Restoration
Church History Gems - 23 November 2009
When the Lord Commands
"In February 1828, Martin Harris, who had financially assisted the Smiths in their move from New York to Pennsylvania, arrived in Harmony to visit the Prophet. According to Martin's testimony, he, Martin, had been instructed not to join any church until the prophecy in Isaiah 29:11–12 had been fulfilled. This prophecy reads:
" 'And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
" 'And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.'
"Martin Harris took some of the characters copied from the Book of Mormon plates to Professor Charles Anthon and a Dr. Mitchell (see JS—H 1:64–65) and received satisfaction regarding the work of the Prophet. He then settled down to act as scribe for the translation of the Book of Mormon. Joseph and Martin were together until 14 June 1828. By then they had completed 116 pages. After repeated attempts by Martin to gain permission to take the completed works home to satisfy his wife's nagging, he was finally permitted to do so. We all know the story of the lost manuscript. You can imagine the devastation the Prophet must have felt when the plates were taken from him because he had not properly safeguarded them."
Topics: Restoration
Church History Gems - 16 November 2009
Humble, Hardworking, and Rugged
"The Lord's timing in the restoration of the gospel—just at the very beginning of the technological revolution—shows that he understands his children. Technology had been asleep for centuries. If you wanted to communicate, it almost had to be eye to eye. If you wanted to travel, you had to rely on the wind or the strength of man to move vessels over rivers, lakes, or seas, or on land, beasts of burden or just plain walking. The simplicity of life in the early 1800s was a good seedbed for the Restoration. A half a century later might have been too late to find the humble, hardworking, rugged pioneers necessary to establish the Church."
Topics: Restoration, Pioneers
Daily Gems - 15 May 2009
True Religion
"The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the faith of our Heavenly Father. It is His truth, revealed to His servants the prophets from the days of Father Adam until our own time. The Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith to restore the faith of our Father on this earth, never to be taken away again. God desires that all of His children receive it, irrespective of their background, culture, or tradition. True religion should not originate from what pleases men or the traditions of ancestors, but rather from what pleases God, our Eternal Father."
Topics: Restoration, Gospel of Jesus Christ, Prophets
Daily Gems - 10 April 2009
Tangible Evidence
"The Book of Mormon is tangible evidence that Joseph Smith was chosen by the hand of the Lord to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth in these latter days. As stated in the introduction to the Book of Mormon, 'Those who gain [a] divine witness from the Holy Spirit [of the divinity of the Book of Mormon] 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.' "
Topics: Kingdom of God, Book of Mormon, Restoration
Church History Gems - 11 March 2009
Could Not Deny It
“Joseph Smith encountered intense persecution after [the first vision] had become public knowledge. He wrote:
“ ‘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 [abusers] 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’ (JS—H 1:25).
“We regard that theophany—which we designate as the First Vision—and subsequent communications of heavenly beings with the Prophet Joseph Smith to be as real as my conversation with you now. These and other visitations relating to the promised restitution of the Church are well documented.”
Topics: Restoration
Church History Gems - 9 March 2009
Epochal Event
“Our origins did not spring from protest of any kind; hence, we are not a Protestant denomination. Rather, we understand that the church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth, established, as the Apostle Paul once declared, ‘upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone’ (Eph. 2:20).
“God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, literally appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith in April 1820. While this may be relatively unknown in the annals of history, yet it constituted an epochal event in the history of humanity—a profound demonstration of the love of God for all of His children. Because this milestone is of such importance, I would like to quote excerpts from the Prophet’s written account:
“ ‘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!’ (JS—H 1:17).”
Topics: Joseph Smith, Restoration, First Vision
Daily Gems - 23 February 2009
Gospel Consistent from the Beginning of Time
"As the restored Church of Jesus Christ blossoms throughout the globe—now with more than 13 million members—'the faith of our fathers' has an expanded meaning. . . . Often when people learn of the restored gospel, they are impressed by it—many even want to join the Church. But they are reluctant to disappoint their ancestors; they feel they should be true to the faith of their fathers. . . .
