Why Is the Visit of Elijah Important?

             In my Come, Follow Me studies this week, I studied a lot about Joseph Smith and the persecution that he and his family faced because he said that he saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The studies included Doctrine and Covenants 2, which is an extract from Joseph Smith – History. This section relates the words of the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith on the evening of September 21, 1823, in Manchester, New York. Moroni was the last of a long line of historians who kept the records that were translated into what we know as the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ. These words spoken by Moroni to Joseph Smith now constitute Doctrine and Covenants 2:

1 Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

2 And he will plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.

3 If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.

            The first sentence in this section says that Elijah would come to reveal the Priesthood. John the Baptist had already come to bring the Aaronic Priesthood, and Peter, James, and John had already come to bring the Melchizedek Priesthood. What priesthood would Elijah reveal when he appeared in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836? Elijah came to bring the keys of the sealing power of the priesthood. According to the Prophet Joseph Smith:

The spirit, power, and calling of Elijah is, that ye have power to hold the key of the revelation, ordinances, oracles, powers and endowments of the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood and of the kingdom of God on the earth; and to receive, obtain, and perform all the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God, even unto the turning of the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the hearts of the children unto the fathers, even those who are in heaven….

… What is this office and work of Elijah? It is one of the greatest and most important subjects that God has revealed. He should send Elijah to seal the children to the fathers, and the fathers to the children….

Again: The doctrine or sealing power of Elijah is as follows: -- If you have power to seal on earth and in heaven, then we should be wise. The first thing you do, go and seal on earth your sons and daughters unto your fathers in eternal glory (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 311-12).

            The Prophet Joseph Smith was not the only latter-day prophet to write about Elijah’s mission in 1836. President Joseph Fielding Smith explained that Elijah’s visit brought the greatest blessings possible to the children of God through the powers of the priesthood.

Elijah’s mission was the sealing power. He held the keys by which the parents could be sealed together, and children sealed to parents. He bestowed these keys upon the Prophet Joseph Smith. And that applies to the dead as well as the living since the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

… But what was the nature of his mission to the earth in these latter days? It was to restore power and authority which once was given to men on the earth and which is essential to the complete salvation and exaltation of man in the kingdom of God. In other words, Elijah came to restore to the earth, by conferring on mortal prophets duly commissioned of the Lord, the fulness of the power of priesthood. This priesthood holds the keys of binding and sealing on earth and in heaven of all the ordinances and principles pertaining to the salvation of man, that they may thus become valid in the celestial kingdom of God (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:117).

            Elijah, the Old Testament prophet, visited the Prophet Joseph Smith and bestowed upon him the power to seal in heaven and on earth. Elijah used the power to seal the heavens. The drought became so bad that crops would not grow. The heavens remained sealed until Elijah unsealed the heavens.

            That same power was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and it has been handed down from prophet to prophet, the from the days of Joseph Smith to the time of President Russell M. Nelson. The sealing power can be used in many ways, but it is mainly used to seal children to their parents.

            Latter-day revelation tells us that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by lineage or by adoption. My patriarchal blessing tells me that I come through the loins of Ephraim, the son of Joseph, the same Joseph who was sold into Egypt. President Nelson, then Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described the promises of God’s covenant with Abraham:

The covenant God made with Abraham and later reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob is of transcendent significance. It contained several promises, including:

·         Jesus the Christ would be born through Abraham’s lineage.

·         Abraham’s posterity would be numerous, entitled to an eternal increase, and also entitled to bear the priesthood.

·         Abraham would become a father of many nations.

·         Certain lands would be inherited by his posterity.

·         All nations of the earth would be blessed by his seed.

·         And that covenant would be everlasting – even through “a thousand generations” [Deuteronomy 7:9; 1 Chronicles 16:15; Psalm 105:8].

Some of these promises have been fulfilled; others are still pending….

… We have received, as did they of old, the holy priesthood and the everlasting gospel. We have the right to receive the fulness of the gospel, enjoy the blessings of the priesthood, and qualify for God’s greatest blessing – that of eternal life.

