The True Restoration
What is "The Restoration" and "The Restored Gospel" in Mormon/LDS theology?
In the Book of Mormon, the restoration is the resurrection:
21. …the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
22. Yea, this bringeth about the restoration of those things of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets.
23. The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.
24. And now, my son, this is the restoration of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets--
Plain and Precious Parts Restored
In another sense, the restoration of the Gospel to the earth was accomplished at the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. I will just share how the Book of Mormon restores the gospel to the earth from the Book itself along with a revelation in the doctrine and covenants, Section 10. I will enclose helps in brackets. My aids are not a part of the cited text.
Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 13
25. Wherefore, these things [the Bible] go forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God.
26. And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb [notice that they took away from the Gospel, or the ‘Book of the Lamb’ and not from the Bible] many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.
29. And after these plain and precious things were taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles….thou seest--because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God--because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.
32. Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall forever remain in that awful state of blindness, which thou beholdest they are in, because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, whose formation thou hast seen.
35. For, behold, saith the Lamb: I will manifest myself unto thy seed [Nephite prophets], that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious;….these things [Book of Mormon] shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb.
36. And in them [The Book of Mormon] shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation.
40. And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records [Book of Mormon], which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first [Bible], which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.
So, contrary to the view of the restoration held by the modern Church of J___ C___ of Latter-day Saints, the ‘restoration’ is the restoring of the ‘plain and precious parts’ restored by the Book of Mormon.
In the Beginning
In the beginning of the LDSaint movement, they believed the above. That is why their Book of Commandments stated in February, 1831:
Doctrine and Covenants 42:12 And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel.
The Book of Mormon, according to the early revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants (1828), was not to destroy other churches by restoring a new” true one. The true church was on the earth and the Book of Mormon was to build it up.
Note that doctrine and covenants was given two years before the Church was incorporated.
The Mystery revealed
The Doctrine and Covenants reveals “this mystery”, that is, defining who is his church:
Returning to Doctrine and Covenants 10
59. I am he who said--Other sheep have I which are not of this fold--unto my disciples, and many there were that understood me not.
60. And I will show unto this people that I had other sheep, and that they were a branch of the house of Jacob [Book of Mormon people and prophets];
62. Yea, and I will also bring to light my gospel which was ministered unto them [Book of Mormon], and, behold, they shall not deny that which you have received, but they shall build it up, and shall bring to light [restore] the true points of my doctrine, yea, and the only doctrine which is in me.
63. And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them [think the removal of the plain and precious parts that cause the Gentiles to stumble].
64. Therefore, I will unfold unto them this agreat mystery;
65. For, behold, I will gather them [members of His existing church] as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts;
67. Behold, this is my doctrine--whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.
68. Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.
69. And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
So we see that the Book of Mormon was meant for the God’s ‘church’ that was already here! With the straightening of his church, the gates of hell would not prevail against them because they will be built on the Gospel restored by the Book of Mormon.
Lets go back into the revelation (Doctrine and Covenants 10) we are exploring. We see this idea that the Book of Mormon was meant to establish or to build up His existent church by bringing to light the plain and precious parts of the Gospel of the Lamb.
45. Behold, there are many things engraven upon the plates of Nephi [first part of the Book of Mormon] which do throw greater views upon my gospel;…
46. And, behold, all the remainder of this work [the rest of the Book of Mormon] does contain all those parts of my gospel which my holy prophets, yea, and also my disciples, desired in their prayers should come forth unto this people.
47. And I said unto them, that it should be granted unto them according to their faith in their prayers;
48. Yea, and this was their faith--that my gospel, which I gave unto them that they might preach in their days, might come unto their brethren the Lamanites [their descendants]….
49. Now, this is not all--their faith in their prayers was that this gospel should be made known also, if it were possible that other nations should possess this land [American continents];
50. And thus they did leave a blessing upon this land in their prayers, that whosoever should believe in this gospel in this land might have eternal life;
52. And now, behold, according to their faith in their prayers will I bring [restore] this part of my gospel to the knowledge of my people. Behold, I do not bring it to destroy that which they have received, but to build it up.
