The most important message that could be given to the world in this dispensation is that the gospel has been restored. And now, with the miracle of television and satellite transmission, it is possible to broadcast this message to almost everyone everywhere.
The general conferences that are broadcast from the Salt Lake Tabernacle the first Sunday of April each year commemorate the organization of the Church on April 6, 1830. Here is a story, which you can “broadcast,” about the important events that happened when the gospel was restored to the earth.
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Mount TV on lightweight cardboard, then trim. Cut slots A and B along broken lines.
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Cut out vertical story strips. Insert strip 1 through slot B from back of TV and through slot A from front.
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Read each part of story as you slide picture frames into place.
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Pictures could also be taped into one long strip and used in roller-box TV. (See Friend, October 1981, page 42.)
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Make large TV frame, or use cardboard box to make roller box. (See Primary Sharing Time Resource Manual, page 29.)
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Enlarge pictures and have children color them. Tell story as children are coloring. Show on time line (see Friend, January 1985, page 38) when Moroni; John the Baptist; Peter, James, and John; and Joseph Smith lived upon the earth.
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Invite children to put pictures in order and retell story.
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Sing “Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning” (Hymns, page 136).
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1. The Restoration of the Gospel
Adapted from Doctrine and Covenants Stories (PBIC037A)
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2. Restoration means a bringing back of something to its former condition.
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3. For example: A teacher was very sick. She had “lost” her good health. Many people prayed for her. Heavenly Father blessed her by restoring her good health.
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4. The restoration of the gospel means that we again have a church like the one Jesus organized when He was upon the earth.
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5. In the spring of 1820, Joseph Smith prayed to find out which church was true.
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6. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph. They told him that the true church was not upon the earth.
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7. The angel Moroni visited Joseph and instructed him. In 1827 Moroni delivered the gold plates to Joseph Smith.
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8. These plates, engraved with reformed Egyptian characters, were a record made by prophets who lived in the Western Hemisphere long ago.
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9. After Joseph translated the plates into English, many gospel teachings that had been lost to the world were restored.
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10. These translated writings were published as the Book of Mormon.
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11. On May 15, 1829, John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. He restored the Aaronic Priesthood to the earth.
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12. Once again someone on the earth had the priesthood authority to baptize.
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13. Soon afterward Peter, James, and John restored the Melchizedek Priesthood.
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14. With this priesthood, the gift of the Holy Ghost could again be given to those who had been baptized and confirmed, and other sacred ordinances could be performed.
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15. On April 6, 1830, a meeting was held at the home of Peter Whitmer, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized.
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16. At last the true Church was restored to the earth! That is the important message that we give to the world.
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