References
Anderson, James H. God's Covenant Race: From Patriarchal Times to the Present (GCR)
Anderson, Richard Lloyd Understanding Paul (UP)
Andrus, Hyrum L. Doctrines of the Kingdom (DK)
Burton, Rulon T. We Believe: Doctrines and Principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (WB)
Cannon, George Q. Gospel Truth (GT)
Compilation A Brief Statement of Principles of the Gospel (PG)
Compilation The Gospel in Principle and Practice: Religious Instruction (GPP)
Compilation The LDS Speaker's Sourcebook (LDSSS)
Dyer, Alvin Rulon Who Am I? (WAI)
Goaslind, Jack H. And Janette C. Hales Church News: Covenants Feb 13, 1993 (CNC)
Hinckley, Gordon B. Brigham Young University 1994-95 Devotional and Fireside Speeches (BYUS)
Hunter, Howard W. The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter (HWH)
Kimball, Spencer W. The Miracle of Forgiveness (MF)
Kimball, Spencer W. The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball (SWK)
Lane, Jennifer Clark Hebrew Concepts of Adoption and Redemption in the Writings of Paul (JCL)
Ludlow, Daniel H. Encyclopedia of Mormonism (EM)
McConkie, Bruce R. Mormon Doctrine (MD)
McConkie, Bruce R. A New Witness for the Articles of Faith (NWAF)
McConkie, Joseph Fielding The Spirit of Revelation (SR)
McKay, David O. Gospel Ideals (GI)
McKay, David O. Pathways to Happiness (PH)
McKay, David O. Stepping Stones to an Abundant Life (SSAL)
Meyers, Allen C. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (EBD)
Nelson, Russell M. The Power Within Us (PWU)
Nibley, Hugh Of All Things! (OAT)
Nibley, Hugh Temple and Cosmos: Beyond this Ignorant Present (T&C)
Packer, Boyd K. The Holy Temple (HT)
Packer, Boyd K. The Things of the Soul (TS)
Palmer, Lee A. Aaronic Priesthood Through the Centuries (AP)
Richards, Claude The Temple Letters (TL)
Smith, Joseph The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith (PWJS)
Smith, Joseph The Teachings of Joseph Smith (TJS)
Smith, Joseph Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (TPJS)
Smith, Joseph F. Gospel Doctrine (GD)
Smith, Joseph Fielding Answers to Gospel Questions Volume II (AGQ)
Smith, Joseph Fielding Doctrines of Salvation Volume I (DS)
Talmage, James E. Articles of Faith (AF)
Talmage, James E. The House of the Lord (HL)
Whitehead, Earnest L. The House of Israel (HI)
Widstoe, John A. Evidences and Reconciliations (E&R)
Wigoder, Geoffrey The Encyclopedia of Judaism (EJ)
Wirthlin, Joseph B. Finding Peace in our Lives (FPL)
Covenants (General)
-Definition
-Man made Covenants
-Covenant People
-Entering into Covenants
-Father gives Stipulations, God to Man
-Tokens and Signs
-Purpose
-Perfection and Exaltation
-Power
-Reminder, stay on Course
-Keeping Covenants
-Acting Under Covenant
-Covenant Breaking
-Through Idleness
-Activation Efforts
The New and Everlasting Covenant
-Is the Fulness of the Gospel
-Restoration of the New and Everlasting Covenant
-Ordinances and Covenants
-Baptism
-Sacrament
-Renewal of Covenants through
-Ordination to Priesthood; Aaronic
-Melchizedek Priesthood; Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood
-Temple Covenants
-Preparation For
-Celestial Marriage
-Sacredness of Temple Covenants
-Others
-Eternal
-All Necessary for Exaltation
Abrahamic Covenant
-Dispensations
-Abrahamic Dispensation
-Origins
-Continuation
--Children of the Covenant
-Scattering of Israel
-Covenants fulfilled through
-Renewal of Covenants/Gathering of Israel
-Blessings of Abrahamic Covenant
-Fulfilling of Abrahamic Covenant
Miscellaneous
-BYU Honor Code as Covenant
-Other Covenants
Covenants (General)
Definition-"The Gospel Covenant is the promise of God to grant to man, through man's obedience and acceptance of the ordinances and principles of the gospel, the glory and exaltation of eternal life." (DS 152)
"A covenant is a contract or an agreement between two or more parties in which each side makes a commitment to a certain principle or principles. In the Church, we think of a covenant as an agreement that we as members of the Church make in return for blessings that Heavenly Father has promised all who willingly choose to live by His commandments. We often speak of covenants in connection with the temple, but each member of the Church also enters into a covenant at baptism, which we renew each week as we worthily partake of the sacrament." (CNC-Goaslind 8)
"When I think of covenant, I think of the word "promise." When we talk about our covenants with our Heavenly Father, we see that He has helped us in understanding His plan of life and has set out certain requirements for us. Then we make the decision to commit or not to commit to living by those requirements, and receiving the blessings He has promised us if we do. (CNC-Hales 8)
"A covenant is a bond; a solemn agreement. It involves at least two individuals, and, of course, both parties must abide by the conditions of the covenant in order to make it effective and binding." (GPP 275, LDSSS-Christiansen 83)
"A covenant is a mutual exchange of enforceable promises" (LDSSS-Tuttle 83)
"The Oxford Dictionary defines covenant as 'a mutual agreement between two or more persons to do or refrain from doing certain acts; a compact, contract, bargain; sometimes, the undertaking, pledge, or promise of one of the parties." As a verb covenant is defined as 'to enter into a covenant or formal agreement; to agree formally or solemnly; to contract." And, interestingly enough, it provides a scriptural definition as 'applied especially to an engagement entered into by the Divine Being with some other beings or persons." Thereafter the entry lists long columns of references relating to the subject of covenants in the Bible, reaching way back to ancient times when the Israelites carried with them the ark of the covenant. (Oxford English Dictionary, 2:1100-1102)." (HT 163)
"In the gospel sense, a covenant is a binding and solemn compact, agreement, contract, or mutual promise between God and a single person or a group of chosen persons. (D&C 5:3, 27-28; 54:4)." (MD 166)
"A covenant is a solemn compact, agreement, or contract entered into by two or more persons or parties, in which each of the contracting parties freely binds himself to abide by certain principles and fulfil given obligations. In the sense that covenants were the foundation upon which the kingdom of God rested, they were sacred agreements between the Lord and man, and they concerned God's promises to man and man's duty to God and man. (DK 113)
"COVENANT (Heb. berit). An agreement or contract between two sides. The etymology of the Hebrew berit is unclear. Some have suggested that the word is related to the root meaning to cut, while others have suggested a connection to a root meaning to eat -- based upon the common practice of marking a covenant with a ceremonial meal. The predominant view, however, relates berit to the Akkadian biritu, "fetter", conveying the sense of binding -- a berit being an arrangement that binds two sides together." (EJ 181)
"COVENANT. An agreement between two or more parties outlining mutual rights and responsibilities." (EBD 240)
"The most common Hebrew word for covenant is Heb. Berit, which also means 'agreement' or 'arrangement.' This word may be derived from Heb. Bara 'eat bread with,' which suggests that the contracting parties symbolized their bond by a common meal at the conclusion of the formal agreement, or from Akk. biritu 'fetter,' which also suggests the bond between them (cf. Akk. riksu; Hitt. Ishiul 'bond'). In the New Testament, as in the LXX, Gk. diatheke last will, testament' designates a covenant." (EBD 240)
Man-made covenants-"Man-made covenants, contracts, obligations, vows, associations or expectations, must come to an end, for they are not everlasting. In the end all things that are not of God shall pass away, and only that which he has established and decreed shall stand."(D&C 132:7) (DS 158)
"Broadly speaking, a covenant is a compact or agreement. In this sense, covenant is used frequently in contracts among men. Its usage has come down from ancient times as a method of binding parties to agreement. Abimelech at Gerar entered into covenant with Abraham, and afterward under similar conditions with Isaac. Abraham entered into covenant with the Ammonites, ("were confederate," EV), Laban with Jacob, Jonathan with David, and Solomon with Hiram. But these were covenants between men, undoubtedly used in a manner similar to religious and spiritual covenants invoked by God, that the ancients were fully acquainted with." (WAI 358)
"In order to promote greater cohesion among members of a clan, a tribe, or a nation, as well as to encourage greater cooperation between nations, the ancients often formed binding agreements. Among the better known are the so-called Hittite international treaties between the Hittite ruler Hattusilis III and the Egyptian pharaoh Rameses II, and the suzerainty or vassal treaties concluded between the Hittites and states which thus became their vassals. In form these texts usually consisted of (1) the names of the parties involved; (2) a historical survey of past relations between the parties; (3) the stipulations made by the Hittites for their vassals; (4) a list of divine witnesses; and (5) a list of sanctions expressed as the blessings which the divine witnesses would guarantee if both sides should keep the terms of the treaty and the divine curses which would ensue in the event that one of them (mainly the vassals) were to break his obligations. Many of these treaties bound the vassal to the overlord, who would in turn protect the vassal. Similar agreements are known from Mesopotamia (e.g., Assurbanipal's treaty with Qedar; Esarhaddon's vassal treaties; cf. The Mari texts) and Egypt (e.g., the Egyptian version of the treaty between Rameses II and the Hittite Hattusilis).
"An integral part of a covenant was the ritual slaughtering of an animal and the pronouncement of the formula: 'Just as this [beast] is cut up, so may [X] be cut up.' Most likely the parties making the covenant thereby declared that whoever might break the agreement would likewise be killed." (EBD 240)
Covenant People--"Traditionally, God's people have been known as a covenant people. The gospel itself is the new and everlasting covenant. The posterity of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob is the covenant race. We come in to the Church by covenant, which we enter into when we go into the waters of baptism. The new and everlasting covenant of celestial marriage is the gate to exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Men receive the Melchizedek Priesthood by an oath and covenant." (Romney WB 143)
Entering into Covenants--
"Since God is a party to every gospel covenant, it follows, that his mind and will must be known with respect to the particular contractual relationship involved. Hence, covenants come only by revelation, and no person or group of persons enters into a gospel covenant except on the basis of direct revelation from God.
"It follows that, as far as men now living are concerned, the only ones who have entered into covenants with the Lord are the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their prophets are the only spiritual leaders receiving revelation for the Church and the world, and the saints themselves are the only ones enjoying the companionship of the Holy Ghost so that personal revelation may be received. Ancient and modern scriptures contain a record of many of the covenants of the past and the present. (1 Ne. 13:23-26; Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 152-156)." (MD 166)
"According to the Talmud, when Josiah invoked all the priests and prophets and the people of Jerusalem and read its contents to them from a platform erected in the court of the temple (the way Benjamin does), the people enthusiastically entered into a new covenant, "to walk after the Lord, and keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes" (2 Kings 23:3; cf. 2 Chronicles 34:31). Notice the three--commandments, testimonies, and statutes. The king reads the covenant to them; they enter into the contract, the covenant, exactly as we find it in the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon." (T&C 256)
"All Latter-day Saints enter the new and everlasting covenant when they enter this Church. They covenant to cease sustaining, upholding and cherishing the kingdom of the devil and the kingdoms of this world. They enter into the new and everlasting covenant to sustain the Kingdom of God and no other kingdom . They take a vow of the most solemn kind, before the heavens and earth, and that, too, upon the validity of their own salvation, that they will sustain truth and righteousness instead of wickedness and falsehood, and build up the Kingdom of God, instead of the kingdoms of this world." (Young WB 143)
"God operates by covenant in His relationship with man, promising stipulated blessings to be received on the performance of a condition - obedience. Since a covenant is a personal agreement which expresses the will of each of the contracting parties, revelation from God must be forthcoming in order to solemnize each covenant which involves Deity. No person or group of individuals can enter legitimately into a covenant with God except by direct and immediate revelation from him. And either God must personally express His will in making the covenant or an authorized agent must act under inspiration as the Lord's representative in forming the agreement." (DK 113-114)
"Ancient covenants were solemnized through certain accompanying rituals, such as the swearing of an oath (e.g., by Abraham's steward Eliezer; Gen. 24:2-3, 9, 41), a shared meal (as between Abimelech and Isaac; 26:28-30), or the exchanging of clothes (as between David and Jonathan; 1 Sam. 18:4). A common ancient Near Eastern custom was the cutting of sacrificial animals into pieces, as mentioned in the account of God's covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:9-21; cf. Jer. 34:18-20). After the animals were cut lengthwise and the pieces of meat placed opposite one another, the participants walked between the pieces, perhaps symbolizing that whoever would break the covenant would be 'cut' like the animals (the standard idiom meaning to make a covenant, Heb. karat berit 'cut a covenant,' may derive from this custom)." (EBD 241)
"The Hebrew word berit is translated covenant, but the range of the concept of covenant in the Old Testament extends the meaning of the term to include the action of creating a relationship. A covenantal relationship could be formed in a variety of ways, including exchanging gifts, shaking hands, eating something together, oath-making, and even performing ceremonies with oil." (JCL 82)
Father Gives Stipulations; God to Man-"It is the Father in Heaven who stipulates the terms of the covenant. Man has no say in the matter or right to alter or annul any provision of the covenant. His duty is to accept on the terms which are presented to him from the Almighty, in full faith and obedience, without complaint or desire because of personal weakness to alter or annul, what the Father offers for man's salvation." (DS 152)
"When a covenant is made between two men or parties, it is usual for each man or party to have a voice in the contract and its various stipulations. This is not the case with a covenant coming to man from the Lord. It is the duty of man to accept all the provisions of such a sacred covenant established for his eternal benefit.
"Man does not have the right to change in any sense whatever, or reject in the slightest degree any part of a covenant which the Lord presents for his benefit and salvation. For a man to presume to change any ordinance offered by the Lord is absurd and should be considered a sad reflection on man's intelligence." (DS 154)
"Gospel covenants are made between God and man. The terms are stipulated by the Lord. Gospel covenants have been given to us by revelation. He has given us those covenants and ordinances that are essential to bring us back into his presence." (LDSSS-Tuttle 83)
"The Church of Christ is divinely organized. It is not man-made. The conditions for membership have been clearly defined by the Lord. Among the requirements are several ordinances, baptism being the basic one. Ordinances are necessary because the Lord has so decreed. The Lord himself while on earth, as an example to us, submitted to ordinances, as in baptism. There is no other way to membership in Christ's own organization" (E&R 196)
"As Heber C. Kimball reminded the saints, there are no covenants made between individuals in the church. All promises and agreements are between the individual and our Father in Heaven; all other parties including the angels, are present only as witnesses. Therefore whether anybody else observes and keeps the promise is not my concern, but if I do not what I have promised, what blessings can I expect?" (OAT 25)
Tokens and Signs--"Scriptures reveal that our Heavenly Father has of en used tokens or signs to guide and teach his people pertaining to covenants in his eternal plan for us. Often, references to these are repeated, even in different books of scripture. I would like to comment on ten of these unique events of scriptural history, past present, and future, that link a covenant to a token or sign. (PWU 135)
"Covenant number one pertains to Noah, Enoch, the flood, and the rainbow: "I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; . . .neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This [rainbow] is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. . . . And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth." (Genesis 9:9-11, 17).
