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Frederick William Hurst was working as a gold miner in Australia when he first heard Latter-day Saint missionaries preach the restored gospel. He and his brother Charles were baptized in January 1854. He tried to help his other family members become converted, but they rejected him and the truths he taught.
“Along about the 1st of March, 1893, I found myself alone in the dining room, all had gone to bed. I was sitting at the table when to my great surprize my elder brother Alfred walked in and sat down opposite me at the table and smiled. I said to him (he looked so natural): ‘When did you arrive in Utah?’
“He said: ‘I have just come from the Spirit World, this is not my body that you see, it is lying in the tomb. I want to tell you that when you were on your mission you told me many things about the Gospel, and the hereafter, and about the Spirit World being as real and tangible as the earth. I could not believe you, but when I died and went there and saw for myself I realized that you had told the truth. I attended the Mormon meetings.’ He raised his hand and said with much warmth: ‘I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart. I believe in faith, and repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, but that is as far as I can go. I look to you to do the work for me in the temple. …
You are watched closely. … We are all looking to you as our head in this great work. I want to tell you that there are a great many spirits who weep and mourn because they have relatives in the Church here who are careless and are doing nothing for them” (Diary of Frederick William Hurst, comp. Samuel H. and Ida Hurst [1961], 204)
One of the magnificent doctrines of the latter-day restoration is that of salvation for the dead. It not only brings peace, comfort and hope, but the chance for salvation of all mankind ever to have lived upon the earth. In the words of President Wilford Woodruff:
"It takes just as much to save a dead man as a living man"
One of the magnificent doctrines of the latter-day restoration is that of salvation for the dead. It not only brings peace, comfort and hope, but the chance for salvation of all mankind ever to have lived upon the earth. In the words of President Wilford Woodruff:
"It takes just as much to save a dead man as a living man"
"The keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands."
In D&C 2 we read: 1 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.
2 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.
3 If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
These verses are an extract from Joseph Smith’s history relating the words of the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith the Prophet, while in the house of the Prophet’s father at Manchester, New York, on the evening of September 21, 1823. Moroni was the last of a long line of historians who had made the record that is now before the world as the Book of Mormon.
Moroni appeared to Joseph as he prepared to retire to bed calling upon the Lord to forgive him of his sins and to request a manifestation that he might know of his standing before the Lord.
In answer to his prayer, Joseph was visited by the angel Moroni and so important was Moroni's message, that he returned twice more that same night quoting the following from the book of Malachi, from the old Testament "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." Malachi 4:5–6 (Joseph Smith-History 1:38-39)
When the angel Moroni came to Joseph Smith, he said that Elijah would “plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers” which when using the word fathers this refers to our ancestors. This was the first indication that the gospel would effect not only the lives of those living but also the lives of those that had died, it would effect ALL mankind.
In understanding this revelation given Joseph teaches us: "In the days of Noah, God destroyed the world by a flood, and he has promised to destroy it by fire in the last days: but before it should take place Elijah should come first and turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, etc.
"Now comes the point. What is this office and work of Elijah? It is one of the greatest and most important subjects that God has revealed. He should send Elijah to seal the children to the fathers, and the fathers to the children.
"Now was this merely confirmed to the living, to settle difficulties with families on earth? By no means. It was a far greater work. Elijah! what would you do if you were here? Would you confine your work to the living alone? No, I would refer you to the Scriptures, where the subject is manifest: that is; without us, they could not be made perfect, nor we without them; the fathers without the children, nor the children without the fathers. [Heb. 11:40; D&C 128:18.] Hebrews 11:40
"I wish you to understand this subject, for it is important; and if you will receive it, this is the spirit of Elijah, that we redeem our dead, and connect ourselves with our fathers which are in heaven, and seal up our dead to come forth in the first resurrection; and here we want the power of Elijah to seal those who dwell on earth to those who dwell in heaven. This is the power of Elijah and the keys of the kingdom of Jehovah." (History of the Church, 6:251-252)
He further explains to us in D&C 128:18
18 I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times.
In thinking of this revelation and knowing that "fathers" means our ancestors, what promises were made to them?
