The Message of the Restoration

Thought on Elder Perry "The Message of the Restoration"

The First Vision:
I have been always amazed at the first vision. How it happened is truly a miracle and there is no other way to explain it. I remember as a teen trying really hard to have the same vision and one day, I must have been very brave, asking my mom why Heavenly Father and Jesus didn’t visit me when I prayed that they would. She gently explained to me that I didn’t need them to come visit me at this time and I might never need them to. But they had sent me the Holy Spirit to testify that what I was reading and studying was true. I was satisfied with that answer and I still am. As I look back on that time in my life, I can’t believe I didn’t get angry or mad at the answer. I think the Spirit was working overtime that day.

The first vision gives us a definite description of the Father and the Son and positive knowledge that they are truly two separate beings. I know we all have to find out for ourselves that the first vision happened and I remember thinking about this very thing during our seminary study of the D&C/church history year. Of course you start this year by studying the history of the church and wham-o you start with the Joseph Smith story. I remember the testimony I received when I knelt down and prayed to know for sure that the first vision happened. I was done relying on my mom’s testimony and it was time for me to get my own. I remember the feeling that totally engulfed me that night as I prayed. I can’t describe it except to say that I arose from my knees knowing that it was true and that I was supposed to move on and never question it again. I was to memorize (did that in primary) but keep it fresh in my mind the first article of faith!

The other thing that really grabbed me was that the Father knew Joseph by NAME! I wish I could tell you how that made me feel the first time I realized that. My earthly father doesn’t call me my name and it really bugs me, always has and he knows it but he still calls me “sis.” But my Heavenly Father knows my name and He has used it at time. And get this—He knows that I don’t go by my first name! I remember one night as a teen I was in the depth of despair and needed someone to love me. I remember the thought he so graciously gave me as if it was yesterday. He used my name and told me it would be OK. He didn’t say “my sweet friend” or “my dear daughter”. He used my name—he knew it then and still does!

The Book of Mormon

Both the Book of Mormon and the Bibles existence today is a miracle. The Lord preserved the Bible through history to be used by Joseph Smith to bring about the Book of Mormon as we read it today.

I have often wanted to just put EVERYTHING aside and try to read the Book of Mormon as fast as it was translated. Oh, that would be so fun, but I have such a hard time trying to finish when Pres. Hinckley gave us four months. Life just gets in the way. It truly is a testament to Joseph, Oliver and to their wives and family that it was translated so quickly. WOW!

We have been doing something fun to help us understand how both the Bible lost some of the bits and pieces of the gospel and how hard it is to translate complete meaning for the Book of Mormon. We are learning Portuguese and right now we are taking conference talks and songs and trying to translate them. As anyone knows who has learned a second language that translations just aren’t word for word. There are also idiomatic sayings that just don’t transfer into another language. Then to think of the time gap! The book of Revelation proves that. John was trying to describe some pretty awesome things and he had to use the words available to him that were from his day. We hadn’t invented words like airplane, train, email, automobile, etc. It is truly amazing that we have the scriptures we do have. I stand in awe of what Joseph did to just get the Book of Mormon translated and printed. WOW! The same goes for the Bible!

The Priesthood

This subject is near and dear to my heart. I never planned for that to happen, but when half of your family is missing during the first part of sacrament meeting, it truly sinks into your heart. As my children grow up and continue to turn 12 I get the privilege of teaching them about the priesthood. It has been such a fun and special thing to do with each of them. I set aside a few months before they turn 12 and we do a little unit I have worked up. When you teach something you of course learn more than your student. Pretty soon my bench will be empty as all my five boys hold the priesthood. How fun will that be!

Of course you have read my other thoughts on this subject, so I will write about the restoration of the Priesthood.

This is like dumb soldiers; one thing brings about something else. When you knock over the first domino then next one falls. Joseph and Oliver were just going along and wham! They had a question. They had learned to ask when they have a question and the Lord answers them (and he will answer us too!). Next thing they know they are baptizing each other and getting the priesthood from an Angel—the one and only John the Baptist. Isn’t that amazing! I can only imagine what that was like. But it speaks to what we too can do. We can have a question that burns inside us, begin by pondering on it and when we get to a point, we seek out a quiet place and then kneel in prayer and ask about it. How cool is that?

The Lord is truly amazing! The gospel’s restoration is one miracle after another.

Now to teach this to my children. Maybe this is my answer to the “what am I going to do for FHE tonight” question.