Restoration (Mormonism)
Encyclopedia
In the Latter Day Saint movement
, the Restoration was a period in its early history during which a number of events occurred that were understood to be necessary to re-establish the early Christian
church found in the New Testament
, and to prepare the earth for the Second Coming
of Jesus
Christ
. In particular, Latter Day Saints believe that angels appeared to Joseph Smith, Jr. and others and bestowed various Priesthood authority to them.
in Christianity began not long after the ascension of Jesus Christ. It was marked with the corruption of Christian doctrine by Greek
and other philosophies, with followers dividing into different ideological groups, and the martyr
dom of the Apostles
which lead to a loss of Priesthood authority to administer the church and its ordinances.
With all Priesthood authorities either martyr
ed, taken from the earth, or teaching impure doctrines, there was a break in Apostolic Succession
, and what remained was a mere fragment of the Church established by Jesus Christ. The Christian believers who survived the persecutions took it upon themselves to speak for God, interpret, amend or add to his doctrines and ordinances, and carry out his work without proper authority and divine direction from God. During this time, important doctrines and rites were lost or corrupted. Latter-day Saints specifically reject the early ecumenical council
s for what they see as misguided human attempts to decide matters of doctrine without divine assistance, substituting debate and politics for divine revelation
.
Latter-day Saints claim that various Old Testament and New Testament scriptures, including teachings of Christ himself, prophesy of this "falling away" or "apostasy." Thus, Latter-day Saints refer to the "restitution of all things" mentioned in and claim that a restoration of all the original and primary doctrines and rites of Christianity was necessary. They believe that important historical events such as the Protestant Reformation
and the establishment of the United States Constitution
, which explicitly allows for freedom of religion
in its First Amendment
, were necessary antecedents to the Restoration.
near Palmyra, New York, two personages (generally believed to be God the Father
and Jesus Christ
) instructed him not to join any churches, for "all their creeds were an abomination." Smith described another vision in 1823 as being visited in his bedroom by an "angel Moroni" who told him of a record of an ancient people written in an ancient language on golden plates. After repeated visits by this angel in successive years, Smith described receiving and translating this ancient record and publishing the translation as the Book of Mormon
. (Joseph Smith History 1) The Book of Mormon provided many teachings about the atonement of Christ that were not as clear in the Bible, as also teachings about the House of Israel and the baptismal covenant. When Joseph prayed in May 1829 about the need for baptism, he and Oliver Cowdery
were visited angelically by John the Baptist
so that they could receive proper authority to baptize.
Coinciding with the restoration of the Priesthood, Mormons believe that Smith received many revelations, visions and visitations of heavenly messengers to instruct him in order to enable him to fulfill his responsibilities in propounding doctrine and re-establishing ordinances and temple covenants, often in response to specific questions he asked in prayer. The majority of this history is recorded in one of the Mormon's scriptural canons
, the Doctrine and Covenants
. Additional details and background of the Church in Smith's era is presented in the Church's seven volume set History of the Church
.
In regard to the restoration of Priesthood authority, Smith dictated the following passage found in Doctrine and Covenants
128:20-21:
In reflecting upon the responsibilities of teaching the constant revelations he received, he stated:
group, all Priesthood keys necessary to administer Jesus Christ's church were given to Joseph Smith, Jr. who then organized that church to continue in perpetuity. Hence, members refer to their church as "The Church of Jesus Christ." The term "latter day saints" refers to the fact that members of Early Christianity
were originally called "saints", and the church reestablished by Smith is believed to be Christ's church in the last days prior to the second coming of Jesus.
Members of the LDS Church believe that their church is the "only true and living church upon the face of the earth" because of the divine authority restored through Smith. They claim that the LDS Church is the restoration of Jesus' original church, has the authentic Priesthood authority, and all doctrines and ordinances of the Gospel, fulfilling many of the prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah and Malachi in the Old Testament and also the prophesies of Peter and Jesus in the New Testament.
Latter-day Saints maintain that other religions have a portion of the truth, mingled with inaccuracies. They also maintain that many other religions advance many good causes and do much good among the people insofar as they are led by the light of Christ, "which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1:9)
Some critics believe that there was no break in Apostolic Succession, referring to , of which the King James Version reads: "And I [Jesus] say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Critics argue that in this scripture, Christ promises that his church is to be permanently established, and therefore, no great apostasy is possible. Church members respond that this scripture does not promise that the church will continue without fail, and that the rock upon which Christ will establish his church is revelation. For proceeding Jesus' promise, Jesus asks the Apostles, "whom say ye that I am?" (verse 15) Peter answers, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (verse 16) Jesus replies, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven." That is, Mormons say, Peter received a heavenly revelation of the truth, and it is by personal revelation that Jesus will bring each individual to know the truth. Mormons also respond saying, John the beloved 'did not taste death' carrying the priesthood authority directly from the time of Jesus to Joseph, similar to Elijah and Enoch. Although it was not necessary for John to have 'not tasted death' to restore the priesthood authority it can be argued that through John Jesus' promise in , as interpreted by critics is still fulfilled.