“What was the promise made to the fathers that was to be fulfilled in the latter days by the turning of the hearts of the children to their fathers? It was the promise of the Lord made through Enoch, Isaiah, and the prophets, to the nations of the earth, that the time should come when the dead should be redeemed” (President Joseph Fielding Smith quoted in Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:154)
On 3 April 1836 in the Kirtland Temple, the prophet Elijah appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. The record of this vision is contained in D&C 110. Joseph and Oliver saw first a vision of the Lord and then were visited by Moses, Elias, and Elijah.
"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: "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—
"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—
"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."
"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—
"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."
At their Passover feast, Jews set an extra place at the table for Elijah, because they expect his return as the forerunner of the Messiah. At conference in April 1936 President Joseph Fielding Smith stated: "It was, I am informed, on the third day of April, 1836, that the Jews, in their homes at the Paschal feast, opened their doors for Elijah to enter. On that very day Elijah did enter—not in the home of the Jews to partake of the Passover with them, but he appeared in the House of the Lord, erected to his name and received by the Lord in Kirtland, and there bestowed his keys to bring to pass the very things for which these Jews, assembled in their homes, were seeking.
Before the days of the coming of Elijah in 1836, there was no endeavor of any import to search the records of the dead. What was done, here and there, was usually where some estate was involved. The people were not turning their hearts to their dead fathers. They were not searching the records. They were not compiling them. There were no organizations or societies on the face of the earth, as far as I can learn, gathering records of the dead, before the year 1836. (Conference Report, April 1936)
In 1837, however, one year later, Great Britain passed laws providing for and compelling the preservation of records of the dead. In the year 1844, the New England Historical and Genealogical Society was organized in Boston, and I think this was the first organization of the kind in the world. In 1869, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society in the city of New York was organized. Then following rapidly other societies up and down the Atlantic coast of the United States, from Maine to Georgia. . . . In Great Britain, genealogical societies have been organized in practically every county in that land and in Scotland. These records have been kept and filed also in other countries in Europe, the countries from which the Latter-day Saints have come. The Spirit has taken hold of the people, not only in the Church but also of many who are not of the Church, and they, too, are searching the records, and compiling them, of the dead. . . ." (Conference Report, April 1948)
What was Elijah’s purpose in visiting Joseph and Oliver?
To conferre the sealing power of the priesthood on Joseph Smith. This power makes possible eternal marriage, sealings to parents, and temple ordinance work for the dead.
In Joseph Smith—History 1:37–39 we read that without this doctrine the earth, the whole earth, would be utterly wasted at His coming.
37 For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
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.
We also read in D&C 138:47–48
47 The Prophet Elijah was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers,
48 Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming.
Why would the earth be “utterly wasted at the Lord’s coming” if we did not have the sealing power? One of the primary purposes of life on earth is to establish eternal family relationships. Without the sealing power, this would be impossible.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland teaches that without the sealing power, “no family ties would exist in the eternities, and indeed the family of man would have been left in eternity with ‘neither root [ancestors] nor branch [descendants].’ Inasmuch as … a sealed, united, celestially saved family of God is the ultimate purpose of mortality, any failure here would have been a curse indeed, rendering the entire plan of salvation ‘utterly wasted’ (Christ and the New Covenant, 297–98)
"Somebody has got to redeem them."
President Woodruff was devoted to the work of redeeming the dead and sealing families for eternity. During his ministry, many members of the Church served genealogical missions, and in 1894 after recieving revelation from the Lord concerning genealogical work the First Presidency directed the organization of a genealogical society. According to Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve, “events of that historic year [1894] established family history research and temple service as one work in the Church” (Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 114; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 85)
During President Woodruff's administration, political crusade against the Latter-day Saints intensified, but the Church moved forward. Temples were operating in three Utah towns—St. George, Logan, and Manti—and the Salt Lake Temple was nearing completion. These houses of the Lord enabled thousands of Saints to obtain their endowments and do ordinance work for their kindred dead.
