The Restoration began with an answer to a question.

• It might be interesting to your children to explore some of the questions Joseph Smith had that led to the Restoration of the Savior’s gospel. Help them find some examples in Joseph Smith—History 1:10, 29, 68. How are we blessed today because God answered Joseph Smith’s questions?

• You might also give your children a chance to talk about questions they have. What do we learn from Joseph Smith about how to find answers? (see Joseph Smith—History 1:8–17; see also verses 3 and 4 of “This Is My Beloved Son,” Children’s Songbook, 76).

What do you know about “Christ’s New Testament Church,” which the Savior restored through Joseph Smith? Consider studying these scriptures and listing some features of His Church:

• Matthew 16:15-19

• Mark 16:15–18

• Luke 6:12–13

• Acts 4:34–35

• 1 Corinthians 15:29

• Ephesians 4:11–15

Next, you could match the scriptures above with those below, which describe how Jesus Christ restored those features of His Church through Joseph Smith:

• Doctrine and Covenants 18:37–38; 107:23–24

• Doctrine and Covenants 51:3; 70:14

• Doctrine and Covenants 84:64–72

• Doctrine and Covenants 110:11–16

• Doctrine and Covenants 124:31, 36

• Articles of Faith 1:6

Why are you grateful for the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Quote From THE RESTORATION OF THE FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST (A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World) about this: “We declare that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organized on April 6, 1830, is Christ’s New Testament Church restored. This Church is anchored in the perfect life of its chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ, and in His infinite Atonement and literal Resurrection. Jesus Christ has once again called Apostles and has given them priesthood authority. He invites all of us to come unto Him and His Church, to receive the Holy Ghost, the ordinances of salvation, and to gain enduring joy.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and his wife once tried to imagine how they would have felt living before the Church was restored. “What do we wish we had?” they asked themselves. Read about their experiences in “A Perfect Brightness of Hope” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 81–82). How has the Restoration helped fulfill your spiritual hopes?

See also Topics and Questions, “Apostasy and the Restoration of the Gospel,” Gospel Library.

IDEAS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN

• Who were the “heavenly messengers [who] came to instruct Joseph”? Your children might enjoy looking for pictures of them in the Gospel Art Book (see nos. 91, (Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith in His Room) MORE DETAILS HERE 93, 94, 95). How did each of these messengers help “re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ”? The scriptures suggested in this week’s activity page can help your children answer this question.

  Quote From THE RESTORATION OF THE FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST (A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World) about this: “We affirm that under the direction of the Father and the Son, heavenly messengers came to instruct Joseph and re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ. The resurrected John the Baptist restored the authority to baptize by immersion for the remission of sins. Three of the original twelve Apostles—Peter, James, and John—restored the apostleship and keys of priesthood authority. Others came as well, including Elijah, who restored the authority to join families together forever in eternal relationships that transcend death.”

  IDEAS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN

  “The heavens are open.”

  To illustrate what the phrase “the heavens are open” means, maybe you could share a message with your children, first behind a closed door and then through an open door. Let them take turns sharing a message too. What messages does Jesus Christ have for us? What experiences have helped us know that the heavens are open to us?

  Quote From THE RESTORATION OF THE FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST (A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World) about this: “With reverence and gratitude, we as His Apostles invite all to know—as we do—that the heavens are open. We affirm that God is making known His will for His beloved sons and daughters. We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

• As you read parts of the Restoration proclamation with your children (or watch the video of President Nelson reading it), help them find sentences that begin with phrases like “we proclaim,” “we declare,” or “we testify.” What truths are our prophets and apostles declaring? Perhaps you and your children could share your own testimonies of some of these same truths.
  Quote From THE RESTORATION OF THE FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST (A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World) about this:
  “We gladly declare that the promised Restoration goes forward through continuing revelation. The earth will never again be the same, as God will “gather together in one all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).

  With reverence and gratitude, we as His Apostles invite all to know—as we do—that the heavens are open. We affirm that God is making known His will for His beloved sons and daughters. We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

  This proclamation was read by President Russell M. Nelson as part of his message at the 190th Annual General Conference, April 5, 2020, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Have you ever thought of yourself as part of the Restoration of the gospel? Consider these words from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: “Sometimes we think of the Restoration of the gospel as something that is complete, already behind us. … In reality, the Restoration is an ongoing process; we are living in it right now” (“Are You Sleeping through the Restoration?,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 59).

As you prepare to study how the gospel was restored in the 1800s, you might start by pondering how it was restored in your life. Read the Restoration proclamation with questions like these in mind: How have I come to know that this is true? How do I participate in the Restoration today?

Quote From THE RESTORATION OF THE FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST (A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World) about this:
“We further witness that Joseph Smith was given the gift and power of God to translate an ancient record: the Book of Mormon—Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Pages of this sacred text include an account of the personal ministry of Jesus Christ among people in the Western Hemisphere soon after His Resurrection. It teaches of life’s purpose and explains the doctrine of Christ, which is central to that purpose. As a companion scripture to the Bible, the Book of Mormon testifies that all human beings are sons and daughters of a loving Father in Heaven, that He has a divine plan for our lives, and that His Son, Jesus Christ, speaks today as well as in days of old.”