A LINK TO ETERNITY

 

When I wrote a post recently about the coming of Elijah to the Kirtland Temple to restore the priesthood sealing power,  I received a very direct 3 word comment from an unbeliever: “It never happened.”

I get these kinds of comments from time to time from anti-Mormon activists. I have learnt not to try to prove anything to them because they usually come into LDS Facebook Groups to cause contention and not to be converted. When I was a missionary, we missionaries were told not to ‘Bible bash’ when people try to oppose our beliefs, but to only bear our testimony.

I never replied to this comment I received but I have been thinking about it ever since. How would I bear testimony of the spirit of Elijah to someone who is not a Church member? It’s a witness of the spirit and helping others to understand that and believe it is virtually impossible. Even Elder Boyd K. Packer admitted to that (refer to "The Candle of the Lord", Ensign Jan 1983, 51-52)

It has always amazed me that the Spirit of Elijah courses throughout the world prompting people to seek out their ancestors and find their roots yet nobody really knows why. The world at large knows very little of proxy work for the dead. And some who know think it is un-ethical to be baptising people ‘into our religion’ without their consent. In this day and age of human rights, it even becomes problematic to talk about this subject.

I am amazed at the boldness by which Elder LeGrand Richards testified of Elijah’s return:

 "The story of Elijah's return can be found in D&C 110.  Obviously, there is no need to wait for him any longer.  This became the subject of conversation between Elder LeGrand Richards and the Mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek.  Elder Richards had just dedicated the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden [in year 1979] on the Mount of Olives.  After the ceremony, the two conversed as they ate their lunch:

Elder Richards said:  "Mayor, I want to tell you something".

"What's that?" asked the Mayor.

Looking Mayor Kollek directly in the eye, the apostle said:

"Ten years ago I was here in Jerusalem and one day I went into three synagogues and hanging up on the wall in one of them was a large armchair.  I asked the rabbi what it was there for (I knew but I wanted him to tell me, which he did).  He said that it was so that if Elijah comes 'we can lower the chair and let him sit in it'. 

“Now Mayor, I want to tell you something and what I tell you is the truth.  Elijah has already been.  On the third day of April 1836 he appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple".

The Mayor said:

"I guess I better tell them to take that chair down."

- (LeGrand Richards, Beloved Apostle, p.301)

Maybe boldness is what we all need. I am certain, however,  that Elder Richards would have told the Mayor all about the Church prior to this conversation. I am certain that his conviction of its truthfulness was something that the Mayor could not oppose, hence the respect for the information he was given. If only all people would be so respectful of our beliefs…..

I guess you cannot bear witness of Elijah’s return without bearing your testimony about the whole restoration of Christ’s Church. You cannot have a testimony of family history if you don’t have a testimony of Joseph Smith and the priesthood that was given him; of the scriptures that speak of Elijah’s return; of temples and proxy baptisms; of living prophets that build those temples; of resurrection and eternity, that being the whole purpose for Elijah’s sealing power, and of continuation of families beyond this life.

And most of all, Christ’s power of redemption and His work and His glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39). We need to know it all and have an iron clad testimony of it all.

Our testimony needs to be a light to the world and our link to eternity…..like our parents and their parents and their parents and their parents.....You know what I mean.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN