Good morning brothers and sisters.

I was asked to talk about

the restoration of the gospel.
What does the word restoration mean? Restoration is returning
something to former owner, place or condition. Making
something at it was, bringing it back anew, reestablishing it.
When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He established His Church
among His followers. After His Crucifixion and the deaths of His
Apostles, men corrupted the principles of the gospel and made
unauthorised changes in church organisation and priesthood
ordinances. People turn away from the principles of the gospel.
This is the state of apostasy. Because of this widespread
apostasy the fulness of the gospel was taken from the earth.
The Lord withdrew the authority of the priesthood from the
earth.
The Apostle Peter prophesied of the restitution of all things
before Christs Second Coming (Acts 3:19-21). Having been
lost because of the Apostasy, Christs Church and His authority
were to be restored to the earth. This Restoration would make
available the opportunity for all to receive once again all of the
blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Joseph Smith was the chosen one to restore the gospel. His
desire to know the truth lead him to seek help from God.
In relation to his desire of knowing the truth
Let me share to a story shared by Elder Uchtdorf about a
couple who had been married for 60 years.
They had rarely argued during that time, and their days
together passed in happiness and contentment. They shared
everything and had no secrets between themexcept one. The
wife had a box that she kept at the top of a sideboard, and she
told her husband when they were married that he should never
look inside.
As the decades passed, the moment came that her husband
took the box down and asked if he could finally know what it
contained. The wife consented, and he opened it to discover
two doilies and $25,000. When he asked his wife what this
meant, she responded, When we were married, my mother
told me that whenever I was angry with you or whenever you
said or did something I didnt like, I should knit a small doily

and then talk things through with you.

The husband was moved to tears by this sweet story. He
marveled that during 60 years of marriage he had only
disturbed his wife enough for her to knit two doilies. Feeling
extremely good about himself, he took his wifes hand and
said, That explains the doilies, but what about the $25,000?
His wife smiled sweetly and said, Thats the money I got from
selling all the doilies Ive knitted over the years.
This story teaches us a lesson that a person can may jump up
into conclusion based on limited information.
Elder Diether F. Uchtdorf has said so often the truths we tell
ourselves are merely fragments of the truth, and sometimes
theyre not really the truth at all. It may seems to be part of
our human beings to make assumptions about people based
on our incomplete and often misleading experience.
There is a quotation from Alexander Pope. It says A little
learning or knowledge is a dangerous thing. Yes it is true. It will
intoxicate the brain misleading us into thinking we know more
than in fact we do.
We will go back to Joseph Smith. As a young man, Joseph Smith
was a seeker after truth. Confusion among existing churches
led him to inquire of God which of them was true.
This young man with humble heart and a keen mind seek for
truth through his humble prayer. Because of this he manifested
the truth and the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored through
him. Prophet Joseph Smith quoted " the best way to obtain the
truth and wisdom is not to ask it from books, but to go to God
in prayer, and obtain the divine teaching."

Joseph studied and then acted accordingly. He discovered that

if a man lacks wisdom, he can ask of God and the truth really
will be given unto him.
The Restoration of the Gospel was not just that it corrected
false ideas and corrupt doctrines as well as it has open the
windows of heaven which sustain us with spiritual knowledge
and truth continued until this day.

Jeffrey R. Holland in his talk he shared the " modern last days
testimony. Let me share it with you. When Joseph Smith and
his brother Hyrum started for Carthage to face what they knew
would be an imminent martyrdom, Hyrum read these words to
comfort the heart of his brother:
Thou hast been faithful; wherefore thou shalt be made
strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have
prepared in the mansions of my Father.
And now I, Moroni, bid farewell until we shall meet before
the judgment-seat of Christ.
Shortly after reading Ether, chapter 12, Hyrum Smith marked
what he read with a little crease on the corner of the page, as
part of the everlasting testimony for which these two men
were willing to die for.
Later, when actually incarcerated in the jail, Joseph turned to
the guards who held him captive and bore a powerful
testimony of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
Shortly thereafter pistol and ball would take the lives of these
two testators.
Even at their very last breath, the two of them stood faithful
and could never deny the divinity of the Book of Mormon.
They were willing to die rather deny the divine origin and the
eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

Elder Hollands own great-grandfather, who said simply

enough, No wicked man could write such a book as this; and
no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were
commanded of God to do so."

In subsequent years, following Joseph Smith's first vision. The

restoration of Christ's Church commenced line upon line,
precept upon precept (D and C 98:12).
Christ restored His priesthood and reorganised His Church. He
has continued to reveal truths to His prophets and to restore

the blessings that were taken from the earth for a time.

As we slowly and steadfastly ponder the words of the Book of

Mormon, we can cultivate a growing testimony that Joseph
Smith
was not reflecting the learning of his time or his own personal
study. He was the instrument God, chosen to reveal many
plain and precious truths that, if followed, will lead one to
exaltation and eternal life.
I testify to you that God lives. That prophet Joseph Smith was
called of God. The gospel of Jesus Christ was restored through
Him. God loves each one of us that's why he sent a prophet to
guide us in this latter days. I know the church is true, the only
true church upon the face of the earth. The church is perpect.
The members are not. That is why we are here in the church to
receive guidance and directions.The church has the fullness of
the gospel. We should embrace of what we have now.
In the name of Jesus Christ amen.