Elijah

=== The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints===
[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] acknowledges Elijah as a prophet. The Church teaches that the Malachi prophecy of the return of Elijah was fulfilled on 3 April 1836, when Elijah visited the prophet and founder of the church, [[Joseph Smith]], along with [[Oliver Cowdery]], in the [[Kirtland Temple]] as a [[resurrection|resurrected]] being.<ref>{{citation |last=Petersen |first=Mark E. |author-link=Mark E. Petersen |title=The Mission of Elijah |journal=[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]] |date=August 1981 |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1981/08/the-mission-of-elijah?lang=eng }}</ref> This event is chronicled in {{lds|Doctrine and Covenants|dc|110|13|16}}. This experience forms the basis for the church's focus on genealogy and family history and belief in the eternal nature of marriage and families.

In [[Latter-day Saint theology]], the name-title Elias is not always synonymous with Elijah and is often used for people other than the biblical prophet.<ref>{{citation |last=Perkins |first=Keith W. |author-link=Keith W. Perkins |title=I Have a Question: How can Elias, who appeared with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration, be identified as both the Old Testament prophet Elijah and as John the Baptist? |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1999/07/i-have-a-question/i-have-a-question?lang=eng |date=July 1999 |journal=Ensign }}</ref> According to Joseph Smith,

<blockquote>The spirit of Elias is first, Elijah second, and Messiah last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and the spirit and power of Elijah is to come after, holding the keys of power, building the Temple to the capstone, placing the seals of the Melchizedek Priesthood upon the house of Israel, and making all things ready; then Messiah comes to His Temple, which is last of all.<ref>{{cite book |last=Smith | first=Joseph Jr. |author-link=Joseph Smith |editor-last=Smith |editor-first=Joseph Fielding |editor-link=Joseph Fielding Smith |title=Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith |publisher=[[Deseret Book]] |location=Salt Lake City |orig-year=1938 |year=1976 |isbn=978-0-87579-243-9 |oclc=22984603|title-link=Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (book) }} p. 340</ref></blockquote>

People to whom the title Elias is applied in Mormonism include [[Noah]], the angel [[Gabriel]] (who is considered to be the same person as Noah in Mormon doctrine), Elijah, [[John the Baptist]], [[John the Apostle]], and an unspecified man who was a contemporary of [[Abraham]].<ref name="urlElias">{{citation |contribution-url= http://lds.org/scriptures/bd/elias?lang=eng |contribution= Elias |title= Bible Dictionary, KJV (LDS) |publisher= [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] }}</ref>

Detractors of Mormonism have often alleged that Smith, in whose time and place the King James Version was the only available English translation of the Bible, simply failed to grasp the fact that the Elijah of the Old Testament and the Elias of the New Testament are the same person.<ref name=burton74/> Latter-day Saints deny this and say that the difference they make between the two is deliberate and prophetic. The names Elias and Elijah refer to one who prepares the way for the coming of the Lord. This is applicable to John the Baptist coming to prepare the way for the Lord and His baptism; it also refers to Elijah appearing during the transfiguration to prepare for Jesus by restoring keys of sealing power.<ref name=burton74>{{citation |last=Burton |first=Theodore M. Burton |author-link=Theodore M. Burton |title=The Power of Elijah |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1974/05/the-power-of-elijah?lang=eng |date=May 1974 |journal=Ensign }}</ref> Jesus then gave this power to the Twelve saying, "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|18:18|9}}</ref>