John the Baptist — Prophecy of the Melchizedek Priesthood Restoration
Published September 2, 2026 at 5:43 AM
On May 15, 1829, while translating the Book of Mormon near Harmony, Pennsylvania, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery went into the wilderness to pray about baptism for the remission of sins. In answer to their prayer, a heavenly messenger descended in a pillar of light — the resurrected John the Baptist. Laying his hands upon their heads, he conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood and its keys. He also declared that he was acting under the direction of Peter, James, and John, who held the keys of the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood, and prophesied that this greater priesthood would be conferred upon them in due time, and that Joseph should be called the first Elder of the Church and Oliver the second.
The specific prophecy was fulfilled shortly thereafter when Peter, James, and John appeared to the two men in the wilderness between Harmony and Colesville, restoring the Melchizedek Priesthood and the keys of apostleship. Joseph Smith later testified of hearing 'the voice of Peter, James, and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river' (D&C 128:20), ordaining them to the same priesthood and apostleship that the ancient Twelve held. The promise of the heavenly messenger was thus fulfilled to the letter, restoring the authority by which the Church of Jesus Christ was again organized on April 6, 1830.
In Their Own Words
“We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month (May, 1829), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, that we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying: Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness. He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and that after afterwards he should baptize me. Accordingly we went and were baptized. I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me—after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood—for so we were commanded. The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first Elder of the Church, and he (Oliver Cowdery) the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that we were ordained under the hand of this messenger, and baptized.”
— Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith—History 1:68–72
Sources & References
Joseph Smith—History 1:68–74 (Pearl of Great Price): https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng; Doctrine and Covenants 13 (words of John the Baptist) and 128:20; 'Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood,' Church History Topics: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/restoration-of-the-melchizedek-priesthood?lang=eng Full first-person account: Joseph Smith—History 1, Pearl of Great Price https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng
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