ELIJAH, SPIRIT OF (Teachings of Joseph Smith)

Hearts of Children Must Be Turned To Fathers before the Second Coming — Willard Richards (Between June 26 and August 4, 1839)

The hearts of the children of men will have to be turned to the fathers. & the fathers to the children, living or dead, to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. If Elijah did not come the whole earth would be Smitten.

Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 4 August 1839–A, as Reported by Willard Richards, p. 69, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Elijah Will Rescue This Generation by Revealing Covenants — Willard Richards (August 27, 1843)

How shall god come to the rescue of this generation. he shall send Elijah law reveald to moses in Horeb— never was reveald to the Children of Israel

and he shall reveal the covenants to seal the hearts of the fathers to the childrn and teh the childrn to the fathers.— anointing & sealing.— calld elected and made sure

without father &c. a priesthood which holds the priesthood by right from the Eternal Gods.— and not by descent from father and mother

Discourse, 27 August 1843, as Reported by Willard Richards, pp. 73-74, The Joseph Smith Papers.

How Saints Become Saviors on Mount Zion & Fulfill the Mission of Elijah — Wilford Woodruff (January 21, 1844)

What shall I talk about today I know what Br Cahoon wants me to speak about, he wants me to speak about the comeing of Elijah in the last days I can see it in his eye, I will speak upon that subject then, The Bible says “I will send you Elijah before the great & dredful day of the Lord come that he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children & the hearts of the children to their fathers lest I come & smite the whole earth with a curse,” Now the word turn here should be translated -[bind or seal]- But what is the object of this important mission or how is it to be fulfilled, The keys are to be deliverd the spirit of Elijah is to come, The gospel to be esstablished the Saints of God gatherd Zion built up, & the Saints to come up as saviors on mount zion but how are they to become Saviors on Mount Zion by building their temples erecting their Baptismal fonts & going forth & receiving all the ordinances, Baptisms, confirmations, washings anointings ordinations, & sealing powers upon our heads in behalf of all our Progenitors who are dead & redeem them that they may come forth in the first resurrection & be exhalted to thrones of glory with us, & herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, & the children to the Fathers which fulfills the mission of Elijah

Discourse, 21 January 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, pp. 181-182, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Limited Time to Perform Temple Work for Individual Families — Wilford Woodruff (January 21, 1844)

I would to God that this temple was now done that we might go into it & go to work & improve our time & make use of the seals while they are on earth & the Saints have none too much time to save & redeem their dead, & gather together their living relatives that they may be saved also, before the earth will be smitten & the consumption decreed falls upon the world & I would advise all the Saints to go to with their might & gather together all their living relatives to this place that they may be sealed & saved that they may be prepared against the day that the destroying angel goes forth & if the whole church should go to with all their might to save their dead seal their posterity & gather their living friends & spend none of their time in behalf of the world they would hardly get through before night would come when no man could work & my ownly trouble at the present time is concerning ourselves that the Saints will be divided & broken up & scattered before we get our salvation secure for thei is so many fools in the world for the devil to operate upon it gives him the advantage often times

Discourse, 21 January 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, pp. 182-183, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Jesus’ Disciples Could Do Greater Work with the Spirit of Elijah than with Elias — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

. . . we find the Apostles endowed with greater power than John their office was more under the spirit & power of Elijah than Elias. In the case of Philip when he went down to Samaria was under the spirit of Elias he baptised both men & women, when Peter & John herd of it they went down & lade hands on them & they received the Holy Ghost this shows the distinction between the two powers. when paul came to certain deciples He asked if they had received the Holy Ghost they said no, who baptized you then we were Baptizd unto Johns Baptism No John did not baptized you for he did his work right, & so Paul went & baptized them for He knew what the true doctrin was & he knew that John Had not Baptised them, & these principles and is strange to me that men who have red the scriptures of the New Testament are so far from it.

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, pp. 206-207, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Capacity of Power and Capabilities of the Spirit of Elijah — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

Now for Elijah, the spirit power & calling of Elijah is that ye have power to hold the keys of the revelations ordinances, oricles powers & endowments of the fulness of the Melchezedek Priesthood & of the kingdom of God on the Earth & to receive, obtain & perform all the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God even unto the sealing of the hearts of the fathers unto the children & the hearts of the children unto the fathers even those who are in heaven.