"Later revelation enlarges the terms of this covenant, that the Zion of Enoch will return and the Lord will come again to dwell on earth. (See JST, Genesis 9:17-25).
The token of the rainbow is a visible and perpetual reminder of the three terms of this covenant. (PWU)
"The second covenant is known as the Abrahamic covenant. Note the words of God to father Abraham: 'Thou shalt keep my covenant. . . thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, . . . Every man child among you shall be circumcised . . . and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you." (Genesis 17:9-11).
Abraham first received the gospel by baptism (the covenant of salvation). Then the higher priesthood was conferred upon him, and he entered into celestial marriage (the covenant of exaltation). Finally he received a promise that these blessings would be offered to all of his mortal posterity. Included in the divine promises to Abraham were assurances that Christ would come through his lineage, that Abraham's posterity would receive certain lands as an eternal inheritance, that all nations of the earth would be blessed by his seed, and more. Since we are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, generally through Joseph, we inherit these blessings. Those who are faithful to covenants made in the house of the Lord will receive an inheritance in the celestial kingdom.
Christ later revealed, 'The [token] of circumcision is done away in me.' (Moroni 8:8). Latter-day revelation also confirms that this law was fulfilled in Christ. (See D&C 74:3-7). But the Abrahamic covenant remains! (PWU 135-136)
"The covenant of circumcision (Gen. 17) The Bible recounts the appearance of God to Abraham, when the latter is 99 years old. God promises to grant Abraham a covenant and reiterates various other promises. He commands Abraham to circumcise all male descendants and slaves, explaining that this will be the ot -- symbol -- of the covenant. Abraham obeys, circumcising himself, his slaves, and his thirteen year old son Ishmael. Subsequently, every newborn male child is to be circumcised at the age of eight days." (EJ 181)
"Covenant number three pertains to the Passover. These are the words of the Lord: 'The blood.. . . on the two side posts and on the upper door post . . . shall be for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.' (Exodus 12:7,13).
"The covenant of the Passover included a token rendered in faith, which spared the lives of firstborn sons. (PWU 136-137)
"Covenant number four pertains to the Sabbath day. For years we have been taught to keep the sabbath day holy and have struggled for understanding and compliance with this law. Keeping the Sabbath day holy is a sign of a covenant with the Lord. He decreed: 'Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.' (Exodus 31:13).
"That expression from Exodus was reiterated by the Lord through Ezekiel, who said, 'Hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.' (Ezekiel 20:20).
"As I worked among the people of mainland China, I noted that their calendars, like ours, distinguish Sundays in red numerals while those for the other six days of the week are printed in black. On Sunday the shops are generally closed, and only emergency operations are performed in the hospitals. When I asked my medical associates why they regarded Sunday different from other days, they replied, 'Because we have learned from Western culture that people seem to be more productive if they take Sunday off.' When I asked if there were any religious significance to their special treatment of Sunday, my hosts indicated that they were not aware of any. What a glorious day it will be when these wonderful people are blessed for keeping the Sabbath day holy for the right reason. It is man's sign to God acknowledging that He is the Lord. (PWU 137)
"Covenant number five pertains to the Israelites, who crossed the waters of the Jordan when Joshua led them into that swollen river at flood time. They had complete faith that god would 'heap up' the waters of the river Jordan as he had done earlier when the Red Sea was parted for Moses and his followers. After the people had successfully accomplished this act of faith, facilitated by a miracle from the Lord, they were commanded that a man from each tribe take a stone and erect a monument to signify this event. Joshua set up twelve stones in the place where the priests stood responding to the Lord's directive "that this may be a sign among you" (Joshua 4:6) -- a sign of their covenant with the Lord, who delivered them in safety to their destination. (PWU 137-138)
"The sixth covenant pertains to the birth of Jesus Christ. Remember the prophecy of Isaiah often quoted at Christmastime: 'Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Immediately preceding those words is this significant preamble: "The Lord himself shall give you a sign.' (Isaiah 7:14; 2 Nephi 17:14).
"The Christmas message also contains this familiar passage: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." (Luke 2:11-12). The birth of the Son of God was a covenant made from before the foundation of the world. It had other celestial signs: 'I give unto you . . . a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness. . . . There shall a new star arise, . . .and this also shall be a sign unto you." (Helaman 14:3, 5; see also 3 Nephi 1:21-22).
This wondrous event was heralded by wondrous signs given to both the old world and the new. (PWU 138)
"Covenant number seven is the atoning sacrifice and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The most important event ever to occur in the history of this world was commemorated by heavenly signs. A prophet foretold a sign of his death: 'The sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land . . . for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead.' (Helaman 14:20). Eyewitness accounts of the awesome reality of those signs were recorded in other verses of scripture. (3 Nephi 8:3; 11:2).
These seven covenants, tokens, and signs are all past history. The next three pertain to our day and to the future. (PWU 138-139)
"Covenant number eight pertains to falsehood. When the Savior was asked, 'What shall be the sign of thy [second] coming?,' he listed many signs. But the first one he mentioned was 'Take heed that no man deceive you.' (Matthew 24:3-4; JS-Matthew 1:5). Then he warned that false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many, and that, 'if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.' (JS-Matthew 1:22). That means that each of us, the elect of the Lord -- the elect according to the covenant -- will be subject to deceit and deception by those who would divert us from our commitment to follow the Savior. This word of warning hopefully is sufficient to the wise. (PWU 139)
"Covenant number nine: Each member of the Church is under covenant to walk in accordance with the commandments of God. Modern scripture reveals tokens that pertain to this covenant. Have you ever wondered why we kneel in prayer? Scripture answers: 'Let him offer himself in prayer upon his knees before God, in token or remembrance of the everlasting covenant.' (D&C 88:131). The everlasting covenant is the gospel of Jesus Christ. (See D&C 66:2).
"Scripture affirms that the amen we offer at the close of a prayer is also a token of the everlasting covenant. When we audibly say 'amen' at the conclusion of the remarks of one who has spoken, it may be regarded as a token of an eternal covenant. (See D&C 88:135). (PWU 139-140)
"The tenth covenant is a multifaceted one, pertaining to the events of the last days and the great millennial reign of the Lord. Did you know the Book of Mormon is a sign of that covenant? The heading to chapter 29 of Third Nephi states: 'The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is a sign that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and fulfill his covenants.'
"News media have carried stories occasionally of incidents pertaining to the early history of the Church and the coming forth oft he Book of Mormon. What these news accounts fail to report is that the Book of Mormon has come forth in fulfillment of prophecy, ancient and modern, and that it was translated by the gift and power of God, then pronounced as the most nearly correct book on the face of the earth. Reporters may also fail to note that it is a sign of the covenant of God to the world that the last days are forthcoming. We will be accountable not to news reports, but to this scripture: "Ye need not suppose that ye can turn the right hand of the Lord unto the left, that he may not execute judgment unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the house of Israel.' (3 Nephi 29:9).
"The Lord listed other signs of his covenant to come again: 'Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. . . . There shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes. . . . Iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. . . . This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.' (Matthew 24:6-14).
"To the people on the American continent, the Lord added 'I give unto you a sign . . . that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel. . . . This is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign . . . that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel.' (3 Nephi 21:1-4). In that day there will be a marvelous work among the people. The lost tribes will return and the new Jerusalem will be built.
"As a final prelude to the covenant of his coming, other signs will be seen: the sun will be darkened, the moon will be darkened, and stars will fall from heaven. (See Matthew 24:29-30; D&C 88:87,93; JS-Matthew 1:33).
"We are a covenant people. Signs and tokens of God's covenants with us are all around. We have just reviewed ten of them, but there are more, yes, many more.
"Know that the precious Book of Mormon is a sign of the last days. Those who serve as missionaries are fulfilling the sign of the covenant of God to Abraham that all the nations of the world will be blessed by his seed. Latter-day Saints are custodians of the priesthood and of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They will carry that word to the world not only for the salvation of the people, but also as participants in the sign that all nations of the earth shall hear the gospel message before [the] covenant of the Second Coming." (PWU 140-141)
"Establishment of a covenant was usually marked by a ceremonial act. For instance, Genesis 26:26-33 tells of a covenant being accompanied by a meal as well as an oath; Jeremiah 34:18 refers to passing between the "halves" of a calf cloven in two. . . . Another common feature of covenants in the Bible is the designation of an ot or symbol of the covenant, such as the rainbow of Genesis 9:13, or the monument of stones erected by Jacob and Laban (Gen. 31:51). The covenants of the Bible resemble other legal documents of the ancient Near East." (EJ 181)
"The teaching instrumentation of the symbol, in association with the invoking of a covenant, has ever been used by God the Father as an effective means of deeply impressing his spirit children tabernacled in earthly bodies here upon the earth. Moses gives this significant account when, upon a particular occasion, he had been instructed by the Lord to approach "near the Lord," while the priests Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu and seventy elders of Israel were to worship "afar off." Following the interview that Moses had with the Lord he "came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, all the words which the Lord hath said will we do."
"To bind this covenant upon the house of Israel, Moses 'builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel,'
"The altar, as often used, symbolized the presence of Jehovah. The twelve pillars represented the twelve tribes of Israel. Pillars, it is to be noted, were single unhewn stones which were sometimes smeared with the blood of the sacrificial animal, or with the oil of a vegetable offering. The use of pillars by Moses, upon this occasion, is an evidence of the antiquity of the rite of sealing. The stones vertically placed connected heaven with earth." (WAI 360)
"This use of renaming to indicate a covenant relationship may have been a reference point to help Israelites understand their relationship to the Lord. The new name reflected the creation of a new relationship by covenant. Because of that creation of the adoptive relationship, the Lord could act as the go'el, the redeemer-kinsman, of his covenant people." (JCL 84)
Purpose-
"Ordinances and covenants are an anchor to safety for the family, both here and hereafter." (LDSSS-Doxey 304)
"The covenants we make in the temple, like the other sacred ordinances in the kingdom, relate us to and center us in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ" (LDSSS-Hanks 305)
"Why does the Lord make or require covenants and commandments and obligations and laws? I have heard people ask, if He loves us why does He restrict us? Just as any father would restrict his child, if it is a blessing to that child, so our Father gives us these laws and ordinances and commandments and covenants, not that we should be burdened or restricted by them, but that we may be lifted up and made free, that our burdens may be light; that we may through obedience to them, more nearly perfect our lives and thereby prepare ourselves for the glories that await those who are willing to conform to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. His laws are not grievous; they are not burdensome." (GPP-Christiansen 275)
Perfection and Exaltation-"We should fully and sincerely comprehend the fact that no requirement, request, or commandment made of man by the Father or the Son is given except for the purpose of advancing man on the path of eternal perfection. Never at any time has the Lord given to man a commandment which was not intended to exalt him and bring him nearer to eternal companionship with the Father and the Son. . .Every covenant, contract, bond, obligation, and commandment we have received by revelation and coming from the Almighty has the one purpose in view, the exaltation and perfection of the individual who will in full faith and obedience accept it." (DS 155)
"Covenants exist in the Church as part of the order of Heavenly Father's plan of salvation. They are there to teach us that every one of us is equal in God's sight, and that He will extend His promised blessings to all who are willing to enter into the agreement to obey the commandments. Additionally, in our human weaknesses, the promise of receiving blessings by covenant-which God has told us He cannot break -- helps motivate us to be obedient. " (CNC-Goaslind 8,10)
"Ordinances and covenants become our credentials for admission into His presence. To worthily receive them is the quest of a lifetime; to keep them thereafter is the challenge of mortality." (LDSSS-Packer 85)
"The whole purpose of the Church operating smoothly at the local level is to qualify individuals to return to the presence of God. That can only be done by their receiving the ordinances and making covenants in the temple." (HWH 218)
"We hope you can see that by emphasizing the mission of the Church in a three-fold manner, we are leading toward one objective for each individual member of the Church. That is for all to receive the ordinances of the gospel and make covenants with our heavenly Father so they may return to his presence. That is our grand objective. The ordinances and covenants are the means to achieving that divine nature that will return us into his presence again. . . .
"Keep in mind the purpose: to invite all to come unto Christ. . . .
"I testify, my brethren and sisters, to his divinity and power to save those who will come to him with broken hearts and contrite spirits. Through the ordinances and his Holy Spirit, each individual may become clean." (HWH 218)
"There neither is nor can be any covenant greater than the covenant of salvation. '[To] be saved in the kingdom of God,' the Lord says, 'is the greatest of all the gifts of God.' Truly 'there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation.' (D&C 6:13). It follows that there neither are nor can be any ordinances of greater import than those by which we first make and then renew this greatest of all covenants." (NWAF 293)
"And so it goes, the more faithful and devoted a person is, the more of the covenants of the Lord he is enabled to receive, until he receives them in full and his calling and election is made sure." (MD 167)
"The great object of Zion's covenant society was to elevate man, as a free and responsible creature, to be an heir through Christ of all that the Father possessed. In the divine patriarchal order, Christ, as the Firstborn, was the sole heir of the Father's kingdom, holding the birthright in that eternal family order. But man could become a joint-heir through Christ in the Father's kingdom.
