Restoration

To restore means to return to a former condition or to bring back. The term restoration and its synonym restitution have multiple meanings in the scriptures and in Latter-day Saint teachings. The most common use of the term refers to the series of events and divine revelations whereby the fulness of gospel principles, ordinances, priesthood authority, and the true Church of Jesus Christ were restored to the earth. These events, beginning with Joseph Smith’s First Vision in 1820, the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon, and the organization of the Church in 1830, are all part of what Latter-day Saints refer to as the Restoration—the fulfillment of Peter’s prophecy of “the times of restitution” that will precede the second coming of Christ (Acts 3:21; see also Matthew 17:11; Ephesians 1:10; Revelation 14:6–7; 1 Nephi 13:20–34; 2 Nephi 9:2; D&C 1; 110; 112:30; Joseph Smith–History 1).

Numerous scriptural passages also use the term restoration in the context of restoring the tribes of Israel to their former knowledge of God and his gospel and their covenants with him. This restoration of the house of Israel is a fundamental part of the Restoration and the latter-day work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1 Nephi 10:14; 15:12–18; 2 Nephi 25:17–18; 29:1–2; 30:7; 3 Nephi 20–21; D&C 29:7; 110:11).

The Book of Mormon prophet Alma uses the term restoration to refer to the literal resurrection of the body. Speaking of the resurrection, Alma states: “Yea, this bringeth about the restoration of those things of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets. The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame” (Alma 40:22–23).

In addition to teaching of the physical resurrection as a restoration, Alma taught that in the Final Judgment there is a spiritual restoration of deeds and desires “requisite with the justice of God” (Alma 41:3). “For that which ye do send out,” he taught concerning this restoration, “shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all” (Alma 41:15).

“And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature? O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful.

“Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again” (Alma 41:12–14).

The scriptures also use the terms restoration and restitution as an essential part of the repentance process. A thorough transformation of one’s life through faith unto repentance requires a restoration—a repayment or reparation, as far as is possible, for the damages incurred by transgression. The prophet Ezekiel said: “If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live” (Ezekiel 33:15–16; emphasis added). Restitution—restoring that which has been lost—has always been part of repentance. The literal nature of this restoration is delineated in the Old Testament. The law required a repayment or restoration of that which was stolen or lost through someone else’s sin. Often this payment meant paying back more than was originally lost (Exodus 22:1–6; Leviticus 6:2–5).

In the Church today we are still required to pay back that which was lost as a result of transgression. Sometimes restitution is easy to make, as when paying for something that was stolen or simply returning it. Such restitution, however, is possible only in a few instances. Much more common are deeply damaging consequences for which restitution is not so simple or clear-cut. It is true that we can in no way of ourselves repair all the damage done through sin or repay the Savior for his atonement in our behalf. Therefore, sometimes all we can do to make proper restoration is to devote our lives to a lifetime of restitution through righteousness, relying upon the grace of Christ to rectify that which we could never correct ourselves. In that sense, Jesus fixes the otherwise unfixable, repairs the otherwise irreparable (Packer, 18–21). Because we all have an eternal indebtedness to the Lord for his mercy, forgiveness, and goodness, we need continual restitution—daily living in repentance and faithfulness, seeking always to “restore the pledge” and “zealously striving to repair all the injuries” (Ezekiel 33:15; Mosiah 27:35) caused by our sins. Thus, the restoration or restitution required by the Lord demands our very lives—our changed being as well as our changed behavior.

Source

Packer, Boyd K. “The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness.” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 18–21.

BLT