Prayers for our friend Doug are appreciated. Right now, he has an estimated 1.5 weeks left to live.
Good morning brothers and sisters! It is good to be with you this morning.
For those who I have not yet met, my name is Elder Hyrum Wride. I have been serving in the Del Cerro ward just for a couple weeks, and I have been enjoying my time here so far. I have been on my mission for just 22 months, and have served in 7 other areas all over our Mission: Poway, the Fairmount ward, Otay Ranch, Lakeside, Encinitas, National City and most recently from Brawley, which is just north of El Centro. I go home near the end of August
I am from Sandy, Utah and I come from a big family of 13 kids! Yes you heard that right. Almost every time people hear that they say "Oh, Bless your parents". They are rock stars. I love each of my family members and look forward to seeing them again soon. Before my mission you could find us going mountain biking, skiing, lounging around, and going on trips. Traveling in a large group is as chaotic as you can imagine. It's similar to a scene in the movie "Home Alone" —if you've ever seen it— where this big family is running through the airport. We travel in a long train, and are constantly counting heads. Fortunately no child has ever been left behind, or at least not for very long. After my mission I will be attending BYU-Idaho this fall.
Today I was asked to speak on the Great Apostasy and the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a Missionary, this is among the first things that we teach to those who are willing to hear more about our faith. The doctrine of the Restoration is unique to our faith.
To Restore something means to bring it back into its original existence. It is used in this sense when we refer to "The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ''.
Throughout the history of the Bible, God has followed a pattern of using Prophets to teach His gospel. Examples would include Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses. A Prophet is a man of God, and a witness of Christ. They are given the authority and power to do His work on earth, which is known as the Priesthood. By this power they teach and direct God's children.
The Apostle Paul taught (Ephesians 4:11-14):
"11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"
From this, we learn that part of the role of Prophets is to keep the people in line with the teachings of Christ. When people reject the Prophets, they fall away, or enter into a state of what can also be known as Apostasy. This is spiritual darkness and confusion. When the prophets have been killed, the priesthood and power of God has been lost.
2,000 years ago, Christ Himself came to the earth. He established a church and called 12 apostles. He gave them the power and authority to do His work. When He was crucified and resurrected, He left His church in the hands of the apostles.
In the manual "Preach my Gospel", which was recently revised, it says:
"After the death of Jesus Christ, His Apostles sought to keep the doctrine of Christ pure and to maintain order in the Church. However, many Church members turned away from the Apostles and from the doctrine that Jesus had taught. After the Apostles were killed, there was a widespread falling away from the gospel and Church of Jesus Christ. This falling away is sometimes called the Great Apostasy. Because of it, God withdrew priesthood authority from the earth. This loss included the authority needed to direct the Church. As a result, the Church that Jesus had established was no longer on the earth. During this time, people changed many gospel teachings. Much of the knowledge about the true nature of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost was distorted or lost. People also changed priesthood ordinances, such as baptism. Centuries later, truth-seeking men and women tried to reform the teachings and practices that had been changed. They sought greater spiritual light, and some of them spoke of the need for a restoration of truth. Their efforts led to the organization of many churches. This period of time resulted in an increased emphasis on religious freedom, which opened the way for the restoration of truth and authority from God."
Prophets and apostles had foretold this falling away. In Amos 8:11-12 it says:
"11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:
12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it"
Also, in Acts 3:20-21, Peter tells us of a time of "Restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began". There needed to be a falling away because if there wasn’t, there could have been no Restitution, which is a synonym for Restoration.
But Brothers and Sisters, there was a Restoration. Some 40 years after this country of religious freedom was born, there was a young boy named Joseph Smith. He was a 14 year old farm boy living in Palmyra, New York. He was surrounded with what He called Religious excitement. In his own words he said:
"So great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant."
We still see much of this today. But Joseph Smith searched for truth and one day came across James 1:5 which says
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
Joseph Smith said "Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did;"
Joseph Smith eventually decided to do as James directs and he retired to a Grove of Trees near his home. There, he began to pour out his heart to God. In answer to his prayer, in his own words, he said:
"I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw 2 personages whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other: This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"
God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and told him to join none of the churches on earth, for they were all wrong. Many of them had many good things, with faithful Christian people, but they did not have the full picture of the gospel and there was much to come. Over the rest of his life, Joseph Smith was instrumental in the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ.
In the same way the priesthood was conferred anciently, Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph Smith as resurrected beings and restored the Priesthood to the earth. Joseph Smith was given the power to do God's work and was called to be a Prophet.
On April 6, 1830 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized. It was "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:20). It is the same organization that existed in the New Testament. Today we have a Prophet named Russell M. Nelson, and he leads and directs the church with a Quorum of 12 Apostles.
Soon after the organization of the church, the Lord commanded the saints to build a house in His name. From the New Testament, we know that Temple worship was an integral part of the work of Christ and the Apostles. Through the Restoration, Temples are on earth once more.
Joseph Smith also was the means by which the Book of Mormon came forth. The Book of Mormon is a second witness of Jesus Christ, in harmony with the Bible. It is a record of the inhabitants of the ancient Americas and contains stories, prophecies, and doctrine. It contains precious truths.
If you compare the church of Jesus Christ in the New Testament with every other church on earth today, you will only find one that matches for doctrine, organization, ordinances, authority, and fruit: It is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We still live in a world of great confusion and strife, but be assured that the heavens are opened. The answer that Joseph Smith received is available to every person. One of the key indicators of the truth is the Book of Mormon. In its Introduction page it says:
"We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.) Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah."
