In this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, when there is to be a “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21), the mission of Elijah, the last prophet in the Old Testament to hold the keys of the priesthood, is vital. This is evidenced by the prophetic promise of his return to the earth (see Matthew 17:1–4) and the fact that each of the standard works contains prophecies of Elijah’s important work.

Interestingly, like two prophetic bookends, the last words of the Old Testament (Malachi 4:5–6) and the earliest revelation recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 2) give prophetic promise of Elijah’s mission. This prophecy is spoken of in the New Testament,[1] the words of the Savior to the Nephites in the Book of Mormon (see 3 Nephi 25:5–6), and the words of Moroni to the youthful prophet Joseph Smith as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price. Moroni’s rendition was slightly different from other passages of the same prophecy, as he stated: “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. . . . And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39). Compare this with the biblical account: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5–6).

The New Testament records that Elijah bestowed the keys of the sealing power on Peter, James, and John when they were with the Savior on the Mount of Transfiguration (see Mark 9:1–9).[2] Jesus later taught these three Apostles that Elijah would return in the last days to “restore all things” (Matthew 7:11; see also 7:1–13; Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36).[3]

The Book of Mormon records that the Savior quoted Malachi’s prophecy of Elijah (see 3 Nephi 25:5–6). He told the Nephites, “These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you” (3 Nephi 26:2).

Malachi’s prophecy of Elijah is also found in the Pearl of Great Price, as it was part of Moroni’s instructions to the Prophet Joseph Smith (see Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39).

Elijah’s mission is discussed several times in the Doctrine and Covenants (see D&C 2:1–3; 27:9; 35:4; 110:13–16; 128:17; 138:46–47). Doctrine and Covenants 2:1–2 states: “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.” According to the headnote, this is “an extract from the words of the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith the Prophet . . . on the evening of September 21, 1823.” It is noteworthy that during this eventful night Moroni visited young Joseph three times, quoting many scriptures and giving much revelation. But of all the passages of scripture Moroni quoted that night, the only verses we know of that the Lord had the Prophet Joseph Smith include in the Doctrine and Covenants were the verses prophesying of Elijah’s mission.

The last verses of the Old Testament and the earliest passage of scripture recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants are both prophecies of Elijah’s mission. Malachi’s prophecy of Elijah’s mission forms a scriptural and a spiritual bridge between the last prophet of the Old Testament and the first prophet of this dispensation.

The Importance of Elijah’s Mission

Events that occurred in the Kirtland Temple were very important. The temple was dedicated March 27, 1836. It was a season of pentecost, with an outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord. Before Elijah and other heavenly messengers restored vital priesthood keys on April 3, 1836, the Savior Himself appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to accept the temple and the sacrifices the Saints had made.

Earlier the Lord had declared that if Elijah’s mission were not accomplished as prophesied, “the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (D&C 2:3). The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “How shall God come to the rescue of this generation? He will send Elijah the prophet. . . . Elijah shall reveal the covenants to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers. . . . What is this office and work of Elijah? It is one of the greatest and most important subjects that God has revealed. . . . The power of Elijah is sufficient to make our calling and election sure.”[4]

President Joseph Fielding Smith explained: “Elijah restored to this Church . . . the keys of the sealing power; and that sealing power puts the stamp of approval upon every ordinance that is done in this Church and more particularly those that are performed in the temples of the Lord. . . . Some members of the Church have been confused in thinking that Elijah came with the keys of baptism for the dead or of salvation for the dead. Elijah’s keys were greater than that. They were the keys of sealing, and those keys of sealing pertain to the living and embrace the dead who are willing to repent.”[5] President Smith further stated, “This priesthood holds the keys of binding and sealing on earth and in heaven of all the ordinances and principles pertaining to the salvation of man, that they may thus become valid in the celestial kingdom of God.”[6]

Without the keys that Elijah conferred upon the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple, no ordinance of the gospel would be binding beyond this life. All sealings would be null and void, including eternal marriages and eternal families. And because eternal marriage is a prerequisite for exaltation, our purpose for coming to this earth would be thwarted. The Lord has stated that marriage and families are necessary for the earth to “answer the end of its creation” (D&C 49:15–17). Thus, without the sealing powers Elijah restored, truly “the whole earth would be utterly wasted at [the Lord’s] coming” (D&C 2:3; Joseph Smith—History 1:39).

