From the original manuscript history of the Prophet Joseph Smith, now in the Historian's office, Salt Lake City, I obtain the following under date of January 20, 1844:
"Preached at the southwest corner of the Temple to several thousand people, although the weather was somewhat unpleasant. My subject was the sealing of the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers."
Of this discourse a synopsis was reported by Elder Wilford Woodruff, from which the Prophet Joseph records the following in that history:
"The Bible says, 'I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.'
"Now, the word turn here should be translated bind, or seal. But what is the object of this important mission? or how is it to be fulfilled? The keys are to be delivered, the spirit of Elijah is to come, the Gospel to be established, the Saints of God to be gathered, Zion built up, and the Saints to come up as saviors on Mount Zion.
"But how are they to become saviors on Mount Zion? By building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, ordinations, and sealing powers upon their head, in behalf of all their progenitors, who are dead, and redeem them that they may come forth in the first resurrection and be exalted to thrones of glory with them; and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah. And I would to God that this Temple was now done, that we might go into it, and go to work and improve our time, and make use of the seals while they are on earth.
"The Saints have not too much time to save and redeem their dead, and gather together their living relatives, that they may be saved also, before the earth will be smitten, and the consummation decreed falls upon the world.
"I would advise all the Saints to go to with their might and gather together all their living relatives to this place, that they may be sealed and saved, that they may be prepared against the day that the destroying angel goes forth; and if the whole Church should go to with all their might to save their dead, seal their posterity, and gather their living friends, and spend none of their time in behalf of the world, they would hardly get through before night would come when no man can work."
On the 12th of May, 1844, the Prophet Joseph said:
"It is not only necessary that you should be baptized for your dead, but you will have to go through all the ordinances for them, same as you have gone through to save yourselves. There will be 144,000 saviors on Mount Zion, and with them an innumerable host that no man can count."
We learn from the foregoing quotations the following important facts pertaining to the salvation of the dead:
1. Salvation in behalf of the dead is the binding or sealing of the hearts of the fathers and the children, the welding link. (Doc. and Cov., 128: 18, Reorganite edition CX: 18.)
2. It is the most glorious subject belonging to the everlasting Gospel. (Doc. and Cov., 128: 17, Reorganite edition CX: 17.)
3. It is the greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us—to seek after our dead. (Times and Seasons, Vol. 6, page 616.)
4. It is obligatory to man. (Times and Seasons, Vol. 6, page 616.)
5. Without it the whole earth and its inhabitants would be smitten with a curse. (Malachi 4: 6. Doc. and Cov. 128: 18, Reorganite edition, CX: 18.)
6. It is an eternal doctrine prepared before the foundation of the world. (Doc. and Cov. 128: 5, 8, 18, Reorganite edition CX: 5, 8, 18.)
7. It is the burden of the Scriptures. (Times and Seasons, Vol. 2, page 578, Reorganite church history, Vol. 2, page 546.)
8. If we neglect it it is at the peril of our own salvation. (Times and Seasons, Vol. 2, page 578, Reorganite church history, Vol. 2, page 546.)
9. Through it we become saviors on Mount Zion, and may save multitudes of our kin. (Times and Seasons, Vol. 2, page 577, Reorganite church history, Vol. 2, page 545.)
10. We without our dead and our dead without us cannot be saved with a perfect salvation. (Doc. and Cov. 128: 18, Reorganite edition CX: 18.)
11. We cannot lightly pass this doctrine over as pertaining to our salvation. (Doc and Cov. 128: 15, Reorganite edition CX: 15.)
12. The time granted to the Saints to redeem their dead and gather and seal their living relatives before the earth shall be smitten with a curse, is none too long." (History of Joseph Smith, January 20, 1844.)
Now, my Reorganite friends, in the face of this how dare you presume to circumscribe, limit and profane this doctrine of salvation for the dead? Why do you call this eternal and most glorious principle a "permissive rite," a "local commandment?" and declare before God that it is not binding on you? God has declared it to be ordained before the foundations of the world were laid for the salvation of the dead who die without a knowledge of the Gospel—an eternal principle, the burden of the Scriptures, obligatory to man. Are you in harmony with the word of God? Were your leaders inspired to declare in the face of Jehovah's commands that this eternal principle was a "local commandment" not given to them as a commandment? Binding only on the Saints at Nauvoo? Do you not fear and tremble for your own salvation in neglecting the salvation of your dead? If the Jews who lived in the days of Christ will have to answer for "all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias," because they neglected the salvation of their dead as well as their own salvation, pray tell, what will your punishment be? (See Times and Seasons, Vol. 3, pages 760-761.) Remember that you without your dead cannot be made perfect.
Confronted by this evidence, for you to declare that your leaders are inspired and that yours is the Church of Christ, is most preposterous!