And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven (Matthew 16:19). The Sealing Keys Restored

lijah was a courageous prophet who lived chair at the table during their Feast of the Passover E about seven hundred years before Jesus to show that they are still waiting for his return. Christ. We know from modern-day revela- Malachi’s prophecy came true when Elijah ap- tion that Elijah was the last prophet to hold the peared in the . He restored the sealing keys on earth before the Savior lived on the sealing keys to and Oliver Cowdery earth. Keys are rights of the holy to ad- on April 3, 1836*––the second day of the Passover minister certain spiritual blessings or ordinances. Feast, when many Jews throughout the world sym- The First Presiden- bolically opened cy and the Quo- their doors to rum of the Twelve invite Elijah in. Apostles hold all Because Elijah of the priesthood restored the keys on earth, and sealing keys, we those keys can be can be sealed transferred only together as fami- by the proper au- lies throughout thority. Since Eli- eternity. We jah was the last show our grati- prophet to hold tude for this the sealing keys, sealing power he had the au- by living worthy thority to restore to enter the them. temple and by Malachi, an- submitting our other prophet of ancestors’ the Old Testament, names to have prophesied that temple ordi- Elijah would come nances done back to earth be- for them. fore the Second Coming. Even *See Doctrine and today, Jewish fami- Covenants 110: lies leave an empty heading, 13–16.

44 THE FRIEND ILLUSTRATED BY ROBERT T. BARRETT FEBRUARY 2002 45