The scriptures refer to the Lord as "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."  Isaiah, as another example, says, "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob..."  (2 Nephi 12:3).  These men, these prophets, are singled out for especial honor and special mention.

Why?  Was it because of the great things they accomplished in their roles as prophets?  I don't think so.  There are a good many prophets who did mightier works than they did.  In fact, one is hard pressed to name even one mighty or miraculous prophetic thing that Jacob or Isaac or Abraham did.  They were each blessed with visits from the Lord, and were given special knowledge and covenants; but they never parted the Red Sea, or singlehandedly defeated 400 priests of Baal, or built an ark, or established a kingdom, or left a body of writings like Isaiah did from which even the Lord Himself would quote.

What was their claim to fame that makes them so great that their names would be forever attached to the name of the Lord so that He would be referred to as "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?"

The thing that sets them apart is their fatherhood.  These men were good fathers.  They didn't convert or lead great multitudes of people or prophesy great and mighty things, but they were sent and set apart to be the fathers of nations.  Abraham was sent to earth to be the father of Isaac.  The name Abraham means "father of a multitude."  His original name was Abram, meaning "exalted father."

Isaac had only two children—twins—but only one son, Jacob, who was to inherit and bear the covenant.  Jacob was the father of 12 sons, who became the foundation of the 12 tribes of Israel.

The Bible dictionary says of Isaac, "In character he appears to have been a peace-loving shepherd, of great personal piety, full of affection for the members of his own family."

There, in a nutshell, is Isaac's, and potentially our, claims to fame.  We need not be prophets or accomplish some great thing in order to receive God's approbation.  If we'll be quiet, peace-loving citizens, full of affection for the members of our own families, we'll also eventually become fathers of multitudes and will receive thrones like unto those that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob now sit upon.  (D&C 132:37).

As men, our exaltations rest not upon how successful we are as businessmen, how much we know, whether or not we serve missions or become General Authorities, whether we can prophesy, teach or speak in a profound manner, or expound the scriptures.  Our exaltations will rest upon our faithfulness to our covenants and priesthood, and upon what kind of fathers we are.

This is our mission.  If in the end it can be said of us that we were "peace-loving shepherds, of great personal piety, full of affection for the members of our own families," we'll be set to enter into our exaltations.