"This was the most exalting relationship possible for a living being to attain. An heir inherited and thereby owned jointly all that belonged to the Father. It could be said that an heir had his name on the same eternal account with Jesus Christ, with an equal right to draw upon the divine intelligence, power, and wealth which constituted the Father's vast kingdom. He could use it to develop his individual stewardship and increase his power and righteous influence on earth and in eternity." (DK 118)
Power-"This leads us to the process of making covenants and participating in ordinances, which are sources of power as we realize the importance of the Lord's will in our lives and have faith in it. Such faith turns us toward the Savior, his life, and his unconditional love for us. As these truths sink into our hearts, we hear him requiring the sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit. We must give up the ways of the world and accept and do his way." (FPL 177)
"When ordinances are performed, blessings are received which give power to man, power that belongs to the everyday affairs of this life as to a future life. It is not merely knowledge; not merely consecration; not merely a labeling, so to speak; but the actual conferring of power that may be used every day. (LDSSS-Widstoe 304-305)
Reminder, Stay on Course-"As I've gotten older I've really come to appreciate covenants. When I think of making a promise to my Heavenly Father to do certain things, it's like a reminder to me that helps keep me committed while I grow in my experience and understanding. I also believe that covenants help us stay committed to those things that will sustain our families from one generation to another. When we are making choices, if we can understand the consequences and the way they affect not only ourselves and our families now, but also future generations, then we might take those choices more seriously."(CNC-Hales 8)
"A periodic review of the covenants we have made with the Lord will help us with our priorities and with balance in our lives. This review will help us see where we need to repent and change our lives to ensure that we are worthy of the promises that accompany our covenants and sacred ordinances. Working out our own salvation requires good planning and a deliberate, valiant effort."(LDSSS-Ballard 83)
"Remembering covenants prevents apostasy. That is the real purpose of the sacrament, to keep us from forgetting, to help us to remember. I suppose there would never be an apostate, there would never be a crime, if people remembered, really remembered, the things they had covenanted at the water's edge or at the sacrament table and in the temple. I suppose that is the reason the Lord asked Adam to offer sacrifices, for no other reason than that he and his posterity would remember-remember the basic things that they had been taught. I guess we as humans are prone to forget. It is easy to forget. Our sorrows, our joys, our concerns, our great problems seem to wane to some extent as time goes on, and there are many lessons that we learn which have a tendency to slip from us. The Nephites forgot. They forgot the days when they felt good. (SWK 112-113)
"The sacrament is to serve us in somewhat the same manner as the sacrifice did from Adam to Christ. . . . Both the sacrifice in the old days and the sacrament in our day are to keep us reminded of our covenants, that we will remember the sacrifice that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ, and that we will remember him and keep his commandments." (SWK 226)
"Gospel covenants constitute one of the important ways that the word of Christ acts as a personal Liahona or compass. In baptism we promise to take upon ourselves the name of Christ and to stand as witnesses of him "at all times and in all things, and in all places . . . even until death." (Mosiah 18:9). Certainly this is a constant guide to our behavior. It is in the honoring of this covenant that we receive the promise of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. In like manner the Melchizedek Priesthood comes with an oath and covenant. The oath is on God's part as he promises us the fulness of eternal blessings if we will but keep our covenant to magnify our office and callings and sustain those called to preside over us in the priesthood. (D&C 84:33-40). In the temple endowment we covenant to be clean and chaste, to be charitable, and to consecrate all of our means, our time, and our talent to sustaining the cause of the gospel. This covenant is called an endowment, because through our being true to it we are 'endowed with power from on high.' (D&C 38:32; 43:16). In the sacred vows of celestial marriage we further covenant to pursue a course of fidelity to family and God. The living of such covenants with exactness and honor assures that we could not get seriously lost in the wilderness of life. These covenants do not contain answers to all of life's challenges and problems, but they establish a sure course and constitute the prerequisite for additional light and direction as it is necessary. It is in the ordinances that the 'power of godliness is manifest.' (D&C 84:20)." (SR 53-54)
Keeping Covenants-"If we will keep our covenants, our covenants will keep us spiritually safe." (LDSSS-Maxwell 84)
"The world moves forward by the efforts of covenanted people--who keep their covenants." (E&R 197)
"Keeping our covenants should make a difference in the way we live, the way we act, the way we speak, the way we dress, the way we treat each other. If we "always remember him," we will "always have his Spirit to be with us." (Moro. 4:3). Then with that Spirit we will be viewed by the world as distinct and different in happy ways"-(LDSSS-Doxey 84)
"A great many of you have had your endowments, and you know what a vote with uplifted hand means.
"It is a sign which you make in token of your covenant with God and with one another, and it is for you to perform your vows. When you raise your hands to heaven and let them fall and then pass on with your covenants unfulfilled, you will be cursed.
"I feel sometimes like severely lecturing men and women who enter into covenants without realizing the nature of the covenants they make, and who use little or no effort to fulfill them. . . .
"It is written in the Bible that every man should perform his own vows, even if to his own hurt; in this way you will show to all creation and to God that you are full of integrity." (GPP-Young 275-276; SWK 503)
"Keeping our covenants will take courage on the part of each of us. It seems that, each generation or so, there comes a period of time when the faithful of the Church are under great criticism, even under attack. This has always been true of those who are under covenant with the Lord. We must expect, as part of our way of life, to stand condemned on occasion by those outside the Church who oppose the standards the Lord has directed us to keep." (HT 166)
"Keeping covenants is a measure of those outside of the Church as well as those inside. Occasionally we find an individual who is seeking to hold high office in business, in education, or in government. Such a person may claim to be worthy of trust, may insist that he or she would not cheat the public, or misrepresent to them, or mislead them, or break faith with them. In assessing the sincerity of these expressions, the integrity of the person concerned, we may ask ourselves, What does that individual do with a private trust? A good measure is to determine how he keeps covenants relating to his family." (HT 167)
"I was always impressed when President Joseph Fielding Smith was asked to pray. Invariably, he would make reference to the principles and ordinances of the gospel and always would include the expression, 'May we remain faithful to our covenants and obligations.' (HT 168)
"Be faithful to the covenants and ordinances of the gospel. Qualify for those sacred ordinances step by step as you move through life. Honor the covenants connected with them. Do this and you will be happy.
"Your lives will then be in order -- all things lined up in proper sequence, in proper ranks, in proper rows. Your family will be linked in an order that can never be broken.
"In the covenants and ordinances center the blessings that you may claim in the holy temple. Surely the Lord is pleased when we are worthy of the title: A keeper of the covenants." (HT 170-171)
"After we have received these covenants we should observe them sacredly, even if it should cost us the association and good will of all the world. Why? Because we have found the Pearl of Great Price, the kingdom of God." (GPP-Smith 277)
"And may God enable us all, to perform our vows and covenants with each other, in all fidelity and righteousness before Him, that our influence may be felt among the nations of the earth, in mighty power, even to rend the Kingdom of darkness asunder, and triumph over priestcraft and spiritual wickedness in high places, and break in pieces all Kingdoms that are opposed to the Kingdom of Christ, and spread the light and truth of the everlasting gospel from the rivers to the ends of the earth." (PWJS 139)
"We cannot enjoy optional obedience to the law of God, or place our own limits on the law of sacrifice, or mitigate the charges of righteous conduct connected with the law of the gospel. We cannot be willing to sacrifice only that which is convenient to part with, and then expect a reward. The Atonement is everything; it is not to be had "on the cheap." God is not mocked in these things; we do not make promises and covenants with mental reservations. Unless we live up to every covenant, we are literally in Satan's power--a condition easily recognized by the mist of fraud and deception that has enveloped our whole society." (OAT 12)
"Being perfect in the way means keeping the covenants one has made." (OAT 24)
"To remember and keep the covenants is a standing obligation resting upon the Lord's people. (D&C 33:14, 35:24; 42:13, 78; 97:8). Nothing is ever appointed or required of any of the saints which is "contrary to the church covenants." (D&C 28:12; 68:24; 107:63). All gospel teaching is to be "according to the covenants." (D&C 107:89). Those who keep their covenants have the Lord's promise, given with "an immutable covenant,"that all things shall work together for their good. (D&C 98:3). Every member of the Church should subscribe without any mental reservation whatever, to this revealed statement: "And this shall be our covenant--that we will walk in all the ordinances of the Lord." (D&C 136:2-4). "Blessed are they who have kept the covenant and observed the commandment, for they shall obtain mercy." (D&C 54:6)." (MD 168)
"Keep your covenants and you will be safe. Break them and you will not." (TS 82)
"And that is my message, simply this: Be faithful to the covenants and ordinances of the gospel. Qualify for those sacred ordinances step by step. Honor the covenants connected with them, and you will be happy. Then your lives will be in order." (TS 195)
Acting under Covenant-"Several years ago I installed a stake president in England. . . . He had an unusual sense of direction. He was like a mariner with a sextant who took his bearings from the stars. I met with him each time he came to conference and was impressed that he kept himself and his stake on course.
"Fortunately for me, when it was time for his release, I was assigned to reorganize the stake. It was then that I discovered what that sextant was and how he adjusted it to check his position and get a bearing for himself and for his members.
"He accepted his release, and said, 'I was happy to accept the call to serve as stake president, and I am equally happy to accept my release. I did not serve just because I was under call. I served because I am under covenant. And I can keep my covenants quite as well as a home teacher as I can serving as stake president.'
"This president understood the word covenant" (LDSSS-Packer 83)
"If I do something under covenant, I'm doing it for two reasons. One is to serve the Master-pure obedience-and the other is for myself. It's easy to understand if you've ever experienced being blessed that way. I can't bless myself. I can only lay hands on you and you on me. The Lord never consecrates a world to himself. He gives it to his children, who consecrate it to him, and he accepts that consecration and in turn consecrates it to his Father. That's why doing things under covenant will always purify and sanctify us, rather than cursing us by making us more selfish and more greedy. (LDSSS-Gardner 84)
"The First Presidency frequently report to the Quorum of the Twelve that when they have called a man and his wife in to counsel with them over whether or not they will accept a mission call the immediate answer is, 'We've been to the temple!' Meaning: We are under covenant. That word covenant is a powerful, motivating word. It makes men and women and children rise above themselves, reach beyond themselves and come within grasp of celestial exaltation." (HT 166)
"Church members will do for nothing what they could not be persuaded nor compelled to do for pay. Why? The answer is dedication and testimony. The answer is covenant. We are a covenant people. We covenant to give of our resources in time and money and talent -- all we are and all we possess -- to the interest of the kingdom of God upon the earth. In simple terms, we covenant to do good. We are a covenant people, and the temple is the center of our covenants. It is the source of the covenant." (HT 170)
Covenant-breaking-
"The man who had died had not been active in the Church, although he was regarded as "a good man." He was a very close relative of the President of the Church. The members of the tiny farming community who gathered for the funeral were surprised and felt greatly honored that the President of the Church, the prophet, had come a long distance to the funeral. The first speakers commented on the virtues of the departed brother. One told of some acts of charity that he had done. He had given flour to widows, for instance. Other kindnesses were mentioned.
"When it came time for the President of the Church to speak, his sermon was very unsettling to some. . .The President first made an expression of appreciation for his deceased relative. He acknowledged the good that the man had accomplished and said he placed full value on those things that had been mentioned by the previous speakers. But then he said,'All of this may be well and good, but the fact is he did no keep his covenants.'
"The President then soberly outlined the fact that this man had been to the temple, that he had made covenants. But he had not kept them. He had fallen into inactivity in the Church and had developed habits and attitudes not in keeping with the priesthood he held. Those things he had done this side of the veil that were not in harmony with his covenants, and those things that he had not done this side of the veil that were required by his covenants, stood in the way of his eternal progression. These matters would need to be settled before he could claim the blessings of his covenants. He had not kept his part of the promise." (HT 160)
"So beware of covenant-breakers inside the Church and out. Beware of those who mock the prophets. When you have been to the temple you are under covenant to support the leaders of the Church, your local officers and the General Authorities. Keep your covenants. Keep your faith. Be loyal." (HT 167-168)
"I despise a hypocrite or a covenant breaker" (TJS 150)
"Apostasy consists in breaking the everlasting covenant. (D&C 1:15). Isaiah said the universal apostasy would come because men had 'transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.' (Isa. 24:5). Those who break their covenants are condemned more severely than they would have been had they never made the initial contract with the Lord. (D&C 41:1; 82:2; 132:27). In covenant-keeping there is salvation; in covenant-breaking, damnation. (D&C 76:101; 132:5, 15-27)." (MD 530)
"So sacred and intimate was the relationship of these ancient covenants that nothing could surpass the enormity of the sin of "covenant breaking," On the other hand, it is a sure manifestation of God's perfection that he cannot and does not forget his covenants, but remains constant to the rights and obligations created by them." (WAI 360)
"We are not free to break our covenants and escape the consequences." (TS 83)
"Some choose to reject the scriptures out of hand and forsake their covenants. But they cannot choose to avoid the consequences. That choice is not theirs or ours or anybody's." (TS 85)
"If covenants have been broken, however hard it may be they may be reinstated, and you can be forgiven." (TS 88)
"There are those both outside the Church and in it who will try to persuade or compel us to change our direction. The keeping of covenants is a measure of those outside of the Church as well.
"An individual seeking to hold high public office, perhaps in business or in government, may claim to be worthy of trust and insist ;he would not cheat, not misrepresent, not mislead the public. Ask yourself, what does that individual do with a private trust? A good measure is to determine how he keeps covenants relating to his family. While one could not excuse it, one perhaps could understand that it would be somewhat easier to steal from, cheat on, or lie to an anonymous stranger, or to the public, than it would be to one's own family. Those who are not faithful to their marriage partners and to their families are hardly worthy of confidence and trust in education, in business, in government. If they would cheat on marriage vows, counting perhaps on forgiveness and tolerance that may have been extended at times, surely they must stand unworthy of any great public trust." (TS 194)
"The fate of the covenant breaker was most severe. 'And the soul that sins against this covenant, and hardeneth his heart against it, shall be dealt with according to the laws of my church, and shall be delivered over to the buffeting of Satan until the day of redemption.' The breaking of any covenant that our Father in heaven makes with us, is a dreadful thing. We make a covenant in the waters of baptism. Many have broken it, and hence lose the promised blessings. All through our lives we are called to enter into covenants and many members of the Church seemingly fail to realize the seriousness of a violation or to understand that punishment must inevitably follow. Solemn covenants are taken by members of the Church in the Temples. These covenants are to prepare us for an exaltation. Yet there are many who receive them who utterly fail to heed them, but presumably, they think the Lord has a short memory, or that he is so extremely merciful that he will break his promises and the punishment mentioned for the violation will not be inflicted. In this manner many deceive themselves." (Smith WB 148)
-through idleness-"The covenants we make with God involve promises to do, not merely to refrain from doing, to work righteousness as well as to avoid evil. The children of Israel made such covenants through Moses, saying, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do" (Exodus 19:8, italics added), though hardly was Moses' back turned until they had broken their promise through wrongdoing. In the baptismal waters we give a similar undertaking and we repledge it in the ordinance of the sacrament. Not to honor these pledges, to refuse to serve or to accept responsibility and do less than one's best at it, is a sin of omission. . .Failure to act after one has made the covenant to do so, the shirking of responsibility in the kingdom, brings inevitable condemnation. . .Melchizedek Priesthood holders and those who have received their temple endowments have made further and specific pledges to do, to work righteousness. The Lord has expressed the mutual pledges between our Heavenly Father and the priesthood holders as an "oath and covenant,". . .Suffice to say here that one breaks the priesthood covenant by transgressing commandments - but also by leaving undone his duties. Accordingly, to break this covenant one needs only to do nothing." (MF 94-96)
Activation Efforts--We must ever remember to what end and purpose we labor in these efforts to activate a person to the gospel. It is to restore them again to their covenants with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (HWH 218)
The New and Everlasting Covenant
Is the Fulness of the Gospel- "What is the new and everlasting covenant? I regret to say that there are some members of the Church who are misled and misinformed in regard to what the new and everlasting covenant really is. The new and everlasting covenant is the sum total of all gospel covenants and obligations, and I want to prove it. In the 66th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, verse 2, I read:
"'Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be made partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old.'
