Kirtland Temple Endowment

I must add one last post to the “visions in the Kirtland Temple” series I have posted over the last week or so. I found an interesting article written by Larry Barkdull, an author who has written a book titled “The Three Pillars of Zion”, which explains the blessings that are received because of this great endowment of power, given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in Kirtland, very succinctly. I have included a portion of it here.

Imagine Moses, Elias and Elijah laying their hands upon your head to give you a blessing. First, Moses blesses you with the ability to gather with your family to the Kingdom of God and the holy temple. Then Elias blesses you and your spouse and children to organize into an eternal family. He offers you the same covenant of the gospel that Abraham received-the New and Everlasting Covenant. When you agree to its terms, Elias blesses you with everything that was promised to Abraham: you and your posterity will have the eternal “right to the priesthood, the gospel, and eternal life.” Central to those blessings is “the marriage discipline of Abraham,” meaning the promise that your marriage will be eternal, through your faithfulness, and that you and your spouse will enjoy the blessing of eternal posterity. Additionally you are promised, as was Abraham, that you and your posterity will receive a promised land in this world and a promised inheritance in the celestial world to come.

Now that you have entered into the New and Everlasting Covenant, which includes eternal marriage, Elijah confirms these blessings with a seal that cannot be broken, a “welding link.” Then, as a final blessing, because you have proven faithful at all hazards, Elijah seals upon you the fulness of the priesthood, which in the ultimate sense means that he seals you up unto eternal life; that is, Elijah makes everything with which you have been blessed more sure.

Now, because of your righteousness, Elijah extends to you a promise for your children. The promise is this: As you turn your heart to your children, their hearts will turn to you and the Covenant that you have entered into. Elijah’s blessing guarantees to you that no matter what happens in time or eternity, these children are yours. Then, when Elias and Elijah finish their blessing upon your head, the Savior steps forward, and he receives you into his embrace. You are home at last, and your spouse and your children are there with you.

These blessings restored once again to the earth through the prophets, Moses, Elias, and Elijah are priceless gifts to all of Heavenly Father’s children. They start with the individual, and are then extended to their family. Ultimately, through the three fold mission of the Church, they will benefit the whole human family throughout all time.

“It is easy to see how all three of these manifestations have funded the Church's understanding of and authority to perform its mission. "The three-fold mission of the Church is to perfect the saints, proclaim the gospel and redeem the dead [and it] has one central goal, and this is to bring souls unto Christ" (Church News, October 10, 1987, 21; also Elder James E. Faust, Ensign, March 1988, 70). Moses' authority facilitates the gathering. Once gathered, Elias's restoration enables the perfecting. Once gathered and progressing toward perfection, Elijah's keys inspire us to serve our dead — "approach[ ing ] the vicarious sacrifice of the Savior himself" — by providing for them that which they cannot do for themselves. "For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers — that they without us cannot be made perfect — neither can we without our dead be made perfect" (D&C 128:15). It is in these glorious restored temples that all of the blessings our Father has seen fit to reveal to us can be received in their fulness.” Phillip Allred

The Kirtland Temple was the beginning of a great work that has rolled forth and become a fulfillment of prophecy.

Doctrine and Covenants 110:9 Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house.

10 And the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands; and this is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even so. Amen.

How have you been blessed personally by the events that happened at Kirtland?

Elijah and the Sealing Keys

For as long as I can remember I have pondered the question, “Why Elijah?” I have never really figured out why Elijah was chosen as the prophet to be the Elias to the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ. I have wondered exactly why Elijah was given the responsibility of the keys of the Sealing power and the job of restoring them in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836. Perhaps I will never really know for sure, but I have gained some insights through study that I would like to share.

The final vision that occurred in the Kirtland Temple was one that was anticipated from the very beginning of the restoration process. As early as September 21, 1823 the angel Moroni appeared to the prophet Joseph Smith and quoted the prophet Malachi who was referring to Elijah’s role in the latter days.

Joseph Smith History 1:38 And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: 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.

39 He also quoted the next verse differently: 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.

This became the first recorded “official” revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants and is now found in Section 2 of that book. Placed only after the “Lord’s Preface” of the upcoming work, or Section 1, this revelation was a prophecy of landmark importance.

Jewish tradition also places an important emphasis on the prophet Elijah. An empty chair and a cup of wine are provided at each Passover celebration in anticipation of his return and he is known to them as the “angel of the covenant”. It is interesting to note that according to the actual Jewish calendar, Elijah did return when the Jews expected him to, during the Passover celebration, to the temple in Kirtland.

Doctrine and Covenants 110:13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—

15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—

16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.

