The restoration story

What you'll learn

Tell the Latter-day Saint restoration story accurately, using the terms members prefer.
Compare the 1832, 1835 and 1838 accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision fairly, including the church's own explanation.
Explain the Great Apostasy claim, priesthood, temples and the Standard Works, and why the apostasy claim is the foundation of everything else.

Names and respect

The official name of the church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2018 its then president, Russell M. Nelson, asked members and others to use the full name, or “the Church of Jesus Christ”, and to avoid “Mormon” and “LDS” as names for the church. Members are “Latter-day Saints” or “members of the Church of Jesus Christ”. This course uses “Latter-day Saint” and sometimes “LDS” as a short label in headings, as the course title does, but in conversation use the terms they prefer. Courtesy costs you nothing and opens doors.

Latter-day Saints are typically family-focused, generous, hard-working and devout. Many genuinely love Jesus as they understand him. Our disagreement is not about whether they are sincere, but about who God is, who Jesus is, and how a sinner is made right with God.

Why does the lesson encourage using the names Latter-day Saints prefer, and where does the real disagreement lie?Show answer

In 2018 Russell M. Nelson asked that the church be called by its full name, or "the Church of Jesus Christ", rather than "Mormon" or "LDS". Using the terms they prefer costs nothing and opens doors. The disagreement is not about sincerity, since many are devout and love Jesus as they understand him, but about who God is, who Jesus is, and how a sinner is made right with God.

2018 request for full name
courtesy opens doors
not about sincerity
God, Jesus, and justification

Joseph Smith and the First Vision

Joseph Smith Jr. (1805-1844) grew up in upstate New York during the revival fervour of the Second Great Awakening (you met this setting in The Story of the Church, Lesson 7). According to the canonised account, in the spring of 1820, aged 14, confused by competing churches, he read James 1:5 and went into a grove to pray. God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared as two personages. He asked which church to join and was told to join none, for they were all wrong and their creeds “an abomination” in God's sight (Joseph Smith-History 1:19 in the Pearl of Great Price).

There are several accounts of this vision, and comparing them is a fair and important part of the conversation. The church itself discusses them in its Gospel Topics essay “First Vision Accounts”.

1832 account (the only one in Joseph's own handwriting): he is “in the sixteenth year” of his age; “the Lord” appears (one personage is described) and tells him his sins are forgiven and that “the world lieth in sin”. Joseph says he had already concluded from Scripture that the churches had “apostatized from the true and living faith”. The focus is personal forgiveness; there is no mention of the Father appearing as a separate personage, and no command to join none of the churches.
1835 account (recorded in his journal when telling a visitor): a personage appears, then another; he also mentions seeing many angels. He is about fourteen.
1838 account (canonised as Joseph Smith-History): God the Father and the Son appear, and he is told all the churches are wrong. This became the official version.
There is also an 1842 account in the Wentworth letter, which mentions two personages.

Retell the canonised (1838) First Vision account in a few sentences.Show answer

In spring 1820, aged 14 and confused by competing churches during the revivals in upstate New York, Joseph Smith read James 1:5 and went into a grove to pray. God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared as two personages. When he asked which church to join, he was told to join none, for they were all wrong and their creeds an abomination.

1820, aged 14, James 1:5
prayed in a grove
Father and Son as two personages
told to join no church

What are the key differences between the 1832 account and the 1838 account?Show answer

The 1832 account, the only one in Joseph's own handwriting, has him in his sixteenth year, with "the Lord" appearing and telling him his sins are forgiven; its focus is personal forgiveness. It mentions no Father appearing as a separate personage and no command to join none of the churches. The 1838 account has the Father and the Son both appearing and the declaration that all churches are wrong, and it became the official version.

1832 in Joseph's own hand
one personage, focus on forgiveness
no separate Father, no "join none"
1838: two personages, all churches wrong

How to handle the accounts

Latter-day Saint scholars argue that the accounts emphasise different details for different audiences, as the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life do, and that memory naturally varies. That point deserves a fair hearing. Not every difference is a contradiction.

The real question is narrower: the 1838 account is the foundation for the claim that God the Father has a visible body and that all existing churches were apostate. The earliest account, in Joseph's own hand, does speak of a general apostasy (as Joseph's own conclusion from reading the Bible), but it describes only “the Lord” appearing, not the Father and the Son as two separate personages, and contains no divine command to join none of the churches. A Christian can ask, without mockery: why would the most important elements of the founding vision be missing from the first account? Let the person think about it.

How would you answer someone who says the First Vision accounts differ only the way the Gospels differ?Show answer

That point deserves a fair hearing, because different emphases for different audiences and natural variations in memory are not automatically contradictions. But the real question is narrower: the 1838 account grounds the claims that the Father has a visible body and that all churches were apostate. The earliest account describes only "the Lord" and has no divine command to join none of the churches, so we can ask, without mockery, why the most important elements are missing from the first account.

fair hearing: not every difference contradicts
1838 grounds key doctrines
1832 lacks Father and command
ask without mockery

The Book of Mormon and the restoration

Joseph said that in 1823 an angel named Moroni told him of gold plates buried in a hill near his home. In 1827 he obtained them and translated them “by the gift and power of God”, often, as the church's Gospel Topics essay “Book of Mormon Translation” acknowledges, by placing a seer stone in a hat. The Book of Mormon was published in March 1830, and the church was organised on 6 April 1830.

