You SAY policies and procedures, but in REALITY doctrines belong on that list. The receipts exist, example priesthood ban. Also, you think washing of feet doesn't happen anymore?
The priesthood is the doctrine, the ban is policy and it also existed in Christ’s time (see Acts 11) when the Gentiles could not be in the priesthood or even have the gospel. Policies change, core doctrines do not. Eternal marriage is another example. And yes polygamy still exists in heaven, not widespread but if a wife dies in this life and her husband gets sealed to another, there you go, polygamy is still there. Now it’s not practiced here because we also follow the laws of the land and we know how that all went down, but even so, doctrine still there (D&C 132)
@autismFamilyChannel George Albert Smith said in 1947: "from the days of the Prophet Joseph even until now, it has been the doctrine of the Church, never questioned by any of the Church leaders, that the Negroes are not entitled to the full blessings of the Gospel". It was a doctrine and those who hoped it was otherwise (like you) faced agreeing or church discipline.
Your assertion that the church is being “continuously being restored” assumes that the Church failed in its mission, and that Christ lied when He spoke “Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it”. Your outlook upon Christ’s teachings and soteriology would be seen as both completely unheard of and unreconcilable to any of the Apostles or early Church Fathers.
There are 3 common responses to the accusation that the apostasy and restoration contradicts the Bible because Christ said the gates of hell would not prevail. Response #1. You are misapplying/misinterpreting this verse. The gates of hell will not and do not prevail against the foundation of revelation (direct communication from God), the devil cannot silence God. Response #2. Yeah, the gates of hell didn't prevail. There was and is a restoration, if God didn't restore the Church, then the gates of hell would've prevailed. In other words, the fact that the restoration occurred is not in conflict with this scripture but a fulfilling of it. Response #3. Gates are not an offensive weapon, they are a defensive fortification and they did not and do not prevail. Christ broke them down. Different variations of these Responses also exist, but most Latter-day Saint responses to this argument stem from one, two, or all of these 3 basic ideas. And frankly all three have valid points.
If I may add, it would be as inaccurate, in my humble opinion, to say that hell prevailed against the Church (despite its falling away and the need for restoration) as it would be to say Christ was overcome by Satan because He was killed on the cross. In both instances, Satan and hell did not prevail because the Church and Christ were given new life, never to die again.
