While speaking of this pioneering couple, I felt impressed to ask the congregation if Sister Efimov might be present. Far in the rear of the room, a woman stood. I invited her to come to the microphone. Yes, it was Sister Galina Efimov. She spoke with conviction and bore a powerful testimony of the Lord, of His gospel, and of His restored Church. She and her husband had been sealed in the holy temple. She said they were united forever. They were still missionary companions, she on this side of the veil and he on the other side. With tears of joy, she thanked God for sacred temple covenants. I wept too, with full realization that the everlasting unity exemplified by this faithful couple was the righteous result of making, keeping, and honoring sacred covenants.

One of the most important concepts of revealed religion is that of a sacred covenant. In legal language, a covenant generally denotes an agreement between two or more parties. But in a religious context, a covenant is much more significant. It is a sacred promise with God. He fixes the terms. Each person may choose to accept those terms. If one accepts the terms of the covenant and obeys God’s law, he or she receives the blessings associated with the covenant. We know that “when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”

Through the ages, God has made covenants with His children. His covenants occur throughout the entire plan of salvation and are therefore part of the fulness of His gospel. For example, God promised to send a Savior for His children, asking in turn for their obedience to His law.

In the Bible we read of men and women in the Old World who were identified as children of the covenant. What covenant? “The covenant which God made with [their] fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.”

In the Book of Mormon we read of people in the New World who were also identified as children of the covenant. The resurrected Lord so informed them: “Behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and 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.”

The Savior explained the importance of their identity as children of the covenant. He said, “The Father having raised me up unto you first, … sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant.”

The covenant God made with Abraham and later reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob is of transcendent significance. It contained several promises, including:

• Jesus the Christ would be born through Abraham’s lineage.

• Abraham’s posterity would be numerous, entitled to an eternal increase, and also entitled to bear the priesthood.

• Abraham would become a father of many nations.

• Certain lands would be inherited by his posterity.

• All nations of the earth would be blessed by his seed.

• And that covenant would be everlasting—even through “a thousand generations.”

Some of these promises have been fulfilled; others are still pending. I quote from an early Book of Mormon prophecy: “Our father [Lehi] hath not spoken of our seed alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which should be fulfilled in the latter days; which covenant the Lord made to our father Abraham.” Isn’t that amazing? Some 600 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, prophets knew that the Abrahamic covenant would be finally fulfilled only in the latter days.

To facilitate that promise, the Lord appeared in these latter days to renew that Abrahamic covenant. To the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Master declared:

“Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins—from whose loins ye are, … my servant Joseph. …

“This promise is yours also, because ye are of Abraham.”

With this renewal, we have received, as did they of old, the holy priesthood and the everlasting gospel. We have the right to receive the fulness of the gospel, enjoy the blessings of the priesthood, and qualify for God’s greatest blessing—that of eternal life.

Some of us are the literal seed of Abraham; others are gathered into his family by adoption. The Lord makes no distinction. Together we receive these promised blessings—if we seek the Lord and obey His commandments. But if we don’t, we lose the blessings of the covenant. To assist us, His Church provides patriarchal blessings to give each recipient a vision for his or her future as well as a connection with the past, even a declaration of lineage back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Brethren of the covenant have the right to qualify for the oath and covenant of the priesthood. If you are “faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods … and the magnifying [of your] calling, [you] are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of [your] bodies.” That is not all. Men who worthily receive the priesthood receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who receive the Lord receive God the Father. And those who receive the Father receive all that He has. Incredible blessings flow from this oath and covenant to worthy men, women, and children in all the world.

Ours is the responsibility to help fulfill the Abrahamic covenant. Ours is the seed foreordained and prepared to bless all people of the world. That is why priesthood duty includes missionary work. After some 4,000 years of anticipation and preparation, this is the appointed day when the gospel is to be taken to the kindreds of the earth. This is the time of the promised gathering of Israel. And we get to participate! Isn’t that exciting? The Lord is counting on us and our sons—and He is profoundly grateful for our daughters—who worthily serve as missionaries in this great time of the gathering of Israel.

The Book of Mormon is a tangible sign that the Lord has commenced to gather His children of covenant Israel. This book, written for our day, states as one of its purposes that “ye may know that the covenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel … is already beginning to be fulfilled. … For behold, the Lord will remember his covenant which he hath made unto his people of the house of Israel.”

