Come, Follow Me
What was Joseph Smith’s role in the Restoration?

What was Joseph Smith’s role in the Restoration?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

After centuries of apostasy, the Lord restored His Church and the fulness of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. This Restoration began with Joseph’s First Vision, in which Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared. Through the Prophet Joseph, the Lord brought forth the Book of Mormon and other scriptures, restored priesthood authority, and established His Church.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

How has your life been influenced by the life and mission of Joseph Smith? How did you gain your testimony of Joseph Smith?

Do the young men have a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith? How can you help them strengthen it?

What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior invited others to act in faith and live the truths He taught. In all His teaching He focused on helping His followers live the gospel with all their hearts. How can you help the young men see how their testimonies of Joseph Smith should be reflected in their daily lives?

Video: “Help Us Discover the Gospel”

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.

  • Invite the young men to read Elder Craig C. Christensen’s talk “A Choice Seer Will I Raise Up,” searching for blessings we have because of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Ask them to write what they find on the board. What other blessings can the young men think of that we have because of Joseph Smith? Consider sharing how you gained your testimony of Joseph Smith and how the Restoration of the gospel has been a blessing in your life.

  • Ask quorum members to imagine that a friend of another faith asks, “Why is Joseph Smith so important in your Church?” Invite them to look for possible answers to this question in the video “Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration.”

  • Invite each quorum member to make a list of things he learns as he reads about Joseph Smith in True to the Faith (pages 89–90) or Doctrine and Covenants 135:3. Ask each quorum member to share one thing from his list and explain why it is meaningful to him.

  • Display several pictures depicting events in Joseph Smith’s life (see Gospel Art Book [2009], nos. 89–97). Ask the young men to describe the events depicted. If possible, help them find scriptures that describe the event (possible scriptures are suggested at the beginning of the Gospel Art Book). Invite a few of them to share their testimonies of Joseph Smith.

  • Read together Elder Neil L. Andersen’s challenge: “Gain a personal witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Let your voice help fulfill Moroni’s prophetic words to speak good of the Prophet” (“Joseph Smith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 30; see also Joseph Smith—History 1:33). Review the paragraph in Elder Andersen’s message that starts with “To the youth listening today,” and invite the young men to choose one of the different ways Elder Andersen mentioned to strengthen a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Let the young men share their thoughts and feelings about how they can share their testimonies of Joseph Smith’s divine calling.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.