I love the label given to Elijah as “angel of the covenant”. The covenant that is being referenced is the New and Everlasting Covenant, or the renewal of the Abrahamic Covenant. I more fondly refer to this covenant as the PPL because of the blessings promised in consequence of obedience to the conditions set by the Lord, which are eternal PRIESTHOOD, endless POSTERITY, and a LAND inheritance. To me, this is a beautiful description of becoming like God.

Just like the experiences Abraham had, which were progressive in nature, we too can “walk with God” and become like him. I believe this progression is seen in a pattern of prophet, priest, and finally king, semblance of order. Obviously the pinnacle of progression is that of king and queen, where one is ruler of their own kingdom. The “kingly” status is congruent with that of Godly status, when given by one with authority, or one who holds the keys to “seal or bind” those blessings to the individuals. The ancient Egyptians had a similar thought process, in that Pharaoh, who was their king, was also considered a God. Unfortunately they were acting out of order, or without the proper authority to confer those blessings on the individual, but you get the picture. I believe Elijah was the one chosen to temporarily hold the keys which would seal the ordinances of this life, and allow them to continue, or to be in effect, into our next estate allowing for the realization of the promised blessings of royalty.

Elder James E Talmage spoke of this process, “The patriarchal order is a condition where woman shares with man the blessings of the Priesthood, where husband and wife minister, seeing and understanding alike, and cooperating to the full in the government of their family kingdom. A man cannot hold this priesthood without a wife, and a woman cannot share the blessings of this priesthood without a husband, sealed in the temple.”

The sealing keys that revealed the “fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood” authorized the blessings attained in this life, the extended efficacy needed for the next life. They allowed for the fullness of temple covenants and ordinances to be performed, extending beyond the veil and linking the hearts of the children to their fathers who had gone on before. In this manner a “welding link” was placed in the long line, or chain of family, or royal birthright, through a priesthood line, linking back to Adam.

Elder McConkie wrote:

That same day (April 3, 1836) ‘Elias appeared, and committed the “dispensation of the gospel of Abraham,” meaning the great commission given to Abraham that he and his seed had a right to the priesthood, the gospel, and eternal life. Accordingly, Elias promised those upon whom these ancient promises were then renewed that in them and in their seed all generations should be blessed. (D&C 110:12-16.) Thus, through the joint ministry of Elijah, who brought the sealing power, and Elias, who restored the marriage discipline of Abraham, the way was prepared for the planting in the hearts of the children of the promises made to the fathers. (D&C 2:2.) These are the promises of eternal life through the priesthood and the gospel and celestial marriage.

But why Elijah...again I can only speculate... perhaps Elijah was the last prophet to preside during the Royal Davidic line, or worthy men who received the King/Priest status. Solomon was the last King who was also a priest, leaving an unrighteous posterity to rule in his place. Perhaps those keys to “Kingship” were then taken in a “chariot of fire” to be guarded until a rightful King/Priest would reign. This rightful heir would be Jesus Christ himself. These keys, rights, and powers would of necessity be bestowed once again on the Mount of Transfiguration. Once again Elijah has returned to herald the coming of the King/Priest who will rule and reign in glory this time. The one who made the realization of the blessings we have been promised, a possibility. I believe that this is the mission of Elijah. Our hearts have been turned.

Elias and The Gospel of Abraham

Joseph Smith described the third vision that he and Oliver Cowdery witnessed in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836 in a more cryptic manner. It simply states:

Doctrine and Covenants 110:12 After this, Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed.

Many people get side tracked at this point with who Elias is, the opinions on this are varied and diverse, but I feel it is more important to talk about what Elias did. It is interesting to me that there is no mention of “keys” in this portion of the vision, the word “dispensation” is used to describe the interaction that took place. A definition of dispensation is “a general state or ordering of things; specifically: a system of revealed commands and promises regulating human affairs.” I love this definition because when I hear the word order, I automatically think of ordinance.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explains how the gospel is dispensed:

“Whenever the Lord reveals the plan of salvation anew so that men do not have to rely solely upon prior dispensings from heaven of the same glories and wonders, it is called a dispensation of the gospel. This may or may not involve a restoration of keys and powers and priesthoods. It did when Jesus came to replace the Mosaic dispensation, for instance, but not when the dispensations of Enoch and Noah were ushered in.

We do not know how many dispensations there have been, probably dozens or scores; nor can we be certain how long each lasted, or how one dispensation blended into another. For the present we know only that a gracious God has made his saving truths available at those times and under those circumstances, when men were prepared to receive them.”

I believe that Elias came to reveal, or show, the order of Abraham, or more fully instruct them on the Abrahamic Covenant, here referred to as the gospel of Abraham.

