Make, Honor and Renew Sacred Covenants

We have a living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, to lead us. He is the Lord’s mouthpiece at this specific time and place, and he will teach and guide us. He said recently, “Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere.”

In the 2019 Area plan there are four key indicators under “covenant”. They are Endowed adults with a temple recommend, Adults sealed to a Spouse, prospective Elders to be ordained to the
Melchizedek Priesthood and Melchizedek Priesthood holders. These are four indicators when they are continuously increased are measures of real growth and spiritual strengths.

President Nelson’s words and the Make, Honor and Renew Sacred Covenants above indicators are very meaningful when we consider that the world is experiencing a great fight between righteousness and wickedness, and we are surrounded by this battle every day, every day, every day. However, we have also come at a time when we are blessed with the gospel of Jesus Christ and have the promise that it will never again be taken from the earth. This period is known as the fulness of times. Prophets through the ages have written concerning this dispensation, it is indeed wonderful though a challenging time to be alive.

The gospel brings to us the blessing to be a part of covenant Israel. It is designed by the Lord to set us apart from the ways of the world and to enable us to enjoy the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, thus being led to exaltation. 

Covenant Israel is to be an example to all, to take the gospel and priesthood blessings to all (Abraham 2:9) and, in short, serve as the Lord’s ambassadors under all circumstances. We should be kinder, more pleasant, more patient, more humble, more influential for good, more willing to sacrifice for the comfort and good of our fellow beings, and so forth, more than any other people on earth.

Individual members of the Church who understand the concept and doctrine of being covenant Israel have a great advantage in stability and gospel living.

In other words, being faithful to covenants made in the temple, and to the oath and covenant of the priesthood, which have assured us, in the words of the Lord… “therefore all that all that my Father hath shall be given unto him” (D&C 84:38). It means that no earthly reward or other success could compensate for what the Lord will bestow upon those who love Him. Of course, faithful sisters share the blessings of the priesthood.

A person becomes part of covenant Israel by being baptized, confirmed and then living in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel, entering into and keeping sacred covenants with God.

When we are baptized and confirmed we have made a covenant with our Heavenly Father and promise “to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that we may be in” (Mosiah 18:9). It is the Lord’s desire that each of us be a witness for and possess a sure and personal testimony of Him. He is our Exemplar, and thus our thoughts and actions should reflect Him in every place in which we stand and in everything that we do. This, of course means that we stand as witnesses of Him in the classroom, on the playing field, in the jeepney or trike, in our home, in the market, at the farm—everywhere we are at any time and in all things, not sometimes and/or in some things.

One day we will be asked if we have taken upon ourselves the name of Christ and if we were faithful to that covenant. The most recent convert makes the same covenant that each of us has made, to take upon us the Lord’s name.

Having served as a mission president in Arkansas, I have interviewed many people under certain circumstances, who have been taught the 5 lessons by missionaries and met the qualifications to be baptized. I would interview them, having reviewed the qualification of baptism in D&C 20:37 (see also Moroni 6: 1- 4) as well as the six questions contained in Chapter 12 of Preach My Gospel. If they are prepared and ready to be baptized, I will remind them about the covenant they are about to make by reviewing with them Mosiah 18:8 -10. To simplify it to them and easy to remember, I commonly write the word TAKE in vertical order on a small blank card that I always carry in my pocket. I will remind them that T – you will TAKE upon you the name of Jesus Christ which includes doing your best to act like Him in your daily life; A – you will ALWAYS remember Him which includes serving Him throughout the rest of your life (see Helaman 5:12 and 2 Nephi 31:19-20); K – you will KEEP His commandments which includes Church attendance (see Moroni 4:3 and D&C 59:9) and service to others and E – you will ENDURE to the end(see D&C 14:7). I will then say, when you are able to understand those covenants, sometimes you will need to do it in reversal order. When you ENDURE to the end, it will help you to KEEP His commandments, that will help you to ALWAYS remember Him and that will help you to TAKE upon you the name of Jesus Christ.

After identifying Himself to the people of ancient America, the Savior reminded His listeners: “And behold… ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.”(3 Nephi 20:25); “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27). Our most sincere sign of adoration of Jesus is our emulation of Him.

I invite all of us to make, honor and renew sacred covenants they will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to all of us.◼︎