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, pp. 207-208, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Elijah Sent before the Destruction of the World in the Last Days — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

Malachi says I will send Elijah befor the great and dredful day of the Lord come & He shall turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to the Fathers lest I come & smite the earth with a curse, Now what I am after is the knowledge of God & I take my own course to obtain it, what are we to understand by this in the last days, in the days of Noah God destroyed the world by a flood & has promised to destroy it by fire in the last days but before it took place Elijah should first come & turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children &c

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 208, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Importance of Spirit of Elijah in Sealing the Living to the Dead — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

. . . now comes the point, what is this office & work of Elijah, it is one of the greatest & most important subjects that God has revealed, He should send Elijah to seal the children to the fathers & fathers to the children, now was this merely confined to the living to settle difficulties with families on earth by no means, it was a far greater work Elijah what would you do if you was here would you confine your work to the living alone. No I would refer you to the scriptures whare the subject is manifest, ie without us they could not be made perfect nor we without them, the fathers without the children nor the children without the fathers. I wish you to understand this subject for it is important & if you will recieve it this is the spirit of Elijah that we redeem our dead & connect ourselves with our fathers which are in heaven & seal up our dead to come forth in the first resurrection & here we want the power of Elijah to seal those who dwell on earth to those which dwell in heaven this is the power of Elijah & the keys of the kingdom of Jehovah.

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, pp. 208-209, The Joseph Smith Papers.

The Keys of Elijah Hold the Sealing Power — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

Let us suppose a case. suppose the great God who dwells in heaven should reveal himself to Father Alpheus Cutler here by the opening heavens and tell him I offer up a decree that whatsoever you seal on earth with your decree I will seal it in heaven, you have power then can it be taken off No, Then what you seal on earth by the keys of Elijah is sealed in heaven & this is the power of Elijah

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 209, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Power of Elijah Necessary for Revelation, Sealings to the Fathers, and Perfection — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

. . . this is the differenc between the spirit & power of Elias and Elijah for while the spirit of Elias is a forerunner the power of Elijah is sufficient to make our Calling & Election sure & the same doctrin whare we are exhorted to go on unto perfection not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works but of laying on of hands resurrection of the dead &c we cannot be perfect without the fathers, &c we must have revelations them & we can see that the doctrin of revelation as far transcends the doctrin of no revelation as knowlede is above ignorance for one truth revealed from heaven is worth all the sectarian notions in exhistance.

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 209, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Spirit of Elijah Can Damn Individuals — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

This spirit of Elijah was manifest in the days of the Apostles in delivering certain ones to the buffitings of Satan that they may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus they were sealed by the spirit of Elijah unto the damnation of Hell untill the day of the Lord or revelation of Jesus Christ

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 209, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Power of Elijah Cannot Seal against Every Sin — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

Here is the doctrin of Election that the world have quarreled so much about but they do not know any thing about it, The doctrin that the Prysbeterians & Methodist have quarreled so much about once in grace always in grace, or falling away from Grace I will say a word about they are both wrong truth takes a road between them both. for while the Presbyterian says once in grace you cannot fall the Methodist says you can have grace to day, fall from it tomorrow, next day have grace again & so follow it but the doctrin of the scriptures & the spirit of Elijah would show them both fals & take a road between them both for according to the scriptures if a man has receive the good word of God & tasted of the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away it is impossible to renew them again seeing they have crucified the son of God afresh & put him to an open shame so their is a possibility of falling away yet could not be renewed again, & the power of Elijah cannot seal against this sin for this is a reserve made in the seals & power of the priesthood

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, pp. 209-210, The Joseph Smith Papers.

King David Never Obtained the Spirit & Power of Elijah — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

A murderer for instanc one that sheds innocent Blood cannot have forgiveness, David sought repentance at the hand of God carefully with tears but he could ownly get it through Hell, he got a promise that his soul should not be left in Hell, Although David was a king he never did obtain the spirit & power of Elijah & the fulness of the Priesthood, & the priesthood that he received & the throne & kingdom of David is to be taken from him & given to another by the name of David in the last days raised up out of his linage

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 210, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Families Sealed on Earth through Power of Elijah Will Be Sealed in Heaven — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

