Two posts ago, I talked about truth progressing where I put forth the idea that truth changes in time. I want to take a little more time on this topic and make sure it is clear truth exists and that it is not relative. However, it is relational with us in time, and we must all work together to progress into greater truth. When I hear President Nelson say that “We’re witnesses to a process of restoration” ¹, I think I hear progress into greater truth.

Restoration means progress or restore?

I know that many of us have heard the word ‘restored’ implying bringing back something that existed previously. However, I think we have over-specified the ‘something’ that is restored. Richard G. Scott in ‘Truth Restored’ provides an excellent example of how we use the word restored in conference talks. One quote from his talk says,

Prophets such as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses renewed the truth for their dispensation, but in time their efforts were rejected by most. In the meridian of time Jesus Christ, the Beloved Son of God, was born on earth. He restored the truth and ministered with love and compassion.

Notice how the prophets ‘renewed’ (which I perceive as different from the traditional perception of ‘restored’) and that Christ ‘restored’ the truth. In fact, the Oxford Dictionary, defines restore as ‘The action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition.’ or ‘The return of a monarch to a throne, a head of state to government, or a regime to power.’ Both of these definitions open up the concept of the restoration being the restoring of the people to God as our leader through Christ. Using the words of the definition, we are ‘returning Christ (and God) to the throne as our former owner and back into His presence (place).’

The restoration of truth is about the restoration of the proper relationships between man and God. The ideas and attributes of those relationships are eternal and enduring throughout time. I don’t see the word restoration only implying that there was some previous perfect chunk of truth (like metal) that we have destroyed through neglect that now needs to be brought back to its original state.

How do the scriptures talk about truth, laws, and restoration?

In Hebrews 13: 8-9 Paul tells us what is consistent throughout time. He says,

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

But we know that Christ has, in fact, changed from the yesterday of history. We all recognize that he received not of a fullness at first² and that he went from not having a body to a mortal body to a resurrected body. But his mission has not changed from the beginning of God’s plan and will not change. His abilities did not change, but he did grow into his talents. So we see that there can be a truth that has always been so, but that becomes more in the life of Christ.

Some might quote Mormon 9:9-10 to say that ‘God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him, there is no variableness neither shadow of changing’ and that even imagining a God that varies is problematic. But Moroni is not trying to preach a sermon about all of God not changing; he is carefully trying to show that God’s attribute of relationship through miracles in our lives will never change (see verses 18-20). The referenced verses seem to imply sameness according to his virtues — not sameness like a broken record or statue.

Some might even get more direct with 3 Nephi 24 which is quoting Malachi 3 where we read God say, ‘I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ However, if we read the prior verse, we will see that God is saying that his promises or words will be fulfilled. He keeps his commitments and will not change from them. I agree that He is not fickle with His word.

God does not exist in isolation from the world. He is unchangeable in character but is not unchanging in His relations with us. Clark Pinnock explained this concept eloquently,

God interacts with us in our narrated, storied lives in a real reciprocal relationship. Not only are we as persons affected by God, he is affected by us, or to put it another way, God is unchangeable with respect to his character but always changing in relation to us.

But what about the ‘restoration of all things’?

I think this concept of the ‘restoration of all things’ comes from Acts 3:20-21 where we read;

And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

It is cited over 120 times in general conference around this topic. Mark E. Peterson has a representative quote using this verse.

But a new day was predicted, a time when all that God had ever given in the past would be restored to earth. It was the Apostle Peter who made this prediction, saying that in the latter days all that was ever given through the prophets from the beginning of the world would be restored.

It is appropriate to see things that are lost being restored, but that is not all that happens in the ‘fullness of times’. Joseph Smith said that ‘other things that have not been before revealed’ would come to be as well. So, both concepts are viable in our current restoration. I think that there will be many new things that will be revealed as the people of the earth are restored to Christ’s kingdom.

Some doctrines or laws have changed

I know that we can start to get into semantics at this point. We could say that the principles have changed, but the doctrine has never changed. However, I think that this premise creates complicated hurdles in explaining the history of God’s revelation. In relation to His people, God has changed the laws. It is this freedom to adapt the laws in relationship to his children that allows us to grow. The law of Moses is just such a case. Christ does tell us that he is completing (or progressing) when he comes to the Nephites in 3 Nephi. In 3 Nephi 15:2-9 he says,

2 And it came to pass that when Jesus had said these words he perceived that there were some among them who marveled, and wondered what he would concerning the law of Moses; for they understood not the saying that old things had passed away, and that all things had become new.

3 And he said unto them: Marvel not that I said unto you that old things had passed away, and that all things had become new.

4 Behold, I say unto you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses.

5 Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end.

6 Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled.

7 And because I said unto you that old things have passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning things which are to come.

8 For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled; but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me.

9 Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.

For a modern-day example, Wilford Woodruff revealed the change on plural marriage after Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and John Taylor initiated and testified of it. So at least we can see that the truths that were lived by one people were changed and no longer required to be lived by another. The Jewish converts couldn’t accept this concept with many of the laws of Moses and caused much stress on the early Christian Church. Much like the Jews, it has taken Latter-day members decades to recognize that the law of marriage has changed not just been lost.³

Christ came in the meridian of time and progressed the law. He came in our time and progressed the law. We are in a time with more combined truth than any other time. “We are witnesses to a process of restoration” even in our day.

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