What language did Peter, James and John speak when they appeared to Joseph Smith to restore the Melchizedek Priesthood?  Aramaic?  Hebrew?

Similarly, did Moroni speak Hebrew, reformed Egyptian, or something else?  Did Adam speak the pure Adamic language? 

Some maintain these restorers of keys and authority spoke English, while others claim they spoke their mother tongue and, through the power of God, Joseph heard English.  Either way, there is a key principle of communication here: 

We communicate not by what we say but by what the listener understands.

An example of this communication problem today is found in D&C 123:12 where the Lord tells us that “there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, …who are kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.”

And why do they know not where to find the truth?  I submit it’s because we members have not told them where to find it in words they understand. 

Oh, we think we’re communicating, but any culture 180 years old is bound to have developed its own shorthand, which may confuse an outsider.  Add a layer of theological terms and the world can be forgiven for thinking they need a cryptologist to decipher what we’re saying. 

Consider this central statement:

“The gospel has been restored and the keys of
the priesthood are again on the earth.”

Absolutely perfect truth … and absolutely over the heads of most Americans.

In a story I relate in my book, when I asked participants in focus groups their understanding of the word gospel, about half replied, “Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.”  About a third said it was the good news of Christ’s message, a correct definition as far as it goes.  But I found that only about one person in ten understands this key word the same way we do – as the totality of Christianity that includes doctrines, authority, organization and ordinances.

Then I asked them what they understood by the word restored.  They said it was something one did to Grandma’s old dining room table, or to Grandpa’s ’66 Mustang rusting in the back shed.  In every example they used to define this verb, the object in point never went away.  It was always there, albeit scarred, decayed or dilapidated.  This perception, of course, is quite different than our usage of the word to define something that went away in its entirety and then was brought back.

After these experiences, I wondered how many people, upon hearing our declaration, think to themselves, “The book of Matthew has a new coat of paint?”

If we use standard Mormonese, we confuse people with the first five words out of our mouths and we haven’t even come to the phrase keys of the priesthood.  How much more understandable our claim would be if we substituted Christianity for gospel, and re-established for restored.

Don’t misunderstand me.  I love the word restoration and all it implies and promises.  In fact, I love it so much I want Americans to understand clearly what we mean by it.  That means we must begin where they are, use words they understand, and then explain our special definition.

So instead of saying, “The gospel has been restored,” say the same idea in three sentences that anyone, regardless of religious background, can grasp: 

Christ organized a church.
Men changed it.
It has been brought back.

Then summarize it in one simple claim:

We claim to be the re-established original Christian church.

If the person is curious to know more, tell him that we Mormons call this re-establishment of the original church the “Restoration” and it is so important that we sometimes capitalize the “R”. 

And if he’s still with you, explain that restoration means that every truth that has ever been on the earth is to be brought back in this period of the world’s history to prepare a people for the event all Christianity anticipates – the return of the Savior and the beginning of the Millennium.

At this point, you will have established a foundation from which to add answers to other questions your friend may ask, and in the process explained our main claim, something that only 29% of all Americans can recall having heard from us even though 84% have been exposed to our missionaries, TV ads and/or literature. 

No jargon, no cryptology, no paint.

* * *

Gary Lawrence is a California-based pollster and author of “How Americans View Mormonism; Seven Steps to Improve Our Image” available at howamericansviewmormonism.com and at Deseret Book.  Send comments to him at gary@lawrenceresearch.com.