Critics argue that Galatians and 2 Thessalonians do not refer to a total apostasy of the church. The Bible does not promise a restored church. Critics argue further that Mormons do not properly interpret The Bible by using exegesis
. They cite the Mormons' interpretation of as an example of eisegesis
. Critics say it refers to an end-time apostasy in the future, not to an event some 1800 years before the founding of the Latter Day Saint movement, and that the text states the event is scheduled after the "man of lawless [the antichrist] is revealed."
Some have pointed out that no clear succession of leadership was officially outlined or doctrinally established with clarity by Smith, which resulted in a crisis of succession
immediately following his death. This may have been due to the restoration having been originally considered as an event intended to last Smith's lifetime, hence the "Latter-days" theme and Smith's prophecies of the coming end of times. But students of Smith's writings are familiar with declarations he made about how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would grow to become a large organization with members throughout the earth, though missionary work began modestly during his lifetime.
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
, the Restoration was a period in its early history during which a number of events occurred that were understood to be necessary to re-establish the early Christian
Early Christianity
Early Christianity is generally considered as Christianity before 325. The New Testament's Book of Acts and Epistle to the Galatians records that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John....
church found in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, and to prepare the earth for the Second Coming
Second Coming (LDS Church)
Like many other Christian adherents, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that there will be a Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth sometime in the future...
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. In particular, Latter Day Saints believe that angels appeared to Joseph Smith, Jr. and others and bestowed various Priesthood authority to them.
Apostasy
According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the Great ApostasyGreat Apostasy
The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to describe a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, especially the Papacy, because it allowed the traditional Roman mysteries and deities of solar monism such as Mithras and Sol Invictus and idol worship back into the church,...
in Christianity began not long after the ascension of Jesus Christ. It was marked with the corruption of Christian doctrine by Greek
Greek philosophy
Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BCE and continued through the Hellenistic period, at which point Ancient Greece was incorporated in the Roman Empire...
and other philosophies, with followers dividing into different ideological groups, and the martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
dom of the Apostles
Apostle (Christian)
The term apostle is derived from Classical Greek ἀπόστολος , meaning one who is sent away, from στέλλω + από . The literal meaning in English is therefore an "emissary", from the Latin mitto + ex...
which lead to a loss of Priesthood authority to administer the church and its ordinances.
With all Priesthood authorities either martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed, taken from the earth, or teaching impure doctrines, there was a break in Apostolic Succession
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
, and what remained was a mere fragment of the Church established by Jesus Christ. The Christian believers who survived the persecutions took it upon themselves to speak for God, interpret, amend or add to his doctrines and ordinances, and carry out his work without proper authority and divine direction from God. During this time, important doctrines and rites were lost or corrupted. Latter-day Saints specifically reject the early ecumenical council
Ecumenical council
An ecumenical council is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice....
s for what they see as misguided human attempts to decide matters of doctrine without divine assistance, substituting debate and politics for divine revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
.
Latter-day Saints claim that various Old Testament and New Testament scriptures, including teachings of Christ himself, prophesy of this "falling away" or "apostasy." Thus, Latter-day Saints refer to the "restitution of all things" mentioned in and claim that a restoration of all the original and primary doctrines and rites of Christianity was necessary. They believe that important historical events such as the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
and the establishment of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, which explicitly allows for freedom of religion
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
in its First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
, were necessary antecedents to the Restoration.
Restoration
No restoration would have been necessary if a legitimately established church had existed. Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, originally prayed about which church to join. In a vision in 1820First Vision
The First Vision refers to a vision that Joseph Smith, Jr. said he received as a youth in a wooded area in Manchester, New York, which his followers call the Sacred Grove. Smith described it as a personal theophany in which he received a forgiveness of sins...
near Palmyra, New York, two personages (generally believed to be God the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
and Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
) instructed him not to join any churches, for "all their creeds were an abomination." Smith described another vision in 1823 as being visited in his bedroom by an "angel Moroni" who told him of a record of an ancient people written in an ancient language on golden plates. After repeated visits by this angel in successive years, Smith described receiving and translating this ancient record and publishing the translation as the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
. (Joseph Smith History 1) The Book of Mormon provided many teachings about the atonement of Christ that were not as clear in the Bible, as also teachings about the House of Israel and the baptismal covenant. When Joseph prayed in May 1829 about the need for baptism, he and Oliver Cowdery
Oliver Cowdery
Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
were visited angelically by John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
so that they could receive proper authority to baptize.
Coinciding with the restoration of the Priesthood, Mormons believe that Smith received many revelations, visions and visitations of heavenly messengers to instruct him in order to enable him to fulfill his responsibilities in propounding doctrine and re-establishing ordinances and temple covenants, often in response to specific questions he asked in prayer. The majority of this history is recorded in one of the Mormon's scriptural canons
Standard Works
The Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon.* The Holy Bible * The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ...
, the Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
. Additional details and background of the Church in Smith's era is presented in the Church's seven volume set History of the Church
History of the Church
History of the Church is a semi-official history of the early Latter Day Saint movement during the lifetime of founder Joseph...
.
