Why do our church leaders talk so much about covenants? Why are covenants important? What covenants have I made? What are the blessings and curses of honoring or breaking a covenant?
President Boyd K. Packer explains a lot about covenants in his talk, given way back in October 1990. His explanation is even more applicable today as many people have forgotten their covenants.
At General Conference, Pres. Nelson challenged us to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I took that challenge and decided to read Deuteronomy, in the Bible. This is what I learned.
Before we were even born, God covenanted with His chosen people (that would be all of us since we chose to follow Jesus Christ). But who are His chosen people? The Bible tells us they are the Israelites. But when the Israelites refused to obey God and began worshipping idols, the covenant was broken, and as a consequence they were cursed. God then gave His covenant to another people; the seed of Joseph (of Egypt), namely the tribe of Ephraim. Today, Ephraimites are under covenant with God to gather the House of Israel (yes, the original Israelites, as well as any other stragglers). But, now even Ephraimites are at risk of refusing to worship God. We need constant reminders to keep us on track to fulfill the covenant.
Do you remember in Primary learning about covenants? It’s a two-way promise we make with God. If you do that, I’ll do this. Simply put, God promises to give us everything that He has if we will obey and worship His Son, Jesus Christ, and no one else. There are many things in place to help keep us focused. For example, we have The Ten Commandments, our temple covenants, and a prophet who calls us to repentance.
Packer directs his message to anyone who is “tempted either to promote, to enter, or to remain in a life-style which violates your covenants,” or in other words, leads us to worshipping anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ. If we defend sin in any of its forms, it takes our focus away from our Savior.
He explains about the word moral, which today has lost its compass. He says,
“Life is meant to be a test to see if we will keep the commandments of God. We are free to obey or to ignore the spirit and the letter of the law. But the agency granted to man is a moral agency. We are not free to break our covenants and escape the consequences.”
Before we came to this earth, we covenanted with God to use our agency to choose His Son, Jesus Christ. We are here on earth to continue choosing His Son, or else we will be overcome by Satan. All of us are fighting this battle every day.
Not only do we face daily choices of right or wrong, good or evil, there are others in the world who will cause us harm. Pres. Packer talks about the situation of the tempter.
“Perhaps the worst of all conditions which we can create for ourselves is to become a tempter and lead an innocent one into a life-style that is destructive.”
How many of us knowingly, or unknowingly, inspire people to deny God or commit any kind of sin (which is anything that takes someone away from God)? That is not a good position to be in. Think “millstone.”
Lest anyone think God might never accept you, or you simply don’t fit into the ideal, there is a verse in Deuteronomy that tells me just how much God loves all of us.
“If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee” (Deut. 30:4).
I think what touches me most is the word fetch. He loves me so much He would come for me and accept me in.
This world is not an easy world to live in. Ugly things happen and all of us can easily be carried off the path. But when we stay true to our covenants, we will find safety. Remember when Pres. Nelson gave us this challenge?
“Let me be very clear about this: if the world loses the moral rectitude of its women, the world will never recover.”
Women, because of our compassionate nature, have the ability to stay very close to the Lord. This ability helps us patiently teach our children (the future) the gospel of Jesus Christ. If that goes away, the world will certainly go to pot.
“We need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who will use that understanding to teach and help raise a sin-resistant generation. … My dear sisters, nothing is more crucial to your eternal life than your own conversion. It is converted, covenant-keeping women … whose righteous lives will increasingly stand out in a deteriorating world and who will thus be seen as different and distinct in the happiest of ways.
So today I plead with my sisters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to step forward! Take your rightful and needful place in your home, in your community, and in the kingdom of God—more than you ever have before” (“A Plea to My Sisters”).
I am so thankful for my covenants that remind me to keep my focus on my Savior, Jesus Christ.