The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ began when a teenaged Joseph Smith entered a grove of trees near his home to ask God which Church he should join. In response, “God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph.”¹ Joseph recorded that the Lord told him that he should “join none of them”. But that was not all.

Whether he realized it or not, this was about much more than an answer to a boy’s prayer of which church to join; this inaugurated “the ‘restitution of all things’ (Acts 3:21) as foretold in the Bible.”²

The Restitution of Godly Power

This ‘restitution’ was more than a restitution of true, correct doctrine. Don’t get me wrong–the Lord was clear that errant doctrine was being taught, particularly the creeds of Christianity. But it was more than that. The Lord told Joseph that the the religious leaders of the time “draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof” (Joseph Smith – History 1:18-19, emphasis added).

“. . . but their hearts are far from me . . . “

A few years after this initial visitation, Joseph had another visit from a heavenly messenger named Moroni. Among the first things Moroni shared with Joseph Smith when he first appeared to him in the fall of 1823 was a prophecy from the Book of Malachi in the Old Testament:

“Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

“And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.

“If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (Doctrine and Covenants 2:1-3).⁵

Which promises is this prophecy pointing to? The promises of the Everlasting Covenant.

The Everlasting Covenant refers to the promise God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,¹³ and their posterity–all mortal men and women–to provide a Savior who would overcome the consequences of the Fall and lead us back to Him.⁴ God wants all of us to have that covenant “written in [our] hearts.”⁶ That is the essence of turning the hearts of the children to their fathers.

In 1843, Levi Richards recorded what he heard Joseph Smith share about his First Vision. Joseph went into the grove and prayed to know which church he should join. The answer came that “none of them were right, that they were all wrong, & that the Everlasting covena[n]t was broken..” (emphasis added).³

Further, in the Lord’s preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, He reiterated:

“For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant” (D&C 1:15).

It is no surprise, then, that there was no church for Joseph to join, because there was no church that provided the power to bring him back to God.

” . . .but they deny the power thereof.”

What power were these different denominations denying? Given that they only had a “form of godliness” they were, in reality, not acknowledging godly power.

Several years after these initial experiences already mentioned, Joseph would learn that through the ordinances of the priesthood “the power of godliness is manifest” (see D&C 84:19-20). In other words, there is a power that comes from a covenant relationship with God as administered through priesthood ordinances.

Russell M. Nelson taught:

“Ordinances and covenants give us access to godly power. The covenant path is the only path that leads to exaltation and eternal life.”⁶

And on another occasion he said:

“The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power—power that strengthens us to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better. This power eases our way. Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power. Thus, covenant keepers are entitled to a special kind of rest that comes to them through their covenantal relationship with God.”⁷

The Covenant Relationship

When the Lord told Joseph “their hearts [were] far” from Him, the children of God were no longer binding themselves to Him through covenant. When the Lord told Joseph “they [denied] the power thereof”, His children were no longer recognizing the need for a divine bond to overcome the world.

God’s work and glory is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life.⁹ If this purpose is not achieved then the whole reason the earth was created “would be utterly wasted”.¹⁰ So, He gave His Son to that end¹⁴—as we forge a bond with Jesus Christ through covenants, we are given godly power made possible through His Atonement.

Again, President Nelson:

“Once we make a covenant with God, we leave neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy.”⁸

Emily Belle Freeman summed it up this way:

“We must remember: it’s not the course alone that will exalt us; it’s the companion—our Savior. And this is the why of covenant relationship.”¹¹

Thus, it is not enough to “teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness.”¹⁵

We need an actual covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.

That is the “power thereof”.

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1. The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World
2. The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World
3. Joseph Smith Papers, Levi Richards, Journal, 11 June 1843, extract
4. see Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant”, Liahona, October 2022
5. This prophecy can be found in all four standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. See Malachi 4:5–6, Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39, 3 Nephi 25:5-6
6. see Hebrews 8:10, 2 Corinthians 3:1-6, Jeremiah 31:33
7. Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum”, General Conference, April 2022
8. Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest”, General Conference, October 2022
9. Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant”, Liahona, October 2022
10. see Moses 1:39
11. see Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39
12. Emily Belle Freeman, “Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ”, General Conference, October 2023
13. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are considered the Patriarchs or “Fathers” because they played a key role in God’s covenant with the Israelites. 
14. see John 3:16
15. see Joseph Smith – History 1:19