‘You Mormons are all ignoramuses. You don’t even know the strength of your own position. It is so strong that there is only one other tenable in the whole Christian world, and that is the position of the Catholic Church. The issue is between Catholicism and Mormonism. If we are right, you are wrong; if you are right, we are wrong; and that’s all there is to it. The Protestants haven’t a leg to stand on. For, if we are wrong, they are wrong with us, since they were a part of us and went out from us; while if we are right, they are apostates whom we cut off long ago. If we have the apostolic succession from St. Peter, as we claim, there is no need of Joseph Smith and Mormonism; but if we have not that succession, then such a man as Joseph Smith was necessary, and Mormonism’s attitude is the only consistent one. It is either the perpetuation of the gospel from ancient times, or the restoration of the gospel in latter days.’
-(LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder [Deseret Book Co., 1950], pp. 3–4.)
Okay, I've read the speech by Elder LeGrand Richards from the 1972 General Conference. Here's what it's about in simple terms:
- The True Church is about restoring the real Gospel: Elder Richards says that the original church started by Jesus Christ lost its true teachings over time. He believes that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church that has brought back the true Gospel.
If Peter was a prophet of God, we can’t look forward to the second coming of Christ, and neither can the world, without a restitution—and not a reformation. There is a great difference between remodeling an old house and building a new one. As far as I know, in all the missionary work that I have done, there is no other church in this world that claims a restitution of all things, as was spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began.
- The Gospel needs to be shared: Elder Richards emphasizes that Latter-day Saints have a responsibility to tell the world about the restored Gospel. He says that it's the most important message we can share.
I think of the words of the apostle Paul when he said that he determined to know nothing but Jesus and him crucified. (See 1 Cor. 2:2.) That doesn’t mean that he didn’t know the old prophets or appreciate them, but a new day had come.
The Son of God had come, of whom the prophets had spoken, and then he said: “… for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16.)
In that same sense, we know nothing but the restoration of the gospel, that it was brought by the Son of Man himself, so that there is no separation from the prophets of this dispensation, and woe be unto us if we share not these marvelous truths with the world!
- The Church is different because of special events: Elder Richards talks about how the Church is different because of events like the coming of Moroni with the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the Priesthood, and the coming of Elijah. He believes these events are proof that God is working through the Church.
This event we heard sung by the choir—of the coming of the Father and the Son—was followed by Moroni, a prophet who lived upon this earth 400 years after the time of Christ, and he brought the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated.
John the Baptist, who was beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, returned as a resurrected being and conferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery the Aaronic Priesthood, with power to baptize by immersion for the remission of sins. He told them that later the Melchizedek Priesthood would be restored, which would be the power to administer the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Peter, James, and John, the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who were with him on the Mount of Transfiguration, returned and brought back that Melchizedek Priesthood. Could all the money in the world buy things that would mean as much to the children of our Father in heaven as these events that transpired? And what could come to us individually, and to our families and to our friends and our loved ones, like the coming of these holy messengers?
And that isn’t all. Then there came Elijah the Prophet, of whom Malachi spoke, that were it not for his coming before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. He said:
“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.” (Mal. 4:6.)
That opened the door for an understanding of the words of the apostle Paul, when he said that the Lord had revealed the mystery of his will unto him:
“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth. …” (Eph. 1:10.)
We live in the dispensation of the fulness of times, and the coming of Elijah has brought the keys of his mission, and that is why we build these holy temples. That is why we have this great genealogical program, the like of which can’t be found anywhere in all this world. And so the prophets have foreseen the coming of these holy prophets.
- The Church is the only one with the true authority: Elder Richards says that other churches might take parts of the Bible, but they can't have the true power and authority to act in God's name unless they've been given it by those who have the right to give it. He believes that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has this authority.
Where would one look today to find that gospel of the kingdom that Jesus referred to? Not according to man’s interpretation of the scriptures, but where the divine power rests, such as Jesus gave to his Twelve when he said:
Anybody could organize a church and take from the scriptures certain passages and base their church upon that, but how can they take a living branch from a dead tree? How can they put in it the power and the authority to act in the name of the Lord?
They couldn’t do that any more than they could act for the mayor of the city, the governor of the state, or the president of the United States, without being duly commissioned so to do. Neither can any work effectively in the kingdom of our Father in heaven unless they have divine authority given to them by those who have the right to so convey it.
Overall, Elder Richards's speech is a strong call for Latter-day Saints to be witnesses of the restored Gospel and to share its message with the world. He believes that the Church is unique because of its restoration of the true Gospel and the special events that have happened within it.
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