My daughter recommended a book series. In the book a dying man leaves a message for his brother that becomes a quest for him to “find the most important words a man can say.” It made me think, “what are the most important words I’ll ever say?” I also thought to myself, “what are the most important words ever said?” and my thoughts took me to premortality when our Savior and Redeemer said the words, “Here am I. Send me.”
A commitment made
A commitment kept
So let’s talk about covenants.
Covenants bind two people or groups together. God’ covenant is all about His commitment to us and our commitment to him.
In Promises, Promises: The Concept of Covenant and Why We Should Care Amer Olson, writes, “We live in a world that is largely dependent on agreements, pacts and treaties to keep some semblance of order. Some of these agreements last longer than others. Eventually the terms are compromised in some way. Yet, each of us has the opportunity to take part in a pact with our Creator that will last forever and live with the assurance of promises that will never be broken.”
President Nelson said, ““The new and everlasting covenant and the Abrahamic covenant are essentially the same—two ways of phrasing the covenant God made with mortal men and women at different times.
The adjective everlasting denotes that this covenant existed even before the foundation of the world! The plan laid out in the Grand Council in Heaven included the sobering realization that we would all be cut off from God’s presence. However, God promised that He would provide a Savior who would overcome the consequences of the Fall.
Once we make a covenant with God, we leave neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy. In the Hebrew language, that covenantal love is called Hesed. Hesed is a unique term describing a covenant relationship in which both parties are bound to be loyal and faithful to each other.”
In the church’s book, True to the faith as part of the description of covenants it says. “Your greatest hope should be to enjoy the sanctification that comes from this divine guidance; your greatest fear should be to forfeit those blessings.
Helaman explained, “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”
Anchor pins and steel rods Elder Bednar described covenants and ordinances as the anchor pins and steel rods used to connect a foundation to bedrock to provide support and strength to a structure.
Elder Bednar also said that everything we do in the church is to yoke us to the Savior through covenants.
What makes our church uniquely qualified to administer covenants and ordinances? Obviously not perfect people. We kicked off the restoration with prophet losing 116 pages of ancient scripture. Doctrine and Covenants 124:1 yet the Savior himself calls the church true.Authorized by proper Priesthood authority to dispense the same covenant of salvation and exhalation.
2 Nephi 29:1 But behold, there shall be many—at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them, that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the children of men, that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel;
We Access the Power of God through Jesus Christ
MARK 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God
We can and should seek for the blessings of covenants with God
Abraham 1:2-4
2 And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.
3 It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time,
4 I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed.
Elder Christofferson said, “Some might say I can make good choices with or without baptism; I don’t need covenants to be an honorable and successful person.” Indeed, there are many who, while not on the covenant path themselves, act in a way that mirrors the choices and contributions of those who are on the path. You might say they reap the blessings of walking a “covenant-consistent” path. What, then, is the difference of the covenant path?
Actually, the difference is uniquely and eternally significant. It includes the nature of our obedience, the character of God’s commitment to us, the divine help we receive, the blessings tied to gathering as a covenant people, and most importantly, our eternal inheritance.
Covenants Keeping Blesses Us
We can’t do some things on our own. We need the master healer. Ryan Runya’s mom prided herself at getting out stains, even the hardest ones to get out. When her son passed away unexpectedly she was devastated. It was a stain she couldn’t fix. Only Christ could heal this wound. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as wool, thou they be red like crimson, they shall be white as snow. Spiritual and physical death- demand redeemer, someone powerful enough to save.
2 great obligations of the New and Everlasting covenants are to 1. Love God and 2 love others with this same kind of love, dear, caring, tender, committed love, this Hesed
Repent Relentlessly
-In this relationship of love, we show our love by keeping God’s commandments. If ye love me, keep my commandments is actually for our own good to save us from the destructive power of the adversary. In 3 Nephi 9:2 2 Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen! it shows he laughs when we fail to keep covenants and repent.
-God knows we will make mistakes
These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood. [D&C 76:69]
Why do we repent? Because as President Nelson said, “purity brings power
-Elder Klebingat
“the Savior is less upset over our sins and shortcomings than He is over our seeming indifference to do something about them in the right way.”
Rachel’s experience at D.C. temple rededication- gutted baptistry. There may be things we need to completely gut and rebuild.
We will sin and we will make mistakes. Elder Christopherson said, a man of integrity will honestly face and correct his mistakes, and that is an example we can respect.
