Our Heavenly Father’s Checklist

We may wonder whether Heavenly Father has a plan for the world. The Restoration shows us he’s had everything planned out from the start.  Many of us have learned about the Restoration of the Church, beginning with Joseph Smith’s First Vision of the Father and the Son. However, some of… Continue reading

A History of Hope

Holding up a light on a starry night.

The present is made from the hopes of the past, and our hope today will empower our future against anxiety and despair. In April of 2020, I listened in despair to the Church’s general conference—not because of the quality of the talks, but because of my own trials. Anxiety has been… Continue reading

Finding Our Place in the Restoration

The Restoration isn’t over. The miraculous translation of the Book of Mormon is only the start of our role in the Restoration. We’ve been told that the Restoration is an ongoing process. But what does that mean for us? Where is our place? The early Restoration contained countless miracles, but… Continue reading

These Are the Restoration

Seeking for understanding can help us to be involved in the modern Restoration of the Church. On the third date with my future wife, I asked her if she would ever marry someone who was not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She said that… Continue reading

The First Vision Goes Global

Want the whole story? Differing accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision are now available in 10 languages. Contrary to popular belief, the First Vision account included in the scriptures is not the only version available. At least four accounts were written by Joseph Smith or recorded at his request. Five more… Continue reading

A Personal Witness

The Holy Ghost can testify of the truth of the restored gospel through music. In only two weeks I would leave on my mission to serve in the Dominican Republic. I was excited and nervous about my new journey, but mostly I wondered if my testimony was strong enough to… Continue reading

Its Truth Made Known to Me

cabin

I sometimes forget how real the faith of the early Latter-day Saints was. But as I visited Joseph and Emma Smith’s small home at the Priesthood Restoration Site, I was reminded of their sacrifices—and my testimony was strengthened. My parents wanted to go see the Priesthood Restoration Site near the… Continue reading

The Foundation of Joseph’s Powerful Community

Joseph Smith has affected the way millions of individuals connect with God and with each other. Joseph Smith founded a religion that has grown at an impressive rate. However, Terryl Givens explains in “‘Lightning Out of Heaven’: Joseph Smith and the Forging of Community” that Joseph really did much more than that.… Continue reading

Why Did Christ Establish a Church?

Christ ordaining and setting apart the twelve Apostles

Although there are many reasons Christ established his church on the earth, perhaps the greatest reason is to satisfy God’s desire to see us progress. In today’s world, a growing number of people seem to be moving away from organized religion in favor of finding their own path to spirituality.… Continue reading