From a Study Journal Entry dated May 22, 2006:

---

"But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, 'Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.'" (Acts 7:55-56). 

Apostasy and Restoration Part Three: A Fullness of the Gospel
With such great indications of a general Christian Apostasy, the question remains, "Was Christianity in its truest form restored in 19th Century
America, and if so, why did God wait nearly 1800 years before restoring it?" I testify that the Church of Jesus Christ was restored in 1830, and that the
timing of such a miracle was divine.

Based on the past two sections, at least three things had to happen in order for a complete Restoration to occur:

1. Apostate teachings, which had been introduced to Christianity long after the Apostles, had to be removed.
2. Legitimate, divine authority through a living apostle or prophet had to be reestablished.
3. God had to initiate the Restoration personally through some form of divine manifestation.

Joseph Smith was not the first man to recognize the false teachings of the churches.  In 1552, for example, Michael Servetus, a Spanish physician,
published a book called "Christianity Restored."  Catholics and Protestants alike hated Dr. Servetus because he challenged all churches to return to the original purity of first century Christianity.  He issued "A calling of the whole apostolic church to make a fresh start, restored completely in the
knowledge of God, the faith of Christ, our justification, regeneration, baptism, and the Lord's supper" (Christianity Restored).  A commentary on the book explained "he [Servetus] claimed that Christianity had failed because it had become corrupted in the early fourth century by pagan doctrines and by the church's acquision of temporal power.  He attacked the definition of the Trinity established by the church's Council of Nicaea in the fourth century, as well as the practice of infant baptism, which he termed as unchristian . . ." (Censored Books).  These were many of the same claims that Joseph Smith made after the Restoration began to take shape.

On October 27, 1553, Michael Servetus was burned at the stake.  One hundred and fifty years later, another physician, named Richard Mead, tried to publish Servetus' book in England.  Both he and the printer were imprisoned, and the whole printing was burned in 1723.  To even acknowledge the apostasy of the Churches, much less remove apostate teachings, was not feasible until the modern (or latter) era.  In 1830 Joseph Smith established a Christian Church where the apostate creeds (like Nicaea) where removed from its teachings.

Though many reformers began churches under inspiration, none could trace authority back to Jesus Christ.  Many Churches traced their authority to Bishop Linus, but as stated in Part One, Bishop Linus was not an authorized Church leader.  Even if it had been a legitimate link to Peter, corruption broke the link of the centuries.  At one point the Church was lead by three competing Popes, each who claimed the sole divine authority from Peter.  Any authority that successive leaders might have had certainly would not have been transferred to Protestant break off groups.  They instead rely on a so called "priesthood of believers" in which a line of authority is deemed unimportant.  This contradicts the Biblical passing of authority through the laying on of hands. (see 1 Timothy 4:14, Matthew 10:1, John 15:16, Acts 13:3, Acts 14:23, Acts 9:17, Hebrews 6:2).

Contrast this to the remarkably direct transfer of authority to Joseph Smith.  Peter, James, and John, Apostles of Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as angels and gave them divine authority by the laying on of hands.  There was nothing unclear in the link from Joseph Smith to Peter to Christ.  It was uncorrupted by centuries of Apostasy.  Joseph Smith was the Prophet and living Apostle of a church with divine authority.

Many churches sprung out of 19th Century America.  Only The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, however, claimed to be started by a manifestation of deity.  In striking contrast to the centuries of apostasy, corruption, and suppression, the "second great awakening" of America was a place of religious revival and freedom.  It was in this most unique of environments that God's voice was heard once more.  This time, it would flourish.

A young boy named Joseph Smith thirsted in a world that couldn't quench his thirst for truth.  He asked God what he should do, and God answered his prayer in the most remarkable of ways.  Like to Stephen and Paul of old, the heavens opened to Joseph.  He beheld the Son of God standing on the right hand of the Father.  Jesus Christ spoke to him.  Christ proclaimed the apostate state of the churches, and He promised the rise of pure Christianity.  I testify of the Restoration that followed.  Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God.  The Church established under his leadership is the original Church of Jesus Christ.  I know by the power of the Holy Ghost through my own personal quests for truth that this is true, and I know that you too can learn it for yourself.  That you will do so is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen

---

"And for this cause, that men might be made partakers of the glories which were to be revealed, the Lord sent forth the fullness of his gospel, his everlasting covenant, reasoning in plainness and simplicity" (D&C 133:57).

From a letter dated May 15, 2006:
Never put a period where God puts a comma (Gracie Allen). 

