Mormons--properly referred to as Latter-day Saints,
members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints--often talk about the Restoration.
And while you may be familiar with the Reformation
as a period of great change within Christianity,
the Restoration is something else entirely.
It refers to the full modern-day return
of the ancient Church of Jesus Christ, the one
that Jesus Himself organized, as described in the New Testament.
This restored organization is called
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Soon after he called His Twelve Apostles,
Jesus organized His Church in order
to bring salvation to all God's children.
The new Church would teach men and women
about the nature of God, what was necessary for them
to do in order to become more like Him and return to Him.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul
explains that Jesus's Church was "built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone."
During His ministry, Jesus taught the Apostles His gospel
and gave them authority to teach truth and minister
to the people.
This is called priesthood.
After His death and Resurrection,
Jesus directed His Apostles to "go ye therefore, and teach
all nations."
The Apostles, entrusted with the light of the Savior's gospel,
taught the people and shared that light with them.
Christianity, the belief in Christ
and the light of the gospel, began to spread.
But over time, the Apostles were killed.
And with that, the priesthood and the light of the gospel
were lost, and darkness crept in.
That foundation of truth through His apostles and prophets
was gone.
Although the light of the Lord's faithful followers continued,
without His apostles and prophets,
God's official channel of revelation and authority
through His spokesmen ended.
When the gospel light dimmed, the result
was confusion and a departure from many truths, something
prophesied by the Apostle Paul.
When talking about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ,
Paul said, "Let no man deceive you
by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first."
Latter-day Saints call this a period of apostasy.
The divine return of the Church of Jesus Christ--with its
foundation of apostles and prophets,
gospel light and knowledge, and priesthood authority--is what
Latter-day Saints refer to as the Restoration.
The Apostle Peter foretold the Restoration
when he declared there would be a time of "restitution
of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all
his holy prophets."
Latter-day Saints believe that to prepare for this restitution
or restoration of all things, God
inspired many of His children during what came
to be known as the Reformation.
Martin Luther, John Calvin, William Tyndale, and others
earnestly sought to return to the basics of the gospel as
written in the Bible.
Reception of the light of the gospel
began again, growing in a time and a place
where religious freedom was encouraged.
The conditions were ripe for a full and complete restoration
of Christ's Church.
In 1820, during a time of religious fervor
in the new American nation, a young farm boy
named Joseph Smith knelt in prayer
in the woods near his home to inquire where
to find truth and light and to ask God
which church he should join.
His prayer was answered with a heavenly visitation
from God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, who
told him to join none of them, but that the light
of the gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ
would be restored to the earth through him.
Over the next 10 years, he continued
to receive light, knowledge, and revelation.
With direction from God and the priesthood authority
he received, on April 6, 1830, Joseph Smith and five other men
formally organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, beginning the fulfillment
of Peter's prophecy of the restitution of all things.
So what was restored?
Everything found in Christ's original Church:
truth, revelation, and the pure doctrine of Christ.
Ordinances were restored, like baptism by immersion
and conferring the gift of the Holy Ghost
and priesthood authority from God.
And it is a full restoration of the same foundation of apostles
and prophets, who even today follow the Lord's charge
to teach all nations.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
believe God restored His Church for a very simple reason:
He loves all of His children and wants
them to have joy in this life and return to live with Him.
Through His living prophets and the truths in His restored
Church, God shows the way.
The Restoration, what it is, why it was needed,
and how it was accomplished--now you know.