Isaiah 11 contains an important prophesy about the root of Jesse that restores scattered Israel in the last days.¹ The root of Jesse is the Prophet Joseph Smith.² On September 21, 1823, the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph³ and told him that Isaiah's prophecy was about to be fulfilled.⁴ Seven years later, Joseph organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an ensign to the nations, as described in Isaiah 11:10.⁵

On April 3, 1836, Moses and Elias came to the Kirtland Temple⁶ and bestowed on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery the final priesthood keys⁷ needed to carry out the latter-day restoration of scattered Israel.⁸ After these keys were given at Kirtland, Joseph was empowered to assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth, precisely as Isaiah had prophesied.⁹

The keys of Moses and Elias are separate but inseparable keys used to gather Israel both physically and spiritually.¹⁰ Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) Section 110:11 records that on April 3, 1836, Moses first bestowed his keys¹¹ for the physical "gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north."¹² An angel with the name-title of Elias appeared immediately after Moses.¹³ This person may have been Noah¹⁴ or someone acting under Noah's authority¹⁵ as the presiding priesthood holder on earth after the flood.¹⁶ Doctrine and Covenants 110:12 states that "Elias appeared and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed."¹⁷ Elias restored the keys that make it possible for Israel to gather spiritually through the ordinances of the Abrahamic Covenant, which is the Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood.¹⁸ The keys of Elias and Moses are inseparably connected¹⁹ because Israel must physically gather to the temples of Zion where they can spiritually gather as they receive the temple ordinances that pertain to the fulness of the Abrahamic Covenant.²⁰ This covenant includes the new and everlasting covenant of marriage,²¹ which blesses husbands, wives, and families in the Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood in all their generations.²²

The Abrahamic Covenant also includes the promise of land²³ as an inheritance and gathering place for Abraham's righteous posterity.²⁴ Therefore, through the operation of the gathering keys from both Moses and Elias, the righteous posterity of Abraham (Israel)²⁵ will literally gather in the last days to their land of promise centered at New Jerusalem (Zion) in Missouri²⁶ or at Old Jerusalem in Palestine.²⁷

The gathering keys restored by Moses and Elias are held today by the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.²⁸ The president can delegate his keys to others for specific assignments,²⁹ but his keys cannot be independently exercised by any other person.³⁰ This limitation must be kept in mind as consideration is now given to the content of Doctrine and Covenants Section 77:14, which explains that John's little book in Revelation chapter 10 is "a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel."³¹ This language suggests that the president of the LDS Church and John both hold and exercise the same gathering keys, which would be contrary to the established order.³² There is no conflict between authority of these keyholders, however, because the president of the LDS Church and John hold different gathering keys that operate independently for different phases of the gathering.³³ Their different keys work separately‒but harmoniously‒to accomplish all phases of the latter-day gathering of scattered Israel³⁴ and the restoration³⁵ of the Lost Ten Tribes.³⁶

Long before the latter-day restoration began in 1820, John began to physically and spiritually³⁷ gather the Lost Ten Tribes.³⁸ He has held the gathering keys for that ministry and for the Lost Ten Tribes since at least 96 AD, when he received his little book mission from the Savior in Revelation chapter 10.³⁹ It is possible that John received his gathering keys at an earlier date on the Mount of Transfiguration⁴⁰ or through his ordination as an apostle.⁴¹ As of 96 AD, however, John was the only person that held and exercised the priesthood keys to physically and spiritually gather the Lost Ten Tribes.⁴²

Today, John still ministers as a translated person among the Lost Ten Tribes.⁴³ He had to be translated to minister among them because they were translated in 570 AD and taken to the land of the north (heaven), as discussed in subsequent sections of this text.⁴⁴ By the time the Lost Ten Tribes were translated they were already a physically gathered people, and they are consistently identified as a gathered people distinct from the remnant of scattered Israel.⁴⁵ This distinction is specifically made in Doctrine and Covenants Section 110:11, where Joseph Smith received the keys to gather scattered Israel from the four parts of the earth on the one hand;⁴⁶ and separately, the keys to lead (not gather) the ten tribes from the land of the north on the other hand.⁴⁷

As a result of John's little book ministry,⁴⁸ the Lost Ten Tribes were translated and taken to heaven just as the city of Enoch was translated before the flood,⁴⁹ and other righteous people at certain times after the flood.⁵⁰ Translated people dwell in heaven, and not as strangers and pilgrims on the earth.⁵¹ They are not with God in heaven, but neither are they within the four parts of the earth.⁵² This means that the keys held by the president of the church to gather Israel from the four parts of the earth do not conflict with John's keys for his little book mission among the translated people of the Lost Ten Tribes because they are not from the four parts of the earth.⁵³ Neither does John act under the keys or direction of the president of the church, although some church members have a contrary view.⁵⁴

The distinct and separate keys held by John and the president of the LDS Church are mutually exclusive, but not at all competitive or at odds.⁵⁵ John holds the keys to gather and prepare the Lost Ten Tribes as a translated people, while the president of the church holds the keys on earth to call for their return to earth and to lead them from the land of the north in their appointed time.⁵⁶

The Lost Ten Tribes will be among Adam's righteous posterity during the future gathering of saints at Adam-ondi-Ahman⁵⁷ and John will be part of that company.⁵⁸ After that gathering, the Lost Ten Tribes will help build New Jerusalem (Zion).⁵⁹ This coincides in time with the second half of Armageddon called the Great Tribulation that will last for 3½ years.⁶⁰ During the Great Tribulation the Jews at Old Jerusalem will be protected by the Two Witnesses, as described by John in Revelation 11:3-7.⁶¹ At the same time, New Jerusalem (Zion) will be protected by the Lost Ten Tribes upon their return from the utmost parts of heaven.⁶² The Lost Ten Tribes will protect the citizens of Zion against all her enemies.⁶³ No mortal enemies can prevail against the people of Zion where the protectors of Zion are the Lost Ten Tribes in their translated condition.⁶⁴

The Lost Ten Tribes will stand with Christ on heavenly mount Zion as recorded in Revelation 14:1, and they will then return as a group with Christ at the time of the Second Coming to attend the marriage supper of the Lamb at New Jerusalem as stated in the Tenth Article of Faith. They will do so before they receive their exalting temple ordinances.⁶⁵ They will remain in their translated condition until after the Second Coming since they must receive their temple ordinances at Independence, Missouri as a necessary prerequisite to their resurrection to a state of exaltation.⁶⁶