Though they never knew each other, perhaps never even heard of each other, a strange set of parallels linked the lives of two great 19th century men.

Joseph Smith, born in 1805, and Felix Mendelssohn, born four years later, both died at age 38. Both died as a direct result of their work. Joseph was martyred because of the Church he founded; Mendelssohn was killed by the exhaustion of creating his greatest work.That work was the oratorio, Elijah, and the timing of its creation may suggest something of how divine inspiration works among men.

On April 3, 1836, the prophet Elijah appeared to Joseph and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple and committed to them the keys of genealogy and temple work, of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers. (D&C 110:13-16.)

Sometime within four months of that momentous event, in far-away Germany, Felix Mendelssohn conceived the creation of the oratorio Elijah. On Aug. 12, 1836, he wrote his friend, Carl Kingemann, asking him to write the libretto. When Kingemann declined, he turned to a theologian, Pastor Julius Schubring, who accepted with enthusiasm.

The glorious result of their collaboration is generally conceded to be the greatest oratorio of the 19th century.

So, we have the inspiration of Mendelsson's Elijah. But, far more important, we have the responsibility and glorious opportunity and blessing of the work Elijah restored.

The way that work is progressing is one of the wonders of our day. For decades, the Church has painstakingly microfilmed genealogical records in many countries of the world.

With the marvels of computer technology, and through the dedicated service of thousands of name extraction volunteers, millions of names will one day be readily available in stake family history centers throughout much of the Church. And in 41 temples on six continents, the work of salvation goes on for those who died without the saving ordinances of the gospel.

Of Elijah's return to earth as a heavenly messenger, President Ezra Taft Benson said: "He ElijahT had `committed the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, that the whole earth may not be smitten with a curse.' (D&C 27:9.)

"Elijah brought the keys of sealing powers - that power which seals a man to a woman and seals their posterity to them endlessly, that which seals their forefathers to them all the way back to Adam. This is the power and order that Elijah revealed - that same order of priesthood which God gave to Adam and to all the ancient patriarchs which followed after him." (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pp. 257-258.)

On that same occasion on which Elijah brought the keys of sealing power, the Lord Himself appeared in the Kirtland Temple, accepted the house that had been built in His name, and promised that "I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house." (D&C 110:7)

That He does so, through the ordinances of the temple, is the crowning blessing of the Fulness of Times.

This article may be used in connection with Gospel Doctrine lesson 28.