Soon after the keys were restored in Kirtland, the Saints were forced to flee, leaving their beloved temple. Elder Boyd K. Packer gave us this perspective on those events: “You might think the Lord would protect His temple with thunderbolts or earthquakes, if necessary. He did not! The Saints lost the Kirtland Temple. . . . The Church does not have the Kirtland Temple now. But we have the keys we received within it.”[7]

Fathers, Children, and Promises

The words of Malachi’s prophecy concerning Elijah’s return vary somewhat in the several scriptural records, but their essence is the same in all, for they speak of fathers, children, and hearts of children turning to their fathers. In addition, Moroni’s words to Joseph Smith refer to promises made to the fathers by the children.

Who are the fathers and the children referred to? President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “The fathers are our dead ancestors who died without the privilege of receiving the gospel, but who received the promise that the time would come when that privilege would be granted them. The children are those now living who are preparing genealogical data and who are performing the vicarious ordinances in the temples.”[8]

What are the promises? The prophets have taught that we made sacred covenants before we came to this earth. President Spencer W. Kimball said, “We made vows, solemn vows, in the heavens before we came to this mortal life. . . . We have made covenants. We made them before we accepted our position here on earth. . . . We committed ourselves to our Heavenly Father, that if He would send us to the earth and give us bodies and give to us the priceless opportunities that earth life afforded, we would keep our lives clean and would marry in the holy temple and would rear a family and teach them righteousness. This was a solemn oath, a solemn promise.”[9]

Elder John A. Widtsoe said of the specific promises we made to our fathers: “In our preexistent state, in the day of the great council, we made a certain agreement with the Almighty. The Lord proposed a plan, conceived by him. We accepted it. Since the plan is intended for all men, we become parties to the salvation of every person under that plan. We agreed, right then and there, to be not only saviors for ourselves but measurably, saviors for the whole human family. We went into a partnership with the Lord. The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father’s work, and the Savior’s work, but also our work. The least of us, the humblest, is in partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation.”[10]

Moroni’s account of Elijah’s mission is especially significant. Moroni says: “And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers” (D&C 2:2; emphasis added). Because we do not remember our experiences before birth, the verb plant should be given careful consideration. The mission of Elijah plants in our hearts the awareness of our responsibilities to be saviors to our fathers. It then becomes our responsibility to nourish the tender plant so that it grows and produces fruit. Some of us excuse ourselves from genealogical and temple work, saying, “I just can’t get interested” or “Others in the family have done it all.”

Alma used a powerful analogy that can be applied here. He taught that after the seed is planted, we should desire to believe and not cast it out. He promised:

If ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.

But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; . . . and ye pluck it up and cast it out.

Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof. . . .

But if ye will . . . nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life. (Alma 32:37–41)

With respect to planting promises in our hearts—promises made to our forefathers—the growth is up to us. There are specific things we can do to cause this growth, as President Ezra Taft Benson stated:

When you attend the temple and perform the ordinances that pertain to the House of the Lord, certain blessings will come to you:

You will receive the spirit of Elijah, which will turn your hearts to your spouse, to your children, and to your forebears.

You will love your family with a deeper love than you have loved before.

Your hearts will be turned to your fathers and theirs to you.

You will be endowed with power from on high as the Lord has promised.

You will receive the key of the knowledge of God (see D&C 84:19). You will learn how you can be like Him. Even the power of godliness will be manifest to you (see D&C 84:20).

You will be doing a great service to those who have passed to the other side of the veil in order that they might be “judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (D&C 138:34).[11]

Elijah’s Mission Manifest

There are many ways in which the power and spirit of Elijah are manifest today. We may not even be aware when they happen. Let me share a few of them.

