Covenants / Covenant Keeping

August 12-19, 2018

This week I decided to study about covenants and being a covenant keeping person. My goal while I’m at law school is to balance my secular education with a spiritual education. Personal study, other than while I was serving on my mission, has never been consistent. I love to learn and read about the gospel but I’m not always as dedicated to it as I should be. I guess you could say I was hoping I could make a small kind of covenant with the Lord that if I would dedicate sometime each day to study His words and teachings that He’ll somehow help me to make it through what’s ahead at law school. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Covenants have been on my mind off and on for the last year. Sister Wendy Nelson, President Nelson’s (the Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) wife, came and spoke to a large group of women in our area last year and the main focus of her message was about being “covenant keeping women.” The phrase really struck me, and her message has given me a lot to think about.

Occasionally, I think as members of the Church we forget the importance and power of covenants because they are so commonplace in our faith. We covenant at 8 years old when we are baptized to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, to keep his commandments and follow him in exchange for having the Gift of the Holy Ghost as a guide and comforter. Each week we renew this covenant by partaking of the Sacrament. As adults, when we’re ready and worthy, we make covenants with God at the temple, along the same lines of obedience to Him and his commandments and a willingness to desire to be “covenant keeping” people.

Actions Demonstrating Covenants

Covenants always include action on our part. We are physically baptized, we partake of the bread and water of the Sacrament each week, we attend the temple to physically perform ordinances for those who have died without receiving them. As we act to do our part, fulfill the physical side of the covenant, we are brought to a remembrance of the promises itself. That not only do we promise to remember the Savior and God but that they remember us.

Blessings from Covenants

The blessings and power promised to covenant keepers is amazing. President Nelson has said, “Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women and children everywhere.”

Receiving ordinances and honoring our covenants enhances something within us, which is noticeable to those with whom we associate. Our countenance our kindness, etc. Elder Wakolo Of the Seventy, promised, “…participating in ordinances and honoring the associated covenants will bring you marvelous light and protection in this ever-darkening world.”

Elder Gong, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, stated, “Together, our covenants and our Savior’s Atonement enable and ennoble. Together, they help us hold on and let go. Together, they sweeten, preserve, sanctify, redeem.”

This to me is the perfect explanation of accepting and utilizing the Savior’s gift to us and our covenants and demonstrates with a great hope and energy the powerful blessings and life changing affect being “covenant keepers” can have in our life every day, but especially on the days when the light is more distant. A reminder of the greater things within us and in store for us.

One of the covenants we make in the temple is to be sealed to our families for all eternity. Meaning that death has no hold, and life has no end, that we will be together after this life. As covenant keepers the reality of a life after death becomes more clear and is occasionally felt as our loved ones serve, watch over, prompt and protect us. With so many children how does Heavenly Father fulfill all of the blessings and needs for everyone at the same time. It is the work of angels. 

Work of Angels

Moroni 7:29-32: “…have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. For behold they (the angels) are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness. And the office of their (the angels) ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfill and to do the work of the covenant of the Father, which he hath made unto the children men…The Lord God prepareth the way that…men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men.”

Who are the angels that help us? Those who love us most.

Unseen they minister to us, prompt us to do better, to keep or return to our covenants, to help us to feel the His and their love and constant mindfulness of us.