Weekly Study

Conference Talk of the Week

One conference talk each week, pre-selected on a rolling cycle. Start with the overview here, then open the official talk when you are ready to read it in full.

Week 5 of 37Viewing another talk in the series

Sunday Afternoon Session

Keys, Covenants, and Easter

Elder Quentin L. Cook

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

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The keys committed by ancient prophets to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple are an essential part of the restored gospel.

Overview

Elder Quentin L. Cook ties Easter to a key Restoration event that also occurred on Easter Sunday: the Savior’s appearance in the Kirtland Temple in 1836 and the returning of priesthood keys through Moses, Elias, and especially Elijah. He teaches that Jesus Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection fulfill the Father’s plan, and that Elijah’s sealing keys, restored to Joseph Smith, make eternal families and temple ordinances for the dead possible. As we keep ordinances, covenants, and commandments, we draw closer to the Savior and better appreciate why these restored keys matter.

Three Key Takeaways

1Easter points to real, eternity-shaping events: Christ’s suffering in Gethsemane, His crucifixion, and His Resurrection, making resurrection unconditional for all and forgiveness conditional on repentance.
2On Easter Sunday 1836 in the Kirtland Temple, the Savior appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and priesthood keys were committed by Moses, Elias, and Elijah, central events in the Restoration.
3Elijah’s restored sealing keys authorize ordinances and covenants to be binding on earth and in heaven, including temple work for the dead and sealings that unite spouses, parents, and children eternally.

Reflection Questions

As you study the Savior’s Atonement and Resurrection, what specific spiritual confirmations have you received (or are you seeking) that His work accomplishes the Father’s plan of salvation?
What does the phrase “the whole earth would be utterly wasted” help you understand about why temple sealings and vicarious ordinances matter in your own family story?
When you think about Elijah restoring sealing keys to Joseph Smith, what changes in how you view the temple, not just as a building, but as the place where those keys are exercised?

Application Prompt

This week, study Doctrine and Covenants 2 and Malachi’s promise about Elijah, then choose one specific family-history or temple action (identify one ancestor, submit one name, or attend the temple) to act on what you learned.