Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from April 2026 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.
About this talk
- “Keys, Covenants and Easter”
- Elder Quentin L. Cook | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
- Sunday afternoon session of April 2026 general conference.
- Theme: The keys committed by Moses, Elias and Elijah to the Prophet Joseph Smith are central to the Restoration of the gospel.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Cook’s message here.
Outline
- Jesus Christ’s Atonement accomplished His Father’s plan of salvation and provides the way for everyone to be free of death unconditionally and free of sin on condition of repentance.
- The Savior appearing to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and the keys committed by Moses, Elias and Elijah in 1836 are central to the Restoration of His gospel in the latter days.
- When the angel Moroni appeared to 17-year-old Joseph Smith in 1823, he taught and retaught critical information on the unfolding of events in the Restoration. Moroni quoted prophecies from the Old Testament, including that Elijah would restore priesthood keys.
- Christians, Muslims and Jews accept Elijah as a prophet. He exercised the sealing power of the Melchizedek Priesthood before Jesus Christ’s mortal ministry.
- Elijah conferred priesthood keys of the sealing power upon Peter, James and John at the time of the Transfiguration of Christ. The priesthood keys pertaining to the sealing power bind sacred ordinances and covenants on earth and in heaven, including vicarious ordinances in temples.
- Elder Cook and President Jeffrey R. Holland escorted various groups of people through open-house tours in Utah temples. The visitors saw Old Testament scriptural accounts of prophets featured prominently in Latter-day Saint temples and doctrine.
- President Holland spearheaded the effort to establish the Jerusalem Center on the Mount of Olives. He loved being in the places the Savior performed miracles and accomplished the Atonement.
- Elder Cook, President Holland and their wives visited the Garden Tomb and read scriptures recounting the last few days of the Savior’s earthly ministry.
- Knowledge and confirmation by the Spirit come from studying the life of the Savior, the restoration of the priesthood and the return of the sealing keys by Elijah.
- Those who adhere to the Savior’s ordinances, covenants and commandments will grow closer in their relationship with Him and their appreciation and gratitude for the sealing keys.
Reflection questions
How have priesthood keys blessed your life?
Why are the keys of the sealing power “crucial in our journey of returning to our Father”?
How have you found greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power through covenants?
Why might the whole earth “be utterly wasted” (Doctrine and Covenants 2:3) without the sealing keys?
What can you do this week to recognize the importance of restored priesthood keys?
Speaker quotes
- “The appearance of the Savior to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and the keys committed by Moses, Elias and Elijah are central to the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days. The role of Elijah in restoring the priesthood keys of the sealing power is crucial in our journey of returning to our Father as a covenant people.”
- “Because of the Restoration, we understand the important and pivotal role Elijah has played in the salvation of mankind. Elijah committed to Joseph Smith the priesthood keys pertaining to the sealing power to bind sacred ordinances and covenants on earth and in heaven. This includes the vicarious ordinances of salvation and exaltation that must be performed here on earth in the temples of the Lord.”
- “I testify that the keys committed by ancient prophets to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple are an essential part of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Reference scriptures
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
Invitations and promises
- “It is my witness that His Atonement accomplished His Father’s plan of salvation and provides the way for everyone who has ever lived to be free of death unconditionally and free of sin on condition of repentance. Therefore, the seminal doctrines of the Resurrection and the Atonement have been accomplished by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
- “You can have that knowledge and confirmation by the Spirit when you study the life of our Savior, the restoration of the priesthood and the return of the sealing keys by Elijah that unite our families for eternity. You can feel by the surety of spiritual confirmation that our Savior accomplished the Father’s plan. He atoned for our sins and broke the bands of death so that we might return to the Father and the Son in the celestial kingdom.”
- “I promise to you on this Easter Day that as you adhere to His ordinances, covenants and commandments, you will grow closer in your relationship with our Savior as well as your appreciation and gratitude for the sealing keys that have been restored in this dispensation.”
Stories
- Elder Cook and President Jeffrey R. Holland escorted various groups of people through open-house tours in Utah temples. President Holland explained that Elijah indeed had come and restored the sealing keys. The visitors saw Old Testament scriptural accounts of prophets featured prominently in Latter-day Saint temples and doctrine.
- President Holland spearheaded the effort to establish the Jerusalem Center on the Mount of Olives. He loved being in the places the Savior performed miracles and accomplished the Atonement.
- Elder Cook, President Holland and their wives visited the Garden Tomb and read scriptures recounting the last few days of the Savior’s earthly ministry.
From the footnotes
- 6. It is inspiring that all three of the ancient prophets, Moses, Elias and Elijah, who provided keys to the Prophet Joseph in the Kirtland Temple are revered as prophets by Christians, Jews and Muslims.
- 14. To this day, at their annual Passover seders, or dinners, they set a place for Elijah and go to the door hoping he has arrived to herald the coming of the Messiah.
- 21. Latter-day temple work requires the keys Elijah committed to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836, and which have been held by those who have succeeded Joseph since that time. These keys are mentioned or alluded to in Matthew 16:19; Malachi 4:5; 3 Nephi 25:5; Doctrine and Covenants 2:1; 27:9; 110:13–16; 128:17; 138:48.
Additional resources
- Related image: “Elijah Appearing in the Kirtland Temple”
- Related video: “Ordinances and Covenants — The Spirit of Elijah”
- Related hymn: No. 300, “Families Can Be Together Forever”
Recent conference talks on priesthood keys
- President Russell M. Nelson: “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys” (April 2024)
- Elder Shayne M. Bowen: “Miracles, Angels and Priesthood Power” (April 2024)
- President D. Todd Christofferson: “The Sealing Power” (October 2023)
Who is Elder Cook?
- Elder Quentin L. Cook was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Oct. 6, 2007. He worked as an attorney and business executive in California. At the time of his calling as a General Authority Seventy in 1996, Elder Cook was vice chairman of Sutter/California Healthcare System.
