During mankind’s history on this earth, the priesthood of God has been conferred or restored upon selected men seven major times thereby ushering in on each occasion a period of gospel activity known as a dispensation. The heads of these seven dispensations are Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the twelve apostles called by the Lord in the meridian of time, and finally, the Prophet Joseph Smith. At various additional times, the priesthood and the Lord’s gospel have been given to numerous prophets down through the ages thus commencing minor dispensations. How many of these minor dispensations have occurred, we do not know.
In 1820, when Joseph Smith was called to usher in this final dispensation, the dispensation of the fulness of times, following the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment periods in Western Civilization, his labors would require at a very minimum the restoration of the priesthood of God, the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. The subject matter of this writing is limited to only one of these activities namely, the restoration of the priesthood.
As the work of translating the Book of Mormon continued with Joseph Smith dictating the Book’s contents to his scribe, Oliver Cowdery, they came across several references to the ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins (see Joseph Smith--History, 1:68-75). Seeking enlightenment on this subject, they retired to the woods in their vicinity on May 15, 1829 and prayed to their Father in heaven. In response to their supplications, there appeared to them a heavenly messenger who introduced himself as John the Baptist. Through the laying on of hands, this messenger conferred upon Joseph and Oliver the Aaronic Priesthood. The young men were informed that John the Baptist’s appearance and actions were accomplished under the direction and authority of Peter, James, and John who had received the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood at the beginning of the previous dispensation. In time, this Priesthood would be conferred upon them as well. Having received the Aaronic Priesthood, Joseph and Oliver were directed to go into the Susquehanna River and baptize each other. Upon leaving the water, they were instructed to re-ordain one other. This they did.
Not many days after the visitation of John the Baptist, Peter, James and John appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood. The exact date upon which this significant event occurred is not known.
By 1836, the required work of restoration was well underway. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been organized in conformity with the laws of the State of New York in 1830, and subsequently, the main body of the Church had moved westward. Those who settled in the area of Kirtland, Ohio had followed their Lord’s command and had prepared a temple for dedication. The Prophet delivered the dedicatory prayer in the temple on March twenty-seventh of 1836. It was in this newly dedicated temple that an event of extraordinary importance occurred on the third of April, and a report of its particulars is to be found in Section 110 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Jesus Christ appeared in person to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery accepting the sacrifices of the members who had erected the temple. “I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house” (D&C 110:7).
This visit was the fulfillment of a prophesy made by Malachi. “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1). These words of Malachi were affirmed by the Lord himself in this dispensation. In December 1830, the Lord said, “I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to my temple” (D&C 36:8). For those who recognize that this visit is one of the preparatory events preceding the Lord’s coming in glory, this appearance by the Lord in the Kirtland Temple is a confirmation that we are in the last days.
Following this appearance of the Lord, “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” (D&C 110:11). “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” (D&C 110:12).
The fourth and final appearance on this occasion was a visitation by the Prophet Elijah. Down through the generations of particularly the Jews, the coming of Elijah has been an awaited sign. Elijah’s coming was announced four times in a single day by the Prophet Moroni during his appearances to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1823. Moroni chose other words than those of Malachi when referring to the ancient prophet’s proclamation namely, “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” (JS--H, 1:39). What Elijah bestowed upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on this occasion were the keys of the sealing authority that would allow actions taken upon the earth to be binding in heaven for eternity. These keys held and exercised by Joseph Smith and each succeeding prophet throughout this dispensation allows us now to begin the work of binding the righteous families of the earth together forever. This authority must be necessarily exercised upon the earth in order that the “work and glory” of God might be realized namely, the bringing “to pass [of] the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Elijah’s final recorded words to the two Church leaders were “[t]herefore, 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” (D&C 110:16).
So it was, that between 1829 and 1836, the Melchizedek Priesthood and its inherent keys were returned to the earth and bestowed upon the Prophet Joseph Smith, who still stands at the head of this dispensation today. In the great plan of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith would yet fulfill the role he was foreordained to play. His role was so important in fulfilling the purposes of God that it was said of him that he accomplished “more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it” (D&C 135:3).
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