The
Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
"When Latter-day Saints speak of the "restoration
of the gospel of Jesus Christ" they refer primarily to the restoration that has
occurred in the latter days, establishing the dispensation of the fulness of times (Eph.
1:10; D&C 27:13). However, there have been a number of restorations of the gospel over
the history of the earth."
Why did the true Church of Christ need to be restored?
Shortly after the death of the original apostles, there was a
general apostasy in the early Christian Church. Most members of the Church turned away
from the true gospel and persecuted the faithful remainder. The organization ceased to be
led by God.
Apostasy
from the Original Church of Christ
Gerald A. Smith discusses What is the Great Apostasy?,
Foretelling of the Great Apostasy in the Bible, Statements by the Great Christian
Reformers on the Apostasy, and Predictions of a Restoration of the Gospel.
Restoration of All
Things
"The concept of a restoration of all things is biblical and is
frequently spoken of in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Peter spoke of
the anticipated "times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the
mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21)."
Apostasy
"Latter-day Saints believe that apostasy occurs whenever an
individual or community rejects the revelations and ordinances of God, changes the gospel
of Jesus Christ, or rebels against the commandments of God, thereby losing the blessings
of the Holy Ghost and of divine authority."
Cumorah
"Cumorah in the Book of Mormon refers to a hill and surrounding area
where the final battle between the Nephites and Lamanites took place, resulting in the
annihilation of the Nephite people (see Book of
Mormon Peoples)....The more common reference to Cumorah among Latter-day Saints is to
the hill near present-day Palmyra and Manchester, New York, where the plates from which the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon were found."
Christopher Columbus
"Latter-day Saints generally regard Columbus as having fulfilled a
prophecy contained early in the Book of Mormon."
Elias
"Elias is both a name and a title and has four meanings..."
Spirit of Elias
"The "spirit of Elias" is a LDS concept that refers to the
preparatory power that initiates gospel restoration following periods of apostasy."
Gold Plates
Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon from a record engraved on thin
goldlike sheets. |
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"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 1:17)
First
Vision
"The First Vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith is the beginning point,
the fountainhead, of the restoration of the gospel in this dispensation. This theophany
occurred in a grove near Palmyra, New York, in the spring of 1820." Joseph
Smith--HistoryJoseph Smith's autobiographical summary of some of the key events in his
early years.
Visitations
of Moroni
"From 1823 to 1829, the angel Moroni 2 appeared at least twenty times
to Joseph Smith and others. Those appearances opened the way for the translation and
publication of the Book of Mormon and laid the foundation of many of the Church's most
characteristic teachings."
Faith Once
Delivered to the Saints -- What Happened to it?
Robert Starling gives a brief outline of the Apostacy and Restoration.
Sacred Grove
"A grove of trees on the Joseph Smith, Sr., farm near Palmyra, New
York, is revered by Latter-day Saints as the vicinity where Joseph Smith experienced
his first vision, the divine manifestation of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ that began the restoration of the
gospel in this dispensation."
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