REXBURG, Idaho — In 2030, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will commemorate the bicentennial of the organization of the Church. It will also commemorate the beginning of the Savior’s mortal ministry 2,000 years ago.
“This convergence will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” noted Elder Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
As Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught in October 2024 general conference, “These events will result in extraordinary opportunities to serve, to unite with members and friends and to introduce The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to more people than ever before.”
To thousands of BYU–Idaho students gathered in the I–Center auditorium on Sunday, June 14, Elder Caussé issued a simple invitation: “Be prepared.”
“You are the children of the Restoration,” he declared. “Yours is the generation called to help lead this work forward. You are among those the Lord has chosen for this remarkable time. You will carry the light of the Restoration into the next hundred years — with faith and with joyful determination.”
Elder Caussé also invited students to become more active witnesses of the Restoration — “owning, expressing and sharing your beliefs in ways that are personal and visible.”
With faith, creativity and devotion, “you will help move this work forward in ways we have never seen before,” he promised.
Joined by his wife, Sister Valérie Caussé, for the Sunday evening devotional, Elder Caussé highlighted the foundational events and distinctive truths found in the restored Church of Jesus Christ and invited listeners to reflect on how these truths are an “extraordinary gift.”
Restored truth No. 1: The true nature of the Godhead
Joseph Smith’s First Vision revealed the true nature of the Godhead, said Elder Caussé. Joseph learned that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are two distinct beings, that each has a glorified body of flesh and bones and that They want each individual to grow, learn and succeed.
“How grateful we are to know that God knows us personally, that He loves us, and that we can speak with Him directly. He is not distant. He is aware of us, and He cares — even about the smallest details of our lives,” said Elder Caussé.
Restored truth No. 2: The role of Jesus Christ and His Atonement
Over centuries of spiritual confusion, some of the deeper meaning of what the Savior did in Gethsemane and at Golgotha was lost or obscured, said Elder Caussé. However, the Book of Mormon teaches “with remarkable clarity” truths about the Savior’s Atonement.
For example, the Book of Mormon teaches that Jesus Christ not only suffered for sins but for sorrows, infirmities, sicknesses and afflictions.
The Book of Mormon also teaches that through His Atonement, the Savior provides enabling power. “Jesus Christ gave His life not only for those who have sinned but also for those faithful people who sincerely strive to become better each day,” said Elder Caussé.
Restored truth No. 3: God’s plan of salvation
Latter-day Saints are blessed with the knowledge — restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith — of God’s plan of salvation and exaltation, said Elder Caussé. “We know that we lived with God before this life, that our brief time on earth has a divine purpose and that ‘through the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah’ (2 Nephi 2:8), we can one day be resurrected and return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.”
This knowledge “gives direction, purpose and hope to life,” he said. “It helps us focus less on what is temporary — that which we might lose — and more on what is eternal. It shapes our choices and guides our daily lives.”
Restored truth No. 4: Priesthood keys and the eternal nature of families
Shortly before they were married, Elder and Sister Caussé were briefly held hostage during an armed robbery. Fortunately, they were unharmed.
During those long minutes of the robbery, “I pleaded with God to spare our lives so that we could be united in His holy house and sealed together for eternity — that nothing would ever separate us,” Elder Caussé recalled.
Thanks to the restoration of priesthood keys, the divine sealing power is once again upon the earth. “This truth brings me profound peace and joy,” he said. “It is impossible for me to imagine heaven without the presence of my beloved eternal companion and our family.”
Restored truth No. 5: Continuing revelation
Coming to the lectern to share the fifth restored truth, Sister Caussé spoke of the death of Christ’s apostles and how the keys and authority of the priesthood were eventually lost. “But God did not forget His children,” she said. “Through the Restoration, we are once again guided by living prophets.”
In a world filled with confusion, “living prophets and apostles help us stay anchored in truth and strengthen our faith in Christ,” Sister Caussé said.
Elder Caussé noted, “When these blessings are constantly before our eyes, it can be easy to take them for granted. Over time, we can lose our sense of wonder and gratitude for what they truly represent.”
His hope, said Elder Caussé, “is that you discover or rediscover what a blessing it is to be part of this dispensation — the dispensation of the fullness of times.”
