The Ongoing Restoration

For those who aren't familiar with the LDS conception of the Restoration, some background might be helpful.  When our Savior Jesus Christ created Christianity during his mortal ministry, he organized a Church with specific offices, functions, and doctrines.  After His death, Resurrection, and ascension, the apostles lead the Church with the help of continuing revelation from God.  For multiple reasons, however, the apostles were all killed off; originally, new apostles were ordained to replace dead ones, but after a while this stopped.  With the death of all the apostles, revelation left the earth and Christianity was left to play a centuries-long game of Telephone.  The Fathers did their best to teach only what they learned from the apostles, but the doctrines and ordinances started to change as the Apologists and Theologians started to explain, then to conceptualize Christianity in reference to the pagan (Western) philosophy and society which surrounded them.  Essentially, Christian leaders were becoming Westernized, and this wrought a change in Christianity from its' original, pure form.

Whereas some Christian theologians see this evolution as Christianity coming to understand itself, Mormons claim that this change was a falling away, an apostasy.  Much like the Protestant Reformers, we see the philosophies of men accreted on Christianity's hull, making it appear to be something it is not.  Unlike the Reformers, we do not believe that mere study of the Bible can correct these errors--one key error was the acceptance of the closed cannon.  Where Reformation must fail, however, Restoration would be successful.  Instead of straining really hard to hear the message from mortal lips (or to understand the Hebrew or Greek) we should be going to the source of the message itself.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that Restoration.  God has restored revelation back on the earth again, and is endeavoring to spread His gospel in its' fullness and purity.  We are a part of that Restoration, because while many of the miraculous and moments events have already taken place, the Restoration is still ongoing.

So what role do we play in the ongoing Restoration?  The Book of Mormon is translated, the priesthood restored, the Church organized; what's left?  Plenty.  The work of salvation is the work of Restoration, so any time we share the gospel, do family history or temple work, or better our understanding of the gospel, we are participating in the Restoration.  When we serve missions, magnify our callings, make and keep sacred covenants, and otherwise spread the stakes of Zion we are spreading the Church, if only in our own hearts; that is Restoration.

There will also be plenty of the miraculous and momentous to come.  We've seen the number of temples around the world explode.  We've seen the number of missionaries also increase drastically.  How long until we hear the announcement that the New Jerusalem will be built?  We don't know, but we can have faith that our contribution, however small it may appear, will be sufficient (somehow, it always is) and will help bring the work to fruition.

To quote the Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 4:

          Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
          For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
          And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory o God, qualify him for the work.