Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff

Their is n [a?] differance between the spirit & office of Elias & Eligah it is the spirit of Elias I wish first to speak of. And in order to come at the subject I will bring some of the testimony from the scripture & give me my own, in the first place suffice it to say I went into the woods to inquire of the Lord by prayer his will concerning me— & I saw an angel & he laid his hands upon my head & ordained me to be a priest after the order of Aaron & to hold the keys of this priesthood which office was to preach repentance & Baptism for the remission of sins & also to baptise but was informed that this office did not extend to the laying on of hands for the giving of the Holy Ghost— that that office was a greater work & was to be given afterwards but that my ordination was a preparetory work or a going before which was the spirit of Elias for the spirit of Elias was a going before to prepare the way for the greater, which was the case with John the Baptist he came balling through the wilderness prepare ye the [p. [205]]