President Woodruff had a lifelong interest in temple and family history work. He admonished the Saints on many occasions to perform ordinances in the temple for their ancestors. For a period of time, he served as president of the temple in St. George, Utah. It was in that temple that endowments for the dead were performed for the first time in this dispensation (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:171)
While serving there, President Woodruff was visited by the spirits of many “eminent men” who had died. “The spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, ‘You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we … remained true to it and
May 1884: Bishop Henry Ballard of the Logan Second Ward was signing temple recommends at his home. Henry’s nine-year-old daughter, who was talking with friends on the sidewalk near her home, saw two elderly men approaching. They called to her, handed her a newspaper, and told her to take it to her father, The girl did as she was asked.
Bishop Ballard saw that the paper, the Newbury Weekly News, published in England, contained the names of more than 60 of his and his father’s acquaintances, along with genealogical information. This newspaper, dated 15 May 1884, had been given to him only three days after it was printed. In a time long before air transportation, when mail took several weeks to get from England to western America, this was a miracle.
The next day, Bishop Ballard took the newspaper to the temple and told the story of its arrival to Marriner W. Merrill, the temple president. President Merrill declared, “Brother Ballard, someone on the other side is anxious for their work to be done and they knew that you would do it if this paper got into your hands.” This newspaper is preserved in the Church Historical Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Our Heritage pg 101)
What can we learn from these two stories?
Those who are dead are anxious for us to perform ordinances for them and that we should be diligent in our efforts to redeem the dead.
While serving in the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Woodruff taught: “For the last eighteen hundred years, the people that have lived and passed away never heard the voice of an inspired man, never heard a Gospel sermon, until they entered the spirit-world. Somebody has got to redeem them, by performing such ordinances for them in the flesh as they cannot attend to themselves in the spirit, and in order that this work may be done, we must have Temples in which to do it” (Journal of Discourses, 19:228–29)
What does this revelation teach about families?
Everyone will have a chance to accept the Gospel and have eternal life, that is the Lord's plan. Families are not meant to be until death do us part, but until forever.
How does the revelation help fulfill the prophecy about turning the hearts of the children to their fathers? We are given a great desire for the welfare of our ancestors and mankind, the revelation also guides and teaches us in this process.
"The eyes of my understanding were opened"
“President Brigham Young, who followed President Joseph Smith, … laid the foundation of the Salt Lake Temple, as well as others in the mountains of Israel. What for? That we might carry out these principles of redemption for the dead. He accomplished all that God required at his hands. But he did not receive all the revelations that belong to this work; neither did President John Taylor, nor has Wilford Woodruff” (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 153–54)
President Joseph F Smith received a revelation that helped the understanding and work of redeeming the dead continue to move forward. On 4 October 1918 he said in general conference:
“I have been undergoing a siege of very serious illness for the last five months. … I have not lived alone these five months. I have dwelt in the spirit of prayer, of supplication, of faith and of determination; and I have had my communication with the Spirit of the Lord continuously” (Conference Report, Oct. 1918, 2)
The day before President Smith made this statement, he had received a revelation that would expand the Saints’ understanding of the redemption of the dead. This revelation is now D&C 138 It is a record of the Savior’s visit to the spirit world while His body was in the tomb. Susa Young Gates and the Vision of Redmeption for Dead
He was pondering the scriptures and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As he pondered, he was led to read 1 Peter 3 and 1 Peter 4, which include information about Jesus’ ministry in the postmortal spirit world.
Whom did the Savior visit in the spirit world? D&C 138:12–19
The Savior went to the spirits who:
“Had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality” (D&C 138:12).
“Had offered sacrifice in the similitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of God” (D&C 138:13).
“Had suffered tribulation in their Redeemer’s name” (D&C 138:13).
“Had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ” (D&C 138:14).
“Were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand” (D&C 138:15)
To whom did the Savior not go? D&C 138:20–21
20 But unto the wicked he did not go, and among the ungodly and the unrepentant who had defiled themselves while in the flesh, his voice was not raised;
21 Neither did the rebellious who rejected the testimonies and the warnings of the ancient prophets behold his presence, nor look upon his face.
What did the Savior do so the gospel could be preached to “those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth”? D&C 138:27–37.