In regard to the restoration of Priesthood authority, Smith dictated the following passage found in Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
128:20-21:
In reflecting upon the responsibilities of teaching the constant revelations he received, he stated:
Significance and impact
According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the largest MormonMormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
group, all Priesthood keys necessary to administer Jesus Christ's church were given to Joseph Smith, Jr. who then organized that church to continue in perpetuity. Hence, members refer to their church as "The Church of Jesus Christ." The term "latter day saints" refers to the fact that members of Early Christianity
Early Christianity
Early Christianity is generally considered as Christianity before 325. The New Testament's Book of Acts and Epistle to the Galatians records that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John....
were originally called "saints", and the church reestablished by Smith is believed to be Christ's church in the last days prior to the second coming of Jesus.
Members of the LDS Church believe that their church is the "only true and living church upon the face of the earth" because of the divine authority restored through Smith. They claim that the LDS Church is the restoration of Jesus' original church, has the authentic Priesthood authority, and all doctrines and ordinances of the Gospel, fulfilling many of the prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah and Malachi in the Old Testament and also the prophesies of Peter and Jesus in the New Testament.
Latter-day Saints maintain that other religions have a portion of the truth, mingled with inaccuracies. They also maintain that many other religions advance many good causes and do much good among the people insofar as they are led by the light of Christ, "which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1:9)
Partial list of restoration events
| Administering Angel | Recipient(s) Ordained | Authority Given | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| John the Baptist | Joseph Smith & Oliver Cowdery | Aaronic Priesthood: Preach the Gospel, baptize, administer Levitical duties and ordain others to this Priesthood | 1829 |
| The Apostles Peter, James and John | Joseph Smith & Oliver Cowdery | Apostle and Melchizedek Priesthood: Propound doctrine and ordinances and organize & lead the church; Confer the Gift of the Holy Ghost, bless, ordain others to this Priesthood | 1829 |
| Elijah | Joseph Smith | Seal (marry) husband & wife and parents to children for eternity | 1836 |
| Moses | Joseph Smith | Gather the Twelve Tribes of Israel | 1836 |
| Elias | Joseph Smith | Dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham | 1836 |
Critical viewpoints
Critics argue that refers either to the restoration of Israel or the restoration with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, not the restoration of the body of the church. Church members respond by asking, how could there be a "restitution of all things" if presumably Jesus Christ had so recently bestowed all things and there had been no apostasy?. Furthermore, Mormons do not rely exclusively on scriptural evidence, but see these as supporting the revelations given to Smith.Some critics believe that there was no break in Apostolic Succession, referring to , of which the King James Version reads: "And I [Jesus] say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Critics argue that in this scripture, Christ promises that his church is to be permanently established, and therefore, no great apostasy is possible. Church members respond that this scripture does not promise that the church will continue without fail, and that the rock upon which Christ will establish his church is revelation. For proceeding Jesus' promise, Jesus asks the Apostles, "whom say ye that I am?" (verse 15) Peter answers, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (verse 16) Jesus replies, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven." That is, Mormons say, Peter received a heavenly revelation of the truth, and it is by personal revelation that Jesus will bring each individual to know the truth. Mormons also respond saying, John the beloved 'did not taste death' carrying the priesthood authority directly from the time of Jesus to Joseph, similar to Elijah and Enoch. Although it was not necessary for John to have 'not tasted death' to restore the priesthood authority it can be argued that through John Jesus' promise in , as interpreted by critics is still fulfilled.
Critics argue that Galatians and 2 Thessalonians do not refer to a total apostasy of the church. The Bible does not promise a restored church. Critics argue further that Mormons do not properly interpret The Bible by using exegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
. They cite the Mormons' interpretation of as an example of eisegesis
Eisegesis
Eisegesis is the process of misinterpreting a text in such a way that it introduces one's own ideas, reading into the text. This is best understood when contrasted with exegesis. While exegesis draws out the meaning from the text, eisegesis occurs when a reader reads his/her interpretation into...
. Critics say it refers to an end-time apostasy in the future, not to an event some 1800 years before the founding of the Latter Day Saint movement, and that the text states the event is scheduled after the "man of lawless [the antichrist] is revealed."
Some have pointed out that no clear succession of leadership was officially outlined or doctrinally established with clarity by Smith, which resulted in a crisis of succession
Succession crisis (Mormonism)
The succession crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement occurred after the violent death of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., on June 27, 1844....
immediately following his death. This may have been due to the restoration having been originally considered as an event intended to last Smith's lifetime, hence the "Latter-days" theme and Smith's prophecies of the coming end of times. But students of Smith's writings are familiar with declarations he made about how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would grow to become a large organization with members throughout the earth, though missionary work began modestly during his lifetime.
See also
- Mormonism and ChristianityMormonism and ChristianityMormonism and Christianity have a complex theological, historical, and sociological relationship. Mormons express the doctrines of Mormonism using standard biblical terminology, and have similar views about the nature of Jesus' atonement, bodily resurrection, and Second Coming as traditional...
- Restorationism (Christian primitivism)
External links
- "The Restoration of the Truth" at Mormon.org - Official LDS Church website explaining Mormon belief