Some of us are the literal seed of Abraham; others are gathered into his family by adoption. The Lord makes no distinction. Together we receive these promised blessings – if we seek the Lord and obey His commandments (Ensign, November 2011, 87-88).

            When the scripture says that God would plant the promises made to the fathers in the hearts of the children, He was referring to the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, when He referred to the hearts of the children turning to their fathers, He was referring to dead ancestors.

            This scripture about Elijah returning with the sealing power is the beginning of the family history program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the Church research to find their ancestors and then take their names to the temple where the sealing ordinances are done. Thus, sealing children to their fathers as far back as possible in one great chain of family. The sealing of families together for eternity is so important that “the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” without it.

Eternal Families

                Families, communities, and nations are strengthened by following the counsel given in “The Family:  A Proclamation to the World, which was published by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The third paragraph of the proclamation is as follows.

                “In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.”

                Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness for His spirit sons and daughters provides for marriage between a man and a woman and the children that are born to the couple or adopted by them. As this paragraph in the proclamation states, every human being born on earth was with Heavenly Father in the premortal life. All listened as He presented His plan for happiness and then accepted His plan. All mortals came to earth to gain a physical body and to gain experience that could be obtained in no other way. Heavenly Father sends His spirit children to earth to live as families and to prepare to live together for all eternity.

                The plan of happiness includes covenants and ordinances that are available in temples. The most important covenant is “the new and everlasting covenant of marriage.” Marriages performed by proper authority can be eternal, and children born into those marriages belong to their parents for eternity. Marriage is part of God’s “laboratory on earth.”

                Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles states, “Perhaps it helps to emphasize – more than we sometimes do – that our first estate [pre-mortal life] featured learning of a cognitive type…. The second estate [earth life], however, is one that emphasizes experiential learning through applying, proving, and testing. We learn cognitively here too, just as a good university examination also teaches even as it tests us. In any event, the books of the first estate are now closed to us, and the present test is, therefore, very real; we have moved, as it were, from first-estate theory to second-estate theory laboratory. It is here that our Christ-like characteristics are further shaped and our spiritual skills are thus strengthened” (Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, pages 19-20).

Eternal Families

                Heavenly Father established the first family on earth when He gave Eve to Adam in marriage (see Moses 4:21-24).  Like Adam and Eve, we are commanded to marry and have children and learn through personal experience how to become heavenly parents.  The children who come into our families are not yet ours but are loaded to us by Heavenly Father to see how well we treat them.  If we prove faithful, the children will be ours for all eternity.

                The importance of children is shown by God’s commandment to Adam and Eve to “multiply and replenish the earth” (see Genesis 1:28).  This commandment remains in force for us today.  In fact, our Heavenly Father has told us that bearing and rearing children is the purpose for marriage.  After we marry, we become partners with Heavenly Father is preparing mortal bodies for His spirit children because He desires that each of His children receive a physical body and the experience of living on earth.

                The Proclamation on the Family proclaims that “Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”   Each child is first a child of God and should be welcomed into our families with joy.  A righteous home is the best place to rear a family because therein we can learn self-control, sacrifice, loyalty, and the value of work as well as to love, to share and to serve each other.  Mothers and fathers have the responsibility for teaching and caring for their children and will be held accountable to Heavenly Father for how they fulfill this duty.  A very important part of this responsibility is to teach the children about God and to show by example how to pray and how to keep all of His commandments.  

                Heavenly Father has a plan in which families can be together forever.  The first step in this plan is for a man and a woman to be married in the temple of the Lord by the proper authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.  Such marriages do not end at death but can continue throughout eternity.

                The Proclamation on the Family declares:  “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children….  Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.  Husbands and wives – mothers and fathers – will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”

                President Harold B. Lee taught:  “The most important of the Lord’s work that you will ever do will be the work you do within the walls of your own home” (pamphlet, Strengthening the Home, p. 7).

