The Promises Made To The Fathers

¹“Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.” (D&C 2:1-3). I have always assumed that the promises made to the fathers that the Spirit of Elijah shall plant into the hearts of the children are the promises that the Lord made to the fathers that are still in effect in the lives of their children. I'm sure that this interpretation is a correct one, but maybe it doesn't tell the whole story. After all, children knew and associated with their fathers and mothers in the premortal existence before any of them were born, just as those who are faithful will enjoy each other’s company in the Celestial Kingdom long after their lives on Earth are nothing but a distant memory. Is it not possible that during that premortal association fathers and mothers and children made promises to each other? Perhaps parents promised their children that they would do everything in their power to leave a legacy of faith and covenant keeping for their children to inherit. And perhaps the children made promises to their parents that they would do everything in their power to honor the legacy bequeathed unto them. Unfortunately, because we all passed through a veil of forgetfulness, we can't always remember the promises we made to our parents and ancestors. That is why we need the Spirit of Elijah to remind us of the promises we made. Otherwise the earth that our ancestors prepared for us, all of the sacrifices they made and the comforts they forwent to ensure our success will be utterly wasted. I am so grateful for the occasional glimpses of the great chain of faith and hope that binds us to all of our fathers and mothers and I hope that we can do everything we can to keep the promises we made to both our parents and our children.