"More definitely stated is the definition of the new and everlasting covenant given to us in section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Now I am going to say before I read this that marriage is not the new and everlasting covenant. If there are any here that have that idea I want to say that right to them. Baptism is not the new and everlasting covenant. Ordination to the priesthood is not the new and everlasting covenant. In section 22 of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord says that baptism is "a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning." Marriage in the temple of the Lord for time and for eternity is "a" new and everlasting covenant." (DS 156)
"Now there is a clear-cut definition in detail of the new and everlasting covenant. It is everything-the fulness of the gospel. So marriage properly performed, baptism, ordination to the priesthood, everything else-every contract, every obligation, every performance that pertains to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise according to his law here given, is a part of the new and everlasting covenant."(DS 158)
"By fulness of the gospel is meant all the ordinances and principles that pertain to the exaltation in the celestial kingdom." (DS 160)
"The gospel in its fulness, as it has been restored, is the new and everlasting covenant of God. The new and everlasting covenant embodies all covenants, bonds, and obligations that are required of the Lord for peace in the world, for peace in the hearts of men, and for the salvation and exaltation of man." (LDSSS 83, GPP-Christiansen 275)
"The new and everlasting covenant is the fulness of the gospel and embraces within its terms and conditions every other covenant that Deity ever has made or ever will make with men (D&C 132:5-7; 133:57). The provisions of this covenant are that if men will believe, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure in righteousness to the end, they shall have an inheritance in the celestial world." (MD 166-167)
"God's covenant of salvation is the fulness of the gospel. (D&C 39:11; 45:9; 66:2; 133:57). When men accept the gospel, they thereby agree or covenant to keep the commandments of God, and he promises or covenants to give them salvation in his kingdom.
"The gospel is the everlasting covenant because it is ordained by Him who is Everlasting and also because it is everlastingly the same. In all past ages salvation was gained by adherence to its terms and conditions, and that same compliance will bring the same reward in all future ages. Each time this everlasting covenant is revealed it is new to those of that dispensation. Hence the gospel is the new and everlasting covenant.
"All covenants between God and man are part of the new and everlasting covenant. (D&C 22; 132:6-7). Thus celestial marriage is "a new and an everlasting covenant" (D&C 132:4) or the new and everlasting covenant of marriage (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 152-166). Some covenants, however have force and validity in all dispensations; baptism is one of these. (D&C 22). Other covenants are made for special purposes in particular dispensations; baptism is one of these. (D&C 22). Other covenants are made for special purposes in particular dispensations; circumcision is this type of a covenant. (Gen. 17:9-14)." (MD 529-530)
"The new and everlasting covenant is the fulness of the gospel. It is composed of 'All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations' that are sealed upon members of the Church by the Holy Spirit of promise, or the Holy Ghost, by the authority of the President of the Church who holds the keys. The President of the Church holds the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood. He delegates authority to others and authorizes them to perform the sacred ordinances of the priesthood. Marriage for eternity is a new and everlasting covenant. Baptism is also a new and everlasting covenant, and likewise ordination to the priesthood, and every other covenant is everlasting and a part of the new and everlasting covenant which embraces all things." (Smith WB 144)
"The gospel of Jesus Christ, in its fulness, is 'the everlasting covenant.' Paul taught that the blood of Christ as shed for all mankind is 'the blood of the everlasting covenant.' Therefore, the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy [Isaiah 24:5] would have had to follow Christ's personal restoration of the fulness of the gospel, the Holy Priesthood, and the shedding of his blood." (AP 267-268)
"The new and everlasting covenant was the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and when completely revealed it embraced every promise and agreement within the divine plan of life and salvation by which the true believer could be admitted into the celestial family of Christ to inherit all that the Father had. He would receive a fulness of the Father's glory and power in the resurrection and be made like the exalted Man of Holiness in all His essential powers and attributes of life." (DK 115)
Restoration of the New and Everlasting Covenant--"That the everlasting covenant would be restored in the last days is amply attested in the revelations. (D&C 1:22). Through Jeremiah the Lord promised to 'make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah,' a covenant which would lead to that glorious millennial condition in which 'they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord.' (Jer. 31:31-34). Ezekiel said that this would be 'an everlasting covenant with them,' one that would be made in the day when the Lord set his sanctuary (temple) "in the midst of them." (Ezek. 37:26)." (MD 530)
"The Prophet Jeremiah, unto whom the Lord God Jehovah revealed many things, gave prophetic utterance to a future day when the house of Israel, 'including that of Judah, as a result of receiving a new covenant, and by obedience thereto, will no longer need to be taught by each other as to the covenant, for all shall know the Lord:
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
"Of the righteous state of each man and his family, at that future time, Jeremiah continues:
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying Know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
"This covenant, obviously established in this the last dispensation of mortal time in preparation for the reign of righteousness upon the earth during the millennium, involves a number of ordinances, each associated with covenants and personal commitments within the scope of the plan of salvation and exaltation. Baptism by water and the spirit, referred to as the "everlasting covenant," is new in the sense that it has been restored to the earth again in its true form and efficacy. The new and everlasting covenant of marriage is part of the overall covenant of the gospel. By the word and will of the Lord, all of the saints who will be faithful in their personal promises or commitments to live by the 'new and everlasting covenant' 'will walk in all the ordinances of the Lord.'" (WAI 424-425)
"Following the deportation of the northern tribes to Assyria and the southern tribes to Babylonia, the major prophets envisaged a 'new covenant' between Yahweh and his scattered people, called the faithful remnant (see Jer. 31:31-34 for the contrast between the covenant made at Mt. Horeb and the new covenant; cf. Isa. 42:9). Yahweh would forgive the Israelites for their idolatry, would write his will upon their hearts, and would renew the broken bond of fellowship. Furthermore, he would guarantee, according to his 'everlasting covenant' or his 'covenant of peace' (Ezek. 34:25; 37:26), that one of David's descendants would rule his people (Isa. 55:3 [cf. 61:8]; Jer 32:37-40; Ezek. 37:25-27; cf. 2 Sam. 7:13) and that one day all nations would share in Israel's covenantal blessings. (EBD 241)
Ordinances and Covenants--"Ordinances are basic to the gospel. Now what is the gospel of which we speak? It is the power of God unto salvation; it is the code of laws and commandments which help us to become perfect, and the ordinances which constitute the entrance requirements." (SWK 502)
"Each ordinance and requirement given to man for the purpose of bringing to pass his salvation and exaltation is a covenant." (DS 152)
"Ordinances give life to faith because they require a covenant from those who participate. Faith is a principle that demands action. Whether it is faith in a law, doctrine, or plan relative to human affairs, it fails unless it leads to a practice, rite, or ceremony. Otherwise it remains an idle belief, an abstract conviction, a theory. The moment it is used, as in an ordinance, it flames into life, and leaps into the world of practical affairs, becoming a positive power, helpful in the world of men.
"Everyone who receives an ordinance must make a covenant, else the ordinance is not fully satisfactory. He who is baptized covenants to keep the law of the Church; he who is administered to for sickness, and the administrators, covenant to use their faith to secure the desired healings; he who receives the temple endowment covenants to use in his life that which he has been taught; he who is ordained to the priesthood agrees to honor it, and so on with every ordinance. That places covenants high, as they should be." (E&R 197)
"Now, about the ordinances of the Gospel. How important are they to the member of the Church? Can we be happy, can we be redeemed, can we be exalted without them?
"The answer: They are more than advisable or desirable, or even than necessary. More, even, than essential or vital, they are crucial to each of us." (TS 186)
"It is important to fix in our mind so serious an interest in the ordinances of the gospel that we will seek to qualify for each ordinance in proper sequence, to make and keep the covenants that are connected with them, and to make sure that everything in this regard, for us, is in proper order." (TS 187)
"When you receive an ordinance, whether it be baptism, the sacrament, an ordination or setting apart, an endowment, or a sealing, you receive an obligation. Thereafter, you are under covenant not to steal, nor to lie, nor to profane, nor to take the name of the Lord in vain. You are obligated to maintain the moral standard. This standard-by commandment of the Lord-requires that the only authorized use of the sacred power of procreation is with one to whom one is legally and lawfully wed. You have responsibility to support every principle of the gospel and the servants the Lord has ordained to administer them." (TS 192-193)
Baptism-"Baptism for the remission of sins is a covenant. When this ordinance was revealed in this dispensation, the Lord called it "a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning.
"This covenant was given in the beginning and was lost to men through apostasy, therefore, when it was revealed again, it became to man a new covenant, although it was from the beginning, and it is everlasting since its effects upon the individual endure forever. Then again, whenever there is need for repentance, baptism is the method, or law, given of the Lord by which the remission of sins shall come, and so this law is everlasting"(DS 152)
"Baptism is a covenant with God. All members have been baptized by immersion in water and have received the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by properly authorized men who hold the holy priesthood. We all have been received by baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ when we have humbled ourselves before God, have desired to be baptized, have come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and when we have witnessed before the Church that we are truly repentant of our sins and are willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end and thus manifest by our works that we have received the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of our sins." (SWK 112)
"When we went forth into the waters of baptism and covenanted with our Father in heaven to serve Him and keep His commandments, He bound Himself also by covenant to us that He would never desert us, never leave us to ourselves, never forget us, that in the midst of trials and hardships, when everything was arrayed against us, He would be near unto us and would sustain us. That was his covenant, and He has amply fulfilled it up to the present time and has shown that we can tie to the promises that He has made. We have proved these things through experience." (GT 170)
"The Latter-day Saints are the people of God, a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a covenant people, and a covenant-making people.
"The greatest and most important blessings our Heavenly Father has for his faithful sons and daughters are received by covenants. One of the greatest blessings he has to bestow is membership in his Church and kingdom. This is received by solemn covenant.
"When I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I was required to raise my right arm to the square, and covenant before God, angels, and witnesses present, that I would henceforth keep the commandments of God, as fast as they should be made known unto me. This represents the nature of the covenant entered into by every person who is baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is frequently spoken of as the covenant made in the waters of baptism. The nature of this covenant should be explained to every applicant for baptism, and he should manifest a willing acceptance before being baptized." (GPP-Richards 280)
"A covenant is a contract in which two or more parties promise and agree to do certain things. Gospel covenants are made between God and men. Baptism is the covenant in which men promise to keep the commandments of God and he promises to give them eternal life. There are many ways in which men's promises might be recounted. Alma, at the waters of Mormon, summarized them by having each repentant soul swear in substance and thought content:
"(a) to forsake the world, to repent of all his or her sins, to join the true church, 'to come into the fold of God.'
"(b) to become a saint, to be numbered with the true believers, to take upon me the name of Christ and become one of his family, 'and to be called [one of] his people.'
"(c) to love and serve his fellowmen, to esteem others as himself, and to bear the burdens of his brethren in the church, 'that they may be light.'
"(d) to visit the fatherless and the widows in their afflictions, to care for the sick, the helpless, and the bereaved, and 'to mourn with those that mourn.'
"(e) to proclaim peace, to spread solace, and to 'comfort those that stand in need of comfort.'
"(f) to preach the gospel, to raise the warning voice, to call sinners to repentance, and to stand as a witness of Christ 'at all times and in all things, and in all places. . . even until death.'
"(g) to serve the Lord 'and keep his commandments'--a promise that is itself infinite and endless, and is so worded as to embrace conformity to every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.
"On his part, as Alma expresses it, the Lord promises that those who love and serve him shall receive such great blessings as these:
"(a) He covenants to baptize them with fire and with the Holy Ghost, to give them the companionship of his Holy Spirit, to 'pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon' them.
"(b) He covenants that his saints shall be redeemed--redeemed from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment; redeemed temporally and spiritually; redeemed from their spiritual fall so that, having been raised in immortality, they will return to his presence and be inheritors of eternal glory.
"(c) He covenants that they shall 'be numbered with those of the first resurrection,' that they shall come forth in the resurrection of the just, that they shall rise from death with a celestial body, which can stand the glory of the celestial kingdom.
"(d) He covenants that they shall have eternal life, which is to inherit, receive, and possess the fulness of the glory of the celestial world. It is to be like God. (Mosiah 18:8-10).
"Surely the upright and the honest, the good and the pure, the decent and the noble, among all sects, parties, and denominations--regardless of their present religious profession-- ought to desire with all their hearts both to make and to keep the grand covenant of baptism by which salvation comes!" (NWAF 245-247)
"All of the terms and conditions of the new and everlasting covenant are accepted by individual men incident to their baptism under the hands of a legal administrator. In effect, by baptism, an individual signs his name to the contract of salvation. If, after the baptism, a person keeps the covenant of baptism (which is to endure in faith to the end), his salvation is assured. (2 Ne. 31; Mosiah 18:8-10)." (MD 167)
"Baptism in Romans expresses a personal covenant of righteousness. . . .