He organized the righteous spirits and commissioned them to teach those who had not yet accepted the gospel.
Who preaches the gospel in the spirit world today? D&C 138:57
57 I beheld that the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead.
What are differences between those in the spirit world who have been faithful in the testimony of Jesus and those who have not? D&C 138:22–24
22 Where these were, darkness reigned, but among the righteous there was peace;
23 And the saints rejoiced in their redemption, and bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell.
24 Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them, and they sang praises unto his holy name.
What do these verses teach about the importance of teaching the gospel in the spirit world?
57 I beheld that the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead.
58 The dead who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the ordinances of the house of God,
59 And after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions, and are washed clean, shall receive a reward according to their works, for they are heirs of salvation.
How do these verses make you feel about your responsibility to provide priesthood ordinances for the dead?
Only a few weeks after receiving this revelation, on November 19, 1918, President Smith passed away. It seems as he approached the sunset of his life, he had been prepared by a lifetime of experience for the reception of this great revelation. Brother Robert L. Millet said: "The aged Prophet's attention was drawn to the world beyond mortality by his frequent confrontation with death. His parents, Hyrum and Mary Fielding Smith, both died while he was a young man. Among the great trials of his life none was more devastating than the passing of many of his children into death. President Smith was possessed of an almost infinite capacity to love, and thus the sudden departure of dear ones brought extreme anguish and sorrow. Joseph Fielding Smith later wrote: 'When death invaded his home, as frequently it did, and his little ones were taken from him, he grieved with a broken heart and mourned, not as those who mourn who live without hope, but for the loss of his 'precious jewels' dearer to him than life itself.'
"On 20 January 1918 Hyrum Mack Smith, oldest son of Joseph F. and then a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, was taken to the hospital for a serious illness, where the physicians diagnosed a ruptured appendix. Despite constant medical attention and repeated prayers, Hyrum M.—then only 45 years of age and at the time with a pregnant wife—died on the night of 23 January. This was a particularly traumatic affliction for the President. Hyrum had been called as an apostle at the same conference wherein his father had been sustained as the Church's sixth president (October 1901). Hyrum Mack was a man of depth and wisdom beyond his years, and his powerful sermons evidenced his unusual insight into gospel principles.... Already in a weakened physical condition due to age, the Prophet's sudden sense of loss caused him 'one of the most severe blows that he was ever called upon to endure.'
"Even though President Smith indicated in October of 1918 that the preceding six months had been a season of special enrichment, in fact it may be shown that the last thirty months of his life (specifically, from April 1916 to October 1918) represent a brief era of unusual spiritual enlightenment, in which he delivered to the Church some of the most important and inspiring insights of this dispensation." (Studies In Scripture, 1:555-556)
Elder James E. Talmage recorded this passage in his journal for October 31, 1918: "Attended meeting of the First Presidency and the Twelve. Today President Smith who is still confined to his home by illness, sent to the Brethren the account of a vision through which, as he states, were revealed to him important facts relating to the work of the disembodied Savior in the realm of departed spirits, and of the missionary work in progress on the other side of the veil. By united action the Council of the Twelve, with the Counselors in the First Presidency, and the Presiding Patriarch accepted and endorsed the revelation as the word of the Lord. President Smith's signed statement will be published in the next issue (December) of the Improvement Era, which is the organ of the Priesthood quorums of the church." (Studies In Scripture, 1:560-561)
Elder Talmage gave a tribute to President Smith at the June 1919 General Conference: "Well, where is he now? He was permitted shortly before his passing to have a glimpse into the hereafter, and to learn where he would soon be at work. He was a preacher of righteousness on earth, he is a preacher of righteousness today. He was a missionary from his boyhood up, and he is a missionary today amongst those who have not yet heard the gospel, though they have passed from mortality into the spirit world. I cannot conceive of him as otherwise than busily engaged in the work of the Master." (Conference Report, Jun 1919)
"We are determined … to take the temples to the people."
