Biblical Prophecies Fulfilled by the Restoration

1. The Restitution of All Things

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 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.

— Acts 3:19–21

What was prophesied: Peter declared that heaven would retain Jesus Christ untila “restitution of all things” takes place. Not a reformation. Not a gradual improvement. A restitution— a complete restoration of everything that had been lost.

How it was fulfilled:The Restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith beginning in 1820 was precisely this: a restitution of priesthood authority, temple ordinances, the original organization of the Church with apostles and prophets, continuing revelation, and additional scripture. Everything that was lost in the Great Apostasy was restored — not reformed, not protested, but given back from heaven.

2. An Angel with the Everlasting Gospel

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.

— Revelation 14:6

What was prophesied:John saw in vision an angel flying through heaven, carrying the everlasting gospel and bringing it back to every nation on earth. This implies the gospel would need to be brought back — that it would have been lost.

How it was fulfilled:On the night of September 21, 1823, the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and directed him to a set of ancient gold plates buried in the Hill Cumorah. Those plates contained the Book of Mormon — the everlasting gospel preached to an ancient people — now restored to the earth. Moroni was literally an angel bringing the everlasting gospel back to the world.

3. A Marvellous Work and a Wonder

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 precepts 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 29:13–14

What was prophesied:Isaiah foresaw a time when people would honor God with their lips but not their hearts, when religion would be governed by the “precepts of men” rather than revelation. In response, God Himself would intervene with a “marvellous work and a wonder.”

How it was fulfilled:The Restoration — with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the priesthood, the establishment of living prophets, and the building of temples — is that marvelous work. It confounded the learned. It arose not from seminaries or theologians but through an unschooled farm boy in upstate New York. The wisdom of the wise perished before it.

4. The Sealed Book

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.

— Isaiah 29:11–12

What was prophesied: Isaiah described a sealed book that would be brought first to a learned man who could not read it, then to an unlearned man.

How it was fulfilled:In February 1828, Martin Harris took a copy of characters from the gold plates to Professor Charles Anthon at Columbia College — one of the most learned men in America. Anthon initially certified the characters as authentic ancient script, but when he learned the source was an angel and sealed plates, he tore up his certificate and said, “I cannot read a sealed book.” The book was then given to Joseph Smith — an unlearned farm boy — who translated the entire record by the gift and power of God. Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled with remarkable, almost startling precision.

5. A Kingdom That Shall Never Be Destroyed

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

— Daniel 2:44

What was prophesied:Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: in the latter days, the God of heaven would establish a kingdom that would never be destroyed and would fill the whole earth. Not a political kingdom — but a kingdom set up by God Himself.

How it was fulfilled: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on April 6, 1830, with six members in a small log cabin in Fayette, New York. From those six members, it has grown to over 17 million members in more than 195 countries and territories. It has survived the murder of its founder, the extermination order of a state governor, the forced exodus of an entire people across a continent, federal legislation designed to destroy it, and nearly two centuries of relentless opposition. It has never been destroyed. It continues to fill the earth.

6. Two Sticks Becoming One

The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

— Ezekiel 37:15–17

What was prophesied:Ezekiel was told to take two sticks — one for Judah and one for Joseph — and join them together as one. In the ancient world, records were kept on scrolls wrapped around sticks. The “stick of Judah” is the record of the Jewish people. The “stick of Joseph” is the record of the descendants of Joseph.

How it was fulfilled:The Bible is the stick of Judah — the record kept by the Jewish nation. The Book of Mormon is the stick of Joseph — the record of the descendants of Lehi, who was of the tribe of Manasseh (a son of Joseph). With the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830, these two sticks were joined together as one witness of Jesus Christ, exactly as Ezekiel prophesied.

7. The Return of Elijah

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

— Malachi 4:5–6

What was prophesied: Malachi, the last Old Testament prophet, declared that Elijah would return before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Elijah would turn the hearts of fathers and children to one another.

How it was fulfilled:On April 3, 1836 — which happened to be Passover, the very day Jews traditionally set an empty chair for Elijah — the prophet Elijah appeared in the Kirtland Temple in Ohio. He restored the sealing keys of the priesthood, the power to bind families together for eternity. This is why members of the Church operate the largest genealogical organization on earth. This is why temple work matters. This is why hearts turn to their fathers. Malachi’s prophecy was fulfilled on the very day the Jewish people were waiting for it.

8. Other Sheep

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

— John 10:16

What was prophesied:Jesus Himself declared that He had “other sheep” who were not of the fold He was currently ministering to. They would hear His voice. Many scholars have tried to explain this as a reference to Gentile converts, but Christ was already speaking to Gentiles. He said these other sheep would hear His voice— personally, directly.

How it was fulfilled:The Book of Mormon records that after His resurrection, Jesus Christ descended from heaven and appeared to a group of people gathered at the temple in the land Bountiful, in the Americas (3 Nephi 11). He taught them. He healed their sick. He blessed their children. He established His Church among them. He told them explicitly: “Ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold” (3 Nephi 15:21). The other sheep had a shepherd. They heard His voice.

9. God Works Through Prophets

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

— Amos 3:7

What was prophesied: Amos declared a principle that governs how God operates: He does nothingof significance without first revealing it through His prophets. This is not an optional feature of God’s work. It is the pattern.

How it was fulfilled:The Restoration brought back living prophets to the earth. From Joseph Smith to the present day, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is sustained as a prophet, seer, and revelator who receives revelation for the entire Church. God has not gone silent. He speaks today through the same pattern He has always used — through prophets. If God works through prophets, then the absence of prophets means either God has stopped working or the prophets were lost and needed to be restored.

10. A Falling Away from Sound Doctrine

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

— 2 Timothy 4:3–4

What was prophesied: The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that a time would come when people would reject sound doctrine, seek out teachers who told them what they wanted to hear, and turn from truth to fables.

How it was fulfilled:The Great Apostasy fulfilled this prophecy. After the death of the original apostles, plain and precious truths were altered. Creeds replaced revelation. Councils of men debated the nature of God. Priesthood authority was lost. Ordinances were changed. The simple, powerful doctrine of Christ was replaced by the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. Paul saw it coming. The Restoration answers it — not by reforming what was corrupted, but by restoring what was lost.

11. Apostles and Prophets Until the Unity of the Faith

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

— Ephesians 4:11–13

What was prophesied:Paul stated that Christ gave the Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These offices were to continue “till we all come in the unity of the faith.” Not until the apostles died. Not until the Bible was compiled. Until unity.

How it was fulfilled:Has unity of the faith been achieved? There are an estimated 45,000 Christian denominations in the world today, each teaching different doctrines, disagreeing on baptism, the nature of God, the role of grace, and virtually every other fundamental question. Unity has not been achieved. Therefore, according to Paul’s own words, apostles and prophets are still needed. The Restoration brought them back. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led by fifteen men sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators — twelve apostles and a First Presidency — exactly as Christ organized His original Church.