Truth Restored & Gospel Principles

by Gordon B. Hinckley

Gordon Bitner Hinckley served as the fifteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death. "Truth Restored" was taken from his 1947 book, What of the Mormons?: Including A Short History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and was published separately in 1969. "Gospel Principles" was published in 1978 by the LDS Church as a personal study guide and as a teacher's manual.

Genres: Religion, Church, Lds, Spirituality, Nonfiction

362 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1990

About the author

President Hinckley was known, even at the age of 95, as a tireless leader who always put in a full day at the office and traveled extensively around the world to mix with Church members, now numbering nearly 13 million in 171 nations.

His quick wit and humor, combined with an eloquent style at the pulpit, made him one of the most loved of modern Church leaders. A profoundly spiritual man, he had a great fondness for history and often peppered his sermons with stories from the Church’s pioneer past.

He was a popular interview subject with journalists, appearing on 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace and on CNN’s Larry King Live, as well as being quoted and featured in hundreds of newspapers and magazines over the years. During the Salt Lake Olympics of 2002, his request that the Church refrain from proselytizing visitors was credited by media with generating much of the goodwill that flowed to the Church from the international event.

In recent years, a number of major developments in the Church reflected President Hinckley’s personal drive and direction. In calling for 100 temples to be in operation before the end of the year 2000, the Church president committed the Church to a massive temple-building program.

In 1999 — 169 years after the Church was organized by its founder, Joseph Smith — the Church had 56 operating temples. Three years later that number had doubled, largely because of a smaller, highly practical temple architectural plan that delivered these sacred buildings to Church members in far-flung parts of the world. Many more Church members can now experience the sacred ceremonies that occur only in temples, including marriages for eternity and the sealing of families in eternal units.

President Hinckley was the most traveled president in the Church’s history. His duties took him around the world many times to meet with Latter-day Saints in more than 60 countries. He was the first Church president to travel to Spain, where in 1996 he broke ground for a temple in Madrid; and to the African nations of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Cape Verde, where he met with thousands of Latter-day Saints in 1998. In 2005, he traveled nearly 25,000 miles on a seven-nation, nine-day tour to Russia, South Korea, China, Taiwan, India, Kenya, and Nigeria.

At a general conference of Church members in April 2001, President Hinckley initiated the Perpetual Education Fund — an ambitious program to help young members of the Church (mainly returning missionaries from developing countries) receive higher education and work-related training that they would otherwise likely never receive.

Closer to his Salt Lake City home, President Hinckley announced the construction of a new Conference Center in 1996 and dedicated it four years later. Seating 21,000 people, it is believed to be the largest religious and theater auditorium in the world and has become the hub for the Church’s general conference messages to the world, broadcast in 54 languages.

Even before his term as president, President Hinckley’s extensive Church service included 14 years as a counselor in the First Presidency, the highest presiding body in the government of the Church, and 20 years before that as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

President Hinckley was born 23 June 1910 in Salt Lake City, a son of Bryant Stringham and Ada Bitner Hinckley. One of his forebears, Stephen Hopkins, came to America on the Mayflower. Another, Thomas Hinckley, served as governor of the Plymouth Colony from 1680 to 1692.

President Hinckley’s first job was as a newspaper carrier for the Deseret News, a Salt Lake City daily. After attending public schools in Salt Lake City, he earned a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Utah and then served two years as a full-time missionary for the Church in Great Britain. He served with distinction and ultimately was appointed as an assistant to the Church apostle who presided over all the Europe

Reviews

[Ashleigh Olds]

This was really a interesting book. I learned a lot about the LDS church and the problems they encountered. Everything from the Prophet being tarred and feathered to arriving in the Great City of St. George, Utah. It talks about how the mormons were persecuted and driven out of their homes in almost every city they prospered in. They finally got to rest when Brigham Young helped lead them to Utah. Even then Utah was a desert. Nothing was around them so they had to start from scratch all over again. They had to build new homes and roads. The way to Utah wasn't easy for them. A lot of them lost family, friends and children on the way. It really made me sad, the way people treated them. All these Pioneers wanted to do was live in peace and practice there religion. It made me think of the Trail of Tears and how Congress and President Jackson allowed the Indian Removal act. They literally forced the Indians out of THEIR land. Just like the Indians were forced from their land Mormons were forced from theirs. They built up the city of Nauvoo from swamp land. When they built there second temple (everything was almost perfect) until it wasn't. Mobs of people would throw rocks into their homes, set stores on fire and much more. They were persecuted. They finally departed and moved to Missouri. Not long after that the mobs killed the Prophet Joseph Smith, and set the temple on fire. During that time Missouri made it legal to kill Mormon's. It said in the book For 137 years, it was technically legal to kill a Mormon in Missouri. The law was on the books until 1975, when Governor Bond rescinded what was known as the extermination order. The order was issued in 1838, driving many Mormons out of the state." Why did they hate them so much? That is the question I pondered so much reading this book. I soon came to realize that it's kind of like the same reason why Americans along with many other nations hate or "Dislike" Muslims or those that are apart of the Islamic faith. Us as human beings judge a whole nation because of groups like al-Qeuda and ISIS. When in reality they're groups that have broken off and are not the same as the Muslim or Islamic Faith. We all have the freedom to choose. Agency. This book does a great job at inspiring you to look upon yourself and to put your perspectives in check. It also helps you realize that we all have people who have done wrong unto us, and that we should forgive them. It is not always easy but it most certainly is possible.

[Tamra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was given to me when I was 14 or so, by my Sunday School teacher. It came with Our Heritage the same year we were studying the Doctrine and Covenants. I started reading Our Heritage and almost instantly disliked it. It gives the fluffy cute version of church history, and at the time I had no patience for that.

Truth Restored, however, (which, as an aside: the book I was given does not even list the author. I didn't know it was written by Gordon B. Hinckley until years later) gave a fair description of the history. Not faith-shattering, but not just faith-promoting, either. I read the whole thing and loved it.

I whole-heartedly recommend it to every member of the church (and I'm sad that they use Our Heritage with the D&C lesson book instead of Truth Restored).

[Hayley Shaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. It told of the restoration of the gospel on earth, and the trials the pioneers and their families had to endure. Orson Hyde, one of my direct line's patriarchs, has a line or two in the book. Also, Joseph Smith, another very distant relative, is the focus of much of this book. The second half of this book mostly focuses on important gospel principles. There is an index of songs and notes in the back of the book. If you are a member of my church, this will interest you very much. It still might interest you if you want an abbreviated history of the Latter-Day Saints and what their gospel doctrine is. Note: This is not the way I would learn of the church. You really need to read other scripture also.

[Chanel Earl]

I know I liked this book, but it wasn't the most memorable read. Even a week or two after I read it I was having trouble remembering the specific historical information it presented.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

rather simplistic. Perhaps he needed to keep it short. No real explanation of certain doctrines.
Other details were new to me. There are probably better texts out there.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly as the titles indicate. (From the Missionary Reference Library)