53. And for this cause have I said: If this generation harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them.
54. Now I do not say this to destroy my church, but I say this to build up my church;
55. Therefore, whosoever belongeth to my church need not fear, for such shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Side Note: One word may throw LDSaints. It is the word "establish" used in verse 53. Looking at the definition in the original Webster's dictionary published two years before the Book of Mormon, "establish" doesn't mean restore, but:
1. To set and fix firmly or unalterably; to settle permanently.
5. To make firm; to confirm; to ratify what has been previously set or made.
6. To settle or fix what is wavering, doubtful or weak; to confirm.
There are other definitions, but we can see that the above goes along with the concept taught by the cited verses. That is, The Lord would fix the church of Jesus that was wavering and settle it permanently.
So when He said “I will establish my church among them....to build up my church” He is saying the church is among them and he will build it up. Remember that this revelation was given in 1829 before the LDSaint church was “among them”.
Websters Dictionary 1828 - Webster's Dictionary 1828 - Establish
Websters Dictionary 1828 - Webster's Dictionary 1828 - Establish
https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/Establish
Conclusion
In summery, the Book of Mormon was the restoration of the Gospel given to the church that existed in order to strengthen it.
Clearly, the concept of the restoration of the Gospel as taught in the Book of Mormon and early revelations of Joseph Smith is quite different from the view of the Latter-day Saints today. Yet all of the quotes above is found in the books they accept as scripture.
At what point did Joseph Smith and the LDSaints fly off the rails is another discussion. The real question is if the LDSaints hardened their hearts and rejected the gospel as restored by the Book of Mormon and, therefore, are those who are warned Doctrine and Covenants 10:68. Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church”.
Do they declare more than is in the Bible and Book of Mormon? Do they declare less than what is there? Yes they do. And what they preach beyond that which is written in the Bible and Book of Mormon is what the LDSaints call the Restoration.
Church of the Lamb
The idea that "the church" always existed on earth is not far fetched. One must, however, understand what "the church" is as described by the word of God. It isn't an organized structure. It's a group of true humble believers in Jesus. These believers exist in every organized church. Their church may teach all kinds of theological and doctrinal errors, but that does not matter. What matters is if they are "humble followers of Christ".
2 Nephi 28:14 ....they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.
The judgement will not be a theological exam nor a doctrinal quiz. It will be something like "What think ye of Christ?" (Matthew 22:42). Whatever church organization they adhere to, they belonged to and were “of the Church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God (1 Nephi 14:12) and "the power of the Lamb of God....descended upon the Saints of the Church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth" (1 Nephi 14:14).
As a side note, we see that the saints of this church of the lamb have always existed and that the "Great Apostasy" touched them not. Nephi saw the days when the great and abominable had the political power in the dark ages to kill the martyrs, or the saints of the church of the lamb. Obviously, there were saints (members of Christ's body) during this time when, supposedly, the church organization was in apostasy.
1 Nephi 13:5 And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity.
This is the church that Book of Commandments (1833), Chapter 9, Page 27 tells us about in the above treatise:
17 Behold this is my doctrine: whosoever repenteth, and cometh unto me, the same is my church: whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me: therefore, he is not of my church.
The Book of Mormon wasn't restoring the truth to destroy this church, but to strengthen and feed it.
Remember that the Book of revelation indicates that the woman (church) was not taken from the earth but it fled and existed in the wilderness and was fed the whole time.
Revelation 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Throughout time, “…where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. We see here the Church of the Lamb of God.
Recognizing the Church of the Lamb
So, how is one to recognize the saints of the Church of the Lamb of God?