Indeed, the Lord has not forgotten! He has blessed us and others throughout the world with the Book of Mormon. One of its purposes is for “the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ.” It helps us to make covenants with God. It invites us to remember Him and to know His Beloved Son. It is another testament of Jesus Christ.

Children of the covenant have the right to receive His doctrine and to know the plan of salvation. They claim it by making covenants of sacred significance. Brigham Young said: “All Latter-day Saints enter the new and everlasting covenant when they enter this Church. … They enter the new and everlasting covenant to sustain the Kingdom of God.” They keep the covenant by obedience to His commandments.

At baptism we covenant to serve the Lord and keep His commandments. When we partake of the sacrament, we renew that covenant and declare our willingness to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. Thereby we are adopted as His sons and daughters and are known as brothers and sisters. He is the father of our new life. Ultimately, in the holy temple, we may become joint heirs to the blessings of an eternal family, as once promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their posterity. Thus, celestial marriage is the covenant of exaltation.

When we realize that we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us. His law is written in our hearts. He is our God and we are His people. Committed children of the covenant remain steadfast, even in the midst of adversity. When that doctrine is deeply implanted in our hearts, even the sting of death is soothed and our spiritual stamina is strengthened.

The greatest compliment that can be earned here in this life is to be known as a covenant keeper. The rewards for a covenant keeper will be realized both here and hereafter. Scripture declares that “ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, … and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven … [and] dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.”

God lives. Jesus is the Christ. His Church has been restored to bless all people. President Thomas S. Monson is His prophet today. And we, as faithful children of the covenant, will be blessed now and forever. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Today was really, really important, too, though, and maybe just a little bit scary because today she would have her baptism interview with the branch president. President Stevenson wasn’t unfriendly, but Carrie was worried he’d give her a test about the Articles of Faith or the Ten Commandments or something.

“Carrie,” Mom called, “it’s time to get up. Remember, your interview is right after sacrament meeting.”

Carrie slipped out of bed and onto her knees. During her prayer, a warm feeling came over her that everything would be OK. She remembered that it was the sort of calm feeling that Sister Cowan, her CTR-A teacher, had taught her could come to her through the Holy Ghost.

“Get out of my way,” Nathan growled later as he shoved past Carrie into the bathroom.

Wow! she thought, I hope he’s not going to be a real grump all day.

But Nathan was still scowling as he, Carrie, and Mom and Dad left for church.

“Good morning, Carrie. Big day coming up next week, right?” Carrie felt a familiar arm around her shoulder as Sister Cowan gave her a hug. “Your interview with President Stevenson is today, isn’t it? You’re really ready for baptism—I know you are.”

Sister Cowan always made Carrie feel special. But that warm feeling disappeared as “Nathan the Grump” came toward her.

Just then President Stevenson came out of the chapel. “I’ll be seeing you right after church, won’t I, Carrie?” he said with a big, warm smile.

Carrie nodded and smiled back. Maybe our visit will be OK, she thought.

Then President Stevenson smiled at Nathan. When Nathan didn’t smile back—as she had predicted, he was being a dedicated grump today—the branch president simply said, “Nathan, remember?”

Miracles really do happen, Carrie thought as Nathan’s face started to crinkle, then break into a full-fledged smile!

“I remember.” Nathan’s smile grew and lasted as he ambled off down the hall.

Did I see a miracle? Carrie wondered. And what did Nathan “remember”?

During sacrament meeting, Carrie glanced over at Judy, a Merrie Miss. Carrie thought that she always looked sort of sad. But now, as Judy looked up from her hymnbook, she broke into a smile! Following Judy’s gaze, Carrie saw President Stevenson smiling at Judy from the stand.

How can he make “Nathan the Grump” and “Sad Judy” smile when nobody else can? Carrie asked herself.

Soon the closing prayer had been given and everyone was milling around the foyer, visiting with each other.

“Carrie.” She felt a light hand on her shoulder. “Are you ready for our interview?”

Nodding, she followed the branch president to his office.

“I’m really glad we can visit today about your baptism,” President Stevenson told her. “Would it be OK if we started with a prayer?”