Doctrine and Covenants 60:7 For I am able to make you holy.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “you do you”, but Christ says take up your cross and follow me. Elder Soares described that attitude as, “what works for Thee, works for me.”
In a slightly humorous tone Peter Marshall said, “Lord, when we are wrong, make us willing to change. And when we are right, make us easy to live with.”
Serve God by Loving Others
-Anytime we serve anyone on either side of the veil we are helping to gather Israel. -President Nelson
After the big London fire, the great English architect, Sir Christopher Wren, volunteered his services to plan and superintend the building of one fo the world’s greatest cathedrals. Unknown to most of the workmen, he passed among them watching the construction. To three stone cutters one day he asked, “What are you doing?” One of them answered, “I am cutting this stone.” Another answered, “I am earning my three shillings per day.” But the third stood up, squared his shoulders and proudly said, “I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build this magnificent cathedral” How easy it is to sometimes forget in our covenant keeping of ministering or teaching or cleaning the building both the cause and master whom we serve.
We believe that we hold these mighty forces (covenants and ordinances) in trust for all who have died, for all who are now living, and for the yet unborn.” President James E. Faust
I heard a description of Joseph Smith as, undaunted. We can be undaunted.
I was thinking of times in my life when I have felt divine intervention from my covenants. I noticed a repeating pattern. I’d find myself in a difficult situation and pray for relief. I wanted someone or something to come in and save me from the overwhelming challenges I faced. Instead he asks for a broken heart and contrite spirit and once I give Him those, he increases my capacity and in the process helps me become more than I was before. Example – missionary, young mom (reading lessons, teaching kids to skills)
A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be like Christ – learning to think, to feel, and to act as he does. When we want our solutions solved for us, let’s remember the Lord is in the business of building people.
However, he serves with us!
72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.
I’ve made a dear friend at institute named Penelope. She has an endearing accent since she’s from England and plenty of life experience having been a window twice now. When her second husband passed away, she described him as “a great solider for Christ” Although I’m sure he was imperfect, “When people saw him, they saw Christ.”
“Most often it is the sacrifices we make to keep our covenants that sanctify us and make us holy” -Elder Christofferson
How can we make ctionable steps to keeping covenants?
Baseball coach telling Jonathan, “Use what God gave you.” Meaning build on the features and abilities you already have. We can evaluate our circumstances, experiences and talents (even if they don’t seem like much) and consecrate them to God’s work.
Joseph Smith said, “Men not infrequently forget that they are dependent upon heaven for every blessing which they are permitted to enjoy” Everything we have or are is on loan from God.
President Gordon B. Hinkley wrote: I am not suggesting that we must become geniuses. Most of us will never fall within that designation. But I have concluded that the work of the world is done by basically ordinary people who have learned to work in an extraordinary way…
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, God's extraordinary work is most often done by ordinary people in the seeming obscurity of a home and family.
Small examples of covenant keeping: Dad shoveling snow on a cold winter morning that happened to be his birthday to build a sled run for his grandchildren. Him praying, “help us do the work of Christ.” Mom helping me fulfill my callings, teaching me how to be a better mom little things like making kids lunches the night before or preparing everything for Sunday the day before or teaching me how it’s way more effective to iron a shirt right out of the wash rather than drying it first. Simple, seemingly insignificant things to serve and lift and teach. Uncle Dan. “Lord make us good.” We don’t need to be flashy, beautiful, smart or wealthy. We just need to humbly ask, “Lord make us good.”
Elder Faust: For most of us, however, what is required is not to die for the Church but to live for it. For many, living a Christlike life every day may be even more difficult than laying down one’s life. Some may say: “I am a simple person. I have no stature or position. I am new in the Church. My talents and abilities are limited. My contribution is little.” Or they may say: “I am too old to change. I have already lived my life. Why should I try?”
Ether 2:16 Brother of Jared had already made barges.
Mormon battalion
Another idea would be to ask ourselves. “What would a covenant keeper do in this situation?”
How can I show love to a child? Touch, sight, sound, attention
He spoke to them while he touched them.
Jeremiah 20:9 – We claim Him, We choose to not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Closing Testimony
How does this change what we do? We see ourselves as part of the house of Israel, stewards or custodians of the covenant, with a commission to “Go save my people”. We can ask ourselves, “Am I willing to make and keep covenants?” We can follow our prophet’s plea to step up and help bring about the gathering. We say through our actions the same simple words spoken by the most perfect life that ever lived, “Here am I, send me”.
In the Savior’s name
