Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

We have talked about Heavenly Father, families, prophets, Jesus Christ's Ministry, and the great apostasy that happened here upon the Earth. All of these things happened for a reason, they all lead up to the Restoration of the gospel.

In 1820 there was a boy named Joseph Smith, he was 14 years old. He wanted to know what church was the true church. To me that is very impressive for a 14 year old, but he was interested because his mother was Presbyterian and his father was Methodist and along with that there was quite a bit of religious excitement going on around his neighborhood. Pastors and preachers that would take the same doctrine and teach it so differently, Joseph finally decided that he needed to ask for himself, he needed to know for himself whether or not he should join any of these sects of religion. One day while reading in the epistle of James first chapter fifth verse which read:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

Joseph Smith took this verse to heart, in this verse James says, if you lack wisdom then ask God, he is not going to get mad, and he is going to answer the question which you've asked so this is just what he did. He went out to a grove of trees next to his home and knelt down offering a prayer to Heavenly Father and in his own words this is what he said happened:

"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 Personage, 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!"

In this account, Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. They told him the he would be the one to restore Christ's church to the Earth. That all other sects sects of religion as good as they were, drew near to them with their Mouth but with their hearts where far from him.

I know that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and that he did restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Earth. It is a great blessing to be apart of this great cause in bringing the gospel to the world, this gospel is of great importance, the message that we share can and will change the lives of those who will let it.

Earthly Ministry of our Savior Jesus Christ and Apostasy

There is much to be said about the earthly ministry of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He did so many wonderful things while he was on the Earth. There is a set of versus in the Book of Mormon that explain the ministry of Christ much better than I could, and so I will post them here. In these versus, the prophet, at the time King Benjamin is giving an address to his people, teaching them the gospel of Christ and as always testifying of Christ:

"...shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases. And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men." Mosiah 3:5-6

This of course is just the miracles he worked, He also performed what we call the Atonement, where He suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane and later died for us up on the Cross at Calvary. Along with doing that the Savior set up a church here upon the Earth and as some know, called and ordained twelve apostles and gave them the priesthood or the "power" and "authority" to act in God's name.  

But sadly after the Savior Jesus Christ was Crucified his twelve-apostles were in fact rejected, just like their master. And as the prophet Amos prophesied of in Amos 8:11-12 where he says:

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."

This indeed became true, the world fell into a widespread Apostasy or a time where the church was not on the Earth. And as always, the words of the prophet were fulfilled. But this leads us into what we will be talking about next, the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God gives us prophets

From the beginning of time, we have always had a prophet on the Earth. If we read through the Bible we can see all throughout the Old Testament that God has always given us prophets, He gave us Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Isaiah etc. God gives us prophets because He loves us. Why do you think that God gives us prophets? There could be many reasons that He gives them to us, He wants us to live with Him again prophets guide and direct us in all things that we do. If we heed to what prohpets tell us then we will be able to make it once again into the Kingdom of God.

One reason that is definite is explained in the book of Amos in the Old Testament. The prophet Amos speaks about prophets and he says this;

  "Surely the Lod God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7)

I know that God gives us prophets, He always has and He always will. He loves us and cares for us and wants us to return to Him.

Come What May & Love It

I love this title, "Come What May & Love It" how often do we do that? Life is hard, we know that but how often do we just put our shoulder to the wheel and say, "Well here we go." In the gospel there is a principal that is just as important as all others, and that is living a "Christian Life." What do I mean by that you may be asking, well let me tell you. We need to do all that we can to be obedient to our Heavenly Father. The reason I love this video and the phrase that Elder Worthlin's mother told him is because, we need to do just as it says. Life gets tough, I once heard that "We are not defined by our trials but by how we face them." What good is coming from facing our trials with a foul attitude? Not much, but if we change our attitude and say, "Well lets make the best of it" then we may have a better time in life.



This is something quite a few of us struggle with, but I know that as we learn how to love what comes our way, not only will life be more enjoyable, but as we react to our trials in the way our Father in Heaven would have us face them then

The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles

"The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles," The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles, (2000)

---

As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.

He rose from the grave to “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).

Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father” (D&C 110:3–4).

Of Him the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22–24).

We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—“built upon the foundation of … apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The Family

---

A Proclamation to the World

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

The Gospel Blesses Families

In the world Heavenly Father has given us so many things to help us make it in life. Because He wants us to make it back to him, and He knows how hard this life would be. To help us learn the correct principals and values that we need to know to make it back to our Father in Heaven. In Preach My Gospel: A guide to Missionary Service it says, " The home is the best place to teach, learn, and apply principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ." In the video below it shows wonderful gospel principles:



I know that family is important, without my family and my parents teaching me the difference between right and wrong, and other good morals and principles of the gospel I probably wouldn't be where I am today. I'm very grateful for my family, I know that I have been blessed to have them in my life, and I know that the gospel has blessed us. In The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ the prophet Jacob talks of families and he says this:

"Because of this observance, in keeping this commandment... Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children..." Jacob 3:6-7

I know this gospel blesses families, and helps us to have more happy homes and a better life if you allow it to. I like this quote from President David O. Mckay in which he says, "No other success can compensate for failure in the home." I believe it, My prayer is that everyone will work to have the best home that they may.

Check out this Proclamation:

The Family: A Proclamation to the World