“Lesson 58: The Restoration (Part 2),” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)
“Lesson 58: The Restoration (Part 2)”
Lesson 58
The Restoration (Part 2)
Prepare to Learn
Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Music, especially the hymns of the Church, can invite the influence of the Holy Ghost. To help you feel reverent, consider listening to a hymn before you begin your study.
Begin your study with prayer.
Imagine living during the Great Apostasy, before the Restoration of the gospel occurred. What do you think it might have been like to live with limited access to the scriptures; to live without the ability to receive priesthood blessings, covenants, and ordinances; or to live without a prophet who receives revelation? How might you have felt if you were living without the blessings and truths of the restored gospel?
Today you will study more about the Restoration of the gospel. Several important events occurred that prepared a way for the Restoration, such as the invention of the printing press, the mass production and distribution of the Bible, and the establishment of religious freedom.
Consider the story of William Tyndale as told by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. As you watch this video, identify blessings and responsibilities of having the King James Bible. How is the Bible helping strengthen your testimony of the restored gospel?
What events, concepts, or facts do you remember about the Great Apostasy?
The need for a latter-day Restoration of the gospel arose because of apostasy. The effects of the Great Apostasy are overcome through the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Open your copy of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document to doctrinal topic 4, “The Restoration.” Read paragraphs 4.1–4.4, looking for the events of the Restoration.
Review paragraph 4.3 in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document, looking for what both the Book of Mormon and the Bible do.
The Fulness of the Gospel
From paragraph 4.3 in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document, we can identify the following key statement of doctrine: With the Bible, the Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ and contains the fulness of the gospel.
How do the Bible and the Book of Mormon work together to testify of Jesus Christ? Answer this question after considering the following statement by President Russell M. Nelson. You can read the text for this video here: “Scriptural Witnesses,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 43.
How do the Bible and the Book of Mormon work together to testify of Jesus Christ? Answer this question after considering the following statement by President Russell M. Nelson.
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Russell M. Nelson
“The Bible and the Book of Mormon are both witnesses of Jesus Christ. They teach that He is the Son of God, that He lived an exemplary life, that He atoned for all mankind, that He died upon the cross and rose again as the resurrected Lord. They teach that He is the Savior of the world. …
“Love for the Book of Mormon expands one’s love for the Bible and vice versa. Scriptures of the Restoration do not compete with the Bible; they complement the Bible” (Russell M. Nelson, “Scriptural Witnesses,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 43).
Why is it helpful to have multiple witnesses of Jesus Christ?
The Book of Mormon
Notice that the key statement of doctrine in the previous section also says that the Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the gospel.
President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) explained what this phrase means and what it does not mean:
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Ezra Taft Benson
“The Lord Himself has stated that the Book of Mormon contains the ‘fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ’ (D&C 20:9). That does not mean it contains every teaching, every doctrine ever revealed. Rather, it means that in the Book of Mormon we will find the fulness of those doctrines required for our salvation. And they are taught plainly and simply so that even children can learn the ways of salvation and exaltation” (Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 6).
Why is it important for all of Heavenly Father’s children to read and gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon for themselves?
Locate Ezekiel 37:15–17 in your scriptures, and consider marking this doctrinal mastery passage so you can locate it more easily.
Ezekiel 37:15–17 contains a prophecy about the Bible and the Book of Mormon that can be helpful in understanding this key statement of doctrine: with the Bible, the Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ and contains the fulness of the gospel. You may also want to read Jacob 4:4–5 to gain additional insight about this statement of doctrine.
The word stick in these verses refers to a wooden writing tablet that was commonly used during Ezekiel’s day (see verse 16, footnote a).
Read Ezekiel 37:15–17. From these verses we learn that the prophet Ezekiel referred to two records, which he called the stick of Judah and the stick of Ephraim. The stick of Judah represents the Bible, which was written predominantly by members of the tribe of Judah. The stick of Ephraim represents the Book of Mormon, which was written predominantly by members of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, who were the sons of Joseph.
According to Ezekiel 37:15–17, what did Ezekiel prophesy would happen to the Bible and the Book of Mormon?
In what ways do the Book of Mormon and the Bible work together to testify of the Savior Jesus Christ? (You may want to review the statement from President Russell M. Nelson that you studied earlier in this lesson.)
What are some scripture passages from the Bible or the Book of Mormon that have helped strengthen your testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel? How have these passages helped strengthen your testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel?
You may want to copy your response in your Notes on LDS.org.
