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Sacred Keys Restored in the Kirtland Temple
Learn about one of the most exciting and impactful days of the Restoration.
From an address to a group of historians near Kirtland, Ohio, USA, on June 13, 2024.
Many people experienced miracles in the Kirtland Temple surrounding its dedication on March 27, 1836. Some saw angels, others described pillars of light from the heavens, and a few experienced visions of the Savior.
But for me, all these combined do not match the eternal significance of what happened there on April 3, 1836. I cannot think of a single day in the ongoing Restoration when more was restored.
Priesthood Keys
The priesthood is the authority and power of God. He grants authority and power to His sons and daughters to act in His name for the salvation of His children. The keys of the priesthood are the authority to direct how, when, and where the priesthood is exercised.
Before April 3, 1836, the Savior sent heavenly messengers to restore the priesthood and certain keys, so Joseph could establish the Church, organize priesthood offices, and perform other tasks (see Doctrine and Covenants 20). But Joseph had not yet received all necessary keys.
On April 3, 1836—Easter Sunday—Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery went to the Kirtland Temple and bowed in silent prayer. We don’t know what they prayed for, but we do know that their prayers were answered.
They saw Jesus Christ who introduced Himself and declared, “Your sins are forgiven you” (see Doctrine and Covenants 110:1–5).
The Savior’s declaration helps us understand that part of what Joseph and Oliver silently prayed for was forgiveness. In response to their plea, Jesus made them sinless. He was without sin. In that moment, they were without sin. And the temple was dedicated, accepted, and sanctified. All things were ready for what was about to happen.
After the vision of the Savior closed, heavenly messengers came to restore sacred priesthood keys. It is important to understand that these restored keys are separate and complementary.
The Keys of the Gathering of Israel
First, Moses restored priesthood keys for the gathering of Israel (see Doctrine and Covenants 110:11). Anciently, because of disobedience, God’s covenant people, the house of Israel, were scattered. But God promised that He would gather them again. With the restoration of His Church and gospel the Lord began to fulfill this promise.
With the keys of the gathering, the apostles could now “unlock the door of the kingdom in all places,” the gospel could be preached throughout the world (see Doctrine and Covenants 112:17), and God’s children can be gathered to Him.
Regarding the gathering of Israel, President Russell M. Nelson taught, “There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important. … Absolutely nothing.”
The Dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham
Next, Elias restored “the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham” (see Doctrine and Covenants 110:12). Often, we use dispensation to mean a time period, like “the dispensation of the fulness of times.” But it can also mean an exceptional permission or privilege. Through covenant, we believe God promised Abraham all that He has. What a truly exceptional privilege! In the Kirtland Temple, this special dispensation and the authority to share it were restored to Joseph Smith.
Turning of Hearts and the Sealing Power
Elijah then appeared, announcing the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy that the hearts of the children would turn to their fathers (see Malachi 4:5–6). Joseph had heard about this from Moroni when he was 17 years old (see Doctrine and Covenants 2:1–2). Elijah restored the “keys of this dispensation,” or the sealing power (Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16).
The restoration of these keys by Elijah means at least two things. First, what is bound on earth is bound in heaven (see Matthew 16:19). Every essential ordinance we receive and every covenant we enter through the priesthood in this life will be recognized in the next life. Second, beginning with husband and wife and extending to both roots (ancestors) and branches (posterity), families are bound or sealed together forever in an everlasting covenant.
Do you see how all these keys are connected? President Nelson summed it up this way: “These keys authorized Joseph Smith—and all succeeding Presidents of the Lord’s Church—to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, to bless all covenant children with the blessings of Abraham, to place a ratifying seal on priesthood ordinances and covenants, and to seal families eternally. The power of these priesthood keys is infinite and breathtaking.”
And that is why the events of the Kirtland Temple are so important. Most of what we do in the Church of lasting significance is done under the authority of the keys restored on April 3, 1836, in the Kirtland Temple. The priesthood and those keys are more important than the location or the building, but the Kirtland Temple does provide a magnificent reminder of God’s dealings with His people. It is sacred evidence of the greatest Restoration ever.