Brothers and Sisters, the promise is sure. Those who seek to know, can know by the power of the Holy Ghost. I am a witness of it.
I have not always had a testimony of the Restoration and of the Book of Mormon. I largely owe what I now know to the past 22 months that I have had as a Missionary. My mission experience has given me the opportunity to dive headfirst into the gospel like never before. The answer wasn’t immediate, but overtime, again and again, I have felt the Spirit confirm to me that the Book of Mormon is true. The doctrine of its pages is sound, and its complexity is staggering. No man could have produced such a Book without the power of God. It is His compelling witness. If you do not already have one, I invite you to do what is necessary to receive a testimony of the Book of Mormon for yourself. As the introduction says, if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a prophet, and this really is the Church of Jesus Christ. If it is true, then it means everything and it should mean everything to us.
Now, a quick word on Missionary work and the gathering of Israel. The gathering of Israel is the most important work happening on the earth today. It is the sharing of the gospel to all people everywhere, and welcoming them to become a part of the House of Israel, who are the Lord's people. This gathering body of the Lord's people is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Anciently, the Lord promised that he would gather together his people and that his sheep would hear His voice. As members of the church, we are asked to love those around us and invite them to come and see. All people are children of God and he desires them to experience the blessings of the full gospel of Jesus Christ. As His servants, we can be the means by which the Lord does His work and be instruments in His hands.
But, I might add, we are not asked to engage in the gathering of Israel because it is dependent on our participation. It is not. The Lord is able to do His own work, and if we choose to not engage, or are passive in the work, the gathering will continue without us. The reason the Lord asks us to engage is because He is eager to bless us and His children around us. Within Missionary work, some of the greatest blessings can be found.
Concerning this work, may I offer a few suggestions of things that you can do:
1) One of my favorites is when members simply invite their friends, neighbors, or others over to their home! According to the Bible Dictionary, the home is comparable to the temple in terms of sacredness. Imagine the kind of influence it can have on someone for them to feel the spirit in your home. It could be something as simple as a meal, Family Home Evening, or other kind of activity. In that visit, focus on getting to know them, and building your relationship with them.
2) Share the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is our sickle, or the great gathering tool that has been given to us by the Lord. It is convincing evidence of the Restoration and has already brought millions to the joy and rest that is found only in Christ. You might consider re-listening to Elder Rasband’s talk from the October 2022 General Conference called "This Day". You could share a Book of Mormon verse, the app, or personally deliver a hard copy. Today the Prophets and Apostles are sharing the Book of Mormon with world and government leaders! Surely it is not too much to ask to share it with your friends or neighbors.
3) Reach out to our less actives! We have so many of them. Every member has access to contacting them through the directory or in the app LDS tools. A simple phone call or visit that sends the message "We are thinking about you" is worthwhile.
4) Read or review the newly released Second edition of Preach My Gospel. While this manual is geared toward full-time missionaries, it is also a tool for the members. In its introduction page it says that it can help members to learn and teach the gospel, understand more about seeking and relying on the Holy Ghost, build unity with the full-time missionaries, and more.
I also share the Prophet's call, that the Lord has asked every able young man to serve a mission. I promise you Young Men that it will be one of the best decisions you will ever make. I also invite the young women here to consider serving a mission. I promise you great blessings if you choose to do so.
I invite you all to consider those around you who you could share the Gospel with and to involve the Lord in the process. I promise that the Spirit will impress upon you what you can do, because everyone can do something. I know you want to share the Gospel and that you have made previous efforts, but I am just asking that you keep going and seek for ways that you can take it to the next level. I invite you to take the work of the Lord seriously—To, as Brigham Young said, pray as if everything depended on the Lord, then work as if it all depended on you.
I leave you with my testimony that the Church is true. As a kid, when I heard people bear their testimonies, I always was bothered by the phrase "I know" because I wondered how? I think I understand it now.
Elder Mark Bragg recently shared this analogy with us in a Zone Conference. He told us that life is like driving in a car through the rain. In order to drive safely, we need to have our windshield wipers on. The wipers give us moments of complete clarity before the rain comes again.
In a similar fashion, the world is constantly pouring distractions, temptations, and other things that obscure our vision. But with our gospel windshield wipers on, there are moments of great clarity. Times in the scriptures, in prayer or maybe in the temple, when we feel that we can see so clearly and we understand and feel that the gospel is true.
The rain will continue to pour, and before Christ comes again it may begin raining cats and dogs, but let's keep our windshield wipers on.
When I have those moments of clarity, and feel the Spirit, and understand, the closest word I can find to expressing my feelings are the words "I know". I feel it and understand it so strongly and clearly it is as though I know.
But, I do not have perfect knowledge. I have not seen the Savior's face, or felt the prints of the nails in his hands or feet. Neither was I present for the events of the Book of Mormon or early days of the Restoration. I still walk by faith but it is faith built upon the great evidences and witnesses of the gospel. One of my favorite scriptures in Hebrews 11:1 says" faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Having faith is not being gullible or naive! We have found very strong evidence to the faith that we have and we can be confident in our testimonies. We can be confident in the witness of the Holy Ghost to our hearts.
Thank you for your goodness and your faith (Finish bearing testimony)
- I love the members and leaders of this church
- We are so blessed and have greater reason to rejoice than all the inhabitants of the earth.
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Love you all!
- Elder Wride
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