When he finished the prayer, he opened his scriptures and asked, “Do you remember when the Prophet Abinadi tried to teach King Noah about God? The only one in the king’s court who believed Abinadi was Alma. Upon his conversion, he gathered others and taught them the gospel. He said that for people to be ready for baptism, they should ‘mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.’” *

As they talked about all that Alma had written, Carrie felt glad that Sister Cowan had discussed it all in her class.

When President Stevenson asked Carrie if she would be willing to do all that Alma said, she answered yes and really meant it.

“The next verses talk about a covenant between the people being baptized and God. Do you know what a covenant is?” President Stevenson asked.

Covenant? Oh no! This is the test, and I can’t remember what it is! “Well, uh, not really,” was all she could mumble.

“That’s OK, Carrie. Lots of people don’t really know. A covenant is an agreement, or promise, between two people. They agree, or covenant, that as long as one of them does what’s been agreed upon, the other is bound to do what he promised. Alma spoke of baptism as a covenant between us and God. If we agree to be baptized and always remember the Savior and keep His commandments, He agrees to send His spirit to always be with us. Do you understand this?”

“I guess so, sort of.”

The branch president smiled. “Maybe it’ll be easier to understand if you and I make a simple agreement, OK? Here’s our agreement: Whenever I see you, whether it’s here at church or someplace else, I promise that I will smile at you, even if I’m not feeling happy. But if I do that, then you have to promise that you’ll smile back at me, even if you’re not feeling like smiling. Do you think we can make that agreement?”

“OK. I can do that.”

“Good. Now, as a symbol of our agreement to smile, let’s shake hands.” Her small hand was smothered by his, but it felt warm and firm, not scary.

“Now just as our handshake was a symbol of our agreement, your baptism will be a symbol of the covenant—a very sacred agreement—that you are making with God. He’ll send you His Spirit if you take the name of Jesus Christ upon you by being baptized and remembering Him and obeying His commandments. The sacrament prayers will help you remember this sacred covenant that you are making with Heavenly Father. Do you understand better now?”

“Yes, President Stevenson.” Carrie beamed.

“I think that you’re prepared for your baptism, Carrie. Tell your parents I’d like to talk with them about arrangements for your baptismal service.”

She got up to leave, then turned back with a grin. “President Stevenson, have you made the smile agreement with the other kids who have been baptized?”

“Yes, I have. Everyone—even adults—who have been baptized in our branch since I’ve been branch president have made the same agreement with me. I think it helps everyone understand better what a covenant is, and every time we smile at each other, we remember just how sacred our baptism covenant is—their smiles show that they are happy to have made their covenants with Heavenly Father. Don’t you think so?”

Remembering Nathan and Judy, Carrie thought so too. She smiled as she hurried to find her parents.

The Book of Mormon is an inspired text that tells us about our covenant relationship to God and our responsibilities resulting from these covenants. Latter-day scriptures perform exactly the same function. In fact, covenant concepts are so important that covenants makes half the title of the Doctrine and Covenants. And since our modern covenants and covenant texts are so important, it is exciting to see the greater clarity and meaning they receive when we look at the function of covenants and covenant-making in ancient Israel.

Covenants in Ancient Israel

Yada. Ancient Israel claimed a divine relationship identified as a covenant between the people and God. This covenant relationship, making Israel separate from her neighbors, demanded that ancient Israelites have yada for their God, as he had for them. The Hebrew verb yada (or da’ath) is usually translated “to know” or “to be acquainted with.” But the covenant context adds both a mental and an emotional act. In Genesis 4:1, “Adam yada Eve” (King James: “Adam knew Eve his wife”); that is, in their covenant relationship they had mutual obligations and mutual concerns [Gen. 4:1]. Adam acted out of concern, inner engagement, dedication, and affection for Eve. The relationship summed up as yada was more than just physical.

And the Old Testament is filled with examples. Yada describes the covenant relationship of mutual obligation and concern between God and Israel, his people. The prophet Hosea clearly condemned Israel when he said: “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge [yada]” (Hosea 4:6). Hosea was not just suggesting that Israel had lost a knowledge of her God, but that they had ceased to identify with God’s causes and purposes. Israel had lost her ability to understand the great purposes the covenant relationship had been established to convey.

