"No passage in scripture gives students of the Old Testament greater problems of interpretation than this one in the Book of Malachi regarding the sending of Elijah to turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to the fathers," said Elder Howard W. Hunter at the October 1971 general conference.

"Who is the prophet Elijah who is to come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord?""The first mention of Elijah in the record refers to him as being from Tishbeh of Gilead, east of the Jordan in the area of Galilee. The events with which he was associated occurred in the ninth century before the birth of Christ. This great prophet was one of the leaders in defending Jehovah as the true God of Israel against those who were advancing Baal worship. His life is associated with many miracles.

Elder Hunter reviewed some of the highlights of Elijah's life. Following are those found in the reading for Lesson 28, 1 Kings 17-19:

- "Elijah prophesied to King Ahab that there would be a drouth, and a drouth did come to the land. The prophet went to the east of Jordan by the brook Cherith. The brook provided him with water, and the Lord caused him to be fed by ravens morning and night. Because of the drouth, the brook dried up and he sought another refuge.

- "The Lord directed him to a poor widow who lived with her only son." (Please see comments by President Monson regarding the widow sharing food with Elijah, and how her supply of oil and meal were replinished. (1 Kings 17:12-16.)

- "The widow's son became ill and died, or was close to death. Elijah called upon the Lord, and the boy began to breathe again and was given his life. (1 Kings 17:17-24.)

- "The Lord appeared to Elijah and told him to go to King Ahab and the drouth would be broken. Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of the King of Tyre, where the god Baal was worshiped. She brought her religion with her, introduced Baalism to the Hebrews, and carried on an attack against the religion of the Hebrews and against Israel's God.

"When Elijah went to King Ahab to tell him of the end of the drouth, Ahab accused him of causing trouble in Israel. Elijah charged Ahab with forsaking the commandments of the Lord and following Baal. He challenged the prophets of Baal, supported by Jezebel, to come to Mount Carmel and determine whether the Lord or Baal was God.

"Ahab gathered Israel to the place, and Elijah stood alone against the 450 prophets of Baal while the people watched. The contest was to build two altars - one for the Lord and the other for Baal - and to place thereon sacrificial bullocks on unkindled wood. Whichever deity answered by fire would be accepted as God. The 450 prophets commenced first. They called upon Baal from morning until noon but there was no answer. In their frenzy, they leaped about the altar and cut themselves with their knives and lancets till the blood gushed out, but still no answer.

"Then came Elijah's turn. He called for barrels of water to be poured on the sacrifice he had prepared, and he said: ` . . . Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

" `Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

" `Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

" `And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.' (1 Kings 18:36-39.)"