{Magnetic fields exist on all scales in our Galaxy. There is a controversy
about whether the magnetic fields in molecular clouds are preserved from the
permeated magnetic fields in the interstellar medium (ISM) during cloud
formation. We investigate this controversy using available data in the light of
the newly revealed magnetic field structure of the Galactic disk obtained from
pulsar rotation measures (RMs).} % {We collected measurements of the magnetic
fields in molecular clouds, including Zeeman splitting data of OH masers in
clouds and OH or HI absorption or emission lines of clouds themselves.} % {The
Zeeman data show structures in the sign distribution of the line-of-sight
component of the magnetic field. Compared to the large-scale Galactic magnetic
fields derived from pulsar RMs, the sign distribution of the Zeeman data shows
similar large-scale field reversals. Previous such examinations were flawed in
the over-simplified global model used for the large-scale magnetic fields in
the Galactic disk.} % {We conclude that the magnetic fields in the clouds may
still ``remember'' the directions of magnetic fields in the Galactic ISM to
some extent, and could be used as complementary tracers of the large-scale
magnetic structure. More Zeeman data of OH masers in widely distributed clouds
are required.}Comment: Typo fixed in this new versio