J.C. Ryle
Men become sons of God in the day that the Spirit leads them to believe on Jesus Christ for salvation, and not before. What says the Epistle to the Galatians? "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians iii. 26.) What says the first Epistle to the Corinthians? "Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus." (First Corinthians i. 30.) What says the Gospel of John? "As many as received Christ, to them gave He power (or privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." (John i. 12.) Faith unites the sinner to the Son of God, and makes him one of His members. Faith makes him one of those in whom the Father sees no spot, and is well-pleased. Faith marries him to the beloved Son of God, and entitles him to be reckoned among the sons. Faith gives him "fellowship with the Father and the Son." (First John i. 3.) Faith grafts him into the Father's family, and opens up to him a room in the Father's house. Faith gives him life instead of death, and makes him, instead of being a servant, a son. Show me a man that has this faith, and, whatever be his church or denomination, I say that he is a son of God.
Practical Religion, Chapter 18 Heirs Of God
John Wesley
Dost thou believe his being and his perfections? his eternity, immensity, wisdom, power? his justice, mercy, and truth? Dost thou believe that he now "upholdeth all things by the word of his power?" and that he governs even the most minute, even the most noxious, to his own glory, and the good of them that love him? hast thou a divine evidence, a supernatural conviction, of the things of God? Dost thou "walk by faith not by sight?" looking not at temporal things, but things eternal?
Dost thou believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, "God over all, blessed for ever?" Is he revealed in thy soul? Dost thou know Jesus Christ and him crucified? Does he dwell in thee, and thou in him? Is he formed in thy heart by faith? having absolutely disclaimed all thy own works, thy own righteousness, hast thou "submitted thyself unto the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Christ Jesus? Art thou "found in him, not having thy own righteousness, but the righteousness which is by faith?" And art thou, through him, "fighting the good fight of faith, and laying hold of eternal life?"
Is thy faith -filled with the energy of love? Dost thou love God (I do not say "above all things," for it is both an unscriptural and an ambiguous expression, but) "with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength?" Dost thou seek all thy happiness in him alone? And dost thou find what thou seekest? Does thy soul continually "magnify the Lord, and thy spirit rejoice in God thy Savior?" having learned "in everything to give thanks, dost thou find "it is a joyful and a pleasant thing to be thankful?" Is God the center of thy soul, the sum of all thy desires? Art thou accordingly laying up thy treasure in heaven, and counting all things else dung and dross? hath the love of God cast the love of the world out of thy soul? Then thou art "crucified to the world;" thou art dead to all below; and thy "life is hid with Christ in God."
Art thou employed in doing, "not thy own will, but the will of him that sent thee" --of him that sent thee down to sojourn here awhile, to spend a few days in a strange land, till, having finished the work he hath given thee to do, thou return to thy Father's house? Is it thy meat and drink "to do the will of thy Father which is in heaven?" Is thine eye single in all things? always fixed on him? always looking unto Jesus? Dost thou point at him in whatever thou doest? in all thy labor, thy business, thy conversation? aiming only at the glory of God in all, "whatever thou doest, either in word or deed, doing it all in the name of the Lord Jesus; giving thanks unto God, even the Father, through him?"
Does the love of God constrain thee to serve him with fear, to "rejoice unto him with reverence?" Art thou more afraid of displeasing God, than either of death or hell? Is nothing so terrible to thee as the thought of offending the eyes of his glory? Upon this ground, dost thou "hate all evil ways," every transgression of his holy and perfect law; and herein "exercise thyself, to have a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward man?"
Is thy heart right toward thy neighbor? Dost thou love as thyself, all mankind, without exception? "If you love those only that love you, what thank have ye?" Do you "love your enemies?" Is your soul full of good-will, of tender affection, toward them? Do you love even the enemies of God, the unthankful and unholy? Do your bowels yearn over them? Could you "wish yourself" temporally "accursed" for their sake? And do you show this by "blessing them that curse you, and praying for those that despitefully use you, and persecute you?"
Do you show your love by your works? While you have time as you have opportunity, do you in fact "do good to all men," neighbors or strangers, friends or enemies, good or bad? Do you do them all the good you can; endeavoring to supply all their wants; assisting them both in body and soul, to the uttermost of your power? --If thou art thus minded, may every Christian say, yea, if thou art but sincerely desirous of it, and following on till thou attain, then "thy heart is right, as my heart is with thy heart.