“The year was 1820; the season, spring. The boy with questions walked into the grove of his father’s farm. There, finding himself alone, he pleaded in prayer for that wisdom which James promised would be given liberally to those who ask of God in faith (see James 1:5). There, in circumstances which he has described in much detail, he beheld the Father and the Son, the great God of the universe and the risen Lord, both of whom spoke to him. This transcendent experience opened the marvelous work of restoration. It lifted the curtain on the long-promised dispensation of the fullness of times,” wrote Gordon B. Hinkley in a 2004 conference address.
Most of the time when we talk about the Restoration we talk about Joseph Smith, a young boy who at age 14 was called to restore the truth of the gospel, of our loving Savior, Jesus Christ and of the plan of the Atonement. We talk about his role as the Prophet of the restoration and the importance he had in bringing the fullness of the gospel to the earth. Today, I want to explore two different meanings of the word restoration that occur jointly to bring both the individual and the whole Earth to a restoration of the gospel both in this world and in our individual lives.
Restoration: According to the Bible Topical Guide, this term denotes a return of something once present, but which has been taken away or lost. It involves, for example, the renewal of the earth to its paradisiacal glory as it was before the fall of Adam. In terms of the soul of man it means return of the individual to the presence of God... It means a reestablishment of the gospel of Jesus Christ on the Earth in the last days with the powers, ordinances, doctrines, offices and all things as they have existed in former ages.”
I believe that Joseph was called to be the prophet of the restoration far before he turned 14. I believe that he was chosen in the preexistence to restore the church. And I also believe that God knowing what Joseph's role in this life would be, shaped and molded him to be capable of such responsibilities. I believe that he was placed in a home where religion was important, and in an area where there were many religions which brought Joseph to question which church truly was right. A loving Heavenly Father knew what Joseph needed to become the strong, brave, and faithful prophet of the restoration, and guided Joseph to reach that point. This brave young boy became the servant of our Heavenly Father.
Just as I know that God loved and cared enough to shape and mold Joseph into the man he needed to become, I believe God does the same with each of us. I believe God has a plan for each one of our lives. He knows our potentials, but more importantly I think he knows how to direct us there. God will always be there ready to guide and shape our lives to be the best they can be: The question is if we will turn our lives over to him to shape and mold to His divine purposes for each of us.
I remember a couple years back as my seminary teacher taught me this principle. We walked into class and on each of our desks was a jar of playdoh and a piece of paper with a simple instruction on the paper. It read "Use this playdoh to make a person." I remember sitting there thinking what this could possibly have to do with seminary. When I had finally finished I waited to see what my seminary teacher would say. He asked us to look closely at our play-doh and asked us what we saw? He pointed out that if you looked closely you could see each of our own fingerprints covering the model we had each made. Just like we each had created this human figure and molded it into just how we wanted them to be- God also has created each one of us and has an idea of how he wants us to be and as he molds us he leaves his fingerprints in each of our own lives. Those fingerprints i believe come in many different varieties: struggles, trials, blessings and miracles.
Joseph Smith couldn't have just woken up one morning and been ready to restore the church. God led Joseph to a point where he was able to do that. He prepared Joseph to become the leader of the Church. That didn't mean that the way Joseph was led was always an easy path. In fact in Hebrews 12:6 it says "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."
Sometimes on our path the Lord needs to prepare us for what is ahead by sending us a trial. If the Lord truly had no grand purpose and plan for each one of us then there would be no need for trials and tribulations. But God has a plan. He knows you and me and he knows our great potential. He loves us. He loves us enough to chasten us, to make us the perfected beings he knows we each can be.
God sent me to earth in a package of two. My other half, McKenna is already in Brazil serving her own mission. We two were just never meant to be separated for long, which is why we were born just twelve months apart. I was too worried about what she might do on Earth without me to guide her. After watching the movie The Other Side of Heaven, McKenna wrote to us about this idea of God directing our path even through life’s challenges.
She wrote, ``Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes God calms the Sailor. And sometimes He just lets us swim.`` It’s so true. I especially
love the idea of ``calming the sailor``. Most of the time, our
problems aren´t going to leave us, perhaps because we haven´t learned
the lesson we need to learn yet, or perhaps because we need to learn
to be patient. I don't really know. But I DO know that God offers real
peace. He speaks to everyone in different ways.”
Whatever experiences He sends our way, the purpose of the pathway He sets us on is for each of us to reach that restoration, that place where we are returned to His purposes, as His children.
