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“Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, Feb 1974, 37–39

Answers are for help and perspective, not as pronouncements of Church doctrine.

“Was it necessary to the salvation of man to have a falling away from the Church followed by a restoration?”

LeGrand Richards, “Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, Feb. 1974, 37–39

Answer/Elder LeGrand Richards

My answer would be that the falling away was not necessary for the salvation of man, for if the Church established by the Savior and his apostles had remained upon the earth, there would thus be proper authority from the Lord to administer the saving ordinances of the gospel, and hence there would have been no need of a restoration.

But since there was a falling away, and there was no longer any priesthood or divine authority upon the earth to administer the saving ordinances of the gospel, then a restoration was the only way that such authority could be found upon the earth.

The fact that there was a falling away does not mean that there were no churches upon the earth. It simply means that there were no churches with divine authority and hence no man authorized to perform any of the saving ordinances of the gospel.

The holy scriptures are replete with statements to the effect that there would be a falling away from the original church that Jesus established. When John the Revelator was banished upon the Isle of Patmos, the angel of the Lord said: “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” (Rev. 4:1.) He showed him the power that would be given to Satan to make war with the saints (and the saints were the members of the Church of Christ), and to overcome them, and to reign over every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. (See Rev. 13:7.) Now that obviously meant that the Church established by the Savior had been completely overcome and hence there had been a falling away.

Then the angel showed John an angel flying in the midst of heaven, “having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” (Rev. 14:6.) Obviously the everlasting gospel was the only gospel that could save men. Then John adds: “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Rev. 14:7.)

As further evidence of the falling away, at the time that Joseph Smith received his glorious vision demonstrating the fact that the Father and the Son were two separate, glorified personages, the entire Christian world was worshiping a god without body, parts, or passions. That means he couldn’t see because he had no eyes; he couldn’t hear because he had no ears; he couldn’t speak because he had no mouth. Hence they were following the teachings of men rather than the everlasting truths of the gospel.

Now Moses knew that this condition would prevail, for when he went to lead the children of Israel into the promised land, he told them that they would not remain there long but that they would be scattered among the nations (see Deut. 4:26–27), and he told them this: “And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.” (Deut. 4:28.) Now that is exactly the kind of god that the Christian world was worshiping when Joseph Smith had his glorious vision.

But Moses didn’t leave it at that. He indicated that if Israel would seek after him in the latter days (and he specifically mentions the latter days) they would surely find him. (See Deut. 4:29–30.) The Prophet Joseph Smith sought after him and thus obtained a knowledge of the true and living God to which the angel referred, “who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Rev. 14:7.)

When the apostles of the Savior asked him for the signs of his second coming and the end of the world, he told them of the wars and pestilences and earthquakes that would come, and then he said: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt. 24:14.) Now, obviously, he was referring to the gospel that he and his disciples had been preaching.

Another scripture that evidences that there should be a complete restoration is found in the 29th chapter of Isaiah, verses 13–14 [Isa. 29:13–14]:

“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

“Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.”

Now it is obvious that the Lord would not need to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men if his gospel had remained upon the earth, but he indicates the reason for establishing this marvelous work and a wonder was because they would be teaching the precepts or doctrines of men. That is what one finds today in all of the so-called Christian churches, and that evidences the need of a restoration.

Following the day of Pentecost, Peter, in talking to those who had put the Christ to death, made this statement:

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19–21.)

We are the only church in the world that claims a restitution of all things, and if Peter was a true prophet, no one can look for the return of the Savior, according to the many promises contained in the scriptures, until there should be such a restitution, and that is not a reformation. And so we declare unto the whole world that there has been a restitution or restoration of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets who have again visited this earth and brought back the keys and authority of the holy priesthood and the power to administer the saving ordinances of the gospel.

“Why should I strive to enter the celestial kingdom—because my parents want me to, because I know what my reward will be if I don’t, because I love the Lord, or because I know that it is the right thing to do?”

John Covey, “Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, Feb. 1974, 39

Answer/Brother John Covey

Because the Lord himself said so; because our love and faith is first in the Lord and in his counsel. He said, “… Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33; 3 Ne. 13:33.) What a promise! To have faith in the Lord is to hear his word, believe his word, and do his word. The Prophet Joseph Smith’s rule of life was simply, “When the Lord commands it, do it!” (Documentary History of the Church, vol. 2, p. 170.)

Why do we trust the Lord? Because the Lord is God, our perfect, loving, all-knowing, all powerful, merciful, just Father in heaven, who desires to bless his children and bring to them all the joy and glory they are willing to receive. We trust his voice, his words, and his prophets above all other voices that may speak to our heads and minds.

The story is told of a young lad standing on the cattle range with his father, looking into the distance to locate their cattle. The keen-eyed father said, “I see cattle over there in the far north field.” The young son’s eyes were not as good as his father’s and he could not see them for himself, but the boy said to himself, “I know that those cattle are there, because my father said so.”

Why did the Lord tell us to seek first the celestial kingdom? May I share with you one reason why I believe he said we should do this? I think of the celestial kingdom not only as a place to enter but also as a quality and condition of the soul. Celestial people with Christlike attributes and characters will enter the celestial kingdom. (D&C 88:20–41.) Rephrasing the first part of the question, why shouldn’t I strive to be a celestial person with a divine, Christlike character? President Lee’s inspired opening address at the October 1973 general conference helps me to know that you and I are children of God with divine potential for growth. Our patriarchal blessings, the living prophets, the scriptures, and the Holy Spirit testify to us that we can become more than we appear to be—that through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and by obedience to his gospel we can become partakers of the divine nature. (2 Pet. 1:1–11.)

We mortals are somewhat like the blind man who experiences only a world of darkness yet has a hope of one day experiencing sight. So, like the blind man, we may not have experienced celestial life (that we can remember), but we may have and can obtain glimpses of it (reflected in the light of the lives of great men, or in a precious moment of service, etc.), and we may feel the witness of the Spirit and of its reality, which causes us to hope, to strive for that which we do not fully know. You may ask, “Why should I strive for something I haven’t really known, like the celestial kingdom?” The passage from 1 Corinthians 2:9 [1 Cor. 2:9] reads, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” You see, others have known and have testified that celestial, Christlike living is everything that the Lord says it is.

Who would be satisfied with the reflected light of the moon if he knew he could have the glory of the sun? (D&C 76:70.) Who would be satisfied with the condition of being separate and single for all eternity if he knew he could live in eternal love and glory with his companion, his family and loved ones, and have eternal increase? (D&C 132:22.) Who would be satisfied with a personality and character that knew only limited capacity to serve others if he knew he could have a Christlike character with divine power to help, to lift, to bring joy into the lives of others—many, many others—eternally?

The key, then, is to strive to know what President Lee knows, what the prophets before him have known, and what Jesus himself taught: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3.) Why? Because he said so, and we trust and love him and keep his commandments.