"What, then, is the faith of our fathers? Is it the religion of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents?
"But what of the faith of the ancient ones before them? What of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? . . .
of the Savior and those disciples who followed Him?
"The faith of our Father in Heaven has been consistent since the beginning of time, even from before the foundation of this world. . . .
"We believe in the great plan of happiness, the plan of redemption, the plan of salvation, whereby God's children may experience mortality and return to the presence of the Father—a merciful plan established from before the foundation of this earth.
"This is the plan and the faith of our Father!"
Topics: Restoration, Purpose of Mortality
Church History Gems - 1 December 2008
Kirtland Cascade
"In May of 1829 while translating the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith came across a reference to baptism. He discussed the matter with his scribe, Oliver Cowdery, and the two earnestly supplicated the Lord regarding the matter. Oliver wrote: 'Our souls were drawn out in mighty prayer, to know how we might obtain the blessings of baptism and of the Holy Spirit. . . . We diligently sought for . . . the authority of the holy priesthood, and the power to administer in the same' (quoted in Richard Lloyd Anderson, "The Second Witness of Priesthood Restoration," Improvement Era, Sept. 1968, 20).
"In response to that 'mighty prayer,' John the Baptist came, restoring the keys and powers of the Aaronic Priesthood. . . . A few weeks later Peter, James, and John returned to restore the keys and powers of the Melchizedek Priesthood, including the keys of the apostleship. Then when a temple had been built to which other heavenly messengers might come, there unfolded on April 3, 1836, a modern-day equivalent of that earlier Mount of Transfiguration, part of something President Hinckley once called the 'Kirtland cascade' of revelation in which the Savior Himself, plus Moses, Elijah, and Elias, appeared in glory to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and conferred keys and powers from their respective dispensations upon these men. That visit was then concluded with this thunderous declaration, 'Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands' (D&C 110:16; see also vv. 1-15).
"Little wonder that the Prophet Joseph would include in those succinct and eloquent articles of our faith, 'We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof' (Articles of Faith, 1:5). Clearly, acting with divine authority requires more than mere social contract. It cannot be generated by theological training or a commission from the congregation. No, in the authorized work of God there has to be power greater than that already possessed by the people in the pews or in the streets or in the seminaries—a fact that many honest religious seekers had known and openly acknowledged for generations leading up to the Restoration."
Topics: Restoration
Daily Gems - 17 November 2008
Biblical Descriptions of the Book of Mormon
"Isaiah wrote, 'Thou shalt . . . speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust' (Isaiah 29:4). Could any words be more descriptive of the Book of Mormon, coming as it did 'out of the ground' to 'whisper out of the dust' to people of our day?
"But Isaiah was not the only Old Testament prophet who foretold the Book of Mormon. Ezekiel wrote:
" 'Take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel . . . : then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel. . . :
" 'And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand' (Ezekiel 37:16 17)."
Topics: Scripture, Restoration
Daily Gems - 30 October 2008
The Two Hemisphere Story of Jesus Christ
"The scriptural story of Jesus Christ is indeed a two hemisphere story. While Mary and Joseph in the East were making preparations for the holy child's birth in Bethlehem, Nephi in the West was being taught by the premortal Messiah. To Nephi the Lord said, 'Be of good cheer; . . . on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets' (3 Nephi 1:13).
"To doubters of that second witness--the Book of Mormon--the Lord issued a warning: 'Because you have treated lightly the things you have received . . . [you] shall remain under . . . condemnation until [you] repent and remember . . . the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given . . . , [the Bible, and] . . . do according to that which I have written' (D&C 84:54, 57).
"The Lord provided other scriptures of the Restoration and declared that those words will also be fulfilled (see Joseph Smith--Matthew 1:31 25). With these scriptural witnesses, false doctrines will be confounded. With these scriptural witnesses, doctrines of the Bible are not only reaffirmed but clarified."
