Reinterpreting the Restoration

Recontextualizing a foundational origin story in light of historical facts

LDS Missionary Tract on the Apostasy and Restoration. This tract was still in use as recently as 2018.

When I studied religion and anthropology at university, we learned about the process of recontextualization - or reinterpretation- that happens in religions when events don’t turn out the way people expect. This is quite common in prophetic new religiou…