Covenants and treaties. The language of the Old Testament (mostly Hebrew) uses berith for both a civil treaty between political states and for the religious covenant between Israel and her God. Thus, studying the forms of ancient treaties has given Bible students insight into the form of ancient covenants as well. Following the studies of George Mendenhall, scholars have discovered that Hittite and Egyptian treaties follow a certain pattern.

An ancient treaty usually contained the following major parts: (1) The preamble. Since most of these treaties were between a king and a vassal (usually a group defeated in battle), the preamble spelled out the power relationship. Since the major power or conqueror spelled out this relationship, the preamble identified this personage and often gave his titles, attributes, and genealogy.

(2) The historical prologue. This section told the history of the two parties from the point of view of their new relationship, not to “rub in” the vassal’s weakness but to base their relationship on their history, not on force. Thus, this section attempted to create a sense of obligation on the vassal’s part. Here the sovereign recalled his great acts of protection and caring for the vassal in times past.

(3) The stipulations. This section spelled out the vassal’s essential obligations. The chief obligation was loyalty; that is, the vassal was to have no independent foreign connections or policy and no other sovereign or lords. As the chief threats to this loyalty would come in times of war and opposition (physical, economic, and moral), the vassal was forewarned to avoid these temptations. Most treaty stipulations contained either conditional clauses (“if … then”) or unconditional requirements (“thou shalt not”).

(4) Provisions for depositing the text and for public reading. This section required the contract’s public reading at regular intervals, usually at annual festivals or holy days. The text itself was to be placed in the central and sacred shrines of the vassal state. Often a special marker inscribed with the treaty was set up.

(5) Witnesses to the treaty. The god or gods of both the vassal and the major power were listed; nature could also be called upon (stones, rivers, mountains, valleys).

(6) Blessings and curses. This section recounted the blessings of protection, prosperity, and happiness the vassal would receive if he were loyal and true, and the curses if he were disloyal—usually a threat to totally destroy the offender and all he had.

(7) Ratification ceremonies. Ancient treaty-making ceremonies were usually climaxed or “sealed” by special ceremonies such as eating a meal together, sharing a drink from a common cup, using blood or salt symbolically or actually, giving the vassal a new name, or slaughtering an animal representing the vassal and cutting the carcass in pieces. Hence, karat berith or “to cut a treaty,” appears as a common phrase in ancient texts. The Old Testament reveals many parallels to treaty patterns. (See the basic structure of Deuteronomy, Josh. 24 and 1 Sam. 12.) Abraham cuts sacrifices apart, possibly a foreshadowing of circumcision as a ratification rite, and the Lord accuses Israel of transgressing a “covenant … made before me, when they cut the calf in twain” (see Gen. 15:7–12, 17–18; Jer. 34:17–19). Other treaty/covenant elements found in the Old Testament include blood, salt, giving new names as part of covenant-making, and setting up stone pillars as witnesses of the covenant. (See Ex. 24:3–8; Lev. 2:13; Gen. 17:5; Gen. 32:27–28; Deut. 28:10; Gen. 31:44–45; Josh. 24:27; Deut. 27:2–3.) In all of this these people used the treaty language, structure, and concepts to express their relationship to God.

The covenant lawsuit. Understanding Old Testament covenants as forms of treaties illuminates much of the prophetic literature. The prophets warn the people of the curses their disobedience will bring because they have violated the terms of the covenant. Some students of the Bible have suggested that the prophets are the Lord’s covenant “lawyers” who call Israel to account in a covenant lawsuit (rib), which has its own formal structure and occurs frequently enough in the Old Testament to reaffirm the covenant relationship’s importance throughout Israel’s history.

Functions of the covenant. From the beginning of the earth’s history, covenants have united individuals to God and to each other. From Abraham’s time, divinely revealed covenants united a family, then diverse tribes, and finally a nation, providing channels so that individuals could yada their true God, thus learning who and whose they were.

By entering into covenant relationships, we may give our loyalty to someone greater than ourselves and prove ourselves through our subsequent choices. Covenant relationships thus open new possibilities and relationships. Covenant-making ceremonies in ancient Israel dramatically brought the congregation to a point where they had to choose between one of two ways, thereby making decision and commitment and pledging loyalty. After this ceremony, there could be no excuse for disloyalty. (See Deut. 30:15–20; 1 Kgs. 18:21; Josh. 24:14–15.) This positive commitment gave Israel an inner strength and vitality that, barring apostasy, could have sustained her throughout time.