As well as receiving revelation President Smith recognized the need for temples throughout the world. At a 1906 conference in Bern, Switzerland, he stretched out his hand and declared, “The time will come when this land will be dotted with temples, where you can go and redeem your dead.” Our Heritage pg 106
President Gordon B Hinckley is another prophet who has expanded our understanding of temple work. When he became President of the Church in 1995, there were 47 temples in operation. About two and one-half years later, he made the following announcement:
"There are many areas of the Church that are remote, where the membership is small and not likely to grow very much in the near future. Are those who live in these places to be denied forever the blessings of the temple ordinances? While visiting such an area a few months ago, we prayerfully pondered this question. The answer, we believe, came bright and clear.
“We will construct small temples in some of these areas, buildings with all of the facilities to administer all of the ordinances. They would be built to temple standards, which are much higher than meetinghouse standards. They would accommodate baptisms for the dead, the endowment service, sealings, and all other ordinances to be had in the Lord’s house for both the living and the dead. …
“… We are determined … to take the temples to the people and afford them every opportunity for the very precious blessings that come of temple worship” (Conference Report, Oct. 1997, 68–69; or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 49–50)
In April 1998, President Hinckley announced a goal to have 100 temples in operation by the end of the century, with great love and perseverance he achieved that goal. As well under the direction of President Thomas S Monson, today Mormon Newsroom reports there are 157 temples in operation world wide. In addition the church also as 5,003 Family History Centers and 138 Countries with Family History Centers. Mormon Newsroom Facts
How many people would not be enjoying the blessings of the temple if President Hinckley had not received the revelation to accelerate the building of temples? How does the accelerated building of temples affect those who have died without receiving the gospel?
At the October 1997 General Conference President Hinckley announced: "I believe that no member of the Church has received the ultimate which this Church has to give until he or she has received his or her temple blessings in the house of the Lord. Accordingly, we are doing all that we know how to do to expedite the construction of these sacred buildings and make the blessings received therein more generally available.... "But there are many areas of the Church that are remote, where the membership is small and not likely to grow very much in the near future. Are those who live in these places to be denied forever the blessings of the temple ordinances? While visiting such an area a few months ago, we prayerfully pondered this question. The answer, we believe, came bright and clear.
"We will construct small temples in some of these areas, buildings with all of the facilities to administer all of the ordinances. They would be built to temple standards, which are much higher than meetinghouse standards. They would accommodate baptisms for the dead, the endowment service, sealings, and all other ordinances to be had in the Lord’s house for both the living and the dead." (Ensign, Nov 1997)
Conclusion
No people in history have ever had the opportunity to do so much for so many people as we do today.
President Heber J. Grant: "If we have a desire to do a thing, we can generally find the time to do it. I made up my mind several years ago that I would like to go to the temple once a week when I was in Salt Lake City, although I had so much work to do that quite frequently I got out of bed at 4:30 in the morning and talked to the dictaphone—I have dictated many times more letters before going to my office at 8:30 than any stenographer can write in one day. I had felt for years that I did not have the time to go to the temple, but finally I got the desire to go, and from that time on I had no difficulty in finding the time to go once a week. Occasionally I went twice a week, and it so happened that one week I went all four nights that the temple was open. . . .
"I believe that if I could find the time to go to the temple and do temple work once a week, there is hardly a man in the entire Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but who can find the same time if he wishes to plan his work accordingly. The trouble with so many people is they do not have the desire. (I am speaking of people who live where there is a temple.) If you get it into your heart and soul that this is one of the most important things you as Latter-day Saints can do, you will find a way to do it." (Gospel Standards, pp256-257)
Resources:
Scripture Chain: Temple Work for the Dead
Our Heritage A Brief History
Diary of Frederick William Hurst, comp. Samuel H. and Ida Hurst
Joseph Smith-History JSH
History of the Church
Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie
Conference Reports
Ensign
Christ and the New Covenant
The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, sel. G. Homer Durham [1946]
Gospel Standards
Studies in Scripture Robert L Millet
Mormon Newsroom
Journal of Discourses
BYU Studies History of the Church
Doctrines of Salvation by Joseph Fielding Smith
Encyclopedia of Mormonism edited by Daniel H. Ludlow
Messages of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints compiled by James R. Clark
