The Restoration of His People

Dr. Jared Halverson made an interesting comment in a recent podcast about the term restoration that we often use as Latter-day Saints. He said, “We talk about the restoration of the church, the restoration of the gospel or the restoration of the priesthood.” But he highlighted that the phrase “restoration of the priesthood” is used only once (in Doctrine and Covenants 128:17) and that “restoration of the church is not a scriptural phrase. Restoration of the gospel is not a scriptural phrase.” He continued, “I ask my students what is God trying to restore? Yes, he's restoring church. Yes, he's restoring priesthood. Yes, he's restoring gospel, but what he's trying to restore, here's the scriptural phrase, section 84 verse two…. The church is established in the last days for the restoration of his people.” That verse reads this way: “Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:2). I love that emphasis—God is more interested in restoring people than He is in restoring institutions. This is consistent with the Articles of Faith. They use the word restoration only once in the 10^th: “We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent.” We are gathering and restoring Israel as the people of God. The most important restoration taking place concerns people.

            The Book of Mormon similarly speaks of the restoration of people. Nephi prophesied about a restoration in the last days in these words: “And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth” (2 Nephi 30:8). The Lord’s great work in the last days is to bring about the restoration of His people on the earth. Nephi discussed this with his brothers in these words, “Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which should be fulfilled in the latter days; which covenant the Lord made to our father Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake much unto them concerning these things; yea, I spake unto them concerning the restoration of the Jews in the latter days. And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again” (1 Nephi 15:18-20). Because of His covenant, the Lord will restore the house of Israel in the last days. And what are they restored to? Part of the restoration is to gather back Israel to physical lands, as Mormon described about the Lord’s work in the last days: “And now behold, I say unto you that when the Lord shall see fit, in his wisdom, that these sayings shall come unto the Gentiles according to his word, then ye may know that the covenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel, concerning their restoration to the lands of their inheritance, is already beginning to be fulfilled” (3 Nephi 29:1). But the restoration of people is also about bringing them to a knowledge of the Savior as Moroni wrote: “And behold, these things which we have desired concerning our brethren, yea, even their restoration to the knowledge of Christ, are according to the prayers of all the saints who have dwelt in the land. And may the Lord Jesus Christ grant that their prayers may be answered according to their faith; and may God the Father remember the covenant which he hath made with the house of Israel; and may he bless them forever, through faith on the name of Jesus Christ” (Mormon 9:36-37). The Lord is restoring His people physically and spiritually in the last days by gathering them and bringing them to a knowledge of the Savior Jesus Christ and His covenants. He is seeking to restore His people back to the knowledge and promises their fathers received: “And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers” (2 Nephi 30:5). Certainly we believe that the Lord has restored His church and priesthood and gospel in the last days, but these verses help us see that the grand purpose is to ultimately restore His people by gathering them unto Him.