Elder McKay Teaches About the ‘Ongoing’ Restoration of the Gospel at Church History Museum Event

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By Trent Toone, Church News

The introduction of Jesus Christ by God the Father ushered in the Restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As recorded in Joseph Smith History, it was in a grove in 1820 that Heavenly Father called Joseph by name and said, “This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him,” said Elder Kyle S. McKay, a General Authority Seventy.

“Having thus spoken, God the Father turned the remainder of time over to Jesus, who has been restoring and revealing ever since.”

The “restoration of all things” began to flow from that point on, taught Elder McKay, who serves as Church historian and recorder and executive director of the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder McKay established this point at the outset of his remarks to an audience of more than 100 gathered for “Evening at the Museum” in the Church History Museum auditorium on February 22. Elder Hugo E. Martinez, a General Authority Seventy, and his wife, Sister Nuria Alvarez de Martinez also attended the event. Elder Martinez currently serves as assistant executive director of the Church History Department and as first counselor in the Church’s Utah Area presidency.

Elder McKay titled his presentation, “The Restoration: All Things, Ongoing.”

“That’s what the Restoration was and is, it’s a restoration of all things,” he said, also referencing teachings by President Russell M. Nelson that the restoration of the gospel is an ongoing process with “much more to come.”

Key Events of the Restoration

Citing numerous verses of scripture and the words of prophets and apostles, Elder McKay highlighted and expounded on a few key historic events of the Restoration in the context of five different categories:

1. Authority and keys: The restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist and the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James and John (1829); and ancient prophets Moses, Elias and Elijah appearing in the Kirtland Temple and restoring the keys of the gathering of Israel, the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham and the sealing power (1836).

2. Gospel and truth: The coming forth of the Book of Mormon (1830); the revelation of Doctrine and Covenants section 76 (1832); and the vision of the redemption of the dead in Doctrine and Covenants 138 (1918); and “O My Father,” lyrics from Eliza R. Snow.

3. Covenants and ordinances: The ongoing restoration of matters affecting the performance of baptisms for the dead, from its 1840 introduction to the present time, as well as the performance of the parent-to-child sealing ordinance.

4. Fold: Defined as “an enclosure with barriers to protect and restrain,” Elder McKay said the “fold of God” is the Church of God. “I’m talking about the Restoration of His Church,” he said. “An institution with hallmarks that serve as barriers [such as] covenants and keys and everything else we have talked about that can create a protection from the outside.” He also discussed the organization of the Relief Society and Seventy as evidence of an ongoing restoration of institutional order.

5. Flock: A group of sheep, but in this context, the Lord’s children. Quoting Jeremiah and Micah, Elder McKay said that Heavenly Father restored His fold so He could restore His flock.

The Restoration Continues

And so as President Nelson and other Church leaders have taught, the Restoration continues, Elder McKay said before quoting Doctrine and Covenants section 124:41 — “For I deign to reveal unto my church things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world, things that pertain to the dispensation of the fulness of times.”

“In this dispensation, right now, we are getting things that aren’t being restored, but revealed for the first time. There are things that we’ve done that have been done for the first time on planet Earth,” he said. “I bear a sure witness of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, of His Church and Kingdom here upon the earth, and of the King, who stands at the head. I testify that Jesus continues to reveal and to restore, and He does so under the direction of the Father.”

What People Learned

Following the event, Reginald Moyo, a Latter-day Saint convert from Johannesburg, South Africa, said he gained a new “profound” appreciation for the continuing restoration.

“The Lord is still taking his highest, choicest blessings and bringing them down to us in this last dispensation,” he said. “I look forward to more that the Lord can reveal to us for our blessing. I am happy to be part of the ongoing Restoration.”

Sitting next to Moyo was Jeremiah Machio, a lifelong member from Nairobi, Kenya. Machio was fascinated by the “flow” of revelatory events in Church history outlined by Elder McKay during his presentation.

“It was interesting to see the flow of the Restoration from the time the Church started as a simple organization. The Lord sees the maturity of the Church and increases knowledge, line upon line, until we’re seeing the Church today,” he said. “For me, it opens my mind to understand there is more still to come as part of this ongoing Restoration.”

‘Evening at the Museum’

The Church’s “Evening at the Museum” program seeks to provide visitors with an opportunity to explore and connect with the diverse perspectives within Latter-day Saint art, history and culture. Learn more at history.churchofjesuschrist.org.

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