THE
SPIRIT OF ELIAS
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Great
Prophet Elias; and when he sends a prophet filled with His spirit, for a
special mission of restoring His gospel, and to pave the way for greater things,
he calls him an Elias. These special prophets also act as Christ’s forerunners,
to open and pave the way for His coming. This is in harmony with the Inspired Translation,
(a) wherein we are told that the Prophet Elias is the Lord Jesus Christ, Elias
being one of his names. We quote:
“John answered them, saying, I baptize
you with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is of
whom I bear record. He is the prophet, even Elias, who, coming after me,
is preferred before me, * * * for he shall baptize, not only with water, but
with fire and with Holy Ghost.” John 1:27-28.
John the Baptist was one of these special
prophets and was filled with the spirit of Elias. (Luke 1:13-17; D. C. 27:7). (Francis
M. Darter, The Lord’s Strange Work: The Return of John, the Revelator; A
Voice of Warning, the Approaching End [Long Beach, Calif.: Francis M.
Darter, 1917], 87-88)
. . . this Elias, who once lived in
the flesh and who visited Zacharias, under the name of Gabriel. (D. C. 27:6-7.
Luke 1:19), is also the same Elias who came to the Kirtland Temple on April 3,
1836 (D. C. 110:12) with the Lord, Moses and Elijah. Now, who was Gabriel He
must have been a greater restorer. Who was earth’s greatest restorer of life,
knowledge, and blessings? It was Noah, because he, in his day, restored all.
Joseph Smith says:
“The Priesthood was first given to
Adam; he obtained the First Presidency, and held the keys of it from generation
to generation. . . . He is Michael the Archangel, spoken of in the Scriptures. Then
to Noah, who is Gabriel; he stands next in authority to Adam in the
Priesthood; he was called of God to this office, and was the father of all
living in his day, and to him was given the dominion. These men held keys first
on earth, and then in heaven.” (C. H. Vol. 3, p. 385.)
It is to be borne in mind that Joseph
Smith and Oliver Cowdery had previously been called and ordained unto the Aaronic
as well as the Melchisedek Priesthood. Therefore, these prophets who appeared
in the Kirtland Temple did not come to restore a Priesthood office; they came
to restore a portion of their Keys and Spirit of their mission to Joseph Smith
and Oliver Cowdery, in order that they not only might have the authority of
these two priesthoods, but that they also should have the Keys (Knowledge) and
calling of these two Priesthoods in laying the foundation for their future mission
of restoring greater thing. (D. C. 110:12.) (Francis M. Darter, The Lord’s
Strange Work: The Return of John, the Revelator; A Voice of Warning, the Approaching
End [Long Beach, Calif.: Francis M. Darter, 1917], 93-94)
Further Reading:
“Elias” as a “forerunner” in LDS Scripture
