Friday, January 6, 2017

The Restoration of the Gospel—The Dawning of a Brighter Day (Gordon B. Hinckley Chapter 1)

First Vision
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley Chapter 1

From the Life of Gordon B. Hinckley
1. Throughout his life, President Gordon B. Hinckley fostered a deep respect for the people and places involved in the restoration of the gospel. He felt special gratitude for Joseph Smith and his role in the Restoration, and he spoke of “an ever-growing compulsion to bear testimony of the divinity of the Lord and of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith.” ....

2. At the First Presidency Christmas devotional on December 3, 2000, he shared this personal experience from a visit to the Sacred Grove:

3. “Some years ago I was assigned to the Rochester New York Stake conference. On Saturday I said to the brethren who were with me, ‘Let us get up early in the morning, early Sunday morning, and go to the Sacred Grove before the conference.’ They all agreed. Accordingly, very early on that spring Sabbath, the mission president, the stake president, the regional representative, and I went out to Palmyra and walked into the grove. No one else was there. It was peaceful and beautiful. It had rained during the night. Tiny new leaves were upon the trees.

4. “We spoke quietly one to another. We knelt upon the damp ground and prayed. We did not hear an audible voice. We did not see a vision. But in an indefinable way we were told in our minds, each of us, that yes, it happened here just as Joseph said it happened. It was here that God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, appeared to the 14-year-old boy and spoke with him. Their matchless light rested upon him, and he was instructed in what he should do.

5. “That sublime occasion, the First Vision, parted the curtains through which came the restoration to earth of the Church of Christ. It came out of the wilderness of darkness, out of the bleakness of ages past into the glorious dawn of a new day. The Book of Mormon followed as another witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. His holy supernal priesthood was restored under the hands of those who held it anciently. Keys and powers were bestowed upon the Prophet and his associates. The ancient Church was again upon the earth with all of the blessings, powers, doctrines, keys, and principles of previous dispensations. It is [Christ’s] Church. It carries His name. It is governed by His priesthood. There is no other name under heaven by which men must be saved. Joseph Smith … became His great testator.” ....

6. A growing church, a church that is spreading across the earth in these complex times, needs constant revelation from the throne of heaven to guide it and move it forward. With prayer and anxious seeking of the will of the Lord, we testify that direction is received, that revelation comes, and that the Lord blesses His Church as it moves on its path of destiny.

7. On the solid foundation of the Prophet Joseph’s divine calling and the revelations of God, which came through him, we go forward. Standing as the 15th in line from Joseph Smith and bearing the prophetic mantle which came upon him, I solemnly declare my testimony that the Prophet Joseph’s account of [the events of the Restoration] is true, that the Father … bore witness of the divinity of His Son, that the Son instructed the boy prophet, and that there followed a train of events which led to the organization of “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth” [D&C 1:30].

Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2002 General Conference
8. "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).

9. "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....

10. "God be thanked for His marvelous bestowal of testimony, authority, and doctrine associated with this, the restored Church of Jesus Christ.

11. "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).

The Lord Restored Through Joseph Smith:
·         The Gospel of Jesus Christ which enables us to access the full blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
o   Faith, repentance, covenants, Holy Ghost, enduring to the end
·         The Priesthood authority and keys needed to administer the ordinances and covenants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
·         The Church of Jesus Christ and modern day prophets and apostles that help us to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and know God's will.
·         True doctrines, such as the Plan of Salvation, that provide context (i.e. the "why") for the Gospel and the Atonement and answer to life's most important questions.

Q What is the value of a testimony of the Restoration? How has your testimony of the restoration blessed you?

Q What can we learn from those who have lost their testimonies of the restoration about how to keep ours?

We can become as an ensign to the nations from which the people of the earth may gather strength.
12. My brethren and sisters, the time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth, and the importance of our mission. It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow. It is a time to be found keeping the commandments. It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain. It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all of our relationships. In other words, to become more Christlike....

13. It is not always easy to live in the world and not be a part of it. We cannot live entirely with our own or unto ourselves, nor would we wish to. We must mingle with others. In so doing, we can be gracious. We can be inoffensive. We can avoid any spirit or attitude of self-righteousness. But we can maintain our standards. …

14. Beginning with you and me, there can be an entire people who, by the virtue of our lives in our homes, in our vocations, even in our amusements, can become as a city upon a hill to which men may look and learn, and an ensign to the nations from which the people of the earth may gather strength....

15. Let us glory in this wonderful season of the work of the Lord. Let us not be proud or arrogant. Let us be humbly grateful. And let us, each one, resolve within himself or herself that we will add to the luster of this magnificent work of the Almighty, that it may shine across the earth as a beacon of strength and goodness for all the world to look upon.

Q How can we apply President Hinckley's invitation?

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