Perhaps at this point it might be interesting to note some historical events that took place immediately preceding the visit of Elias. Just prior to the completion and dedication of the Kirtland Temple, an unusual experience happened in the community where the Saints lived. A man by the name of Michael H. Chandler arrived at the home of Joseph Smith with three papyrus scrolls, which he found in the caskets of four mummies he had acquired from a distant relative. Again, rather than discuss the details and validity regarding Chandler and his possession of these mummies, I would like to focus on the timing and the content of what these scrolls contained.

The scrolls were purchased and Oliver Cowdery and W. W. Phelps, acting as scribes, went to work with Joseph Smith to translate them. Joseph Smith commented, “And much to our joy we found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham, another the writings of Joseph of Egypt.” Oliver Cowdery, in a written letter to a friend stated that the language of the ancient record was very comprehensive and the hieroglyphics exceedingly striking. He noticed that the writers of the scrolls were acquainted with the creation, the fall of man, and their creator. He wrote, “The representation of the Godhead, three, yet in one, is curiously drawn to give simply, though impressively, the writer’s views of the exalted personage.” He went on to describe this information as “an inestimable acquisition to our present scriptures, fulfilling in a small degree the word of the Prophet: ‘for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.’” Today we have some of this work recorded in The Pearl of Great Price, known as The Book of Abraham.

Isn’t it interesting that as the saints were busy working on completing the temple, the Prophet was busy learning about the Gospel of Abraham as recorded by Abraham himself?

In the words of Abraham:

Abraham 1:2 And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.

3 It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time, even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.

4 I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed.

This must have sounded hauntingly familiar to Joseph Smith because this was about the same process that happened to him.

What comes next is priceless:

Abraham 1: 18 Behold, I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name, even the Priesthood of thy father, and my power shall be over thee.

19 As it was with Noah so shall it be with thee; but through thy ministry my name shall be known in the earth forever, for I am thy God.

If that isn't filled with Temple symbolism, I don't know what is!

Elder Bruce R. McConkie described the gospel of Abraham as:

The authorization to use the priesthood to perfect eternal family units, even as this commission and covenant was had by Abraham and those who followed him (Millennial Messiah, 119).

Obviously it was the commission, the mission, the endowment and power, the message of salvation, given to Abraham. Thus the gospel of Abraham was one of celestial marriage. And as a consequence, the righteous among all future generations were assured of the blessings of a continuation of the seeds forever, even as it was with Abraham of old (D&C 132.). (Mormon Doctrine, 219-20).

I think I like how Phillip Allred summed it up:

"In sum, the gospel of Abraham amounts to having access to the blessings of exaltation that he and his immediate posterity have already achieved (see D&C 132:29, 37). This gospel, interestingly named after this mortal model (see Abraham 1:18-19), has the power to perfect its adherents and exalt them. Much like the Melchizedek priesthood bears its name (D&C 107:2-4), this gospel of Abraham is none other than the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

The keys of the Melchizedek priesthood had already been restored by Peter, James, and John, which allowed access to the blessings of the Gospel of Abraham or the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe the return of Elias simply showed Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and each one of us vicariously, where and how we fit into that Patriarchal lineage or plan of salvation.

With that in mind... perhaps Elias is really a title. Perhaps Joseph and Oliver were so cryptic about this “Elias” because it was a combination of individuals sent to reveal the order, or place that Joseph holds as a dispensation head. For me it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that this Elias restored the Patriarchal order or revealed our right to our “endowment” from the Fathers. This was the promise made to them and to us.

Moses Keyholder Of The Gathering of Israel

The second vision out of the four received in the Kirtland Temple is recorded as follows:

Doctrine and Covenants 110:11 After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.

With the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth, in this dispensation, the gathering of scattered Israel began. As early as 1828 the Prophet Joseph Smith received Section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants outlining the qualifications needed for one to be gathered, baptism being one of them. This gathering theme became a thread throughout the rest of the revelations received from the Lord, and culminates in the restoration of actual keys in Section 110.

There are many reasons for gathering which I have explored in a previous post called, “The Gathering of My People”. You might want to refresh your memory and go and read that one now before you continue with the rest of this post.

Why was Moses the key holder for the gathering? Sidney B. Sperry explained, "The first gathering of Israel was done under the direction of Moses and resulted in the exodus from Egypt. Moses therefore holds the keys of the gathering of Israel. The Lord set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people by sending Moses to confer the keys of his authority upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836."