"If so many Christians have changed these scriptural purposes, Latter-day Saints should appreciate the restoration of baptism as an adult covenant of righteousness. The Book of Mormon stresses baptism as a "covenant" with God to serve him and keep his commandments, so that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon the baptized disciple (Mosiah 18:10). Joseph Smith taught baptism only for those 'willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end' (D&C 20:37)." (UP 184-185)
"In the waters of baptism, we make a covenant with the Lord. We adopt, as individuals, all the terms and conditions of the new and everlasting covenant. This plan of salvation which was ordained in the counsels of eternity, which is the gospel of Christ, is an everlasting, eternal covenant. . . . In other words, we in effect sign the everlasting covenant by the ordinance of baptism, and we make its term and conditions binding upon us." (McConkie WB 145)
"By baptism, believers initially 'complied with the requirements of the new covenant.' In taking upon themselves the name of Christ and becoming members of the Lord's family, they committed themselves to respect and love others as themselves and to fulfil the requirements of the gospel. Thereafter, they were to comply with 'the church covenants,' and all their teachings were to be 'according to the covenants.'" (DK 115)
"The early Christians often referred to Old Testament images of covenant making to explain baptism. They looked at scripture through Christian eyes 'but that did not mean that their Jewish tradition of interpretation was altogether destroyed. On the contrary, it was given reinterpretation and made to point forward in a new way to Christ.' The parallels between Jewish tradition and scripture and Christian descriptions of baptism show how baptism was seen as a covenant-making act that created a relationship with God and allowed participants to become the people of God." (JCL 84-85)
"The rite of proselyte baptism was understood not only as covenant making but also as adoption by the Lord into the covenant people. The tradition of interpretation connected this rite with participation in the redemption from Egypt, 'the crossing of the Red Sea, and of sanctificatory cleansing in the establishment of the Covenant at Mount Sinai.'" (JCL 85)
"Both the baptismal and eschatological senses of redemption in Ephesians 1 can be seen as developments of the biblical concept of 'adoptive' redemption. Through the covenant of baptism, an individual is forgiven of sins and thus redeemed from the bondage of sin. By using the phrase 'redemption of the purchased possession,' Paul refers to the covenant people of Israel, the 'purchased possession' of the Lord, who were redeemed from bondage and brought into the land of promise (Ephesians 1:14; Exodus 15:16; Psalm 74:2). Even so will the people who have entered into the new covenant at baptism be redeemed from the bondage of this world and receive their inheritance." (JCL 89)
"As members of God's covenant people, we also have the assurance that our baptismal covenant has brought us into a new relationship with the Lord. As King Benjamin says, 'Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters' (Mosiah 5:7). Through our covenants Christ has become our spiritual father and we have been adopted as his children. We are baptized in his name and thereby take his name upon us, a new name that indicates our covenantal adoptive relationship. This adoptive relationship allows the Lord to act as our redeemer and deliver us from the bondage of sin and our carnal state with the price of his blood. By making and keeping our adoptive covenants we can have a firm hope that as the children of Christ we will be redeemed. 'For [we] have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but [we] have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father' (Romans 8:15)." (JCL 93)
Sacrament-"The sacrament prayers-dictated by the Lord himself-should keep us constantly reminded of the gospel covenants we have entered into with the Lord." (LDSSS-Romney 84)
"Three Covenants. In this solemn presence, therefore, every partaker of the sacrament gives evidence of his willingness to assume three very great obligations, the first of which, and to which he becomes bound in sacred honor, is: To take upon himself the name of the Son.
"To be called worthily by his name is to become a son of God, to be numbered one in the brotherhood of Christ. 'Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
"'And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.' (I John 3:2-3) The second is: That he will always remember him.
"Remembrance is the act of having what is known, consciously before the mind. The promise, then, is that at all times he will bear in mind with gratitude and reverence Him whose life was the epitome of purity, kindness, love. Under all conditions, he is to eschew evil, and to cherish virtue, and to supplant hatred with compassion and benevolence. The third obligation is: To keep his commandments.
"Were we to particularize, the commandments of God might be designated as many. Indeed, they touch every phase of man's being. But Jesus, himself, summed them all up as follows:
'. . .love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: . . .
'And . . . thy neighbour as thyself. . . ." (Mark 12:30-32).
"This is what every man who partakes of the sacrament expresses a willingness to do!" (GI 72-73)
"Now, what does it signify? You will find first that the sacrament is a memorial of Christ's life and death.
"A second significance or a second principle associated with the administering of the sacrament is the bond of brotherhood.
"We meet in the brotherhood of Christ, all on the same level, each expressing confidence in the other and all in one another. Oh, the strength of brotherhood! Sin divides us. Righteousness unites. The partaking of the sacrament indicates also how communion with Christ may be secured. It cannot be obtained by Sunday righteousness and weekday indulgence. It implies that we will remember Christ always. If we show the Lord's death in the sacrament, we must show the Lord's life in the world.
"And the third great significance is the promise that is a means of receiving divine guidance. 'If a friend is one who summons us to our best, then is not Jesus Christ our best friend and should we not think of the sacrament as one of the chief appeals to us top be our best? The Lord's Supper looks not back to our past with a critical eye, but to our future with a helpful one.'
"May I call attention to the great obligation which every member of the Church assumes when he first partakes of the sacrament on the Lord's day. Think of the prayer revealed in this dispensation: 'O God, the Eternal Father.' What an invocation! An acknowledgment of God as our Creator; the giver of all good; the bestower of all blessings; in whom is all power and all glory; and yet, our Father, and we his children! The Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man! 'We ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ,' who is interceding for us, through whom all blessings are obtained--'to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it.'
Bless the bread-- It is only bread. There may be a mystery about the sacrament, but that mystery does not consist in the changing of the bread to the actual body of the Christ. As President Brigham Young has said, the thought is a repulsive one. But it is a symbol, and we ask God to bless it to the souls of all those who partake of it, who witness--oh, there is the point!" (GI 145)
"There is a covenant made; a covenant even more than a promise. You have held up your hand, some of you, or, if in England when signing a document, put your hand on the Bible, signifying the value of your promise or of the oath that you took. All this indicates the sacredness of a covenant. There is nothing more important in life than that. Until the nations realize the value of a covenant and promise and conduct themselves accordingly, there will be little trust among them. Instead there will be suspicion, doubt, and signed agreements, 'scraps of paper,' because they do not value their word. A covenant, a promise, should be as sacred as life. That principle is involved every Sunday when we partake of the sacrament." (SSAL 212)
"In the ordinance of the sacrament men renew the covenant made in the waters of baptism, receiving again the assurance that they shall have the Spirit to be with them in this life (D&C 20:77-79), as well as an inheritance of eternal life in the world to come. (John 6:54). They, on their part, agree again to keep the commandments." (MD 167)
"By the ordinance of the sacrament, members renewed their covenants with the Lord and received again the assurance that by their faith and worthiness they would have the Holy Spirit to be with them, to bless and guide them to eternal life." (DK 115)
Renewal of Covenants--"Taking the oath of allegiance to the government of the United States, we make a pledge and an agreement that we honor, uphold, and sustain the laws of the land ad will be faithful in defending the rights of our country. We expect to receive blessings in return for keeping that covenant, blessings of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We make our pledge to the United States government when we are admitted as citizens and when we take office in the government, local or national. We do have, therefore, occasions when each citizen, whether he enters the service of his country as a soldier or engages in any other official duty, renews the covenant and pledge that he made when he became a citizen of the country. So our Father in heaven has provided that, not only once but frequently, we shall meet together to renew our pledge, our covenant, and our agreement to keep his commandments and to take upon us his name again. I have always looked upon this blessed privilege as the means of spiritual growth, and there is none other quite so fruitful in the achievement of that end as the partaking, worthily, of the sacrament of the Lord's supper. We eat food to stimulate our physical bodies. Without the partaking of food we would become weak and sickly, and fail physically. It is just as necessary, for our spiritual body that we should partake of this sacrament and by it obtain spiritual food for our souls." (GPP-Ballard 275)
Ordination to the Priesthood; Aaronic-"What unique covenants have I made as a holder of the Aaronic Priesthood?" I think this question was answered best by John the Baptist when he appeared to Joseph smith and Oliver Cowdery on May 15, 1829, to restore to the earth, through them, the Aaronic Priesthood. Part of the promise that they received that day was that if they were faithful to this Aaronic or "lesser" priesthood, they would soon be ordained to the Melchizedek, or "higher" priesthood. That is the very nature of the Aaronic Priesthood and what is unique about it; it is a time of preparation for things yet to come. When an Aaronic Priesthood holder conducts his life in a way that is worthy of the ordination he has received, he demonstrates that he is able to accept additional responsibility and blessings." (CNC-Goaslind 10)
"Then and there, a grateful Father in Heaven made a covenant with Phinehas because he had, without the least hesitation, defended the honor of the priesthood and brought Israel to another period of repentance. The covenant was very significant in the history of the Aaronic Priesthood. The Lord said:
Behold, I give unto him [Phinehas] my covenant of peace:
And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. (Num. 25:12-13; our italics).
"Thus did the Lord renew to Phinehas the covenant of 'an everlasting priesthood' which he had made with his grandfather, Aaron, less than fifty years before.
"This covenant was the Lord's guarantee to Phinehas that, though the office of high priest passed out of his line for a while, it would ultimately return to his firstborn sons as 'an everlasting priesthood.'" (AP 90)
"Born of Zacharias and Elisabeth, John the Baptist was of the lineage of Aaron, entitled to the blessings of the covenant made with Aaron who was the first presiding priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. John the Baptist was, therefore, the last 'literal descendant and firstborn son of Aaron' to hold the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood. No 'literal descendant and firstborn son of Aaron' has held the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood upon this earth since the death of John the Baptist." (AP 200-201)
"Priesthood authority and rights carried covenant obligations. Those ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood were to observe 'the duties of their office, as given in the covenants.'" (DK 116)
Melchizedek Priesthood; Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood--"Every man who has received the Melchizedek Priesthood has received the oath and covenant belonging to the priesthood, that he will magnify the same; to do which, he must live a righteous life, and answer every call of authority that may come to him in the Church, keeping all other covenants he has entered into or may do in the future. The Lord on his part covenants to give him all that he the Lord hath." (GPP-Richards 280)
"When we receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, we enter into a covenant with the Lord. It is the covenant of exaltation. In it, we promise to magnify our callings in the priesthood, to keep the commandments, 'to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life,' to 'live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God,' and to enter the patriarchal order, which leads to a continuation of the family unit in the realms ahead. In return, the Lord covenants and promises that we shall inherit eternal life. Of those who keep their part of the covenant, he says: '[They] are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.' That is, they are born again'; they become alive in Christ; they are new creatures of the Holy Ghost; they become the sons of God and thus joint-heirs with Christ. 'They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.' They become heirs of the promises made to the fathers, the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their seed after them would have the right to the gospel and the priesthood and eternal life.
"'And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord; for he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.' What more does the Father have than eternal life, than exaltation and Godhood? Is not eternal life the very name of the kind of life Deity lives?
"'And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood. Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.' (D&C 84:33-44). That there neither is nor can be a covenant more wondrous and great is self-evident. This covenant, made when the priesthood is received, is renewed when the recipient enters the order of eternal marriage. . .
God's decrees are immutable; his promises never fail; he always and everlastingly fulfills that which he says. Thus, those who abide by the conditions of the holy covenant of the priesthood shall have power, by faith, to govern and control all things upon the earth, and they shall 'stand in the presence of God,' being as he is and living the kind of life he lives. And to show the immutability of his word, he swears with an oath, by himself and in his own name, that all these things shall surely come to pass." (NWAF 312-314)
"A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties. An oath is a sworn attestation to the inviolability of the promises in the agreement. In the covenant of the priesthood the parties are the Father and the receiver of the priesthood. Each party to the covenant undertakes certain obligations. The receiver undertakes to magnify his calling in the priesthood. The Father, by oath and covenant, promises the receiver that if he does so magnify his priesthood he will be sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of his body; (see D&C 84:33) that he will become a member of ' . . .the church and kingdom , and the elect of God,'(D&C 84:34) and receive the '. . .Father's kingdom; therefore," said the Savior, 'all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.' (D&C 84:38)" (Romney WB 143)
"The Holy Priesthood is accepted by an oath and covenant and is binding upon those who receive it. They obligate themselves to keep faithfully all the commandments of God and to magnify their callings by honoring and exercising the priesthood in righteousness for the benefit and blessing of mankind." (Stapley WB 143)
"The Father has promised his sons who receive the Holy Priesthood and faithfully abide by the conditions of its oath and covenant that they are to share in all that which the Father hath. The Father possesses kingdoms, thrones, principalities, powers, dominions, and exaltations. These the faithful will receive of him as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ." (Stapley WB 146)
"Every man who is ordained to an office in the Melchizedek Priesthood should realize fully just what that ordination means. He receives the Priesthood with an oath and covenant that he will magnify his calling and be faithful therein. This oath and covenant when received in the fullness will entitle a man to become a member of the Church of the Firstborn, and the elect of God. He receives the fullness of the Father's kingdom and is entitled, if faithful to the end, 'to all that the Father hath.' This oath and covenant cannot be treated lightly, and if broken and altogether turned from, the man thus guilty has no forgiveness, that is to say, he will not again have these privileges granted to him which bring exaltation, or 'all that the Father hath.' He will stand aside without these blessings, but does not become a son of perdition because of this serious offense. The oath and covenant belonging to the Priesthood pertains to the Melchizedek Priesthood and not to the Aaronic, although it is also a serious matter to turn away or violate that blessing." (Smith, WB 146)
"The covenant which a man makes when he receives an office in the Melchizedek Priesthood is threefold: 1. That he will receive and make a part of his life and being the Holy Priesthood and that he will honor it as the holy power and authority which it is: 2. That he will magnify his calling in the priesthood: that is, that he will minister in the duties of the office, that he will do the work assigned; and 3. That he will live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God; that is to say, he will keep the commandments and work righteousness. The covenant which God makes is that he on his part will give the faithful all that his Father hath. In other words, he will give eternal life to those who keep their priesthood covenants. Now we have mentioned both an oath and a covenant where the Melchizedek Priesthood is concerned. The oath is the solemn promise of the Lord that all those who keep the priesthood covenant shall gain exaltation. That is to say, the Lord swears with an oath that his adopted and obedient sons shall be high priests forever after the order of Melchizedek (see D&C 76:57); they shall be joint heirs with his natural Son, who is Christ our Lord." (McConkie WB 146)
"And with reference to the priesthood, when the Lord discusses in the 84th section the oath and covenant, exactly the same principle is implied. By the laying on of hands we get the promise of power and authority, but it will not be ours-worlds without end-unless we keep our part of the covenant." (Lee, WB 147)
"Priesthood authority and rights carried covenant obligations. . . .Men ordained to the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, were given by God a specific covenant which opened the way for them to inherit all that the Father possessed. To this end, they were to receive all the covenants of the priesthood and to implement them in building up the full and perfect order of Zion - the divine patriarchal order." (DK 116)
Temple Covenants-"May the Lord bless us to understand the significance of our temple covenants and instill these principles in the lives of many others, especially in our children, so they will live the commandments of the Lord. (LDSSS-Benson 84)
"The Temple Endowment, as administered in modern temples, comprises instruction relating to the significance and sequence of past dispensations, and the importance of the present as the greatest and grandest era in human history. This course of instruction includes a recital of the most prominent events of the creative period, the condition of our first parents in the Garden of Eden, their disobedience and consequent expulsion from that blissful abode, their condition in the lone and dreary world when doomed to live by labor and sweat, the plan of redemption by which the great transgression may be atoned, the period of the great apostasy, the restoration of the Gospel with all its ancient powers and privileges, the absolute and indispensable condition of personal purity and devotion to the right in present life, and a strict compliance with Gospel requirements. . ."
