Restoration (Mormonism)

For other uses, see Restoration and Restorationism.

In Mormonism, the restoration refers to a return of the authentic priesthood power, spiritual gifts, ordinances, living prophets and revelation of the primitive Church of Christ after a long period of apostasy.[1][2][3] While in some contexts the term may also refer to the early history of Mormonism, in other contexts the term is used in a way to include the time that has elapsed from the church's earliest beginnings until the present day. Especially in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) "the restoration" is often used also as a term to encompass the corpus of religious messages from its general leaders down to the present.[4]

The restoration is associated with a number of events that occurred which are understood to have been necessary to re-establish the early Christian church found in the New Testament, and to prepare the earth for the Second Coming of Jesus.[5] In particular, Latter Day Saints believe that angels appeared to Joseph Smith and others and bestowed various priesthood authorities on them.

  1. ^ Brown, Matthew B. (2000). All Things Restored: Evidences and Witnesses of the Restoration. American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications. ISBN 978-1577347125.
  2. ^ Bickmore, Barry R. (2013) [1999]. Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity. Redding, California: FairMormon. ISBN 978-1893036161.
  3. ^ Shipps, Jan (1988). Hughes, Richard T. (ed.). "The Reality of the Restoration and the Restoration Ideal in the Mormon Tradition". The American Quest for the Primitive Church. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. pp. 181–195. ISBN 978-0252060298.
  4. ^ Mormon messages by L. Tom Perry, where he uses the term in this way.
  5. ^ Russell, Thomas A. (2010). Comparative Christianity: A Student's Guide to a Religion and Its Diverse Traditions. Irvine, CA: Universal Publishers: 'Mormon Restorationism is the largest indigenous religious movement found in North America. Among its member churches are the approximately 100 or so groups that trace their roots,' Chapter XVI: 'Joseph Smith, Jr. and Mormon Restorationism,' p. 151.