Missionary work on the earth. Because of Elijah’s mission, missionaries are led to descendants of those who have accepted the gospel in the spirit world. Elder Melvin J. Ballard observed: “It was made known to me that it is because the righteous dead who have received the Gospel in the spirit world are exercising themselves, and in answers to their prayers elders of the Church are sent to the homes of their posterity so that the Gospel might be taught to them, and that descendant in the flesh is then privileged to do the work for his dead kindred. I want to say to you that it is with greater intensity that the hearts of the fathers and mothers in the spirit world are turned to their children now in the flesh than that our hearts are turned to them.”[12]

A pair of missionaries in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission had an experience that demonstrates this principle. While driving near the outskirts of town, they passed an elderly gentleman standing at the side of the road. The missionaries felt strongly impressed to stop and speak to him. They told him that Jesus Christ had sent them to him with an important message. The elders bore strong testimony of Joseph Smith and the Restoration. They gave him a pamphlet with their names and phone number and urged him to read the material and contact them.

About three weeks later, the elderly gentleman phoned the missionaries. He asked them to come to his home and pray for his wife, who was very ill. At the home, which was so far out of town that they never would have stopped at that house during their regular proselyting, the elders administered to the wife, and she was healed immediately. She then asked the missionaries to teach her and her husband. Three weeks later, the couple were baptized. The elderly sister told the missionaries the following story:

Some time ago my husband came home and told me that he met two young men who said that the Lord had sent them to him.

Three days later I had a dream. I dreamed that I was with my mother, who died thirty-five years ago. I have never before dreamed of my mother. The dream was vivid, just as if it was real.

My mother said to me, “My child, I cannot rest.” I replied, “Why, Mom, why can’t you rest?” She answered, “Because you don’t belong to the right church.” I was surprised because I am in the church which my mother and father raised me in. Then the scene changed, and we were standing next to a beautiful clear pool of water that had three steps leading down into the water. My mother said, “My child, go down into the water, and I will follow.” I hesitated and said, “No, Mom, you go first and then I will follow.” Then my mother said, “No, my child, you must go first! Then I will come after.”

When I woke, I wondered what the dream meant. Then I became sick, and you came out and blessed me. You taught us the gospel. I learned about the spirit world and that my parents may have heard the gospel. Then we were baptized. When I stood before the steps of the baptismal font, I remembered my dream. It was the same pool of water that I had seen in my dream.[13]

Missionary work in the spirit world. There may be occasions when missionary work and mission calls are correlated on both sides of the veil. President Joseph F. Smith said, “I beheld [in a vision] that the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel . . . in the great world of the spirits of the dead” (D&C 138:57).

As the work expands in the spirit world, specially qualified servants may be required to move the work forward there, as President Wilford Woodruff explained: “I have felt of late as if our brethren on the other side of the veil had held a council, and that they had said to this one, and that one, ‘Cease thy work on earth, come hence, we need help,’ and they have called this man and that man. It has appeared so to me in seeing the many men who have been called from our midst lately.”[14]

A statement Elder Neal A. Maxwell made at the dedication of the Toronto Ontario Temple helps explain how missionary work on the earth is connected with missionary work on the other side of the veil. “‘[The Lord] will hasten [His] work in its time’ (see D&C 88:73). When He hastens His work, He hastens it on both sides of the veil. This is why, of course, the holy temples are so crucial especially at this time in human history. The constituency in the spirit world, by the way, is many times larger, numerically, than here. Whenever we open new nations on this side of the veil, as is now happening, we have simultaneously opened the door to thousands beyond the veil. The temple provides the precious spiritual linkage.”[15]

It was while I was presiding over the only mission on the continent of Africa in June of 1978—the South Africa Johannesburg Mission—that the revelation on the priesthood was received. Shortly after that historic announcement, many African nations were dedicated to the preaching of the gospel and the floodgates were opened. The growth of the Church on that continent has accelerated at a phenomenal pace.

