The Fulness of the Gospel Comes Again

1 Nephi 15:13 - "And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed" 

President Gordon B. Hinckley - “My brethren and sisters, do you realize what we have? Do you recognize our place in the great drama of human history? This is the focal point of all that has gone before. This is the season of restitution. These are the days of restoration. This is the time when men from over the earth come to the mountain of the Lord’s house to seek and learn of His ways and to walk in His paths. This is the summation of all of the centuries of time since the birth of Christ to this present and wonderful day” 

Seek this Jesus - A Book of Mormon Daily Podcast invites you to discover the joy and guidance that comes from studying the Book of Mormon everyday. This podcast would hope to just be a supplement to your studies. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Welcome to Seek This Pizza, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps. In first Nephi 15, Nephi lovingly explains his father Lehi's teachings to his brothers. What they struggled to understand was not just symbolism but timing. When would God act? How would his promises be fulfilled? In verse thirteen, Nephi teaches one of the clearest Book of Mormon explanations of the restoration and the role of the Gentiles in God's covenant plan. Nephi fifteen thirteen states And now the thing which our Father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fullness of the Gentiles, is that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fullness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed. Nephi frames history through the lens of covenants. He is not describing random events or disconnected dispensations, he is describing a continuous deliberate plan. The imagery of grafting teaches that God never abandons his covenant people even when they fall into unbelief. The phrase for the space of many years and many generations is important. God acknowledges that long periods of spiritual darkness would come. Apostasy was not a surprise to him. Silence was not abandonment. Delay was not a failure. Nephi teaches that the gospel would first go to the Gentiles in the latter days. Not because God forgot Israel, but because he was preparing a way to eventually bring the gospel back to the remnant of Lehi's seed. This is not a replacement story. It is a restoration story. The fullness of the gospel is not a partial return. It is not fragments or echoes of truth. It is the gospel in its fullness, with priesthood authority, covenants, ordinances, and saving doctrine restored by divine power. Nephi helps us see that the restoration is not a side note in history. It is central to God's covenant promises made centuries earlier. Nephi teaches that the gospel would come to the Gentiles and then through the Gentiles. That distinction matters. To receive the gospel is a blessing. To be entrusted with carrying it for is a responsibility. The Gentiles are not described as owners of the gospel, but stewards of it. The fullness comes to them so it can move through them. That movement, outward, inclusive, is part of God's design. This places every covenant disciple today in a sobering position. We live in the very period Nephi foresaw. We are not waiting for the restoration. We are living inside it. The question is not whether God is fulfilling his promises. The question is whether we recognize our role in them. President Gordon B. Heckley captured this reality with remarkable clarity.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

My brethren and sisters, do you realize what we have? Do you recognize our place in the great drama of human history? This is the focal point of all that has gone before. This is the season of restitution. These are the days of restoration. This is the time when men from over the earth come to the mountain of the Lord's house to seek and learn of his ways and to walk in his paths. This is the summation of all of the centuries of time since the birth of Christ to this present and wonderful day.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

President Hinckley does not speak of the restoration as a historical artifact. He speaks of it as a living moment. This is the time. That language invites accountability. If this is the focal point of history, then how we live matters more than we often realize. One of the most important lessons in 1 Nephi 15 13 is that the restoration unfolds in stages. The gospel comes to the Gentiles and then it moves outward to the remnant of Israel. That movement implies progression, growth, and continued divine involvement. Restoration is not merely about what was brought back, but about what is still being carried forward. The Lord restores truth so hearts can be restored. He restores authority so covenants can be restored. He restores the gospel so people can be restored to him. This helps us avoid two spiritual dangers. First, complacency. The idea that everything essential already happened and nothing more is required of us. Second, discouragement. The idea that because the world seems chaotic, God's work must be failing. Nephi teaches the opposite. God's work patiently across generations. He prepares peoples, nations, and individuals long before they understand what he is doing. The restoration moves forward quietly at times, powerfully at others, but always deliberately. Seeing ourselves inside this process changes how we read Scripture. We stop reading as observers and begin reading as participants. The gospel was restored for us, but it also moves through us. If this truly is the season of restitution, then the most personal question becomes unavoidable. Do we recognize our place in it? We often think of the restoration in institutional terms. Church organization, priesthood authority, temples and missionary work? All of those matter, but Nephi's teaching also invites something deeply personal. Has the fullness of the gospel reached our hearts? Are we merely recipients? Or are we conduits? Do our lives help the gospel move forward? Or does it stop with us? Being part of the restoration does not require public influence or visible impact. It requires covenant faithfulness. It requires trusting that small, consistent obedience participates in something far larger than we can see. Nephi teaches that God's promises survive unbelief, time and generational distance. That same God is patient with us. But patience should never lead us to passivity. If we live in the time foreseen by prophets, then how we pray, study, repent, and serve carries eternal weight. The restoration is not only something we believe in, it is something that we live inside of. So here is today's challenge. This week, prayerfully ask yourself where the gospel needs to move through you more intentionally. Then choose one small deliberate act study, repentance, testimony, or service that helps the gospel continue its journey rather than stopping with you. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Please don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. I encourage you to open your scriptures, because when you study God's Word personally, the Spirit will teach you things no podcast ever could. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you keep focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.