Even though the planting season is over for the year, we are enjoying the harvest, the results of someone having planted. The word plant has several meanings and each of them is very significant in its own right. For example, something can be planted firmly in place which brings to mind something or even someone that is solid and strong. Some people are firmly planted.
They are those whom we count on. They are our anchors and most often they are a parent or spouse.
Then there is the planting of seeds that the farmer sows in his fields or the planting of flowers and shrubs to decorate our yards. These are the kinds of seeds that, when mature, bring beauty to our eyes and joy to our souls. I have often thought, when seeing a colorful array of flowers, that they were created by a loving Heavenly Father as a reminder to us of His love for us. His hope is that we might have joy in this life and a fullness of joy in our post mortal exis- tence. Another kind of planting is done in the mind or the heart. This is the kind that holds the greatest significance for the soul. Before this kind of planting can be done, we have to prepare our mind and heart, much like soil has to be prepared to receive the seed. Alma states: (Alma 32:27–28) “But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words… we will compare the word (the gospel) unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed…it will begin to swell and…ye will begin to say… It must needs be that this is a good seed… for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understand- ing…” Another very important place that the Lord uses the term, to plant, is in the second section of the Doctrine and Covenants. Many Latter-day Saints skip over this very important scripture because they believe it is the same as a frequently quoted and similar scripture found in Malachi in the Old Testament, when in reality the two are very different. For example, Malachi 4:5-6 reads,
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” The D&C 2:1–3 version reads, “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.” The significant differences found in the Doctrine & Covenants and not in Malachi are:
1. The Priesthood will be revealed
2. Promises made to the Fathers will be planted in the hearts
3. Hearts of children will be turned to the fathers-(one way)
These differences are interesting and important but I want to espe- cially draw your attention to the promises that were made to the Fathers that will be planted in the hearts of the children. If these promises are not understood, the rest of this very important scripture will have very little meaning. These promises were given to Abraham because of his great faith and obedience. The promises may be found in several places throughout the scriptures but the most complete is found in the Pearl of Great Price “My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning…I will make of thee (Abraham) a great nation…and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations…as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, (adopted) and shall be accounted thy seed…I give unto thee a promise that (through thy seed)…all the fami- lies of the earth (shall) be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal. (Abraham 2:8–11)
That promise includes all the families who have ever lived and who ever will yet live on the earth. All will be blessed to know the Gospel of Salvation and Eternal Life through Abraham’s seed (the Priesthood). That is, you and I, we are the children (seed) of Abraham. The promises made to Abraham must be planted in our hearts first and only then will our hearts truly be turned to our fathers (ancestors).
If we are ever to understand the importance of this great work we must first know and understand the promise to the fathers made by Jehovah Himself, and have it planted in our hearts.
The majority of the families that will be blessed through our turn- ing to them, are residing in the spirit world. Those who have never had an opportunity to hear the Gospel while on earth. By under- standing the promise it is much easier to see the importance of this great work of Redeeming the Dead, the work that is being done in family history.