                This point is illustrated by the following story shared by President Spencer W. Kimball:  After he performed a temple marriage ceremony, he greeted the parents of the young couple.  One of the fathers said, “My wife and I are common people, and have never been successful, but we are very proud of our family.”  The father explained that all eight of his children had now been married in the temple.  All are faithful and serve in the Church, teaching the gospel in their families.

                President Kimball looked at the calloused hands and wrinkled face of the father and said:  “This is the greatest success story I have heard….  You are fulfilling the purpose for which you were sent to this world by keeping your own lives righteous, bearing and rearing this great family, and training them in faith.  Why, my dear folks, you are very successful.  God bless you” (Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, Oct. 1971, pp. 152-53, as quoted in Gospel Principles.)

                Some dear friends recently witnessed the temple marriage of their youngest daughter and last child.  All the older siblings and spouses were there to join in the celebration as they were there previously to set the proper example to younger siblings.

                Satan understands the importance of families in the plan of our Heavenly Father, and he does everything in his power to destroy families.  If we want to have happy and successful families, we can follow these suggestions:  (1) Have family prayer every night and morning;

(2) Meet together as a family once each week to study gospel principles; (3) Do things together – work, play, vacations, etc.;  (4) Husbands and wives should kneel together in couple prayer every night; (5) Develop Christlike attributes like kindness, patience, longsuffering, and charity;

(6) Attend Church together weekly; (7) Attend the temple as often as possible; (8) Be organized, prepare every needful thing, and establish a house of prayer, fasting, faith, learning, order, and glory to God (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:119); (9) Gather family genealogy and do family history.

                The family is the most important unit on earth as well as in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The Church exists to help families to prepare to live together for eternity.  All the meetings, programs, activities, etc. are there to lead families to the temple and to strengthen us as individuals and to help us become eternal families.

Families

                    "Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God….  The family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children" ("The Family:  A Proclamation to the World, Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

                    The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught, "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities" (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

                    Families are part of Heavenly Father's plan of salvation.  When God implemented His plan for the happiness of His children, the Father commanded Jehovah (Jesus Christ) and Michael (Adam) to create this earth.  God needed a place to send His spirit children in order for them to obtain physical bodies and to be tested in order to prepare them to become like Him.  God created Adam and Eve and performed their marriage ceremony there in the Garden of Eden while they were still immortal.  This means that their marriage is for eternity.  God commanded them to have children (see Genesis 1:28) because providing physical bodies for God's spirit children is one of the purposes for marriage.  Men and women are partners with Heavenly Father in creating eternal families.  God sends His spirit children to earth to receive mortal bodies and to experience life on earth.  Bringing children into the world is the way that parents help Heavenly Father to carry out His plan.

                    In a recent address Jean A. Stevens addressed this subject.  She said, "Our Father in Heaven, in His great wisdom and love, sends His spirit sons and daughters to this earth as children.  They come to families as precious gifts with a divine nature and destiny.  Our Heavenly Father knows children are a key to helping us become like Him.  There is so much we can learn from children."  (See Ensign, May 2011, p. 10.)

                    Sister Stevens gave several true stories about "how children can bless our lives with their innocent yet powerful examples of Christlike attributes".  Her first example was Todd, a two-year old who went with his mother to "a special art exhibit of beautiful paintings of the Savior.  As they walked past these sacred images, she heard her little boy reverently saying the name `Jesus.'  She looked down to see him folding his arms and bowing his head as he viewed the paintings."  Little Todd knew how to show humility, reverence, and love of God.

                    The second example was "a 10-year-old boy in Armenia.  "As we waited for sacrament meeting to begin, he noticed the oldest member of the branch [congregation] arrive.  He … quickly went to her side, offering his arm to steady her faltering steps.  He assisted her to the front row of the chapel, where she could hear."  This young boy knew the importance of kindness and service.

