When Smith and Cowdery received
authority to baptize from John the Baptist acting as an “Elias” in fulfillment
of Malachi 3:1-4 and in an initial fulfillment of 4:5-6, they used that
authority to baptize one another at the nearest opportunity. (Don Bradley and
Christopher C. Smith, “Of Generations and Genders: Fanny Alger and the Adoptive
Origins of Ritual Sealing,” in Secret Covenants: New Insights on Early
Mormon Polygamy, ed. Cheryl L. Bruno [Salt Lake City: Signature Books,
2024], 212)
Further
Readling:
