Menu

‘Come, Follow Me’ for Jan. 20-26: What have Church leaders said about Doctrine and Covenants 2, Joseph Smith—History 1:27-65?

This week’s study guide includes the prophecy that ‘the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers’ (Doctrine and Covenants 2:2)

This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Doctrine and Covenants 2 and Joseph Smith—History 1:27-65, which includes the prophecy that “the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers” (Doctrine and Covenants 2:2).

Following are a few quotes from past and present leaders about Doctrine and Covenants 2 and Joseph Smith—History 1:27-65.

Doctrine and Covenants 2

“Families are to be sealed together for all eternity (see Doctrine and Covenants 2:2-3; 49:17; 138:48; Joseph Smith—History 1:39). A welding link is to be forged between the fathers and the children. In our time, a whole, complete and perfect union of all dispensations, keys and powers are to be welded together. For these sacred purposes, holy temples now dot the earth. I emphasize again that construction of these temples may not change your life, but your service in the temple surely will.”

President Russell M. Nelson in the April 2020 Ensign article “The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior’s Second Coming

“When we speak of qualifying for the blessings of eternal life, we mean qualifying for the blessings of eternal families. This was Christ’s doctrine, and it was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 2:1-3:

“‘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.’

“This scripture is talking about temple blessings — ordinances and covenants without which ‘the whole earth [is] utterly wasted.’

“‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’ was written to reinforce that the family is central to the Creator’s plan. Without the family, there is no plan; there is no reason for mortal life.”

— Sister Julie B. Beck, then the Relief Society general president, in the March 2011 Liahona article “Teaching the Doctrine of the Family

“It has always been of profound interest to me that the first lesson taught to the Prophet Joseph Smith by Moroni was the absolute necessity of families being sealed together. That message was recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 2:

“‘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’ (verses 1-3).

“The purpose of Elijah’s mission was the restoration of the sealing power to bind on earth that which will be bound in the eternities to come, thus making operative on earth the ability to perform the ordinances of the gospel for both the living and the dead. This made it possible for the eternal linking of families together.

“I have always marveled how the spirit of Elijah works on men and women when they understand the blessings of an eternal unit. It even spreads to those who do not understand this doctrine. Genealogy, they tell me, has become the No. 1 hobby in the nation. The spirit of Elijah almost becomes a contagion among the people as it moves to unite family units together. It is only natural that our thoughts are turned to the history of our families and the sacrifices they made to embrace the gospel of our Lord and Savior.”

— The late Elder L. Tom Perry, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in the February 2009 New Era article “The Value of a Good Name

Joseph Smith—History 1:27-65

Young men and women walk toward the St. George Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

“Centuries ago, the prophet Malachi said that in a coming day, God would send Elijah to ‘turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers’ (Malachi 4:6).

“This prophecy was so important the Savior quoted it when He visited the Americas after His Resurrection (see 3 Nephi 25:5-6). And when the angel Moroni visited the Prophet Joseph Smith, he too quoted the prophecy about Elijah and hearts, fathers and children (see Joseph Smith—History 1:36-39).

“Today is April 1, [2017]. Two days from now, April 3, [2017], marks 181 years from the day when Malachi’s prophecy was fulfilled. On that day, Elijah did come, and he gave to Joseph Smith the priesthood power to seal families eternally (see Doctrine and Covenants 110:13-16).

“From that day to this, interest in exploring one’s family history has grown exponentially. At ever-increasing rates, people seem drawn to their ancestry with more than just casual curiosity. Genealogical libraries, associations and technologies have emerged around the world to support this interest. The internet’s power to enhance communications has enabled families to work together to do family history research with a speed and thoroughness never before possible.

“Why is all of this happening? For lack of a better term, we call it the ‘spirit of Elijah.’ We could also equally call it ‘fulfillment of prophecy.’ I bear testimony that Elijah did come. The hearts of the children — of you and me — have turned to our fathers, our ancestors. The affection you feel for your ancestors is part of the fulfillment of that prophecy. It is deeply seated in your sense of who you are.”

President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, April 2017 general conference, “Gathering the Family of God

“In response to earnest prayer on the evening of Sept. 21, 1823, Joseph’s bedroom filled with light until it ‘was lighter than at noonday’ (Joseph Smith—History 1:30). A personage appeared at his bedside, called the young boy by name and declared ‘he was a messenger sent from the presence of God … and that his name was Moroni’ (verse 33). He instructed Joseph about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. And then Moroni quoted from the book of Malachi in the Old Testament, with a little variation in the language used in the King James Version:

“‘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’ (verses 38, 39).

