‘Re-establishing the Restoration’ Far from solving the Church’s problems, the Manifesto introduced another set of difficulties which came to head in the early twentieth century. I will discuss these problems in terms of two crises. First, the Church’s negative reputation was inhibiting its ability to accomplish its objectives at home and abroad. Second, the internal consequences of the Manifesto which surfaced during President Smith’s administration were undermining the faith of its members. The unmistakable vitality of the LDS Church today is in large part due to Joseph F. Smith’s response to these crises and constitute a prophetic re-establishment of the restoration by him.

Kathleen Flake, L. Rex Sears