... I
soon found... that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice
against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution.
"However,
it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like
Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of
the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were
but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad;
and he was ridiculed and reviled. But
all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all
the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they
should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest
breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and
all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.
"So
it was with me. I had actually seen a
light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in
reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I
had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me,
reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying,
I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I
that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I
have actually seen? For I had seen a
vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it,
neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and
come under condemnation.
Priesthood Keys and
Authority Restored
"After
the appearance of the Father and the Son, other heavenly messengers, or angels,
were sent to Joseph Smith and his associate Oliver Cowdery. John the Baptist
appeared and conferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery the Aaronic
Priesthood, which includes the authority to perform the ordinance of baptism. Peter,
James, and John (three of Christ’s original Apostles) appeared and conferred
the Melchizedek Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, restoring the
same authority given to Christ’s Apostles anciently" (Preach My Gospel).
"The
Savior appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple.
Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared and gave priesthood keys to Joseph and
Oliver. Elijah brought the keys of the sealing power, which make it possible
for families to be sealed together forever. (See D&C 110.)" (True to
the Faith, Restoration of the Gospel).
Church Organization
Restored
"With
this priesthood authority, Joseph Smith was directed to organize the Church of
Jesus Christ again on the earth. Through him, Jesus Christ called twelve
Apostles.... A living prophet directs the Church today. This prophet, the
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the authorized
successor to Joseph Smith. He and the present Apostles trace their authority to
Jesus Christ in an unbroken chain of ordinations through Joseph Smith"
(Preach My Gospel).
"The
Church was organized with the same offices as were in the ancient Church. That
organization included apostles, prophets, seventies, evangelists (patriarchs),
pastors (presiding officers), high priests, elders, bishops, priests, teachers,
and deacons....
"The
Church has grown much larger than it was in the days of Jesus. As it has grown,
the Lord has revealed additional units of organization within the Church. When
the Church is fully organized in an area, it has local divisions called stakes.
A stake president and his two counselors preside over each stake.... Each stake
is divided into smaller areas called wards. A bishop and his two counselors
preside over each ward. In areas of the world where the Church is developing,
there are districts, which are like stakes. Districts are divided into smaller
units called branches, which are like wards" (Gospel Principles, The
Church of Jesus Christ Today).
The
Lord said "For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (D&C 115:4) and that this
church is " the
only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the
Lord, am well pleased" (D&C 1:30).
Q Why did the Lord
give this name to His church?
Principles,
Ordinances, and Covenants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Restored; Important
Truths Restored
"Knowing
that doubt, disbelief, and misinformation would remain after centuries of
darkness, our loving Heavenly Father brought forth an ancient volume of holy
scripture comparable to the Bible, which contains the fulness of the
everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. This volume of holy scripture provides
convincing evidence that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God. This record is
the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
"Joseph
Smith was directed by a heavenly messenger named Moroni to a hill where gold
plates had lain hidden for centuries. These gold plates contained the writings
of prophets giving an account of God’s dealings with some of the ancient
inhabitants of the Americas. Joseph Smith translated the contents of these
plates by the power of God. The prophets in the Book of Mormon knew about the
mission of the Savior and taught His gospel. After His Resurrection, Christ
appeared to these people. He taught them His gospel and established His Church....
In order to know that the Book of Mormon is true, a person must read, ponder,
and pray about it. The honest seeker of truth will soon come to feel that the
Book of Mormon is the word of God" (Preach My Gospel).
"We
invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts
the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name
of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith
will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost.
(See Moroni 10:3–5.)
"Those
who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the
same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is
his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the
earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah" (Book of Mormon,
Introduction).
For more information about the Book of Mormon, see http://mormon.org/beliefs/book-of-mormon
For more information about the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, see http://mormon.org/beliefs/restoration
Q Why is it important
to have a testimony of the Restoration, Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon?
Q How do we gain
testimonies of these things? How did you gain your testimony?
Q How do we keep our testimonies of these things
fresh and growing? |
| For help gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon, please see Inviting Personal Revelation: Tools for Obtaining Testimony and Spiritual Guidance |
For more information about the Book of Mormon, see http://mormon.org/beliefs/book-of-mormon
For more information about the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, see http://mormon.org/beliefs/restoration
Conclusion
"This is the restored Church of Jesus Christ. We as a people are Latter-day Saints. We testify that the heavens have been opened, that the curtains have been parted, that God has spoken, and that Jesus Christ has manifested Himself, followed by a bestowal of divine authority. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of this work, and it is built upon a “foundation of … apostles and prophets” (Eph. 2:20).
"This
wondrous Restoration should make of us a people of tolerance, of
neighborliness, of appreciation and kindness toward others. We cannot be
boastful. We cannot be proud. We can be thankful, as we must be. We can be
humble, as we should be.
"We
love those of other churches. We work with them in good causes. We respect
them. But we must never forget our roots. Those roots lie deep in the soil of
the opening of this, the final dispensation, the dispensation of the fulness of
times....
"God
be thanked for His marvelous bestowal of testimony, authority, and doctrine
associated with this, the restored Church of Jesus Christ.
"This
must be our great and singular message to the world. We do not offer it with
boasting. We testify in humility but with gravity and absolute sincerity. We
invite all, the whole earth, to listen to this account and take measure of its
truth. God bless us as those who believe in His divine manifestations and help
us to extend knowledge of these great and marvelous occurrences to all who will
listen. To these we say in a spirit of love, bring with you all that you have
of good and truth which you have received from whatever source, and come and
let us see if we may add to it. This invitation I extend to men and women everywhere
with my solemn testimony that this work is true, for I know the truth of it by
the power of the Holy Ghost. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen" (Gordon B.
Hinckley, October 2002 General Conference).
Testimonies of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ
Speaking of the Book of Mormon, George Q. Cannon said "No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.” (quoted by Jeffery R. Holland, October 2009 General Conference).
"Why Are We Members of the Only True Church?" (Enrique Falabella, October 2007 General Conference)
"Safety for the Soul" (Jeffrey R. Holland, October 2009 General Conference)
"The
ultimate purpose of all we teach is to unite parents and children in faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal
marriage, linked to their generations, and assured of exaltation in the
presence of our Heavenly Father" (Boyd K. Packer, April 1995 General
Conference).
Testimonies of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ
Speaking of the Book of Mormon, George Q. Cannon said "No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.” (quoted by Jeffery R. Holland, October 2009 General Conference).
"Why Are We Members of the Only True Church?" (Enrique Falabella, October 2007 General Conference)
"Safety for the Soul" (Jeffrey R. Holland, October 2009 General Conference)
Key talks about the restoration of the Church of Jesus
Christ can be found at
Key talks about sharing the message of the
restoration with others can be found at
Key talks about the Priesthood can be found at
Key talks about modern day prophets and apostles can be
found at
Key talks about the Book of Mormon and other scriptures can
be found at
Key talks about receiving personal revelation through the
Holy Ghost can be found at
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