“Moroni’s instructions to the young prophet ultimately included two primary themes: (1) the Book of Mormon and (2) the words of Malachi foretelling the role of Elijah in the Restoration ‘of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began’ (Acts 3:21). Thus, the introductory events of the Restoration revealed a correct understanding of the Godhead, emphasized the importance of the Book of Mormon, and anticipated the work of salvation and exaltation for both the living and the dead. This inspiring sequence is instructive about the spiritual matters of highest priority to Deity.”

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2011 general conference, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn

Latter-day Saint young men are pictured in Monterrey, Mexico, in September 2024.
Latter-day Saint young men are pictured in Monterrey, Mexico, in September 2024. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

“You wonderful young men hold the Aaronic Priesthood, restored by John the Baptist to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery near Harmony, Pennsylvania. Your priesthood holds the sacred keys that open the door for all of Heavenly Father’s children to come unto His Son, Jesus Christ, and follow Him. This is provided through ‘the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins’; the weekly ordinance of the sacrament; and ‘the ministering of angels’ (Doctrine and Covenants 13:1; Joseph Smith—History 1:69). You truly are ministers who must be clean and worthy and faithful priesthood men at all times and in all places.”

— Brother Larry M. Gibson, then the first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, April 2011 general conference, “Sacred Keys of the Aaronic Priesthood

Related Stories
The significant event in Latter-day Saint history that occurred 195 years ago
‘Come, Follow Me’: Learn more and see photos of the Priesthood Restoration Site

“God has designed this mortal existence to require nearly constant exertion. I recall the Prophet Joseph Smith’s simple statement: ‘By continuous labor [we] were enabled to get a comfortable maintenance’ (Joseph Smith—History 1:55). By work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard-earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2010 general conference, “Reflections on a Consecrated Life

“When Moroni appeared to the Prophet Joseph, he not only taught him key doctrines of the Restoration, but he also told him that ‘God had a work for [him] to do’ and promised him that his name would be known throughout the world (see Joseph Smith—History 1:33). All parents and gospel teachers are messengers from God. Not all of us teach future prophets, … but we are all teaching future leaders of the Church. So we teach key doctrine, invite learners to do the work God has for them and then promise that blessings will surely come.”

— Brother Russell T. Osguthorpe, then the Sunday School general president, October 2009 general conference, “Teaching Helps Save Lives

Related Story
See Church News articles, podcast and videos about anniversary of angel Moroni visiting Joseph Smith

“Some people mistakenly think responses such as silence, meekness, forgiveness and bearing humble testimony are passive or weak. But to ‘love [our] enemies, bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]’ (Matthew 5:44) takes faith, strength and, most of all, Christian courage.

“The Prophet Joseph Smith demonstrated this courage throughout his life. Though he ‘suffer[ed] severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious’ (Joseph Smith—History 1:27), he did not retaliate or give in to hatred. Like all true disciples of Christ, he stood with the Savior by loving others in a tolerant and compassionate way. That is Christian courage.”

— The late Elder Robert D. Hales, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2008 general conference, “Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship

"Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith in His Room" is by Tom Lovell. The painting depicts the angel Moroni visiting Joseph Smith in 1823.

“I take you back 184 years to the year 1823. The month was September — the night of Sept. 21-22, to be exact.

“The boy Joseph Smith had prayed that night before going to sleep. He asked the Lord for forgiveness of his light-mindedness. A miraculous thing then happened. He says:

“‘While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside. …

“‘He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God … and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people’ (Joseph Smith—History 1:30, 33).

“The boy must have been stunned by what he heard. In the eyes of those who knew him, he was simply a poor, unlearned farm boy. He had no wealth. His neighbors were in the same condition. His parents were struggling farmers. The area where they lived was rural and largely unknown. They were simply ordinary people trying to survive through hard work.

“And yet an angel of God said that Joseph’s ‘name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds and tongues.’”

— The late President Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2007 general conference, “The Stone Cut Out of the Mountain

Related Stories
‘Come, Follow Me’ for Jan. 13-19: What have Church leaders said about Joseph Smith—History 1:1-26?
‘Come, Follow Me’ for Jan. 6-12: What have Church leaders said about Doctrine and Covenants 1?
‘Come, Follow Me’ for Dec. 30-Jan. 5: What have Church leaders said about the 2020 Restoration proclamation?
Newsletters
Subscribe for free and get daily or weekly updates straight to your inbox
The three things you need to know everyday
Highlights from the last week to keep you informed