Covenants in the New Testament

The New Testament explains the new covenant made possible by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ within the framework of the old. In the New Testament, the Greek word for covenant is diatheke and conveys the same meaning as berith. The Last Supper and the establishment of the sacrament became the symbols of the new covenant; but the form, structure, and function of ancient covenants remain intact. Clearly the sacrament is a ceremony that renews oaths of loyalty, obligation, and concern. It reviews commitments, involves eating and drinking together, and is a time of “cutting” (literally “breaking”) bread. It is a time to yada our God, a relationship made possible by the loving sacrifice of the Savior.

Covenants in Modern Israel

Covenants in the Book of Mormon. I have been impressed that the Lord told Joseph Smith in the First Vision that the restoration was needed because men’s hearts were “far from me” (JS—H 1:19). In other words, the world lacked yada and one of Joseph Smith’s main responsibilities would be to again make it possible for man to know God through covenant relationships. The Prophet’s first assignment was to translate an ancient covenant text, the Book of Mormon, which proclaims on its title page that one of its major functions is to teach modern Israel to “know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever.” Nephi quotes Isaiah because “my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord” (2 Ne. 11:5). He and other prophets remind their people that they are of the house of Israel, that they reside in a land given them by covenant, and that they are under obligation to keep the covenant or be cursed.

Several specific episodes involve covenant-making. Alma the Elder’s converts make covenants when they are baptized at the Waters of Mormon (see Mosiah 18); General Moroni puts his army under covenant to protect their freedoms as “a remnant of the seed of Jacob [Israel]” (see Alma 46:22); the resurrected Lord explains how the old covenants in the Law of Moses have been replaced by his new covenants (see 3 Ne. 12; 3 Ne. 15).

King Benjamin’s speech to his people and their pledge to be obedient to the Lord sounds very like many of ancient Israel’s holy days, when covenant texts were read to the congregation, who responded by making or renewing covenants (see Mosiah 3–6). Both religiously and politically, the people were drawn closer together by such ceremonies.

And as Moroni closes the Nephi record, in Isaiah’s words he challenges us, the Gentile readers of the last day, to “awake, and arise from the dust … that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled” (Moro. 10:31).

Covenants in the Doctrine and Covenants. This volume of modern scripture was printed with the title we know it by in 1835, its very name suggesting the importance of covenants. The first section, known as the Lord’s preface and addressed to those who will read the whole volume, tells us that he spoke to Joseph Smith so “that mine everlasting covenant might be established.” He explained that this covenant was necessary before that “which was written by the prophets” could be fulfilled (D&C 1:18, 22). In some important ways, then, this first section fulfills the function of preamble and historical prologue of a treaty-covenant in ancient Israel.

In the sections that follow, the words covenant or covenants appear over seventy-five times. An important place is the sacramental prayers, brief covenants meant to be repeated as the “church meet[s] together often” in worship settings (D&C 20:75). As the Lord restores the oath and covenant of the priesthood, he repeats how this priesthood was transmitted from Adam through the patriarchs to Moses and Aaron and then affirms that “the Father teacheth him [every man who is obedient to the Spirit] of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you” (D&C 84:48). The revelations throughout the Doctrine and Covenants teach that one of the major functions of the priesthood is to administer covenant ceremonies so that all of God’s children who will hearken to the restored gospel can have a covenant relationship with their Savior and Father.

Accountability has always been a key factor in covenant-making, and as we have seen, is an important part of the ancient treaty-covenants. The Doctrine and Covenants not only specifies the age of eight as the precise age at which one becomes accountable, but it consistently instructs those under covenant that “every steward” must “render an account of his stewardship, both in time and in eternity” (D&C 68:25–28; D&C 72:3).

The Doctrine and Covenants also records the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, explains the role of the Holy Spirit in ratifying covenants, and reminds us that part of abiding “in my covenant, even unto death” is to turn “the hearts of the Jews unto the prophets, and the prophets unto the Jews” (D&C 131:1–4; D&C 132:7; D&C 98:14–17).

Covenants and the individual. Our moral and ethical commitments are intensely personal. Naturally we would expect these kinds of covenants to find expression in our most sacred acts of worship—the ceremonies of the sacrament and the temple. In both cases, covenant-making ceremonies function as they did in ancient Israel. In the sacrament service, the actual content of the covenant (baptism) is assumed and the sacrament itself is a renewal ceremony.