Again the doctrin or sealing power of Elijah is as follows if you have power to seal on earth & in heaven then we should be crafty the first thing you do go & seal on earth your sons & daughters unto yourself & yourself unto your fathers in eternal glory & go ahead and not go back but use a little craftiness & seal all you can & when you get to heaven tell your father that what you seal on earth should be sealed in heaven I will walk through the gate of heaven and claim what I seal & those that follow me & my council

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 211, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Deadly Consequences Can Result from the Power of Elijah — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

Again the doctrin or sealing power of Elijah is as follows if you have power to seal on earth & in heaven . . . The Lord once told me that what I asked for I should have I have been afraid to ask God to kill my enemies lest some of them should peradventure repent I asked a short time since for the Lord to deliver me out of the hands of the govornor of Missouri & if it must needs be to accomplish it to take him away & the next news that came pouring down from their was Govornor Reynolds had shot himself and I would now say beware O earth how you fight against the Saints of God & shed innocent Blood, for in the days of Elijah his enemies came upon him & fire was called down from heaven & destroyed them

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 211, The Joseph Smith Papers.

The Spirit of Elias Is First, Elijah Second, Messiah Last — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

. . . the spirit of Elias is first, Elijah second, & Mosiah last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, & the spirit & power of Elijah is to come after holding the keys of power buildng the Temple to the cap stone placing the seals of the Melchezedeck priesthood upon the house of Israel & making all things ready then Mesiah comes to his Temple which is last of all

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, pp. 211-212, The Joseph Smith Papers.

The Spirit of Messiah Is above That of Elijah & Elias — Wilford Woodruff (March 10, 1844)

Mesiah is above the spirit & power of Elijah for he made the world & was that spiritual rock unto Moses in the wilderness. Elijah was to come & prepare the way & build up the kingdom before the coming of the great day of the Lord Although the spirit of Elias might begin it

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 212, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Power of Elias Must Be Followed by Power of Elijah — James Burgess (March 10, 1844)

Philip was clothed with the power of Elias when he went to samaria he could babtise for remission of sins, but could not lay on hands for the gift of the holy ghost, but sent for Peter and John who had the power of Eligah &c Acts 19 chap Paul when he came to Corinth found certain diciples and asked them if they had received the holy ghost since they bleived, and they said we have not so much as heard of the holy ghost and with what surprise says he unto them, unto what were you babtised and they said unto Johns babtism, not so not so my friends if you had you would have heard of the holy ghost, but you have been duped by some designing knave who has come in the name of John an imposture, how do you know it Paul why John verilly babtised with water unto repentance always telling the people that they should beleive on him that should come after him, he would babtise with fire and with the holy ghost, Johns babtism stood good but these had been babtised by some imposture.

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by James Burgess, pp. 20-21, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Fathers Cannot Be Made Perfect until the Children Turn Their Hearts to Their Fathers through the Spirit of Elijah & Ordinances — James Burgess (March 10, 1844)

The spirit of Elijah is to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a curse this babtism for the dead and the ordinances that is to be administered by us for them for paul says that they without us cannot be made perfect neither can we without them be made perfect.

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by James Burgess, pp. 21-22, The Joseph Smith Papers.

A Person Can Fall after Being Sealed by the Power of Elijah from Murder and Sinning against the Holy Ghost — James Burgess (March 10, 1844)

Now we come to talk about election a great deal is said about it, one way or another, The prespetari says once in grace always in grace, the methodist says once in grace can fall from grace and be renewed again. there is some truth in both of these statements Paul says in the 6 chap of hebrews that after arriving at a certain knowledge and then fall away it is impossible to renew them again, well paul the prespatarian says once in grace always in grace I say it is not so the Methodist says once in grace can fall from grace and be renewed again I Paul say it is impossible seeing that they crucify to themselves the son of God afresh and put him to an open shame.

Make your calling and election sure go on from grace to grace untill you obtain a promise from God for yourselves that you shall have eternal life, this is eternal life to know God and his son Jesus Christ, it is to be sealed up unto eternal life and obtain a promise for our posterity. Whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, this is the power of Elijah to seal or bind or turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, sealed against all sin but the sin of sheding innocent blood and the sin against the holy ghost. David was one of the promised seed yet he was guilty of murder see Acts Chap 2 & 3 other sins will go to judgement before hand.