Over a period of 125 years after the arrival of the missionaries in South Africa in 1853, to the time of the revelation in 1978, membership grew to about 7,600 white Latter-day Saints within one stake and one mission in southern Africa. However, within the twenty-six years following the revelation, Church membership soared to 197,454 in fourteen missions and forty stakes. This explosive growth, which has come almost exclusively among the blacks of Africa, might be compared to a horse and buggy moving at five miles per hour before to the revelation to a racing car making a rapid acceleration to one hundred twenty-five miles per hour.

In addition to this rapid growth it is important to note that the faithfulness of these converts is reflected by their dedication in keeping their covenants. It is reported that the two African areas are among the highest in the Church in sacrament meeting attendance and that they are the only areas of the Church in which there are more brethren than there are sisters on the membership rolls. It is also significant that the Lord has blessed Africa with two temples—in Accra, Ghana, and Abba, Nigeria—within the record number of twenty-seven years after the arrival of full-time missionaries.

Sacred records. The Lord preserves and makes available treasured records so that saving ordinances can be performed for His children. Inspired leaders are instruments in God’s hands in preserving these records.

In October 1976, Ted Powell, from the Church Family History Department, was preparing to leave on a trip to the Orient when Elder Boyd K. Packer, who had responsibility for the family history work in the Church, asked him to change his plans and leave immediately for southern Africa. Elder Packer had received a strong prompting that genealogical records in Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe, needed to be microfilmed as soon as possible. The nation of Rhodesia was in the terrible throes of a civil war. As president of the South Africa Johannesburg Mission, which included Zimbabwe, I was asked to assist Brother Powell in this endeavor.

The Saints in southern Africa held a special fast that this urgent and important project might be completed. I recorded in my journal: “Indeed, this is the most crucial time in the history of this great part of the world as far as genealogy is concerned. The momentous decisions about to be made will determine whether the records are preserved.”[16]

Brother Powell and I traveled to Rhodesia to meet with prime minister Ian Smith, but as he was attending peace talks in Europe, we met instead with the acting prime minister. A letter of introduction from President Ezra Taft Benson, who knew the prime minister personally, helped increase our credibility. The acting prime minister agreed that microfilming the records was a good idea, but he did not feel he had authority to approve it. For three frustrating days we talked with other high government officials who also agreed with the acting prime minister.

It seemed hopeless. We pleaded with the Lord for help. After a day of pondering and prayer, Brother Powell heard the voice of the Spirit say: “Ted Powell, do you understand who you are and whose errand you are on?” He was then directed about what to do and say. We once more met with the acting prime minister, and the Spirit touched his heart. Approval was given.

Although official approval was given for the records to be microfilmed, we now faced another major obstacle. How could the Church obtain the needed equipment for microfilming in Rhodesia? Due to heavily imposed sanctions from the international community, such equipment could not be imported. Another miracle occurred as a company that had all of the needed equipment went into bankruptcy at that time and the Church was able to obtain the cameras and other equipment needed.

Through a sequence of miracles, the way was opened for microfilming to begin. The project moved along quickly, considering the limited equipment and the lack of skilled personnel available. Within days of the last roll of microfilm being safely stored in the Church vaults in Cottonwood Canyon, the government of Ian Smith collapsed and a Marxist government took over the country. The national archivist and government officials who had been very cooperative and friendly during the project were immediately removed from office. The new government destroyed many of the records that had just been microfilmed and made it extremely difficult for the Church to operate in that country, which became known as Zimbabwe.

Temple ordinances. Temple ordinances are at the heart of Elijah’s mission. It is believed that those in the spirit world who have accepted the gospel may be allowed to witness their ordinances as they are performed for them in the temple. Elder Melvin J. Ballard tells of observing baptisms for the dead performed in the Logan Temple, at which time he saw a vision of a great congregation of spirits witnessing their ordinances. He says that he had never seen such happy people in his life. From that time Elder Ballard taught that departed spirits are permitted to witness and accept the ordinances performed in their behalf.[17]