The book tells of Israelites led by Lehi from Jerusalem around 600 BC to the Americas, their descendants the Nephites and Lamanites, and a visit of the risen Christ to the Americas (3 Nephi 11). Three witnesses and eight witnesses signed testimonies that they had seen the plates; their statements are printed in the front of the book.

The restoration rests on the Great Apostasy: the claim that after the death of the apostles, the true church, its priesthood authority and plain truths were lost, so God needed to restore them through a modern prophet. Joseph taught that John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood in 1829, and Peter, James and John the Melchizedek Priesthood. Worthy young men may be ordained to priesthood offices from January of the year they turn 12 (since a 2018 change), and adult men to the Melchizedek Priesthood.

Temples are distinct from Sunday chapels. In temples worthy members receive the endowment (a ceremony the church calls “a sacred gift”, in which members receive instruction and make covenants with God), are sealed in marriage for eternity, and perform proxy baptisms for the dead (citing 1 Cor 15:29). Entry requires a temple recommend from local leaders.

Summarise how the Book of Mormon came to be and what it narrates.Show answer

Joseph said the angel Moroni told him in 1823 of gold plates buried in a hill, which he obtained in 1827 and translated, often by placing a seer stone in a hat, as the church's own essay acknowledges. It was published in March 1830 and the church was organised on 6 April 1830. The book tells of Israelites led by Lehi to the Americas around 600 BC, the Nephites and Lamanites, and a visit of the risen Christ.

Moroni and gold plates
seer stone in a hat
published and church organised 1830
Lehi, Nephites, Lamanites, Christ's visit

Explain the idea of the Great Apostasy and how it connects to priesthood and temples.Show answer

The Great Apostasy is the claim that after the apostles died, the true church, its priesthood authority and plain truths were lost, so God restored them through a modern prophet. Joseph taught that John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood and Peter, James and John the Melchizedek Priesthood. Temples, distinct from chapels, are where worthy members receive the endowment, are sealed in marriage for eternity and perform proxy baptisms for the dead.

church, authority and truths lost
restored through a modern prophet
Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods
temple ordinances for the worthy

The Standard Works and why the apostasy matters

Latter-day Saints accept four books of scripture, the Standard Works: the Bible (in English, the King James Version), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants (revelations mostly to Joseph Smith), and the Pearl of Great Price (including the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham and Joseph Smith-History). The eighth Article of Faith says: “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” Living prophets and apostles add continuing revelation.

Everything depends on the apostasy claim. If the church Jesus founded never totally fell away, there was nothing to restore. Jesus promised the gates of hell would not prevail against his church (Matt 16:18), that he would be with his disciples to the end of the age (Matt 28:20), and Jude speaks of “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). The Reliable Word, Lesson 1, gave you the manuscript evidence that the Bible was not lost, and The Story of the Church, Lesson 8, showed that the church never vanished. A helpful early question is: “What exactly was lost, and how do we know it was lost completely?”

What are the Standard Works, and what does the eighth Article of Faith say about the Bible?Show answer

The Standard Works are the Bible (the King James Version in English), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. The eighth Article of Faith says the Bible is the word of God "as far as it is translated correctly" while the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Living prophets and apostles add continuing revelation.

four books of scripture
Bible "as far as translated correctly"
Book of Mormon accepted without qualification
continuing revelation

Why does "everything depend on the apostasy claim", and which texts challenge it?Show answer

If the church Jesus founded never totally fell away, there was nothing to restore, so the whole restoration falls with the apostasy claim. Jesus promised the gates of hell would not prevail against his church (Matt 16:18) and that he would be with his disciples to the end of the age (Matt 28:20). Jude 3 speaks of the faith "once for all delivered to the saints", so we can ask what exactly was lost and how we know it was lost completely.

no total apostasy, nothing to restore
Matt 16:18 gates of hell
Matt 28:20 with you always
Jude 3 once for all

In their own words

“After the deaths of the apostles, the priesthood authority and many plain and precious truths were lost; God restored his church through the Prophet Joseph Smith.” (1 Nephi 13:26-29; Preach My Gospel, lesson “The Message of the Restoration”)

“Joseph Smith saw God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove, and was told to join none of the churches.” (Joseph Smith-History 1:17-19 (Pearl of Great Price))

“We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” (Articles of Faith 1:8)

“The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, translated by the gift and power of God.” (Book of Mormon title page and introduction)

“Ordinances such as baptism and temple sealing must be performed by those holding restored priesthood authority, including proxy ordinances for the dead.” (D&C 128; 1 Cor 15:29; D&C 132:7)

Key texts

Matthew 16:18: Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church: a challenge to the idea of a total apostasy.
Jude 3: The faith was “once for all delivered to the saints”; it does not need re-delivery.
Galatians 1:8-9: Even an angel from heaven preaching a different gospel is accursed; directly relevant to an angel-delivered restoration.
Hebrews 7:23-25: Christ holds his priesthood “permanently” (unchangeable, KJV); the Melchizedek priesthood belongs to him, not to a class of men.
Matthew 28:20: Christ will be with his people “always, to the end of the age”, which does not fit centuries of total apostasy.
James 1:5: The verse that prompted Joseph's prayer; read in context, it is about wisdom in trials, not new revelation about which church is true.

