The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Invitation to Remember

Brothers and sisters,

I am grateful for the opportunity to share a few thoughts today about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. As I have reflected on what to say, I have found myself returning to one simple question:

How do we know who Jesus Christ is?

Many people know His name. Many people believe in Him. Many people strive to follow Him. Yet each of us is invited to come to know Him personally.

I believe that our Heavenly Father has never left His children without witnesses. Throughout every generation He has called prophets, preserved sacred records, and invited His children to seek Him. That pattern did not end with the Bible. It continues through the Restoration.

The restored gospel is not simply the return of an organization. It is the restoration of covenants, priesthood authority, prophetic guidance, and additional witnesses of Jesus Christ.

The very name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reminds us whose Church this is. It is not Joseph Smith’s Church. It is not Brigham Young’s Church. It is not our church. It belongs to Jesus Christ.

That is why I treasure the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. It records the testimonies of prophets who lived on another part of the earth. Long before the birth of Jesus Christ, they testified that He would come. They taught of His atoning sacrifice. They looked forward to His Resurrection. They taught faith, repentance, baptism, and enduring to the end.

When I read those prophets, I see people who trusted God across generations. Fathers taught children. Prophets taught nations. They kept records because they believed future generations—including us—would need them.

After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to those people. He taught them personally. He invited them to come one by one to feel the wounds in His hands, His feet, and His side. He blessed their children. He prayed with them. He established His doctrine among them.

To me, that account expands my appreciation for the Savior’s love. His ministry was not confined to one people. His invitation has always been to all of God’s children.

One of the greatest blessings of the Restoration is that Heavenly Father did not ask us to rely only upon the testimony of one generation. He has given multiple witnesses. The Bible and the Book of Mormon testify together of Jesus Christ.

The Restoration also reminds us that God still speaks.

Sometimes we live as though heaven has become silent. Yet the Restoration teaches the opposite. God called Joseph Smith. He restored priesthood authority. He restored ordinances. He restored His Church. He continues to guide His people through living prophets.

That knowledge changes the way I see life.

It reminds me that I am not wandering alone.

It reminds me that revelation did not end thousands of years ago.

It reminds me that my prayers matter.

It reminds me that God knows my name.

One principle I continue to learn is that knowledge grows through action.

The Book of Mormon does not ask us merely to admire it from a distance. It invites us to read it, ponder it, and ask God with sincere intent. That invitation requires humility. It requires time. It requires faith.

Each of us receives answers in the Lord’s way and according to His timing. Sometimes answers come quickly. Sometimes they come gradually as we continue to study, pray, repent, and serve.

The restored gospel also teaches me that discipleship is more than believing certain ideas. It is choosing to become more like Jesus Christ every day.

It is how we treat our families.

It is how we forgive.

It is how we repent.

It is how we serve quietly when no one is watching.

It is how we keep our covenants even when life is difficult.

The Savior’s invitation has always been, “Come, follow me.”

That invitation is just as real today as it was when He walked the roads of Galilee and as it was when He taught the people recorded in the Book of Mormon.

My testimony continues to grow because I continue to seek Him.

I do not claim to understand everything.

There are still questions.

There are still experiences that stretch my faith.

Yet through those experiences I have learned that Jesus Christ is patient with those who sincerely seek Him.

He invites us to remember Him every Sabbath as we partake of the sacrament.

He invites us to repent continually.

He invites us to love one another.

He invites us to build our homes upon Him.

The Restoration is not merely an event in history. It is an invitation that continues today.

It is an invitation to hear His voice.

It is an invitation to enter into sacred covenants.

It is an invitation to become disciples of Jesus Christ.

I am grateful for prophets.

I am grateful for the scriptures.

I am grateful for priesthood ordinances.

I am grateful that Jesus Christ lives.

Most of all, I am grateful that our Heavenly Father continues to reach out to His children through the restored gospel of His Son.

I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.

I know that He invites each of us to come unto Him.

I pray that we will continue to seek Him with humble hearts, keep our covenants faithfully, and allow His restored gospel to shape every part of our lives.

In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.