---

Dear family, friends, and fellow xangans,

You will have to wait one more week for Part Three of the "Apostasy and
Restoration" because today is transfer Monday and things are crazy in the
office.  Besides, I have other things I need to write about today.

A week ago I had my first baptism.  It was amazing.  And you could tell it meant
so much to her.  She wrote the most beautiful letter to the missionaries who
taught her- Myself, Elder Mancuso, and Elder Haslam.  She has been so happy.  I
had been teaching Maria for 5 weeks.  I had gotten very close to her; in fact,
she considers Elder Mancuso and I her "adopted" sons.

The work she and we put into preparing for her baptism made the baptism that
much more meaningful.  It was by far the most powerful baptism I’ve ever been
to, and several people made that same comment to me.  I did sent out a lot of
letters with specifics about the baptism, so I won't repeat myself here.

That's all I have time for this week.  Take Care,

Elder Embree

Adapted from a study journal entry dated February 25, 2006: "Contend against no church . . . Take upon you the name of Christ, and speak the truth in soberness" (D&C 18:20-21).

---

Apostasy and Restoration

Part Two: Reformation Inadequacies As I address this topic, please understand that I do not mean to attack any specific church or religion. If I mention the history of a particular church, it is to provide an example of general principles. Many good things have come from those churches, even though I disagree with the principles from which they started or developed.

Recognizing the signs of apostasy, well meaning and inspired men tried to bring Christianity back to its original purity. Their efforts, though significant, were ultimately not enough to solve the complete apostasy. Where did Protestantism fail? In what way was Protestantism not enough?

One way Protestantism failed to correct the problem was in its inability to provide direct, divine authority. Of all the Christian reformers, Martin Luther is the most well known. He was a great man who recognized serious faults in the Church he loved. His aim was not to start a new church; it was to fix the Catholic Church from the inside out. When that didn’t happen, a group of Catholic German Priests who didn’t want to pay Rome anymore approached the reluctant Martin Luther. These priests used Luther’s complaints to justify splitting off from the Roman Church so that they wouldn’t have to pay their tributes to Rome. They became the Lutherans. A new Church was formed, but not with any new manifestation of God. It was formed out of the political, economic, and social drives of the world. This seems to be the consistent thread through the reformation.

Take, for example, the Anglicans, or the Episcopalians. How were they started? King Henry VIII of England wanted a divorce that the Pope wouldn’t grant. With much bloodshed, he started his own church in England. There were no visions or revelations, nor even doctrinal differences, just politics.

The pattern goes on and on. Each of the Protestant movements was started not by direct revelation or the voice of God, but by politically and economically motivated man. The word "Protestant" itself reflects the disgruntled apostate Catholics who started the movements. Yes, there were pure people who sincerely wanted to purify doctrine, but those people became the pawns of governments and corruption. Their efforts were crucial to the restoration and benefited billions of people, but they alone did not end the general apostasy.

Another indication that the apostasy of the original Church of Jesus Christ did not end with the reformation is the fact that apostate creeds were not discontinued by the reformed Churches. Treatises like the Nicene Creed that defined the substance and essence of God differently than taught by Christ and the Apostles were still used by the Protestant Churches. These creeds were established by the Christian Church hundreds of years after the apostasy had started.

Furthermore, practices that had been lost in the apostasy were not restored through the Reformation. For example, in the original Christian Church there were Apostles that were called. In addition to the first twelve, Matthias, Paul, and others were ordained Apostles. The practice of ordaining Apostles stopped during the first century and was not reconstituted during the Protestant Movement. In fact, none of the leaders in the movement can trace authority to the Apostles by the laying on of hands. The Apostolic line of authority was broken.

These indications of a continued apostasy demonstrate how the Reformation was not the solution to the apostasy. The Movement was instead the offspring of political, social, and economic contentions. The fruit of all of this contention during the Reformation became the American "extraordinary scene of religious feeling" (JSH 1:6) described by the young Joseph Smith. It was in this "war of words and tumult of opinions" (JSH 1:10) that the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ was able to happen, beginning with a manifestation of God. Understanding the inadequacies of the Protestant Reformation makes the clarity of the Restoration so much more magnificent. The Restoration of Christ’s Church in 1830 solved in every way the general Christian Apostasy.

---

"And for this cause, that men might be made partakers of the glories which were to be revealed, the Lord sent forth the fullness of his gospel, his everlasting covenant, reasoning in plainness and simplicity—. . . And by the weak things of the earth the Lord shall thrash the nations by the power of his Spirit" (D&C 133:57, 59).