December 30–January 5: “The Promised Restoration Goes Forward”

The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

How do you commemorate the 200th anniversary of an event that changed the world? That’s the question the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles pondered as April 2020 approached, marking 200 years since Joseph Smith’s First Vision. “We wondered if a monument should be erected,” President Russell M. Nelson recalled. “But as we considered the unique historic and international impact of that First Vision, we felt impressed to create a monument not of granite or stone but of words … , not to be carved in ‘tables of stone’ but rather to be etched in the ‘fleshy tables’ of our hearts [2 Corinthians 3:3]” (“Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 90).

The monument of words they created is titled “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World.” It’s a monument not just to the First Vision but also to everything Jesus Christ has done—and is still doing—since then. The Restoration of His gospel started when one person turned to God and heard Him. It continues that same way: one heart, one sacred experience at a time—including yours.

Ideas for Learning at Home and at Church

“God loves His children in every nation of the world.”

In your opinion, why would a proclamation about the Restoration begin with a statement about God’s love? As you study the proclamation, look for expressions of God’s love for “His children in every nation of the world.” How has the Restoration of the gospel helped you feel His love?

See also Gerrit W. Gong, “All Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 38–41.

The Restoration began with an answer to a question.

It could be said that the Savior started the Restoration of His gospel by responding to a question. What message do you feel the Restoration proclamation has for a person with questions about God, the gospel, or “the salvation of his [or her] soul”? You might also study Joseph Smith—History 1:5–20 to see what you can learn from Joseph Smith about finding answers to gospel questions.

See also Topics and Questions, “Seeking Answers,” Gospel Library.

Detail from The Desires of My Heart, by Walter Rane

Jesus Christ has restored His Church.

What do you know about “Christ’s New Testament Church,” which the Savior restored through Joseph Smith? Consider studying these scriptures and listing some features of His Church:

• Matthew 16:15–19

• Mark 16:15–18

• Luke 6:12–13

• Acts 4:34–35

• 1 Corinthians 15:29

• Ephesians 4:11–15

Next, you could match the scriptures above with those below, which describe how Jesus Christ restored those features of His Church through Joseph Smith:

• Doctrine and Covenants 18:37–38; 107:23–24

• Doctrine and Covenants 51:3; 70:14

• Doctrine and Covenants 84:64–72

• Doctrine and Covenants 110:11–16

• Doctrine and Covenants 124:31, 36

• Articles of Faith 1:6

Why are you grateful for the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and his wife once tried to imagine how they would have felt living before the Church was restored. “What do we wish we had?” they asked themselves. Read about their experiences in “A Perfect Brightness of Hope” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 81–82). How has the Restoration helped fulfill your spiritual hopes?

See also Topics and Questions, “Apostasy and the Restoration of the Gospel,” Gospel Library.

“The promised Restoration goes forward.”

Have you ever thought of yourself as part of the Restoration of the gospel? Consider these words from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: “Sometimes we think of the Restoration of the gospel as something that is complete, already behind us. … In reality, the Restoration is an ongoing process; we are living in it right now” (“Are You Sleeping through the Restoration?,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 59).

As you prepare to study how the gospel was restored in the 1800s, you might start by pondering how it was restored in your life. Read the Restoration proclamation with questions like these in mind: How have I come to know that this is true? How do I participate in the Restoration today?

“The heavens are open.”

What does the phrase “the heavens are open” mean to you? What evidence do you see—in the Restoration proclamation, in the Church today, in the scriptures, and in your life—that the heavens truly are open?

You might also include “The Morning Breaks” (Hymns, no. 1) as part of your study. What do you find in this hymn that adds to your understanding of the phrase “the heavens are open”?

See also Quentin L. Cook, “The Blessing of Continuing Revelation to Prophets and Personal Revelation to Guide Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 96–100.

Learn together. President Nelson invited us to “study [the Restoration proclamation] privately and with [our] family members and friends” (“Hear Him,” 92). Consider how you might include others in your study.

For more ideas, see this month’s issues of the Liahona and For the Strength of Youth magazines.

Ideas for Teaching Children

“We solemnly proclaim.”

• As you read parts of the Restoration proclamation with your children (or watch the video of President Nelson reading it), help them find sentences that begin with phrases like “we proclaim,” “we declare,” or “we testify.” What truths are our prophets and apostles declaring? Perhaps you and your children could share your own testimonies of some of these same truths.

  The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

“Joseph Smith … had questions.”

• It might be interesting to your children to explore some of the questions Joseph Smith had that led to the Restoration of the Savior’s gospel. Help them find some examples in Joseph Smith—History 1:10, 29, 68. How are we blessed today because God answered Joseph Smith’s questions?

• You might also give your children a chance to talk about questions they have. What do we learn from Joseph Smith about how to find answers? (see Joseph Smith—History 1:8–17; see also verses 3 and 4 of “This Is My Beloved Son,” Children’s Songbook, 76).

“Heavenly messengers came to instruct Joseph.”

• Who were the “heavenly messengers [who] came to instruct Joseph”? Your children might enjoy looking for pictures of them in the Gospel Art Book (see nos. 91, 93, 94, 95). How did each of these messengers help “re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ”? The scriptures suggested in this week’s activity page can help your children answer this question.

Jesus Christ has restored His Church.

• How might you help your children understand what it means for the Savior’s Church to be restored? Maybe they could build a simple tower with blocks or cups and “restore,” or rebuild, it. Or, if your children have ever had to replace something because it was lost or damaged, you could compare that experience to the Savior restoring His Church. Help them find specific things mentioned in the Restoration proclamation that the Savior restored.

“The heavens are open.”

• To illustrate what the phrase “the heavens are open” means, maybe you could share a message with your children, first behind a closed door and then through an open door. Let them take turns sharing a message too. What messages does Jesus Christ have for us? What experiences have helped us know that the heavens are open to us?

About the Doctrine and Covenants: The Lord speaks again

For more ideas, see this month’s issue of the Friend magazine.