Moses was the instrument the Lord used to free the Children of Israel from the bonds of slavery. Throughout his entire ministry he attempted to introduce this unruly group into the “promised land” to no avail. They simply would not be gathered in the same manner that Enoch had gathered his people. I believe that Moses was taken out of their midst holding the keys to this gathering only to return during a time when they would be committed to the “one true God.” It is appropriate that Moses would be the one to commit the keys of the gathering of Israel to the restored Church. Moses had come to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration and there had bestowed upon them the same priesthood keys in their day.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote about the role of Moses in the latter-day gathering of scattered Israel as follows:

How shall Israel be gathered? First will come the conversion and gathering of the tribe of Joseph. Then Joseph [Ephraim and Manasseh] shall gather the other tribes. It will not be an easy work. Every lost sheep must be taught the gospel; every new convert must believe the Book of Mormon; all must repent and forsake the world and come voluntarily, often in the face of great opposition, into the latter-day kingdom of the God of their fathers. Missionaries must labor with zeal and in the face of great odds. They must "push the people together." And who shall do this work? Moses says: They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh." (Deuteronomy 33:17.) And such is an apt and accurate definition of the missionary force of the great latter-day kingdom. Moses — mighty, mighty Moses — acting in the power and authority of the holy order, gathered Israel once. What is more fitting than for him to confer upon mortals in this final dispensation the power and authority to lead latter-day Israel out of Egyptian darkness, through a baptismal Red Sea, into their promised Zion? (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, 528-29).

What does the return of the keys for the gathering of Israel mean to us individually?

“Why is it that you are here to-day? and what brought you here? Because the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four quarters of the earth have been committed to Joseph Smith, and he has conferred those keys upon others that the gathering of Israel may be accomplished, and in due time the same thing will be performed to the tribes in the land of the north. It is on this account, and through the unlocking of this principle, and through those means, that you are brought together as you are to-day” (John Taylor, in Journal of Discourses, 25:179).

Under His Feet Was A Paved Work of Pure Gold

Continuing in the theme of the glorious visions that occurred in the Kirtland Temple, I again add another post today on the first of the four visions.

By retiring to the pulpit of the temple, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery had separated themselves from the “world” and had allowed the “veil to be taken from their minds”. This transfiguring moment led to the magnificent experience of seeing the Lord himself, as he accepted the offering the Saints had made by building the Temple. They described what they saw as follows:

Doctrine and Covenants 110:2 We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.

3 His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun;

John the Revelator described what he saw when he had a similar experience with these words:

Revelation 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace;

In the Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith had also described the Lord the first time he had seen him, in what we as LDS refer to as the First Vision, with the explanation that “his brightness and glory defy all description”.

In contemplating all the various accounts given by those who have seen the Savior, the one word that comes to my mind that is similar in all of them is light. This light is so pure and complete it has the power to dispel all darkness. Not only is the light perfectly bright it is full of energy, with power enough to drown out even the memory of darkness, or in other words an energy with the power to cleanse. I believe the process of what these witnesses had experienced is best explained by the Lord.

Doctrine and Covenants 50: 24 That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

In this Kirtland Temple experience, not only did Joseph and Oliver see the Lord, He spoke to them as well. They described his voice as “the sound of the rushing of the great waters.” It is interesting to me to analyze some of the things he said, and the order he said them in.

First of all the Lord introduced himself, or as I like to call it, he gave them his credentials.

110:4 I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.

In this brief introduction we learn so much about Jesus Christ. We learn that he is not only the creator, being the first, but he is our Savior and Redeemer, being the last. Because he lives, he proves that he holds the keys for power over death, or the ordinance of resurrection. These keys have been turned on our behalf so that we too may live beyond this life. Because he was slain, he answered the demands of justice from the law which was broken because of the fall. Basically, he has been obedient to the full extent of the law, which in turn allows him all blessings predicated upon that law. One of the blessings attached to that law is us. He paid the price to have the job as our advocate with the Father. He is the great mediator. This job as advocate allows him to not only speak to the Father on our behalf, but also allows him to speak to us for the Father.

Why did Jesus Christ need to explain all this to Joseph and Oliver, and to us? I believe it is because it gives assurance, or makes his word sure, for what he then says next.

110: 5 Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice.

His statement of authority or credentials allows us to have faith that he can do what he says he can do. In this case it proves he has the authority from the Father to actually forgive sins, and he exercises that authority. It shows that he has permission to accept the Temple for the Father, and place his name there. It explains that he can extend mercy to us and show himself to those who keep his commandments. It shows that he is the answer to the prayers that have been given concerning the Temple.

His words of farewell are ones of prophecy and instruction.

110:9 Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house.

10 And the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands; and this is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even so. Amen.

He has told us that because of faithfulness, we can be endowed with power from on high. It started with Kirtland in this dispensation, and continues today in each of the LDS Temples around the world. We can believe this, we can experience it for ourselves, and we know it to be true because his word is sure. His credentials prove it.

He is the light that dispels all darkness and sin.