Objections and answers

Try answering each one yourself before you open the response.

“The different First Vision accounts are like the four Gospels: different emphases, not contradictions.”Show a response

That is a fair comparison to raise, and Christians should not treat every variation as a lie. The Gospels do differ in detail. But the Gospels are four different witnesses, and none omits the central fact that Jesus died and rose. With the First Vision, it is the same witness, and the earliest account in his own hand describes one personage and forgiveness of sins, not God the Father appearing as a distinct, embodied personage beside the Son, and not a divine command to join none of the churches. Those are not minor details; they are the theological foundation of the restoration. I'm not asking you to doubt everything. I'm asking: if the core of the story grew over six years, should that affect how much weight we place on it compared with Scripture?

“Look at the Catholic church, the corruption, the divisions. Obviously there was a great apostasy.”Show a response

There has been real corruption and division in church history, and I won't defend it. But corruption is not the same as total apostasy. Israel was often corrupt, yet God always kept a remnant (1 Kings 19:18; Rom 11:5). Jesus promised the gates of hell would not prevail against his church (Matt 16:18), and that he would be with it to the end of the age (Matt 28:20). The Reformation itself is an example: God renewed his church by recalling it to Scripture, not by creating a new priesthood. So the question is not whether churches erred, but whether God's promise failed. What, specifically, was lost so completely that only a new prophet could recover it?

“You believe the Bible is complete, but it was corrupted in transmission. That is why we need the Book of Mormon and modern prophets.”Show a response

I'm glad you value the Bible, and the Articles of Faith say it is God's word. But the manuscript evidence is a strength, not a weakness. We have thousands of Greek New Testament manuscripts, some from the second century, and scholars can compare them to identify the original wording with great confidence. The Dead Sea Scrolls showed the remarkable stability of Isaiah over a thousand years. Where variants exist, we can see them; none overturns a core doctrine. By contrast, the Book of Mormon claims ancient origins but has no ancient manuscript at all. If God preserved his word as he promised (Isa 40:8; Matt 24:35), we don't need a restoration. Which verses do you think were lost?

“Your churches have no authority. The priesthood was taken from the earth and restored to Joseph Smith by John the Baptist and by Peter, James and John. Without that authority, your baptism doesn't count.”Show a response

I can see why authority matters to you; it matters to me too. But let's ask what the New Testament says about priesthood. The Aaronic priesthood belonged to the descendants of Aaron under the old covenant, and Hebrews says it was fulfilled and set aside in Christ (Heb 7:11-12; 8:13). The Melchizedek priesthood, Hebrews says, belongs to Jesus, who "holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever" (Heb 7:24). It is not passed on to others because he never stops being our priest. At the same time, all believers together are "a royal priesthood" (1 Pet 2:9). Jesus gave authority to make disciples and baptise with the promise, "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt 28:18-20). If he is always with his church, when did that authority ever leave the earth?

“Baptism for the dead is in the Bible. Paul mentions it in 1 Corinthians 15:29. The early church did it, and we have restored it so everyone gets a chance.”Show a response

That verse is genuinely puzzling, and scholars have offered many explanations, so I'll be careful. But notice what Paul is doing. 1 Corinthians 15 is an argument for the resurrection. He refers to what "people" or "they" do, without saying he or the churches do it, and then switches to "we" in the next verse: "Why are we in danger every hour?" He uses a practice to make a point about resurrection, without endorsing it. Nowhere else does Scripture command or describe proxy baptism. Instead it says, "it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Heb 9:27). The love behind the practice is real, wanting families saved. But the Bible calls us to receive Christ now: "now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor 6:2). Can we build a central ordinance on one unclear verse?

Written task

Write a 250-350 word explanation of the restoration story as a faithful Latter-day Saint would tell it, followed by a 150-word respectful response focused on the Great Apostasy claim. Use correct LDS terms and cite at least two LDS sources.

Hand this in to Mr Scott. He will look for:

Tells the restoration story accurately and sympathetically in LDS terms.
Uses the church's preferred name and terminology.
Cites at least two LDS sources correctly (e.g. Joseph Smith-History, Articles of Faith, Gospel Topics essays).
Responds to the apostasy claim with relevant Scripture (e.g. Matt 16:18, Jude 3).
Maintains a gracious, non-mocking tone.