                    The third example was Katie, a young girl of Primary age, who had great influence on her family.  "She attended Primary and was drawn to the teachings of the gospel.  With growing faith and testimony, Katie left a note on her parents' pillow.  She wrote that the gospel truths had found a `home in her heart.'  She shared her longing to be close to her Heavenly Father, to be obedient to His commandments, and to have their family sealed in the temple.  The simple testimony of their sweet daughter touched her parents' hearts in a powerful way.  Katie and her family did receive sacred temple ordinances that bound their family together forever.  Katie's believing heart and example of faith helped bring eternal blessings to her family."  Katie taught her family what was most important because she had a "sincere testimony and desire to follow the Lord's plan."

                    The fourth example was six-year-old Liam who "battled aggressive brain cancer" for the past year.  He endured two difficult surgeries followed by radiation treatments.  Liam was required to "be all alone and lie absolutely still" during the treatments, but he "did not want to be sedated because he disliked the way it made him feel."  Liam said that he could hold still without sedatives if "he could just hear his dad's voice over the intercom."  The father offered "words of encouragement and love" to Liam whenever he became anxious.  "Liam, although you can't see me, I am right here.  I know you can do it.  I love you."  Little "Liam successfully accomplished the 33 required radiation treatments while holding perfectly still….  Through months of pain and difficulty, Liam's contagious optimism has been a powerful example of meeting adversity with hope and even happiness" and has inspired many people with his courage.

                    My last example happened in my own family.  One of my daughters called after her children were in bed on a recent Monday night.  For whatever reason, her family had not held their regular family home evening, and her five-year-old daughter was whining to have family home evening - even though it was already after 9:00 and the other children were already in bed.  When she asked to speak to me, I asked her what was making her unhappy, and she explained.  I told her that I was home alone and suggested that she hold family home evening with me over the telephone.  I asked her to sing her favorite Primary song, which was "I Am A Child of God," and then I told her the story of Joseph Smith's first vision when the Father and the Son appeared to him.  She sang another song, "Jesus Wants Me for A Sunbeam" and told me the story of the three little pigs.  I convinced her that it was time for her to go to bed, and she was happy when we said "I love you" and "goodbye."

                    Children, in their innocence and humility, have great faith.  A righteous king named Benjamin explained in the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ why the natural man must become like little children:  "And even if it were possible that little children could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins.

                    "And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

                    "For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

                    "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."  (See Mosiah 3:16-18; italics added.)

                    Children with their believing hearts and childlike faith can strengthen entire families.  Their examples can soften our hearts and lead us to humility and the willingness to make the necessary changes in our lives.  They can help us become more like Christ. Children strengthen families and help them to be successful and eternal.

                   

                     

Eternal Families

                    The family is the basic or fundamental unit of society and has been since the time of Adam and Eve.  The family is ordained of God and forms a major part of the divine plan for the exaltation of mankind.  Family relationships can extend beyond the grave through Heavenly Father's plan of happiness for his children.

                    Adam and Eve were married by God while in the Garden of Eden and commanded to have children (see Genesis 1:28).  God revealed that providing mortal bodies for His spirit children is one of the purposes for marriage.  Men and women are partners with Heavenly Father in creating families.  God sends His spirit children to earth to receive mortal bodies and to experience life on earth.  Bringing children into the world is the way that parents help Heavenly Father carry out His plan. 

                    Heavenly Father understood that each new baby would need many years of care and training in order to grow into well-developed and mature adults.  This is the reason why He wants mothers and fathers to be married and established as families when he sends babies to earth.  He wants each new child to be welcomed into a family with gladness and love.  He wants parents to remember that each child is also a child of God.  He wants parents to take time to enjoy their children, to play with them, and to teach them.  Parents and other family members are in the best position to teach children self-control, sacrifice, loyalty, and the value of work as well as to learn to love each other, to share, and to serve other people.

President David O. McKay, a modern-day prophet of God, said "With all my heart I believe that the best place to prepare for … eternal life is in the home" ("Blueprint for Family Living," Improvement Era, Apr. 1963, 252). 

President Harold B. Lee, another modern-day prophet, said, "The most important of the Lord's work you will ever do will be within the wall of your own homes" (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:  Harold B. Lee [2001], 134).

                    Fathers and mothers are charged with the responsibility to teach their children about Heavenly Father and how to communicate with Him.  I learned great lessons about how much Heavenly Father loves His children by watching my earthly parents deal with their children.  My parents never showed favoritism of any kind towards any of their twelve children, and this was especially apparent after my mother's death.  My father expected that he would not live long after my mother died, and he wanted to divide all their belongings among their twelve children.  He indicated the items that he would keep such as his bedroom, kitchen and living room furniture, but he wanted to dispense of all the extra items that he didn't really need.  He asked his children to each make a list of the items that we would like to receive.  Of course, there were items that all of us wanted, but there were other items that only one person asked for.  After giving us several hours to make our lists, we all came together in a meeting at the family home.  All of us children respected and loved our father enough that we trusted and accepted his judgments about who would receive the favored items.  There was no bickering, fighting, or complaining because we loved and respected our parents.  None of the items were valuable in worldly ways, but there were many that had sentiments attached to them.  There were plenty of family heirlooms and other items for all of us to receive numerous items.

                    I returned to my own home a couple of weeks later.  On the very next Sunday, I was sitting in sacrament meeting singing the closing hymn when I realized that my earthly father had given me a glimpse of what my Heavenly Father is like.  The hymn was entitled "Sweet Hour of Prayer" and was written by William W. Walford.

                    "Sweet hour of prayer!  Sweet hour of prayer!

                    That calls me from a world of care

                    And bids me at my Father's throne

                    Make all my wants and wishes known."

                    That is as far as I got in the hymn because I was in tears. My memory went back to that meeting with my earthly father.  My siblings and I made our wishes known to our father, and he decided what was best for us as individuals as well as what was best for the family as a whole.  My father was a good example of a man who loves his children.  Because I knew that my father loved me, listened to my requests, and granted those items that were to be mine, I also knew that my Heavenly Father loves me, listens to my prayers, and sends appropriate blessings into my life.  This experience changed forever my feelings and thoughts about my relationship to my Heavenly Father.

                    My parents taught their children about God and gospel principles by the examples they set, and their children understood the importance of following their examples.  When we saw Mom and Dad keep God's commandments because they loved Him, we understood how we could show love to both our parents and to God. 

                    My father lived for sixteen years after my mother's death.  He continued to show us good examples about how we should live our lives.  His bishop stated at my father's funeral that he loved to hear my father pray because he knew that my father was truly speaking with Heavenly Father.  I believe with all my heart that my father and my mother are together again and are waiting for all their children to join them there in an eternal family circle.

                    My parents took the necessary steps to ensure that they could be together with their children forever.  At great expense and effort they traveled the necessary distance to Salt Lake City in order to be married in the temple by the proper authority so that their family could continue throughout all eternity.  They knew that marriages performed outside the temples will end when one of the partners dies.  They understood the importance of making covenants with God so that they could be united eternally as husband and wife with their children and other posterity.

                    My parents showed by their words and actions how much they loved each other as well as how much they loved their children.  My father was always thoughtful and kind to my mother, and she was always tender and respectful to him. There was never any doubt in their children's minds about how our parents felt about each other or us.  I believe it was this foundation in our family home that makes it possible for my siblings and I to truly love and respect each other today.  We love being together and look forward to being a family always. 

                    King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon taught his people, "Ye will not suffer your children … [to] fight and quarrel one with another….

                    "But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another" (Mosiah 4:14-15).

                    Satan understands that families are important to Heavenly Father and in bringing about His plan.  Satan wants to destroy individuals and families by keeping them away from God, and he will tempt us to say and do things that will destroy our families.

                    I know that "Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God….  The family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children" ("The Family:  A Proclamation to the World, Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).  I want my family to be together for all eternity, and I am following the example of my parents in an effort to make it so.