The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ . . .

Dear fellow Sons of Mosiah,

I lately have been left to marvel about the wondrous Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It is a beautiful display of God's love for us, His children, and His desire for us to return to live with Him again. His arm is extended to all of us in mercy, and not one of us is ineligible for the Kingdom of God if we will but repent and come unto Him. This is a wonderful Plan of Salvation that He has made for us so that we can become like Him. It is a plan of happiness that is meant to result in a fullness of joy, and eternal life with those we love most. It is so important that we do all we can to help those around us realize that they are living this Plan of Salvation, and to help our loved ones stay on the path of righteousness so that we can be with them hereafter. I am eternally grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ, and His atoning sacrifice. We teach all of Christ so that all of God's children know where to turn for a remission of their sins. Repentance is a gift we have been given, and it was bought with the price of our Redeemer's blood.
I am also eternally grateful for Christ restoring His church to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith, who acted as an instrument in the hands of our Savior. He was a loyal servant of the our only true and living God. His role was also so important in this plan that God has for us, and he and the Book of Mormon have both been prophesied about for centuries long before the Restoration of the Gospel took place. Isaiah said concerning the Book of Mormon (the words of the Nephite Prophets), "And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust" (Isaiah 29:4), and prophesying about apostasy, and what sounds to me like the Restoration, Isaiah said, "And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid" (Isaiah 29: 11-14). "And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah" (Jesus Christ speaking in 3 Nephi 23:1).
It's interesting to me that Christ would say that last part concerning the words of Isaiah when there are many prophets who have written many things. All of them are important, and we should search all of the scriptures--but very plainly, in Isaiah 29 it tells us concerning the Nephites, the Book of Mormon, and the Restoration of Christ's church after an Apostasy. What other wonderful things are to be found in the words of Isaiah? Sometimes it is so difficult for me to understand his words, but they are great. Anyway, that was a tangent.
So Isaiah's words were fulfilled! Truth came from the ground, a voice that has the fulness of the gospel--a voice that changed the world! The Restoration of the Gospel has had an effect on the entire world! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is being spread! All are coming to know of us. Some will embrace the truth; others will fight against it because of the Adversary's power over their hearts. This world is riping in wickedness, but also the strength of the righteous is stronger than probably ever before! Jesus Christ's church is on the earth again, and it is a wonderful time to be here on this earth! There are many who are seeking for truth, but kept from the truth only because they do not know where to find it. Let's help them find it.
I love you all! I'll step off my soapbox now, but I am currently experiencing the battle. We cannot ignore that many of our brothers and sisters do not have the gospel, and we promised them we would bring it to them. There is real fight for the souls of men between the cause of right, and the powers of darkness. God is real, and He loves us. Satan is real, and he wants to lead us carefully down to hell. Many of died for the cause of truth, justice, and mercy to go forth to all the inhabitants of the earth. "Shall we not go on in so great a cause?"

Love, Elder Christopher Petersen