Choose the Restoration every day

The Lord is doing a marvelous work and a wonder in our day.

Though the world grows ever more complicated, the invitation from Heaven remains profoundly simple: “Repent... and come to Me and be baptized in My name, so you can be sanctified by receiving the Holy Ghost, so you can stand spotless in My presence” (see 3 Nephi 12:13 CE). In this quiet but powerful invitation lies the very heartbeat of the Restoration.

And not just a restoration—but the Restoration of all things.

We who have received the Lord’s covenant in this dispensation—whether recently awakened or long committed—must constantly ask: 

Am I still soft toward Heaven? 

Do I hear His voice when He speaks? 

The Restoration has never been about building institutions. It is a return to relationship—between God and His people.

A Call to Renew through Repentance

Repentance is not an event; it is a humble process. It is learning to see ourselves clearly in the light of Christ, and then turning again to Him, facing the very direction He faces.

The Restoration calls us to repent of even good things that have become distractions from the great thing—coming unto Christ with full purpose of heart.

Repentance, then, is how we shed dead works. It's how we make room for real light. It is how we re-pledge our lives, not with fear of condemnation, but with joy in complete reconciliation.

As many have taught, repentance is recognizing our false beliefs, our traditions, and our pride—and surrendering them to God. It is laying down our weapons of rebellion and trusting the Lord enough to let Him write His law in our hearts.

The Power of Baptism

Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, by one with permission from God, is not a relic of the past—it is the gate. Through it, we step back up onto holy ground. We are modeling creation itself.

If you have never been baptized in Jesus' name—go and seek it.

If you have strayed, repent and seek it anew.

If you have been walking faithfully, reflect on it. 

Remember your promises. Let the memory of your baptism stir up your desire to live in a way that honors the name of Jesus Christ. This is part of the Restoration too—living in remembrance.

When we are baptized in Jesus' name, we witness that we are willing to bear one another’s burdens and to keep His commandments. Isn't it interesting that the first couple of questions Alma asks those wanting to be baptized is if they will support one another as a community? (see Mosiah 9:7 CE). He doesn't just make it about them and the Lord individually. But it is that, too. 

We begin to form Zion, not by gathering to a place, but by becoming a people whose hearts are knit together in love.

Serving with His Heart

Service is the outward manifestation of inward conversion.

The Restoration is not advanced by debate, by building projects, or by popularity. It is advanced by sacrifice and meekness—by ministering to one another without fanfare.

Jesus washed feet. He touched lepers. He fed the hungry. He walked with the broken. He spoke uncomfortable truth but wasn't tyrannic. His words and actions, gentle or rough, were always an invitation to be more like Him. And then He taught: “Go and do likewise.”

Service isn’t just what we do—it’s how we become. It reshapes our desires. It lets Heaven form Zion in our homes, in our friendships, and in our fellowships.

When we pray, "May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" we are really saying: I will do your will on earth to be and to bring heaven here.

And when we serve with sincerity—not for recognition or reward—we taste the divine. And it is delicious. We experience, in a small and sacred way, the love God has for all His children.

Let the Restoration Continue in You

The Restoration is not on pause. It is alive. It is moving forward. And it continues every time a heart turns again to Christ.

So ask Him: Lord, what lack I yet?

And then act: Repent. Be baptized. Serve. Do it not to be seen, but to know Him. Do it not to earn Heaven, but to be Heaven on earth.

Let your renewed commitment be written in your actions, in your love, and in your willingness to follow Him into the wilderness or the promised land—wherever He calls.

Zion will come. But before she is gathered in beauty, she must be formed in brokenness, in humility, and in joy.

And it starts with you and me.

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