Genealogy

Malachi 4:5-6 is today's scripture mastery:

 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

 6 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.

Elijah was a great prophet in the Old Testament who had the keys of the priesthood to seal in heaven and on earth.  That is a very important thing.  The Jews have a tradition during their worship of the Passover to have a place set for him at the table.  They do this because it is prophesied that he will return.  Well, he has returned!  He restored the sealing keys to Joseph Smith (Doctrine and Covenants 110:13-16)

 13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

 14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—

 15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—

 16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.

It is with this sealing power that was restored, that we are able to do the temple work.  It is with this priesthood power that  we are able to be sealed to our spouse for eternity(not just until "death do you part").  It is with this sealing power that families can be sealed together for eternity. 

It is because Elijah returned and restored these keys that many in the world are taking such an interest in their genealogy.  He has turned the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers.  The importance of sealing the families together is very important--so important in fact that that work is not done, the whole earth will be "utterly wasted" at Christ's second coming. . . (Doctrine and Covenants 138:47-48)

47 The Prophet Elijah was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers,

 48 Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming.

This is perhaps the part of the Gospel that I like the most.  The reason is that it shows that God truly loves each of His children.  He has provided a way for all of his children to receive the same blessings.  Whether they receive them while here on earth, or afterwards, all of them are eligible for the love and the full blessings of God.   Even those who have never heard of Christ while they were living can receive the blessings because of the sealing power of the priesthood.  The temple work that we do for our ancestors is necessary for their salvation (and for ours)