We are given to understand that there are many manifestations of spirits witnessing their ordinances being performed by proxy in temples. One example is recorded from the life of President Edward J. Wood, who was the first president of the Cardston Alberta Temple. In 1931 a group of Saints traveled from Portland, Oregon, to the Cardston temple. One sister, a convert to the Church, brought her children to be sealed to her and to her husband who had passed away. A friend was acting as proxy for the husband. As President Wood began the ordinance to seal the children to their parents, he stopped and asked the sister if the information he had been given was complete. After being assured that it was, he began the ceremony again. Before finishing, he once again stopped and asked the sister if she had other children whose names should be included. She said she had other living adult children who were not members of the Church, but that was all. A third time President Wood started the ceremony, but again he stopped, explaining that he had heard a voice quite distinctly say, “I am her child.” Once more he asked the mother if she had another child who was not listed on the sheet. She began weeping as she explained that she did indeed have another daughter, one who had died twelve days after her birth, and had been overlooked in the preparation of the information. All in the room shed tears of joy to realize the closeness of kindred dead.[18]

Eternal Families Today

Building an eternal family is surely our ultimate partnership with our Heavenly Father, but doing so depends upon each family member’s responding to the spirit of Elijah. President Harold B. Lee said:

When the full measure of Elijah’s mission is understood, . . . the hearts of the children will be turned to the fathers, and the fathers to the children. It applies just as much on this side of the veil as it does to the other side of the veil. If we neglect our families here in having family home night and we fail in our responsibility here, how would heaven look if we lost some of those [we love] through our own neglect? Heaven would not be heaven until we have done everything we can to save those whom the Lord has sent through our lineage. So, the hearts of you fathers and mothers must be turned to your children right now, if you have the true spirit of Elijah, and not think that it applies merely to those who are beyond the veil. Let your hearts be turned to your children, and teach your children; but you must do it when they are young enough to be schooled. And if you are neglecting your family home evening, you are neglecting the beginning of the mission of Elijah just as certainly as if you were neglecting your research work of genealogy.[19]

All things that help turn the hearts of children to their parents and the hearts of parents to their children are of great importance. Recent, as well as historical family records, can help us reach that eternal goal and thus are important to the Lord. I learned that through an experience we had while I was presiding over the South Africa Johannesburg Mission.

One Sunday afternoon, following a stake conference, Sister LeBaron became ill. She took some medicine and went to bed while I took the children to sacrament meeting. As I was leaving the meeting, I received an urgent phone message that the mission home was on fire. I raced the three or four miles to our home. I could see the smoke rising above the trees. I was terrified, not knowing whether my wife was still asleep in the upper level of the home.

By the time I arrived, the fire was spreading through the upper part of the beautiful mission mansion. I raced into it, shouting my wife’s name. I ran up the circular staircase to our bedroom, where she had been sleeping. It was filled with smoke and the fire was raging, but thankfully she was not there. Feeling assured that she was safe, I raced back down the winding staircase and across the large entrance area toward my office. At that moment there was a loud explosion above me, sending the huge chandelier crashing to the hardwood floor and splattering glass against the back of my legs as I dashed into my office. I felt panic. My mind was racing and in my panic I thought, “What should I do? What should I try to save?”

I knew that there were many church records and documents that were housed in the mission home and office. They were invaluable. The firemen were ineffective in putting out the fire, and I feared that we might lose everything.

Then the thought came to me that I should use my priesthood to pronounce a blessing upon all that was of great value, and irreplaceable, to the Church and to our family. They were the Lord’s. I must leave them in His hands. And so, I offered a priesthood blessing upon all things of great value and irreplaceable, to the Church or to us, that they would be preserved.

As I said amen, I felt a spirit of peace and calm that was every bit as powerful and wonderful as my feelings of terror and fear that I had felt a few moments earlier. I took pictures of my family from my desk, put them into my briefcase, and calmly walked out to join my family and endeavor to comfort them.

That night we comforted the children by pointing out that we still had everything that was important in our lives. Their mother’s life had been spared, we had the gospel, our family was together, and we had not lost anything of great value to us or the Church. I shared with them my experience in giving the priesthood blessing and assured them that the irreplaceable things of great value had not been lost. I told them that the Lord had granted that blessing and that none of the valuable Church records had been burned.