"The ordinances of the endowment embody certain obligations on the part of the individual, such as covenant and promise to observe the law of strict virtue and chastity, to be charitable, benevolent, tolerant and pure; to devote both talent and material means to the spread of truth and the uplifting of the race; to maintain devotion to the cause of truth; and to seek in every way to contribute to the great preparation that the earth may be made ready to receive her King, --the Lord Jesus Christ. With the taking of each covenant and the assuming of each obligation a promised blessing is pronounced, contingent upon the faithful observance of the conditions.
"No jot, iota, or tittle of the temple rites is otherwise than uplifting and sanctifying. In every detail the endowment ceremony contributes to covenants of morality of life, consecration of person to high ideals, devotion to truth, patriotism to nation, and allegiance to God. The blessings of the House of the Lord are restricted to no privileged class; every member of the Church may have admission to the temple with the right to participate in the ordinances thereof, if he comes duly accredited as of worthy life and conduct." (HL 83-84, TL 164-165)
"It will be seen, therefore, that the vicarious labor of the living for the dead, as performed in the temples of the present day, comprises more than baptism and confirmation. The work is completed on earth only when the parties, in the persons of their living representatives, have been baptized, confirmed, endowed, and sealed both in the relationship of husband and wife as once existent and in the family union of parents and children." (HL 91)
"The blessings of the temple are of inestimable value. The goal of our existence, that of eternal life and exaltation, cannot be attained without them, but to receive these blessings, we must enter into solemn covenants of faithfulness." (GPP-Richards 280)
"One does not compromise on holy things. Unless we observe every promise we make in the endowment, we put ourselves in Satan's power." (OAT 25)
"Progressive testing takes place along the way in either direction; the same tests in every dispensation and generation mark the progress of the people of God. (1) Do you, first of all, agree to do things his way rather than your way--to follow the law of God? (2) If so, will you be obedient to him, no matter what he asks of you? (3) Will you, specifically, be willing to sacrifice anything he asks you for? (4) Will you at all times behave morally and soberly? (5) Finally, if God asks you to part with your worldly possessions by consecrating them all to his work, will you give his own back to him to be distributed as he sees fit, not as you think wise?" (OAT 214-215)
"In setting forth as much as can, with propriety, be spoken outside of the temple, the Lord says that "the fulness of the priesthood" is received only in the temple itself. This fulness is received through washings, anointings, solemn assemblies, oracles in holy places, conversations, ordinances, endowments, and sealings (D&C 124:40). It is in the temple that we enter into the patriarchal order, the order of priesthood that bears the name 'the new and everlasting covenant of marriage.'" (NWAF 315)
"The crowning blessings of the gospel are received in temples, in holy sanctuaries apart from the world, in the places where only the faithful assemble. It is in temples--whether they be the portable tabernacle of testimony used by Moses, or the magnificent wonder of the world built by Solomon, or the temples of the latter days--that the saints receive the mysteries of godliness. It is in these holy houses that faithful couples enter into the ordinance of celestial marriage through which they become parties to the Abrahamic covenant, the covenant of eternal increase, the covenant that in them and in their seed all generations shall be blessed." (NWAF 539)
"God made his covenant with Israel both individually and collectively; he required everyone to repair to a certain place at an appointed time to enter a covenant with him." (T&C 48-49)
"Out of these words by President Joseph F. Smith come timely counsel and warning relative to our temple covenants:
"'We entered into the covenants with the Lord that we will keep ourselves pure and unspotted from the world. We have agreed before God, angels, and witnesses, in sacred places, that we will not commit adultery, will not lie, will not steal or bear false witness against our neighbor, or take advantage of the weak, that we will help and sustain our fellow men in the right, and take such a course as will prove most effectual in helping the weak to overcome their weaknesses and bring themselves into subjection to the requirements of h[e]aven.
"'We cannot neglect, slight, or depart from the spirit, meaning, intent, and purpose, of these covenants and agreements, that we have entered into with our Father in heaven, without shearing ourselves of our glory, strength, right and title to his blessings, and to the gifts and manifestations of his Spirit.'
"The solemn promises, the sacred covenants made in the temple faithfully and consistently kept, entitle one to present as well as everlasting and eternal happiness. But these vows, when broken, bring down the displeasure of heaven upon one's head." (TL 163-164)
Preparation for-"The covenants we make in the temple are very sacred and cannot be taken lightly. The world often confuses this with "secret," which they are not. Certain experiences, which are not secret, are personal in nature and we do not speak of them openly or lightly. The covenants of the temple are in this category. Essentially, they deal with additional instruction and the expanded blessings that Heavenly Father has for all His children if they choose to live by a higher law. We prepare for this as youth by doing our very best to live up to the covenants we have already made-- baptism and ordination to the priesthood -- and by doing our best to live a morally, mentally, and physically clean lifestyle." (CNC-Goaslind 10)
"Because of the nature of temple covenants and the importance of the promises of eternal families and eternal blessings, it's ver important that people understand at an early age that this preparation most often covers a long period of time. If the habits and the discipline and the characteristics that help us to be worthy of that blessing can be an ongoing part of our lives, we are much better equipped to sustain the kind of behavior that will allow us to honor those very important covenants." (CNC-Hales 10)
"Let me give you a glimpse of the significance of such a marriage. The bridegroom kneeling at the altar has in his heart the dearest possession that a husband can cherish--the assurance that she who places her hand in his, in confidence, in marriage, is as pure as a sunbeam--as spotless as newly fallen snow. He has the assurance that in her purity and sweetness she typifies divine motherhood. Now, young man, is not that complete faith and confidence worth everything else in the world?
"And equally sublime is the assurance the young girl has that the man whom she loves, to whom she gives herself in marriage, comes to her with that same purity and strength of character which she brings to him. Such a union will indeed be a marriage ordained of God for the glory of his creation.
"This is your heritage, youth, as you contemplate an eternal partnership, and I pray that you may realize it and find the true joy and happiness of such a cherished ideal." (GI 464)
Celestial Marriage-"Marriage is an everlasting covenant, but not as some believe, the new and everlasting covenant. The law of marriage to the Church, like the covenant of baptism, is new because it is not the marriage of the world, but for time and for all eternity. Yet this everlasting law of marriage is that which was in the beginning."(DS 153)
This system of holy matrimony, involving covenants as to time and eternity, is known distinctively as Celestial Marriage-the order of marriage that exists in the celestial worlds. The ordinance of celestial marriage is permitted to those members of the Church only who are adjudged worthy of participation in the special blessings of the House of the Lord; for this ordinance, together with others of eternal validity, is to be administered in Temples reared and dedicated for such holy service. Children who are born of parents thus married are natural heirs to the Priesthood; "children of the covenant" they are called; they require no rite of adoption or sealing to insure them place in the posterity of promise. (AF 445-446, HL 88)
"Ordination to office in the Melchizedek Priesthood and entering into that 'order or the priesthood' named 'the new and everlasting covenant of marriage" are both occasions when men make the covenant of exaltation, being promised through their faithfulness all that the Father hath. (D&C 131:1-4; 84:39-41; 132; Num. 25:13)." (MD 167)
--Sacredness of Temple Covenants--"Why are these temple ordinances guarded with such secrecy when anyone who really wants to can find out what goes on? Even though everyone may discover what goes on in the temple, and many have already revealed it, the important thing is that I do not reveal these things; they must remain sacred to me. I must preserve a zone of sanctity which cannot be violated whether or not anyone else in the room has the remotest idea what the situation really is. For my covenants are all between me and my Heavenly Father, all others being present only as witnesses. Why witnesses, if this must be so intimate and private? Plainly others are involved in it, too. God's work and his glory is to share that work and glory with others. Abraham said he sought diligently for these ordinances that he might administer them to others (Abraham 1:2). It is because others are engaged in the work that we know that we are not just imagining it. On the other hand I can never share my understanding of them completely with anyone but the Lord. No matter what happens, it will, then, always remain secret: only I know exactly the weight and force of the covenants I have made -- I and the Lord with whom I have made them --unless I choose to reveal them. If I do not, then they are secret and sacred no matter what others may say or do. Anyone who would reveal these things has not understood them, and therefore that person has not given them away. You cannot reveal what you do not know!. . .What is evil in innocent everyday conversation about the temple? Even at its most innocuous, the bringing up of such matters in public can only lead to their cheapening, but, worst of all, to all manner of misunderstanding, misrepresentation, disputation, contention, contamination, and corruption." (T&C 64-65)
"Except a man and his wife enter into an everlasting covenant and be married for eternity, while in this probation, by the power and authority of the Holy Priesthood, they will cease to increase when they die; that is, they will not have any children after the resurrection. But those who are married by the power and authority of the priesthood in this life, and continue without committing the sin against the Holy Ghost, will continue to increase and have children in the celestial glory." (Smith WB 147)
"For remember, brethren, that only those who enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage in the temple for time and eternity, only those will have the exaltation in the celestial kingdom. That is what the Lord tells us." (Lee, WB 147)
"The Lord has revealed to us by His special revelations, as clearly and positively as He ever did to any of the ancient Prophets, ceratin principles associated with the eternity of the marriage covenant, has given definite commands pertaining thereto, and made them obligatory upon us to carry out. He has made manifest to us those great and eternal principles which bind woman to man and man to woman, children to parents and parents to children, and has called upon us in the most emphatic and pointed manner to obey them. These glorious principles involve our dearest interests and associations in time and throughout the eternities that are to come. We are told that this is His everlasting covenant, and that it has existed from eternity; and, furthermore, that all covenants that relate only to time shall be dissolved at death and be no longer binding upon the human family. He has, moreover, told us that if we do not obey those principles we shall be damned. Believing these principles to be of God and from God, we have entered into eternal covenants with our wives under the most solemn promises and in the most sacred manner." (Taylor, Cannon WB 147)
"Marriage covenants authorized and sealed by that God-given power, endure, if the parties thereto are true to their troth, not through mortal life alone, but through time and all eternity. Thus the worthy husband and wife who have been sealed under the everlasting covenant shall come forth in the day of the resurrection to receive their heritage of glory, immortality, and eternal lives." (Talmage, WB 147)
"In connection with all ordinances pertaining to the temples of our God, men and women accept covenants and obligations which relate to the endowment and to the eternity of the marriage and family relationship." (Stapley WB 147)
Others- "Keeping the Sabbath day holy is a covenant between man and the Lord for he said:"Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you; everyone that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people." (Ex. 31:13-17) All of the Ten Commandments are everlasting covenants. The law of tithing is a form of an everlasting covenant, the covenant of revenue for the Church, although some day we shall be given a higher form of this law known as consecration."(DS 152-153)
"Among the covenants are these, that they will cease from sin and from all unrighteousness; that they will work righteousness in their lives; that they will abstain from the use of intoxicants from the use of strong drinks of every description, from the use of tobacco, from every vile thing, and from extremes in every phase of life; that they will not take the name of God in vain; that they will not bear false witness against their neighbor; that they will seek to love their neighbors as themselves; to carry out the golden rule of the Lord, do unto others as they would that others should do unto them. These principles are involved in the covenants that the people have made in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and it is expected that the officers and presiding authorities in the Church shall see to it that the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will keep these covenants that they have made with the Lord, and that they will observe these principles and adapt them to their lives and carry them out, that they may be indeed the salt of the earth; not salt that has lost its savor and is good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men, but salt hat has its savor and that is wholesome; that the people of God may be a light unto this generation and unto the world; that men may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven; and that, notwithstanding enemies who are filled with the spirit of persecution and who say all manner of evil things against the Latter-day Saints, those who have entered into the covenant of the gospel, will keep the commandments of the Lord, will obey the dictates of the Spirit of the Lord unto them, will work righteousness in the earth, and will go right on in the path that Almighty God has marked out for them to pursue, fulfilling and accomplishing his will and his purposes concerning them in the latter day." (GD 107-108)
"Who can measure the responsibility of such a covenant? How far-reaching! How comprehensive! It excludes from man's life: profanity, vulgarity, idleness, enmity, jealousy, drunkenness, dishonesty, hatred, selfishness, and every form of vice. It obligates him to sobriety, to industry, to kindness, to the performance of every duty in church and state. he binds himself to respect his fellow men, to honor the priesthood, to pay his tithes and offerings, and to consecrate his life to the service of humanity. (GI 73)
"Tithing is a covenant by conformity to which men are assured temporal and spiritual blessings. (Mal. 3:7-12; D & C 119). Sabbath observance is a covenant between God and his people through all their generations. (Ex. 31:16; D& C 59:9-20). The word of wisdom is a covenant, conformity to which assures both strength of body and a special spiritual endowment. (D&C 89). The United Order with its principles of consecration was and is to ben entered by the saints by covenant (D & C 42:30; 78:11; 82:11, 15, 21; 104:4), a covenant assuring the faithful of a celestial reward. (D&C 105:3-5). In the temples the faithful enter into many covenants pertaining to exaltation." (MD 167)
"Meanwhile, they were committed to honor the law of the Sabbath which was given to God's people 'throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant,' and which carried promises of both spiritual and temporal blessings. Being part of the order of God by which man was prepared to enter into His presence, the law of tithing was also a covenant which carried the promise of spiritual and temporal blessings. In like manner, the Word of Wisdom was 'given for a principle with promise,' conformity to which assured the Saints greater strength of body and 'great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures,' through keeping their bodies fit receptacles of the Holy Ghost." (DK 115-116)
Eternal-"Marriage, as regarded by the Latter-day Saints, is ordained of God and designed to be an eternal relationship of the sexes. With this people it is not merely a temporal contract to be of effect on earth during the mortal existence of the parties, but a solemn agreement which is to extend beyond the grave. In the complete ordinance of marriage, the man and the woman are placed under covenant of mutual fidelity, not "until death doth you part," but "for time and for all eternity." A contract as far reaching as this, extending not only throughout time but into the domain of the hereafter, requires for its validation an authority superior to that of earth; and such an authority is found in the Holy Priesthood, which, given of God, is eternal. Any power less than this, while of effect in this life is void as to the state of the human soul beyond the grave" (AF 444)
"The eternal nature of covenants and ceremonies goes further than the family relation. Every man who says "Our Father" acknowledges the brotherhood of man. The eternal nature of covenants precludes the loss of one of God's children; at least, every one will have a chance to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and go on to perfection. And so temples are built in which vicarious work is performed for the salvation of those who had not an opportunity to hear the Gospel." (PH 40)
"The eternity of the marriage covenant is a glorious revelation, giving assurance to hearts bound by the golden clasp of love and sealed by authority of the Holy Priesthood that their union is eternal.
