When angel Moroni visited
Joseph Smith on 21 September 1823, he told him of an important part of the
restoration that will take place 13 years later. He told Joseph that the
sealing power of the Priesthood will be restored to the earth by the very hand
of Elijah the prophet who will ‘plant in the hearts of the children the
promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to
their fathers’ (D&C 2:2)
This sealing power
comes in two parts. The first part is the planting into our hearts the promises
made to the fathers: “Who are the fathers? They are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
to whom the promises were made. What are the promises? They are the promises of
a continuation of the family unit in eternity” (Bruce R. McConkie, The
Millenial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man [1982], 267l; see
also D&C 27:10; Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual commentary for
D&C 2:2).
These eternal
promises made to the fathers are known as the Abrahamic Covenant and they are:
1.
Abraham’s
posterity would be numerous (see Genesis 17:5-6; Abraham 2:9; 3:14).
2.
His descendants
would receive the gospel and bear the priesthood (see Abraham 2:9)
3.
Through the
ministry of his seed “all the families of the earth would be blessed, even with
the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even life
eternal” (Abraham 2:11)
4.
Abraham’s
righteous descendants will inherit the earth. Following the Millenium plus ‘a
little season’ the earth will die, be resurrected and become sanctified,
immortal and an eternal state where the god-fearing and the righteous shall
live as celestial beings with the Father and the Son forever and ever (D&C
88:14-26, 111; McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p 211)
“A person can
receive all the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant – even if he or she is not
a literal descendant of Abraham – by obeying the laws and ordinances of the
gospel (see Galatians 3:26-29; 4:1-7; D&C 84:33-40)”. (Gospel Topics, LDS
Gospel Library: Abrahamic Covenant). This is called ‘adoption into the House of
Israel’ by baptism.
The second part of
Elijah’s sealing power is the turning of our hearts to our own ancient fathers.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve said that not only has God
made these promises to the ancient patriarchs but that we “undoubtedly made
them to our own lineal fathers and mothers, those who came to earth before the
gospel was restored but whom we promised to provide its saving ordinances”
(Christ and the New Covenant 1977, p. 297). This is done by proxy in the temples
that are now on the earth.
So it is through
this sealing power and the saving ordinances we provide for our kindred dead
that we inherit the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. If not, the creation of
this earth would be utterly wasted because a sealed, united, celestially saved
family of God is the ultimate purpose of mortality and the creation of this
earth. (see Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, p 297-98)
The
spirit of Elijah rests upon the human family today who are actively seeking
their roots. Even the ones who don’t know why, will one day give thanks to the
God of this universe who made the family ties eternal and preserved the love
that binds us together, now and forever…..
Your life has come and gone
But your footprints remain
And your blood courses through my veins.
Because of God’s eternal grace
We will once again embrace.
I weep not that we are now apart,
For I carry you with me,
I carry you in my heart.
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