Topics: Jesus Christ, Restoration
Daily Gems - 11 September 2008
Hymns Reinforce Truths of the Restoration
"The hymns of the Restoration carry with them the spirit of conversion. They came as a result of sacrifice . . . [and] reinforce the great truths of the Restoration--such as the divinity of the Father and the Son, the plan of redemption, revelation, latter day scriptures, the gathering of Israel, the holy priesthood, and the ordinances and covenants. These nourishing hymns create an atmosphere that invites the Spirit, which leads us to conversion."
Topics: Restoration
Daily Gems - 22 August 2008
Scriptures Declare Who the Lord Really Is
"Willingly we share scriptures of the Restoration with people across the world. The Book of Mormon records the personal ministry of the resurrected Lord to people of ancient America. Ponder these everlasting truths that He proclaimed:
" 'Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. . . .
" '. . . The scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled. . . .
" 'I am the light and the life of the world.'
"The Savior continued:
Topics: Scripture, Restoration
Daily Gems - 21 August 2008
God Speaks to All Nations
"An angel proclaimed that the Book of Mormon shall establish the truth of the Bible (see 1 Nephi 13:40). He also revealed that writings in the Bible available in our day are not as complete as they were when originally written by prophets and apostles (see 1 Nephi 13:28 29). He declared that the Book of Mormon shall restore plain and precious things taken away from the Bible (see 1 Nephi 13:40).
"A prophecy in the Book of Mormon warned that some people would object to the notion of additional scriptures. To those who think they 'need no more Bible' (2 Nephi 29:6), consider this God given counsel:
" 'Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, . . . created all men, . . . and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?
" '. . . Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And . . . the testimony of the two nations shall run together also' (2 Nepni 29:7 8)."
Topics: Restoration, Scripture
Church History Gems - 6 August 2008
The World Was Ready
"In 1517, the Spirit moved Martin Luther, a German priest who was disturbed at how far the church had strayed from the gospel as taught by Christ, to reform it. Other men also worked to reform the church.
"I believe that these reformers were inspired to create a religious climate in which God could restore lost truths and priesthood authority. Similarly, God inspired the earlier explorers and colonizers of America and the framers of the Constitution of the United States to develop a country in which the gospel could be restored.
"By 1820, the world was ready for the 'restitution of all things' spoken of by Peter and 'all [God's] holy prophets since the world began' (Acts 3:21)."
Topics: Restoration
Church History Gems - 30 July 2008
First Vision
"On a beautiful, clear spring morning, [Joseph Smith] went to the woods and found a quiet spot where he could be alone. Then he knelt and began to pray. No sooner had he done so than an overwhelming feeling of darkness swept over him, as if some evil power was trying to overcome him. Rather than surrender, Joseph prayed harder--and God Himself answered his prayer. Joseph described what happened this way: '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!' (Joseph Smith--History 1:16-17.) . . .
"Young Joseph was physically drained but spiritually enriched with exciting restored truth. He knew with certainty that God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, were real, for he had seen them. He knew that They are two separate, distinct individuals."
Topics: Joseph Smith, Restoration
Daily Gems - 24 July 2008
Bible and Book of Mormon Authenticate Each Other
"Scriptural witnesses authenticate each other. This concept was explained long ago when a prophet wrote that the Book of Mormon was 'written for the intent that ye may believe [the Bible]; and if ye believe [the Bible] ye will believe [the Book of Mormon] also' (Mormon 7:9). Each book refers to the other. Each book stands as evidence that God lives and speaks to His children by revelation to His prophets.
"Love for the Book of Mormon expands one's love for the Bible and vice versa. Scriptures of the Restoration do not compete with the Bible; they complement the Bible. We are indebted to martyrs who gave their lives so that we could have the Bible. It establishes the everlasting nature of the gospel and of the plan of happiness. The Book of Mormon restores and underscores biblical doctrines such as tithing, the temple, the Sabbath day, and the priesthood."