"Other covenants also continue with eternal progress throughout the ages of eternity." (GI 463)
"And now a word about the eternity of the marriage covenant. Some people question that, too. But let's look at the principle of it. Will you name for me in your minds the most divine attribute of the human soul? It isn't sympathy. And girls, be careful not to be misled by sympathy. True, sympathy is next to love, but it is not love. Love is the most divine attribute of the human soul, that is, if you believe that personality persists after death, then, you must believe that love also lives. Isn't that sound? And I ask you this: Whom shall we love when we recognize those personalities in the next world?
"True, we are admonished to love everybody. Yes, we should love everybody now; but you and I know that we love those whom we know best. I love her whom I have seen sacrifice her life for the little loved ones--her by whose side I have sat and together prayed and yearned over our little darling. I shall love my mother who I know offered her life that I might have being. When we meet these personalities in the eternal realm, we shall recognize them and know them because of these experiences in this life. And that union of loving hearts will be perpetuated after life. That is why we are married--sealed--for time and eternity. It isn't just a mere dogma of the Church--it is a truth fundamental to the life and happiness of all humanity. It is the part of wisdom to choose the house of the Lord in which to plight your love and to consecrate your vows. (GI 463-464)
"Covenants made with the Lord are eternal in their nature." (GPP-Christiansen 275)
"Our covenants here are of no force one with another except made in view of eternity." (TJS 151)
"Baptism, marriage, and all other covenants from God necessary for salvation are new and everlasting (D&C 22:1; 45:9; 66:2; 132:4-7). Holy covenants have been introduced anew in each of the dispensations of the gospel from Adam to Joseph Smith, and have been available whenever the gospel of Jesus Christ has been upon the earth. Therefore, these covenants are spoken of as everlasting. Covenants of salvation and exaltation are everlasting in the sense also that once entered into they are forever binding and valid only if they are not broken by transgression." (EM Clark 1008)
All Necessary for Exaltation-"We have got to accept every covenant that he gives us if we want exaltation" (DS 157)
"All men who become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ will have to receive the fullness of the ordinances of the kingdom; and those who will not receive all the ordinances will come short of the fullness of that glory, if they do not lose the whole." (LDSSS-Smith 304)
"Good conduct without the ordinances of the gospel will neither redeem nor exalt mankind" (LDSSS-Packer 304)
The ordinances begin with baptism by immersion by proper authority for the remission of sins and for entrance into the earthly kingdom of God. It is followed by the reception of the Holy Ghost, which is promised to every person who qualifies. The priesthood is given, which opens further doors; the endowment is an indispensable feature in preparation for eternal life; and then , the sealing in the holy temple of a man and a woman for an eternal relationship. These are indispensable! No one can ever reach the heights of exaltation and eternal life without all of them." (SWK 502)
"Although an individual who does not believe in obeying ordinances but who is moral and conscientious is more to be admired than the man who, though obeying ordinances, is neither moral nor conscientious, yet this does not make the ordinances nugatory. Such a man we may admire; but, though we may admire and prefer his honesty before the hypocrisy of the other, yet this does not argue that the observance of ordinances ought to be slighted or that he would not be still more admirable and preferable were he obedient thereto. Neither can mankind, if ordinances have been made obligatory, be justified for refusing to become obedient to them because there is a spirit of contention and strife indulged in by professing followers of Christ." (GT 171)
Abrahamic Covenant
Dispensations-"A dispensation of the gospel is defined as the granting to divinely chosen officers, by a commission from God, of power and authority to dispense the word of God, and to administer in all the ordinances thereof. However, a dispensation has frequently embraced additional power and included a special commission or warning to the people, the making of a special and definite covenant with man, and the conferring of special powers upon chosen prophets beyond what other prophets may have received."(DS 161)
Abrahamic Dispensation-"To Abraham was given a dispensation, and with him the Lord made a special covenant that through him and his posterity all nations of the earth should be blessed. Moreover, he was promised that all who received the gospel should be numbered among his posterity." (DS 161)
Origin-"Because of Abraham's faithfulness, the Lord promised to make of him-through his posterity-a great nation and a blessing to all nations to the end of time. Said the Lord: 'And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father.' (Abr. 2:6-11) (DS164)
This covenant with Abraham was also a call to leadership. Therefore, it has been interpreted to mean that Abraham and his descendants were chosen to conserve in purity and to advance on earth the eternal plan for human salvation. Consequently, the seed of Abraham are often spoken of as the chosen or covenant people." (WB-Widstoe 135)
"When the Lord called Abraham out of Ur, the land of his fathers, he made certain covenants with him because of his faithfulness. One promise was that through him and his seed after him all nations of the earth should be blessed. This blessing is accomplished in several ways. 1. Through Jesus Christ who came through the lineage of Abraham; 2. Through the priesthood which was conferred upon Abraham and his descendants; 3. Through the scattering of Israel among all nations by which the blood of Israel was sprinkled among the nations, and thus the nations partake of the leaven of righteousness, on condition of their repentance, and are entitled to the promises made to the children of Abraham; and 4. In the fact that the Lord covenanted with Abraham that after his time all who embraced the gospel should be called by his name, or, should be numbered among his seed, and should receive the Holy Ghost." (WB-Smith 135)
"A central factor in the Judeo-Christian tradition is God's covenant with his people, presented as always initiated by God himself, first with Noah (Gen 9:8-17), then with Abram (Gen. 15; 17), and later with Abraham's descendants, the Israelites of the Exodus (Exod. 19-24)." (EBD 241)
"Twenty centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ, He made choice of a Covenant Race for blessing 'all the families of the earth,' in modern times as well as in ancient days. He instituted that race as a chosen people by designation of the patriarch Abraham and his wife Sarah. They were father and mother of a posterity to whom was entrusted a saving work for humanity, to the latest period of time. It fits in closely with the present day of doubt and travail. God told Abraham, 'In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' The blessing comes to men when they justify themselves as deserving recipients in the way divinely marked therefor. God will not fail in His part. Now comes to us this question: Is His Covenant Race fulfilling its mission today?
"Four definite covenants are set out in the Bible as having been made by the Lord with Abraham and his children. These are:
"1. The Abrahamic covenant, which is unconditional to a selected line of Abraham's children.
"2. The Mosaic covenant, with that selected line, conditional on their obedience to the law which was given at Sinai.
"3. The Davidic covenant, concerning David's kingdom, throne and seed. This was unconditional to a Davidic dynasty.
"4. The New Covenant in Christ Jesus, conditional on obedience to Gospel requirements.
"A summary of the main points of the covenants with and promises to Abraham and his posterity is given in the book of Genesis thus: (1) to become a great nation; (2) to have a name great; (3) to be blessed of God; (4) to bless all the families of the earth by virtue of the divine blessing; (5) to be a numerous people, beyond human computation; (6) Abraham to be the father of nations; (7) Sarah to be the mother of nations; (8) a kingly scepter to govern among mortals; (9) to do justice and judgment to the various peoples of the earth; (10) posterity to be called in Isaac; (11) that posterity to possess the gate of their enemies, etc. These blessings are to apply in 'the last days.' They disclose a conflict with evil in their attainments. Today that conflict seems to be on in all its intensity." (GCR 11-12)
"A remarkable destiny for Abram's posterity is outlined in the 12th to the 49th chapters of Genesis, with a culminating period of time 'in the last days,' as set forth in the first verse of the 49th chapter.. This destiny cites: (1) A promised land; (2) a great nation; (3) a name great; (4) to be blessed; (5) to bless those who bless, and condemn those who curse; (6) to bless all the families of the earth; (7) to have a numerous posterity; (8) Abram to be the father of many nations; (9) his wife Sarah to be the mother of nations; (10) to hold the scepter of kingly power; (11) to do justice and judgment among mankind; (12) to be called in Isaac; (13) to possess the gate of their enemies; (14) unrestricted dominion and blessing to extend to all the earth; (15) to be held in an everlasting covenant made by the Lord. A truly marvelous destiny for the ages!" (GCR 89)
"Motherhood had been promised to Abraham's wife Sarah. God had made that promise. He had changed Abram's name to Abraham, meaning 'Father of a multitude.' Abraham and his wife were advanced in years, beyond human prospect of parentage for them. He was an hundred years old, and she was ninety. They were human in their outlook, in measure at least. And they laughed. . . .
"But right there Jehovah was revealed as the promise-fulfilling God. Isaac was born. The great race which was to be a blessing to all the families of the earth is rooted in a miracle!
"To such as may wonder why Isaac was chosen instead of his elder brother Ishmael to bear the covenant, St. Paul explains in his epistle to the Galatians, chapter 4, verses 28, 30, and 31:
"'Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise. . . . For the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So, then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman, but of the free.'" (GCR 91)
Continuation-"These covenants that were made with Abraham continued down and were amplified-not changed-as time progressed, and in the days of Moses the Lord gave many commandments based upon these original covenants with the house of Israel." (DS165)
"While recent research has shown significant parallels between ancient Near Eastern treaties and the Sinaitic covenant, the idea of a covenant or treaty between the Deity and an entire people is unique to the Israelite religion and central to its development. Fundamentals of the Israelite religion such as the liberation from myth, the personal relationship with God, revelation, and the kingship of God are all rooted in the notion of covenant. Throughout the Bible, the covenant functions as the legal basis of the relationship between God and the people with whom He has contracted. Thus the prophets reprove the people using the formulations of a law suit. (See for example Hos. 4:1) in which God calls heaven and earth to witness (Is. 1:2 et. al).
"The uniqueness of the covenant resides less in the content of its laws than in the revelation of those laws by the Deity. Law promulgated in the covenant is not the fiat of a particular ruler or the wisdom of sages but the command of god. The belief in God's revelation to an entire people rather than to one particular visionary or priest was also unprecedented. Since the laws of the Torah were given to the entire nation, the nation as a whole became responsible for their observance. The covenant related not only to cultic considerations, but to moral ones as well. Thus, not only worship and cult but morality and the functioning of society become expressions of the Divine will. Moral law is no longer secular but religious." (EJ 182)
"The choosing of a special race, and the conferring upon it of peculiar covenants and obligations, which other nations would not keep, had the effect of segregating this race from other races. If no special covenant or peculiar practice had been given to Israel, with the strict commandment not to mix with other peoples, Israel would have disappeared as a nation in the course of a very few years. Even as it was it took years of training and constant guidance on the part of divinely appointed prophets to impress upon the people the sacredness of their special call. Moreover, they had to suffer for the transgression of the law and the breaking of covenants, be whipped and suffer bondage before they could learn their lesson." (Smith WB 136-137)
"The fact that God heard their cries, their groaning, and remembered his covenant with their fathers, and 'had respect unto them, ' is evidence that, in spite of their unfortunate circumstances, they had not turned away from him. Therefore, when Moses was sent to deliver them out of Egypt, they still had the gospel and the patriarchal order of the priesthood among them.
"How nearly the lived the gospel and to what extent they held and functioned in the priesthood, we do not know. But we have every reason to believe that both of these great blessings were at least among them to some extent during the days of their afflictions in Egypt and at the time of their deliverance under the leadership of Moses and Aaron." (AP 16)
"The first to come in line of inheritance to the privileges and responsibilities of this blessing-race was Isaac, the only son of Abraham and Sarah. His birth beyond the time of human expectation of parentage was clearly miraculous. Thus the Covenant Race is rooted in a miracle. God is a God of miracles in every age, as occasion requires. The present time is no exception. Must the final triumph of the Covenant Race for righteousness be achieved in association with the miraculous?
"How the Abrahamic blessings and covenant were passed on to Isaac is told in Genesis 26:3,4, and 24:
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee: for unto thee, and unto thy seed will I give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. . . . I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and I will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for My servant Abraham's sake.
"Then to Isaac's son Jacob was this further assignment of the heritage of his race (Gen 28:13,14; 35:9-12):
I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father , and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. . . . And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name! and He called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
"The line of the heritage from Abraham thus is placed beyond doubt. The land promised to Abraham (Gen. 15:18) is restricted in area to the Old World. The blessing of 'all the families of the earth,' and the multiplicity of posterity with its colonization destiny is not so restricted; it reaches 'unto the uttermost part of the earth' (Acts 1:8).
"The patriarch Jacob or Israel passed the blessing on to his sons. Two of them, Judah and Joseph, are singled out for a calling far above that of the other ten. The latter received specified blessings, yet these were subordinate to those of the other two. Judah was accorded the scepter or kingly .line, and Joseph the birthright (1 Chron. 5:2):
"Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's." (GCR 13-14)
--Children of the covenant--"According to the terms of the covenant which God made with Abraham, all of the literal seed of that great prophet are entitled to receive the gospel, the priesthood, and all of the ordinances of salvation and exaltation. (Abra.. 2:9-11; D & C 86:6-11). When any of those descendants do receive all these things, 'They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.' (D&C 84:34). They are then children of the covenant, that is, they are inheritors of the fulness of the blessings appertaining to the new and everlasting covenant which is the gospel. 'Ye are the children of the covenant' (3 Ne. 20:24-27), our Lord told the Nephites among whom he ministered, a distinction which the faithful saints of this dispensation also enjoy. Rebellious descendants of Abraham are not his children in the special sense that is intended by the designation children of the covenant. (John 8:33-59)." (MD 126)
"This covenant with Abraham was also a call to leadership. Therefore, it has been interpreted to mean that Abraham and his descendants were chosen o conserve in purity and to advance on earth the eternal plan for human salvation. Consequently, the seed of Abraham are often spoken of as the chosen or covenant people." (Widtsoe WB 135)
Scattering of Israel: Done for violation of covenants-"As time went on they [Israel] violated these covenants. They turned away from the admonitions, the commandments, the instructions that the Lord gave them through the Prophet Moses, and eventually, because of that rebellion, the curses came upon them and they were scattered among the nations of the earth. The 10 tribes were led off captive and later went into the north, and where they are no man knows; but among the children of Israel many were scattered among the nations." (DS 165)
"This covenant has never been established with the house of Israel nor with the house of Judah for it requires two parties to make a covenant and those two parties must be agreed or no covenant can be made. Christ in the days of his flesh proposed to make a covenant with them but they rejected him and his proposals and in consequence thereof they were broken off and no covenant was made with them at that time but their unbelief has not rendered the promise of God of none effect; no, for there was another day limited in David which was the day of his power and then his people Israel, should be a willing people and he would write his laws in their hearts and print them in their thoughts their sins and their iniquities he would remember no more. Thus after this chosen family had rejected Christ and his proposals the heralds of salvation said to them,'lo we turn to the gentiles,' and the gentiles received the covenant and were grafted in from whence the chosen family were broken off but the Gentiles have not continued in the goodness of God but have departed from the faith that was once delivered to the saints and have broken the covenant in which their fathers were established (Isaiah 24:5) and have become high minded and have not feared, therefore but few of them will be gathered with the chosen family. (PWJS 271)
"O Thou, Who didst covenant with Abraham, Thy friend, and who didst renew that covenant with Isaac, and confirm the same with Jacob with an oath, that Thou wouldst not only give them this land for an everlasting inheritance, but that Thou wouldst also remember their seed forever. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have long since closed their eyes in death, and made the grave their mansion. Their children are scattered and dispersed abroad among the nations of the Gentiles like sheep that have no shepherd, and are still looking forward for the fulfillment of those promises which Thou didst make concerning them; and even this land, which once poured forth nature's richest bounty, and flowed, as it were, with milk and honey, alas, to a certain extent, been smitten with barrenness and sterility since it drank from murderous hands the blood of Him who never sinned." (Prayer uttered on the Mount of Olives) (Hyde WB 137)
Covenants Fulfilled through-"Thus through this scattering the Lord has caused Israel to mix with the nations and bring the Gentiles within the blessings of the seed of Abraham. We are preaching the gospel now in all parts of the world, and for what purpose? To gather out from the Gentile nations the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It is by this scattering that the Gentile nations have been blessed, and if they will truly repent they are entitled to all the blessings promised to Israel, 'which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.' (Abraham 2:11)" (AGQ 57)
Gathering of Israel/Renewal of Ancient Covenants-"The Jews continued, possessing the land of Palestine until after the days of Christ. Then, because of their wickedness and the fact that they had risen up against the Son of God, they too were scattered among the nations of the earth and became a hiss and a byword, and were so to remain until, the Lord says, the times of the gentiles shall be fulfilled. Now the Jews are being gathered again, because the times of the gentiles are coming to their close.