In Romans Ch. 8 v. 35, 37-38 and it says: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Nay in these things we are more than conquerors through him that loves us. For I am persuaded that neither death not life nor angels nor things present nor things to come, Nor height nor depth nor any living creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The restoration is an ongoing process. And each one of us has a role to play in it. He wants us to once again return to him. And through his guidance, we each can allow him to mold and shape us into the individuals he knows we can be. Sometimes that means changing our lives so we are in alignment with God’ plan.
In a letter McKenna sent home from her mission in Brazil, she describes explaining to her investigator the truth of the restoration. The gospel was and always has been the gospel of Jesus Christ, in the time when our Savior lived on the Earth, when Joseph restored it and still today. McKenna, shared this precious truth with one of her investigators.
She wrote, “Monday we had a really cool lesson with a devout woman of another fatih, Nossa. She is REALLY strong in her beliefs - which can be difficult as we try to share the truth of the gospel, but the lesson was incredible. We don't bible- bash. That is not how Jesus taught, and that is not how we will teach either. But she was talking about the Grand Apostasy, and how she doesn't believe it ever happened. She believes the priesthood was never taken from the earth. So, we tried to explain that the truths in the early church were distorted, the doctrines were changed. We really needed a restoration. So I asked her if she believes in the 10 commandments and naturally, she said, ``Of course.`` Then I opened up to Exodus to explain that this is a simple example of a change in the doctrine of Christ. That unfortunately, some religions worship images...etc. She said, but that is your bible. Your bible is different than mine. Then she ran to her bedroom to get her bible. We found the verse in her bible and she began to flip pages back and forth very quickly. When she realized, that indeed, the commandment is the same even in her bible, she looked up, completely flustered and said, ``This can't be my bible-this verse changed. This isn't the same scripture.`` We just waited and she finally gave up, saying,`` You got me.`` It was crazy. It was one of my favorite lessons so far. It wasn't any bible bash at all. We weren't even arguing. It was merely a display of simple truths- that in reality WE HAVE THE TRUTH. We know it- it was distorted, it was taken. But now it has been restored.…I KNOW that God knows everything. And I KNOW that God answers prayers. And if we want to know this church is true, it's most likely not going to come by any ``proof``` or verse or vision. Our testimony will come by faith; by a sincere desire to know, and then by demonstrating enough humility to plead with God for an answer. But the promise is that He DOES answer. He always answers, because He loves us. He really, truly wants to bless us, which reminds me of a scripture I read this week.
1 Cor 2:9, ``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.`` And how do we know when we love him? We serve Him. We keep His commandments. “
As we continue to seek after Him, we will be given in each stage of our lives all that we need to return to Him. We will be prompted to hear His voice, to feel His spirit and to become all that we must become to take up our divinely appointed roles in this life. With His help nothing will be too big a challenge for us, because the Creator of Heaven and Earth can help us to accomplish all things.
Seriously for those of you who don’t know my sister, you will by the end of my talk because you can not really know me without knowing her. McKenna wrote, “A lot of the time people will say they want to change, but they don't know how.... They really don't need a miracle. All they need is faith. When we ask people what God means to them here- the answer is always the same. We say, ``Who or what is God to you?`` They answer, ``Tudo.`` Meaning, everything. Sure! Makes sense. But, think about this question. ``Who are YOU to GOD....`` Let me tell you something that I know: The answer is the same. YOU are everything to God. Every single one of my investigators means EVERYTHING to God. That means, He would and will do anything it takes to help us. So then maybe they will say, well, sure, He will help me. But I can't do it- I need time. What do you mean, exactly? Time? In all reality the best day to change is today because we never had any guarantee of tomorrow. In 6 days Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ created the whole world- ALL life. Undoubtedly in 6 days they can change YOUR life. Or in one day. Today. This moment. This instant.”
If I could leave you with just a single idea today it would be this: God loves you. He knows you. He hears you prayers. He truly wants you to be happy. He knows how to make you ultimately happy. If we will simply listen and allow him to shape and mold our lives, reaching our own personal restoration by aligning our own will with God’s, I know that then-- that is when we truly will be the happiest.
I know this church is true. I know that God loves us. He loves us enough to send his Son to atone for each of one of us. I know that his ultimate goal is for us each to return to him. I am so grateful for that knowledge I have and for the opportunity I have to share that knowledge with the people of Santa Maria, Brazil. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
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