President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inviting Latter-day Saints to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others in 2020. The new year marks the bicentennial of the First Vision.
The prophet posted the following message on his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts on New Year’s Day.
When I spoke during last October’s general conference, I designated 2020 as a bicentennial period commemorating 200 years since God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in a vision. That singular event in human history initiated the Restoration of the Lord’s gospel—an unfolding Restoration that continues today. How blessed we are to live in the light of that vision. With that vision came new understanding about the nature of God our Father and His son, Jesus Christ.
God loves all of His children and has a vision for each of us. Just as he listened to Joseph’s prayer in 1820, He listens to you and yearns to speak with you through the Spirit. Heavenly Father wants you. We want you. This is going to be an important year. We invite you to be a major part in sharing the message of the ongoing restoration of the Savior’s gospel. We will share more about this soon, but you can start today by acting on the invitations I extended to you at last general conference to immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration.
We invite you to be a major part in sharing the message of the ongoing restoration of the Savior’s gospel. What does that look like? You may wish to begin your preparation by reading afresh Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price. Or ponder important questions such as, “How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?” or “How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?”
Select your own questions. Design your own plan. Act on any of these invitations to prepare yourself for sharing the important messages of the ongoing Restoration. As you seek Jesus Christ in these efforts, God will prepare you to receive further light. It is your personal preparation that will help April’s general conference become for you not only memorable; but unforgettable. The time to act is now. This is a hinge point in the history of the Church and your part is vital.
I testify that Jesus Christ lives. He leads this Church today. God is trusting us, all of us, to play an important role in the restoration of His gospel.