Heavenly Father Reveals His Gospel

As part of His plan, God chooses prophets, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Prophets:

• Teach about God and are special witnesses of His Son, Jesus Christ.

• Receive revelation, or direction from the Lord.

• Teach the gospel to the world and interpret the word of God.

Our Heavenly Father has brought back—restored—divine truths that you can learn and live. These truths were revealed to prophets from the beginning.

Prophets receive the priesthood, or the authority to speak and act in the name of God to lead His children. People who follow the prophets receive the blessings God has promised. Those who reject the gospel and God’s prophets lose those blessings and distance themselves from God. Those who reject the prophets and abandon their commitment to follow God are in a condition called apostasy.

Even though many of His children have repeatedly rejected Him and His prophets, Heavenly Father continues to love His children. He wants to give us everything we need to be happy now and to return to Him after we die. The scriptures reveal a pattern of God repeatedly reaching out to His children, even though we do not always listen:

• God chooses a prophet.

• The prophet teaches the gospel and leads the people.

• God blesses the people.

• The people gradually disregard or disobey the teachings of the prophet. They eventually reject the prophet and his teachings and fall into apostasy.

Revealed truths are lost as people reject the prophets.

• Because of apostasy, people lose knowledge of the gospel. Priesthood authority is taken from among them.

• When the time is right and people are ready to follow Him again, God chooses another prophet, restores the priesthood and the Church, and directs the prophet to teach the gospel.