Years ago I read a novel written by a popular author of adventure stories.  The story was improbable, but very riveting and hugely exciting.  It was so exciting that some years later I found myself reading it a second time.

I would guess that, like me, most people could only name a handful of books that were so good that they were worthy of being read a second time.  I would suggest that the only books worthy of being read over and over again are the scriptures.

As I finished this novel for the second time it became obvious that the author had intended to write a sequel.  The story was left up in the air as the book’s hero accomplished an intermediate goal and conquered one antagonist, but had not yet reached his ultimate destination or conquered the real antagonist who was behind all of his troubles.

The ending of the book troubled me.  In my mind’s eye I could see where the story ought to go to be brought to its proper and final conclusion.  The author passed away without writing the sequel that he obviously intended to someday write.

So I did the only thing that could be done under the circumstances:  I wrote the sequel—a full-scale novel.  It was a fun exercise.

It occurs to me that there is another book that ends with the story up in the air, and whose author obviously intended to also write a sequel.  I read this book twice, also.  It, too, contains hugely exciting stories—stories with which everyone should become familiar.  Unlike the novel that I read, this book is nonfiction.  It is true.  It is the Old Testament.

Listen to how it ends:

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall...

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”  (Malachi 4:1-2, 5-6).

Talk about dramatic endings!  This one can’t be exceeded.  The sequel hasn’t yet been written, but soon will be; and one way or another, we’ll all be participants.

The sequel is already actually half written, and many of us are already participants.

Most of the world, including most Christian churches, discount the Old Testament as fiction and of little worth.  But that book is true, and is of great worth.  Few people understand and love the Old Testament like the Jews do.  They believe it.  They believe it so literally that they pay special attention to those last two verses about Elijah.

Those verses say that Elijah will come.  Elijah was the Old Testament prophet who was taken up without tasting death.  The prophecy is that he will come back.  When he does, the Jews intend to be ready to receive him.  They set an extra place for him at their Passover meals in case he should choose to come.  They hang a chair on the wall of their synagogues so that when he comes they can take it down and give him a place to sit.

Few people understand the books of the Old Testament like the Jews do; but even they don’t understand why Elijah was to come, and that his coming has already happened.

The sequel to this true story began to be written on the evening of 21 September 1823.  On that evening a 17-year-old boy retired to his bed and began to fervently pray for forgiveness of all (his) sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to (him), that (he) might know of (his) state and standing before (God); for (he) had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation...”  (Joseph Smith-History 1:29).

Such confidence and faith is always honored.  A brilliant angel appeared at the young man’s bedside, called him by name, introduced himself as Moroni, told the boy that God had a work for him to do, told him about a book concerning the former inhabitants of the American continent, and then “commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament.”

“He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy.”  (JS-H 1:36).  It was these same verses about Elijah who was yet to come.

When the boy, Joseph Smith, was later given the book Moroni told him about, he was also given the means to translate it.  He found therein an account of Jesus Christ visiting the former inhabitants of the American continent following His resurrection.  The Savior wanted those people, and us, to have the words of Malachi.  He quoted them, and caused them to be written.

There is no better verification of the truthfulness of the prophecy of Malachi and of the Old Testament than that an angel from God and the Savior Himself should quote these words.  The Bible is true!  Malachi’s prophecy about Elijah coming would be fulfilled.

Malachi’s prophecy was fulfilled.  It happened on 3 April 1836.  It was not by coincidence that that day was Passover when Jews around the world set an extra place at their Passover meal for Elijah.  It was also not a coincidence that his appearing was in a special building—a temple—built especially for him and for others to come and to confer keys upon a prophet who would prepare the way for the Lord’s work to be accomplished in the last days.  The temple had been dedicated only seven days before.

It was also not a coincidence that Elijah’s coming was in response to another solemn prayer offered by this young prophet, now age 30.

