I came across this comment from a debate John Taylor engaged in while I was randomly flicking through The New Mormon Studies CD-ROM. It shows again that early LDS knew that OT Elijah and NT Elias were one and the same person.
Mr. Cater has found another difficulty, which is, that in one place an angel is said to have ordained Joseph Smith, and in another that Peter, James, and John, came to him. Now Joseph had several visits and ministrations. But the difficulty with Mr. Cater seems to be, that Peter, James, or John, could not be angels. I must instruct him, however, a little, on this point also. There was a certain individual spoken of in the Bible, called Moses, he was a servant of God, a Prophet; there was also another called Elijah; they died, or were translated. When Jesus was upon the earth, he went on to a mountain with Peter, James, and John, there appeared two glorious personages, angels; Peter was enraptured, and said, "Let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias." For who? For Moses and Elias. Here then were Moses and Elias, who had both lived on the earth, came to minister to Jesus, Peter, James, and John. Mr. Cater, I suppose, would think they had done wrong, but nevertheless they came. (John Taylor, Three Nights' Public Discussion Between the Revds. C. W. Cleeve, James Robertson, and Philip Cater, and John Taylor, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France [Liverpool, 1850], 12, emphasis added)
Here, as with D&C 35:4 and other early LDS texts, OT Elijah is numerically identical with the NT Elias who appeared to Jesus, Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration.
For more, see my article, "Elias" as a "forerunner" in LDS Scripture
