3.188 The Role of Elijah the Prophet

In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, reminding us that our lives are meant to preserve, illuminate, and point others to Him. This season on Savory Salt, we'll walk through the Old Testament, one verse and one thought each day. Perhaps these moments will add greater savor and brighter light to our lives as we seek to truly live as Savory Salt.

Hello, my friends. It's a new day with new opportunities. Choose ye this day whom you will serve.

You know by now that Elijah is one of my favorite prophets from the Old Testament. But what role does he play in our modern lives? And what role did modern revelation play in us understanding that?

We get into 2 Kings chapters 2 through 7 for our readings this week, and in 2 Kings chapter 2 we have Elijah being taken up into heaven, or translated as we call it today. We also have the mantle falling upon Elisha as he goes forward. In 2 Kings chapter 2 our verse for today is going to talk about that translation for just a second, and then we're going to take a look at that modern revelation piece as well. 2 Kings 2, verse 11 says, "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared..." Here, from the Old Testament perspective of Elijah and his role, and yet we have very clearly through Joseph Smith's own experiences and through Doctrine and Covenants a better understanding that Elijah plays a pivotal role in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth, especially pertaining to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

And as I did some research there, I came across a talk by Howard W. Hunter, who at the time was in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In October of 1971, I'll make sure the link's in there for you to follow if you'd like to look at it, but it's specifically about Elijah the prophet.

He says inside of his talk this, I'm going to read just a little bit from his talk on it so that we get a better understanding of the role Elijah played. He says: "In centuries past, many people have lived and died without knowing of the gospel. How will they be judged in the absence of this knowledge?

Peter said that after Christ was crucified, but quickened by the Spirit, he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. Then he adds, 'For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit.' Thus those who die without knowledge of the gospel will have the opportunity to hear and accept it and to accept baptism." And then he continues here, and I think this is the key question for us as well. He continues: "Does it seem reasonable that persons who have lived upon the earth and died without the opportunity of baptism should be deprived throughout eternity?

Is there anything unreasonable about the living performing the baptisms for the dead? Perhaps the greatest example of vicarious work for the dead is the Master Himself. He gave His life as a vicarious Atonement that all who die shall live again and have life everlasting.

He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. In a similar way, we can perform ordinances for those who did not have the opportunity to do them in lifetime. Not only may baptisms be performed for the dead, but endowments, also sealings by which wives become eternal companions to husbands and their children sealed to them as a family.

The sealing of family units can be continued until the family of God is made perfect. This is the great work of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times by which the hearts of the fathers are turned to the children and the hearts of the children turned to the fathers. The uniting and redemption of the family of God was the divine plan before the foundations of the earth were laid." My friends, I am so grateful for Elijah's role, not only in the Old Testament, but in his role in turning the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of their fathers to their children.

I love the genealogical work that we get to do. I love the work that we get to do in temples when it comes to baptisms for the dead and the work that we do for the dead there. I've had many wonderful experiences with my family spending time in the temple performing those ordinances.

I'm grateful to our modern revelation and understanding of the role that Elijah the prophet plays for each of us. Old dispensation, new dispensation in the work of the Lord going forward. That's all for today, my friends.

You and I have come here for such a time as this. Step forward in faith and let's be Savory Salt. We will be here tomorrow and we hope you are too.