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by James Burgess, pp. 22-23, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Spirit of Elias Is a Preparatory Power for the Spirit of Elijah — Franklin D. Richards (March 10, 1844)

On Sunday March 10 Joseph the Priest delivered the following concerning the Spirits & Powers of Elias Elijah

The power of Elias is not the power of Elijah related the vision of his ordination to the priesthood of Aaron on the Susquehannah river to preach the preparatory Gospel This said the Angel is the spirit of Elias

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Franklin D. Richards, p. 32, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Spirit of Elijah Holds the Sealing Power for Both Living and Dead — Franklin D. Richards (March 10, 1844)

The spirit of Elijah is that degree of power which holds the sealing power of the Kingdom to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children & of the children their fathers not only on earth but in Heaven both the living & the Dead to each other for they (the dead) cannot be made perfect without us Heb 11— 40

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Franklin D. Richards, p. 33, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Analogy of Hewing (Spirit of Elias) Or Cementing (Spirit of Elijah) Stones for Temple — Franklin D. Richards (March 10, 1844)

This power of Elijah is to that of Elias what in the architecture of the Temple of God those who seal or cement the stone to their places are to those who cut or hew the stones the one preparing the way for the other to accomplish the work By this we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise ie Elijah

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Franklin D. Richards, p. 33, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Saints (Alive & Deceased) Cannot Be Perfect without the Sealing Power — Thomas Bullock (March 10, 1844)

. . . the Spirit of Elijah is the sealing power— to seal the hearts of the Fathers to the children— and the children to the Parents— as Paul declared that the Saints of the last days could not be perfect without them— neither can they be perfect without us

Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock, p. 3, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Saint’s Greatest Responsibility Perform Ordinances for the Dead — Willard Richards (April 7, 1844)

We are looked upon by God as though we were in Eternity— the greatest responibity resting upon us is to look upon our dead.— they without us cannot be made perfct without us. meet Paul 1/2 way.—

Hence the saying of Elijah.—

God made provisions before the world was— for every creature . . .

Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Willard Richards, pp. 69-70, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Importance of Having the Spirit of Elijah — Wilford Woodruff (April 7, 1844)

All things that God sees fit to reveal to us in relation to us, reveals his commandments to our spirits, and in saving our spirits we save the body, (the same as though we had no Body How comes the awful responsibility if in relation to our dead, if they do not be baptized they must be damned, (I wish I had 40 days to talk) what promises are made, what can be said if in the grave, God dwells in eternity, and he does not view things as we do, the greatest responsibility lade upon us in this life is in relation to our dead Paul cannot be made perfect without us. for it is necessary that the seals are in our hands to seal our children & our dead for the folness of the dispensation of times

Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, pp. 137-138, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Living Saints are Responsible for the Dead — Thomas Bullock (April 7, 1844)

I will open your eyes in rel to your dead all things which God of his infinite reason has seen fit to reveal to us in our mortal state in regard to our mortal bodies are revealed. to us as if we had no bodies & those revns. which will save our dead will save our bodies— & God reveals them to us in the view of no Eternal dissolution. of the body— hence the awful responsibility that rests upon us for our dead

Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock, p. 19, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Ancient & Modern Saints Cannot Be Made Perfect without Each Other — Thomas Bullock (April 7, 1844)

. . . wod. to God that I had 40 days & nights— to tell you all to let you know I am not a fallen prophet— what kind of characters are those who can be saved altho their bodies are decaying in the grave— the greatest responsibility that God has laid upon us to seek after our dead— the apostle says they without us cant be perfect— now I am speaking of them I say to you Paul, you cant be perfect witht. us.

Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock, p. 19, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Saints Have an Obligation to Become Perfect through the Spirit of Elijah — Thomas Bullock (April 7, 1844)

. . . those that are gone before & those who came after must be made perfect— & God has made it obligatory to man— God said he shall send Elijah &c I have a declaration to make as to the provision. which God made from before the foundation. of the world.

Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock, p. 19, The Joseph Smith Papers.

All Ordinances We Go Through for Ourselves Should Be Performed for the Dead — William Clayton (April 8, 1844)

G has provided for a house to be built where we can get a House this the central place & where we can be baptised for dead— it is necessary, when we want to save our dead we go through all the ordinances same as for ourself from baptism to ordination & endowment.

Discourse, 8 April 1844, as Reported by William Clayton, p. 31, The Joseph Smith Papers.