It was not a coincidence that it occurred on the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day.  Joseph had just had the privilege of distributing the Lord’s Supper, with the other Presidents, to the Church.  (See heading to section 110 of the Doctrine and Covenants).  This is a duty of the Aaronic Priesthood, which holds the keys to the ministering of angels.  (D&C 13).  Significantly, it was following this exercise of the Aaronic Priesthood that Jesus, Moses, Elias, and finally Elijah appeared and conferred their keys upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.

The account of Elijah’s visit is found in D&C section 110.  Thus Malachi’s prophecy about the coming of Elijah is found in all four Standard Works of the Church.  Is there any other scripture of such importance that it is quoted in every one of our sacred books?

And what were the keys that Elijah conferred?  This is something that not even the Jews can explain, let alone the Christian sects who discount the Old Testament as fiction.

Joseph said that Moroni quoted the Malachi verses “with a little variation from the way (they read) in our Bibles.”

“For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble:  for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

“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.”  (JS-H 1:36-39).

Moroni said that Elijah would reveal the Priesthood.  Joseph and Oliver had already received the Priesthood from John the Baptist and from Peter, James, and John; but they hadn’t yet received the keys that would open the way for Priesthood ordinances and covenants to be offered to the dead, and for families to become eternal through Priesthood sealings.  It was this that Elijah brought.  His coming was all about making families eternal.

Had Elijah not come, even the most faithful would be consigned to spend eternity with neither roots (parents and ancestors), spouses, nor branches (posterity).  Elijah turned the key which planted in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers before the earth was ever created.

The earth was created for the purpose of providing a place for God’s spirit children to come and receive bodies, and to form eternal families.  That was the whole purpose of the earth’s creation.  The earth is to become the inheritance of the meek (Matthew 5:5), and to become their eternal abode.  The earth is destined to become the celestial kingdom where families who have been properly sealed will spend eternity.  (D&C 77:1; 88:19-20; 130:9).

In our pre-earth existence we made sacred covenants and promises with our fathers that if they would come to this world during the dark and difficult times when the gospel in its fulness was not upon the earth—that if they would prepare the way for us—that we would see to it that they were able to posthumously receive the essential ordinances and covenants that would enable them to live forever in eternal families.  These are the promises that were planted in the hearts of the children as Elijah turned their minds to their fathers.

Since Elijah’s coming there has been an explosion of interest in family history among all people.  There is also an ongoing explosion of the building of temples, the only places on earth where families can be bound eternally.

There is an ongoing explosion of interest in performing this work for the dead in temples.  More and more people are attending the temple, necessitating the building of more and more temples.

The Boise Temple used to accommodate the church members who lived in the Twin Falls area of Idaho.  The Boise Temple was becoming so busy that the Church built an additional temple in Twin Falls to relieve the pressure.  The temple district was divided.  Logic would say that the division would cut in half the number of ordinances performed in the Boise Temple.  Instead, the number of ordinances performed in the Boise Temple the next year increased by 11%.

Now nine years after the opening of the Twin Falls Temple, another temple is being opened in Meridian, Idaho.  The Boise Temple district, comprised of 32 stakes, will be divided with the Meridian Temple district.  Each will be given 16 stakes.  Together the two temples will perform a dramatically increased number of ordinances beyond what the Boise Temple performed in the previous year.

Roots and branches are being sealed together at an accelerating pace.  The work done in temples insures that the earth’s purpose will not be wasted or in vain.

A day is coming when there will be a great division of the righteous and the wicked.  It has not happened yet because there is still much to be done, but the day is near when the wicked will be burned as stubble by the brightness of those that come with the Savior as He begins His millennial reign.

The sequel to Malachi’s prophecy in the Old Testament is being written right now, and we’re helping to write it.  We’re helping every time we find and take an ancestor’s name to the temple.  This is an exciting time to be alive.  This is the day to which Elijah and every other prophet looked forward.

The Bible is true.  The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and modern revelation through modern prophets are true as well.  These are momentous times, and we’re a part of it.

This is a sequel that has no equal.