Then my oldest son, Curtis, asked, “What about our family photo album?” This was a beautiful large leather album that contained portraits of our children at various ages. Like the Church records, it was of great value and irreplaceable. Had it been preserved? I did not have an answer.

The next morning we went back to view the remains of the mission home. It was painful and pitiful to see this once-beautiful mansion now a shell with no roof. Our children tried to be as positive as they could. Curtis, trying to lighten up a sad and serious situation, said, “Dad, you can tell the Brethren that last night we had a fireside and today we have an open house.”

My main objective in returning to the destroyed mission home was to answer my son’s question from the night before—what about the family photo album? I got a digging fork and carefully went up the concrete stairs to the family room where our photo album had been. The heat had been so intense that the television set had melted. The roof had collapsed and burned, and I could see nothing but blackened walls and about four to five feet of ashes and rubble. I went to the area of the room where the album had been lying on a table. I began to dig. As I got down near the floor level, the fork hit something solid. I carefully dug around it and lifted it up with the fork. It was a large black blob. Although I could not recognize any part of it, I felt that I knew what it was. I gingerly carried it down the stairs and outside into the cool morning. I called my family together. They were puzzled as to what I had. Carefully I removed the layers of blackened and burned material on the outside until we saw the photographs. Every picture had been preserved, although some of the edges were singed. Our children were ecstatic and one exclaimed, “Dad, look! Our pictures have been antiqued!”

I am so grateful that a loving Heavenly Father cared about our family portraits and preserved them for us. Today, nearly thirty years later, our “antiqued” family portraits are a testimony and reminder of Heavenly Father’s love and concern for each of His children. But more miraculous and meaningful even than that experience has been the spirit and power that touched a precious daughter’s heart and brought her back to our eternal family. Although too personal and sacred to relate, that has brought a witness and gratitude to each family member’s heart of the power and blessing of Elijah’s mission and the Savior’s Atonement.

Conclusion

Truly, the more clearly we are able to see eternity, the more monumental Elijah’s mission becomes. President Benson has said: “God bless us to receive all the blessings revealed by Elijah the prophet so that our callings and election will be made sure.”[20] Some years ago, at the dedication of the temple in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Elder Boyd K. Packer said: “We are dedicating a monument to [the] resurrection and exaltation of the human family. If the outside world knew about what was happening here, the cars would stop, planes would not take off, and people would gather to see what the Lord hath wrought. This work we have a part in; it is cause for great rejoicing.”[21] Indeed it is. Of this I testify.

Notes

[1] Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1938), 172.

[2] Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1955), 2:108–11.

[3] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:108–10.

[4] Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 323, 337–38.

[5] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:129–30.

[6] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:117.

[7] Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980), 174; emphasis added.

[8] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:127.

[9] Spencer W. Kimball, devotional address given at the Salt Lake University Institute of Religion, January 10, 1975.

[10] Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, October 1934, 189.

[11] Ezra Taft Benson, “What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple,” Ensign, August 1985, 10.

[12] Melvin R. Ballard, Melvin J. Ballard, Crusader for Righteousness (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1977), 219.

[13] Copy in author’s possession.

[14] Wilford Woodruff, in Journal of Discourses (London: Latter-day Saints’ Book Depot, 1882), 22:334.

[15] Neal A. Maxwell, in Church News, September 1, 1990, 7.

[16] Copy in author’s possession.

[17] Church News, January 5, 1980, 12.

[18] Melvin S. Tagg, “The Life of Edward James Wood: Church Patriot” (master’s thesis, Brigham Young University, 1959), 118–19.

[19] Harold B. Lee, banquet speech delivered at the Eighth Annual Priesthood Genealogical Seminar, August 3, 1973; printed in “Syllabus for the Ninth Annual Priesthood Genealogy Seminar,” 529–30, typescript.

[20] Benson, “What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children,” 10.

[21] Church News, January 26, 1986, 6.