"The Lord, through his prophets before Israel was completely scattered, spoke of our day. He spoke of the covenants and how in these latter times he would renew these covenants upon Israel, after Israel had been gathered. (DS 165-166)
"The time has at last arrived when the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob has set his hand again the second time to recover the remnants of his people which have been left from Assyria, and from Egypt and from Pathros & c. and from the islands of the sea and with them to bring in the fulness of the Gentiles and establish that covenant with them which was promised when their sins should be taken away" (PWJS 271)
"One of the greatest prophecies for which there has been a partial fulfillment up to this time, and which awaits a far grander and greater fulfillment in the days ahead, is given in these words: 'Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord.' The Mosaic covenant, the law of carnal commandments, the lesser law, the preparatory gospel--all these shall have an end. They will be replaced with the gospel, the higher law, the eternal fulness that includes the covenant God made with Abraham.
"'But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward pars, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.' This is the gospel covenant. With whom shall it be made? Those who receive it will be the lost sheep of Israel, those who are a scattered remnant of the ancient Israelite people. The Lord's sheep shall hear his voice and be gathered into his fold. To a small extent and for a limited period, this covenant was made in the meridian of time; then came the day of universal apostasy. To a like extent it has been made again with us through the restoration of eternal truth in our day.
"Why do we say it has been made so far only to a limited degree? Because, as the holy word affirms, it involves more than the mere receipt of the gospel. A covenant, to have full force and validity, must be accepted in full both by God in heaven and by man on earth. The grand part of the covenant is this: 'They shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34). As Joseph Smith taught in his great sermon on the Second Comforter, this promise has reference to the receipt of that added Comforter, which means that they have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend them and to appear unto them from time to time. Those so blessed are the ones who remain after the destruction of the wicked at the ushering in of the Millennium. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 149). That is to say, the complete fulfillment is Millennial." (NWAF 548-549)
"Among the events therein named, especial attention is called to the prediction first referred to, that when the Jews 'shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer, they shall be gathered again to the lands of their inheritance;' and the prediction later recorded, 'That they shall be restored to the true Church and fold of God.' This gathering of the Jews to 'the land of their inheritance'-Palestine-has been instituted, and is now going on under British control; but the restoration to 'the true Church and fold of God' is still an event of the future, destined to come with the fulfilment of associate prophecies now in process of accomplishment." (GCR 168)
Blessings of Abrahamic Covenant-- "How glorious is the promise! The seed of Abraham shall take the gospel and the priesthood to all nations, and those who accept the divine word shall become as though they too were the chosen seed. And also: The literal seed of Abraham's body, his natural descendants, those born with his blood flowing in their veins--though they be scattered and scourged and lost in all nations-- yet they have a right to certain blessings. They have a right to hear the gospel, and if they accept it, to receive the priesthood, to have their own family units continue everlastingly so that they with Abraham shall have eternal life. If they believe, they have the right to the gospel, the priesthood, and eternal life because they are the seed of Abraham. The Lord operates through families; in general he sends his choice spirits to earth in the lineage of Abraham." (NWAF 37)
"Abraham first received the gospel by baptism (which is the covenant of salvation); then he had conferred upon him the higher priesthood, and he entered into celestial marriage (which is the covenant of exaltation), gaining assurance thereby that he would have eternal increase; finally he received a promise that all of these blessings would be offered to all of his mortal posterity. (Abra. 2:6-11; D&C 132:29-50). Included in the divine promises to Abraham was the assurance that Christ would come through his lineage, and the assurance that Abraham's posterity would receive certain choice, promised lands as an eternal inheritance. (Abra. 2; Gen. 17; 22:15-18; Gal. 3).
"All of these promises lumped together are called the Abrahamic covenant. This covenant was renewed with Isaac (Gen. 24:60; 26:28; 35:9-13; 48:3-4). Those portions of it which pertain to personal exaltation and eternal increase are renewed with each member of the house of Israel who enters the order of celestial marriage; through that order the participating parties become inheritors of all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (D&C 132; Rom. 9:4; Gal. 3;4)." (MD 13)
Fulfilling of Abrahamic Covenant--"'Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins--from whose loins ye are, namely, my servant Joseph--which were to continue so long as they were in the world; and as touching Abraham and his seed, out of the world they should continue; both in the world and out of the world should they continue as innumerable as the stars; or, if ye were to count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them. This promise is yours also, because ye are of Abraham, and the promise was made unto Abraham' (D&C 132:30-31). In the full sense this promise is fulfilled for those only who enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage and thereby gain a continuation of the family unit in eternity. Abraham's seed is promised eternal life, and eternal life comes to those who live everlastingly in the same kind of a family unit as does the great Elohim. (NWAF 38)
"To fulfil the covenant God made with Abraham -- having particular reference to the fact that the literal seed of his body would be entitled to the blessings of the gospel, the priesthood, celestial marriage, and eternal life (Abra. 2:10-11)--a number of specific and particular things must take place in the last days. The gospel must be restored, the priesthood be conferred again upon man, the keys of the sealing power given again to mortals, Israel gathered, and the Holy Ghost must be poured out upon the Gentiles. All this has, of course, already taken place or is in process of fulfilment. . .This is the very day when the identity of those 'who are heirs according to the covenant' (D&C 52:2), who are 'lawful heirs, according to the flesh' (D&C 86:8-11), is being made known." (MD 13-14)
"Another Old Testament covenant verified in modern revelation is the Abrahamic Covenant. It pertains not alone to literal descendants of Abraham but also to those adopted into Abraham's family because of their faith in the true God and their baptism into the gospel of Christ (Gen 12:1; Gal. 3:26-29). These "descendants" of Abraham are charged with bringing the blessings of this covenant to all nations, through teaching about the true and living God and making known his plan of salvation (Abr. 2:9-11). Responsibility for knowing and acting in accordance with the covenant of Abraham has been transmitted to latter-day heirs by revelation (D&C 110:12). Moreover, a promise by the resurrected Jesus is recorded in the Book of Mormon that descendants of his ancient covenant people Israel, who have been scattered abroad, shall 'be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north: and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God who hath redeemed them" (3 Ne. 20:13). They are to be established in their lands of inheritance and will accomplish their ancient and culminating responsibility of building the kingdom of the Lord (3 Ne. 20:21-46; cf. Isa. 52:1-15). For Latter-day Saints the Restoration 'of all things' (Acts 3:21) includes many Old Testament principles, doctrines, and ideals." (EM 1028)
"When the Lord called Abraham out of Ur, the land of his fathers, he made certain covenants with him because of his faithfulness. One promise was that through him and his seed after him all nations of the earth should be blessed. This blessing is accomplished in several ways. 1. Through Jesus Christ who came through the lineage of Abraham; 2. Through the priesthood which was conferred upon Abraham and his descendants; 3. Through the scattering of Israel among all nations by which the blood of Israel was sprinkled among the nations, and thus the nations partake of the leaven of righteousness, on condition of their repentance, and are entitled to the promises made to the children of Abraham; and 4. In the fact that the Lord covenanted with Abraham that after his time all who embraced the gospel should be called by his name, or, should be numbered among his seed, and should receive the Holy Ghost." (Smith WB 135)
"Nor is this covenant confined to mortal life. It extends beyond the grave and into the celestial kingdom. The children of Abraham, if they will keep the covenant as they receive it in the house of the Lord, shall, as Abraham their father, continue on through all eternity to increase, and there shall be no end to their posterity. In this way the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are extended to them, and they become partakers to the fullest extent. For there is to be a continuation of the 'seeds forever' among those who receive exaltation in the kingdom of God. This is the promise and there shall come through Abraham kings and priests and rulers, not only on this earth but in the heavens, and so shall it be worlds without end." (Smith WB 137)
"Those of the tribe of Judah located in Judea, and those of the tribe of Benjamin in Galilee. There the body of both tribes remained until Christ was born, fulfilling in the Judah part of the Israelitish race a portion of the promise to the patriarchs that in their Seed should 'all the families of the earth be blessed.' This portion related to the coming of the One Seed as explained by the apostle Paul in Galatians 3:16:
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one. And to thy seed, which is Christ." (GCR 24)
"'The world is out of balance?' Truly so; and its 'balancing,' and the preservation of its people in this age, have been provided for by God Almighty in the revelation anew of the Gospel, and in the fulfilment of His wonderful promises to the Covenant Race of Abraham in ages past-promises now in process of fulfilment in connection with the work of the Church established by Jesus Christ in these latter-days. There is abiding hope in God's word. Surely we may trust in Him, the only Power that can or will save." (GCR 37-38)
Miscellaneous
BYU Honor Code as covenant-In this institution students and faculty commit themselves explicitly to abide by a code of conduct which includes both living by the moral precepts of the gospel and conforming to a dress and grooming code. Some purport to accept the moral standards as important and denigrate the other as trivial and as intruding on their freedom of choice. These people fundamentally misperceive the question, which is not whether the dress or grooming code is wise, but whether they should consider themselves bound by a promise. It is not that such a code is forced upon anyone; there is free choice to come here or to go to some other institution which makes no such demands. Indeed, other schools, often supported by tax monies, may be less costly to attend, may have equally high academic standards, and will probably have associated with them a Church-sponsored institute of religion-a program which provides for wholesome social life and gospel study without binding the students to abide by BYU standards. There is no disgrace in making that choice; it is a wholly legitimate option. But once having elected to come here and to participate in this community with its special calling to represent the Church and its highest standards, you must not compromise your integrity by promising what you will not do. By taking covenants lightly, you will wound your eternal self.
"I use the word covenant deliberately; it is a word with sacred connotations and I mean to use it with all its special spiritual force. Self-justification is easy and rationalization seductive, but the Lord explains in modern revelation that "when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition. . . the heavens withdraw themselves,; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and. . .he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks" (D&C 121:37-38). Of course we can choose; the free agency is ours, but we cannot escape the consequences of our choice." (SWK 194-195)
Other Covenants-"Presidents of our nation, justices of the Supreme Court, our legislators, and public officers of many levels raise their arms to the square and solemnly pledge to uphold the laws of the land and prosecute their responsibilities with fidelity and honor.
"The marriage ceremony of many faiths, including our own, is a covenant made in solemnity.
"All of us in this country who are citizens of this nation salute the flag and pledge our allegiance to it and to the nation for which it stands.
"Jehovah of old made a covenant with Abraham and his posterity that he would be their God and they would be his people.
"Codes and covenants are as old as mankind and as contemporary as marriage." (BYUS 36)
"Everlasting covenant was made between three personages before the organization of this earth, and relates to their dispensation of things to men on the earth; these personages, according to Abraham's record, are called God the first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the witness or Testator." (TJS 151)
"Special covenants have often been made for special purposes to particular persons or groups. The Lord covenanted with Noah never to destroy the earth again by flood, and he set the rainbow as a token of such covenant. (Gen. (:12-13). To Abraham he gave the covenant of circumcision to remain in force with the chosen lineage until it was fulfilled in Christ. (Gen. 17:11-14; Moro. 8:8). To Lehi the covenant was vouchsafed that America should be a land of inheritance for his seed forever. (2 Ne. 1). A similar promise came to the saints in th8is day. (D&C 38:20). As part of the great Abrahamic covenant, a special land inheritance was offered Israel (Gen. 17). The Book of Mormon is a new covenant binding upon the Latter-day Saints, that is, having received this ancient record as a divine book, they are bound to conform to its teachings and follow its counsels. (D & C 84:57)." (MD 167-168)
The Bible records numerous covenants. In Genesis 6:18, God, after telling Noah of His intent to destroy all life, informs Noah that he will be granted a covenant and be saved by means of the ark he has constructed. After the Flood, God again invokes a covenant (although it is not clear if this is the same covenant or a new one) in which He obligates Himself never again to destroy all of life by flood (Gen. 9:8). Covenants are also common between individuals in the Bible (e.g., Gen. 21:28; Josh 9:15, etc). (EJ 181)
"The Old Testament lists a number of different covenants: covenant of friendship between David and Jonathan, Saul's son ( 1 Sam. 18:3-4; cf. 22:8, 'league' [NIV 'covenant']; 23:18), which included 'legal' sanctions (20:8); a covenant between King Solomon and one of his subjects, Shemei (1 Kgs. 2:42-46); another between Jehoiada the high priest and the royal guard (2 Kgs. 11:4); a covenant between King David and Abner (2 Sam. 3:12-21; KJV 'league'; NIV 'agreement'), actually symbolizing a treaty between the ten northern tribes and the two southern tribes governed by David; a covenant between the sovereign and his vassals (implied at 1 Kgs. 4:21 in reference to the tribute paid by the various kings to Solomon); a covenant between the two kings Solomon and Hiram (1 Kgs. 5:12, 'treaty' [KJV 'league']); and the covenant between God and his people. Many of these covenants were between two unequal parties, one more powerful than the other." (EBD 240-241)
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