Topics: Book of Mormon, Restoration
Young Single Adult Gems - 9 July 2008
What a Glorious and Wonderful Day This Is
"The centuries have passed. The latter-day work of the Almighty, that of which the ancients spoke, that of which the prophets and apostles prophesied, is come. It is here. For some reason unknown to us, but in the wisdom of God, we have been privileged to come to earth in this glorious age. There has been a great flowering of science. There has been a veritable explosion of learning. This is the greatest of all ages of human endeavor and human accomplishment. And more importantly, it is the season when God has spoken, when His Beloved Son has appeared, when the divine priesthood has been restored, when we hold in our hand another testament of the Son of God. What a glorious and wonderful day this is."
Topics: Restoration
Church History Gems - 23 June 2008
We Must Testify
"Oliver Cowdery began work as Joseph's scribe on 7 April 1829. He was 22 years of age. The Prophet was about one year older. These young men were the age of many of our missionaries. They began the work of translation in earnest. Oliver later said: 'These were days that were never to be forgotten. . . . Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated, with the Urim and Thummim, . . . the history, or record, called "The Book of Mormon." '
"Oliver was with Joseph when John the Baptist appeared to restore the Aaronic Priesthood. He was with Joseph when the Lord Himself appeared in the Kirtland Temple. He was with Joseph when Peter, James, and John conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood. He was with Joseph when Moses, Elijah, and Elias conferred upon them many of the keys of the Restoration.
"Of the eleven men who were witnesses to the Book of Mormon, nine apostatized. None of them, however, ever denied their testimony that they had seen the plates. Since the days of Joseph and Hyrum, millions have raised their voices to the growing chorus proclaiming that the gospel has been restored to earth again.
"Brothers and sisters, we must testify that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, lest we fail in our stewardships as heralds of the Restoration of the kingdom of God. We read in Doctrine and Covenants 135:3: 'Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. . . . He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood.' "
Topics: Restoration
Church History Gems - 20 June 2008
How Can We Fail?
"Joseph Smith was a man of great faith, even as a youth. Yet he was persecuted. 'I soon found,' Joseph Smith related in his history, '. . . that my telling the story [of the First Vision] had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects--all united to persecute me' (Joseph Smith--History 1:22).
"He was shot at, beaten, tarred and feathered, threatened with death, ravaged by sickness, beset by legal entanglements, imprisoned and chained, forced to listen to the taunts of the most vile and evil of men, and yet he only spoke with greater conviction of the truth of what he had seen and heard. Toward the end of his life, the Prophet Joseph wrote: 'Deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me' (D&C 127:2).
"Brothers and sisters, we must gain faith like that of the founders of this great work. This is the work of the Lord. He will strengthen and guide us. And with the Lord behind us, how can we fail?"
Topics: Joseph Smith, Restoration
Church History Gems - 16 June 2008
Whom Did the Lord Choose?
"In a surprisingly short time, the [ancient] Church disassembled. Without Apostles, the Church lost its anchor and began to drift on every wind of doctrine. Spiritual gifts disappeared, revelations ceased, the keys to the priesthood were lost, ordinances changed. Ultimately, the purity of our Lord's gospel began to meld with other doctrines, beliefs, and practices. Philosophies and political influences began to infiltrate and transform the Church.
"During the centuries that followed, the light dimmed even further. President Thomas S. Monson . . . explained: 'The dark ages of history seemed never to end.' . . .
"At first a few great reformers began to speak out. When John Wycliffe completed the first English translation of the entire Bible, those in authority did all they could to destroy it. Many of Wycliffe's followers were severely punished.
"Jan Hus, another fearless reformer who spoke against corruption in the church, was chained by the neck to a stake and burned.
"Thousands of others heroically searched for the truth and risked their all as they sought to worship God according to the dictates of their consciences.
Topics: Restoration
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