THE RESTORATION

The Restoration

The apostle Peter prophesied of the "Restitution of all things" before the second coming of Christ (Acts of the Apostles 3:19-21). Since everything had been lost because of the Apostasy, the Church of Christ and its authority on earth had to be restored. This restoration was to enable everyone to receive the full blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ once more.

The restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth began with Joseph Smith's first vision. In the years that followed, Christ restored the priesthood and reestablished his Church. He continues to reveal truths to his Prophets and restores the blessings which were taken from the earth for a time.

The Restoration of the Priesthood

Throughout all time, God has empowered His servants, the prophets, to act in His name. This authority is called priesthood. Jesus Christ conferred the priesthood on the original twelve apostles and they led the work of the Church after Jesus had ascended into heaven. But after the apostles were killed, the priesthood gradually disappeared from the earth.

In 1829 Joseph Smith received the priesthood authority to found the Church of Christ. In 1830, the same Church of Jesus Christ which had existed centuries before was once again established and restored to the earth.

The priesthood is divided into two parts. The lesser priesthood is called the "Aaronic Priesthood" after Aaron in the Old Testament. It is the authority to proclaim the gospel of repentance and to baptize. The greater priesthood is called the "Melchizedek Priesthood" after Melchizedek in the Old Testament. It is the authority to lead the Church and perform all the sacred ordinances, including giving the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Authority to Baptize

When Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he and his friend Oliver Cowdery read what Jesus Christ had to say about baptism by immersion for the forgiveness of sins (Book of Mormon, 3. Nephi 11:21-27). On May 15th 1829, the two of them prayed for further direction concerning baptism. In answer to their prayer, a messenger from heaven appeared to them. It was the resurrected John the Baptist, who then conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood, which contains the authority to proclaim the gospel of repentance and to baptize. Following this, Joseph and Oliver baptized each other in the nearby Susquehanna river. This event heralded the restoration of the priesthood which had been taken from the earth at the time of the apostasy.

The Translation of the Book of Mormon

In September 1823, Joseph Smith was visited by a heavenly messenger named Moroni, in the same way it often happened to the leaders of the Church in the New Testament (see in particular the Acts of the Apostles). This messenger told him that God had a task for him. Moroni told Joseph of a record of the earlier inhabitants of America, which was buried in a nearby hill and contained the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In September 1827, Joseph received the record, which was written on thin gold plates. These days, we know that it was not uncommon for peoples of the Americas in ancient times to keep records on metal plates. Through divine inspiration, Joseph Smith translated the book into English. It bears the title The Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It is named after Mormon, a prophet in ancient times, who compiled this sacred record. As another testament of Jesus Christ, the book confirms that Jesus Christ really lived and was divine in nature. It is also another testament that the Bible is true.

The Book of Mormon was published in 1830. Since then it has blessed the lives of millions of people, thanks to its powerful message of Jesus Christ and His gospel.

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