Obviously, the act of partaking of the broken bread and water fulfill the requirements of a covenant ratification. And the bread, broken as part of the service, equally obviously suggests the “cutting” or dismembering of the sacrificial animal that is also part of the treaty-covenant ceremony.

While the content of the temple covenants is sacred knowledge reserved for the covenant-makers, those covenants are clearly linked with the covenants of ancient Israel in both their subjects and their form. Some of the more obvious elements are the sacred space in which the Saints worship, the covenant acts, and the deposit of covenant texts within the temple. Like ancient Israel, modern Israel comes to make these covenants in groups, and the commitments thus made turn the individual towards a life of service and love in the larger group. Just as the temples are “central places” in many of the communities where they are constructed, the covenants made there are central places in our individual and group spiritual lives. By providing a common standard and common goals, these covenants have the potential to make modern Israel of “one heart and with one mind” (D&C 45:65).

How Covenants Teach

Modern covenants, like ancient ones, remind us of God’s love. They provide a relationship based on something besides force and power. They provide us the opportunity to yada our God through the life of Jesus Christ. That is why the free and loving gift of the Savior’s atonement lies at the heart of our covenant relationship.

But there are other important lessons to be learned by covenant making. The giving and taking of new names is part of covenant making, as we have seen. King Benjamin gave his people a “name that shall never be blotted out, except it be through transgression” (Mosiah 1:12). As part of the sacrament ritual we take upon us the name of Christ and our temple worship also follows this pattern. Names not only symbolize new relationships between the givers and receivers, but provide new examples for us to emulate.

In short, covenants are channels through which we can all assume a new identity and a new relationship to our Lord. Every person born into the world is a child of God. By making covenants, we can become the sons and daughters of Christ, a conscious and purposeful separation from the fallen world around us, a transition from being a natural person to being a spiritual person, and an incorporation into the community of the righteous.

On one level, covenants are the mortar in the household of God, pulling the Saints together by giving us common goals and uniting us in common fellowship with both the living and the dead. Covenant relationships have been an essential part, not only of our religious history, but of our economic and political history as well, in this last dispensation. Without understanding the centrality of covenant making, it may well be impossible to understand Latter-day Saint history.

But on a more intimate level, covenants are the core of our personal development. Elder John A. Widtsoe of the Quorum of the Twelve suggested years ago that a covenant was “a promise to give life to knowledge.” 6 Thus the essential function of a covenant is to give us new knowledge of God and to establish a relationship with him that will let us enjoy a fullness of joy and blessings.

Covenants relate us to the universe, calling us to repentance by reminding us of our eternal potential and eternal obligations. They provide comfort and security in a painful world of doubt and suffering. They bind us to meet the needs of others through love, service, obedience, and loyalty—and insure that our own needs will be met in the same community.

But above all, covenants give us someone to emulate, for by focusing our attentions and our intentions on Christ, covenants draw us to him in righteousness. As righteous individuals, families, and communities, we can truly rejoice in the Lord’s words:

“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 the days of old” (D&C 66:2).

David J. Whittaker, “A Covenant People: Old Testament Light on Modern Covenants”, Ensign, Aug. 1980, 36

On August 15, 2007, Peru suffered a massive earthquake that all but destroyed the coastal cities of Pisco and Chincha. Like many other Church leaders and members, Wenceslao Conde, the president of the Balconcito Branch of the Church in Chincha, immediately set about helping others whose homes were damaged.

Four days after the earthquake, Elder Marcus B. Nash of the Seventy was in Chincha helping to coordinate the Church’s relief efforts there and met President Conde. As they talked about the destruction that had occurred and what was being done to help the victims, President Conde’s wife, Pamela, approached carrying one of her small children. Elder Nash asked Sister Conde how her children were. With a smile, she replied that through the goodness of God they were all safe and well. He asked about the Condes’ home.

“It’s gone,” she said simply.

“What about your belongings?” he inquired.

“Everything was buried in the rubble of our home,” Sister Conde replied.

“And yet,” Elder Nash noted, “you are smiling as we talk.”

“Yes,” she said, “I have prayed and I am at peace. We have all we need. We have each other, we have our children, we are sealed in the temple, we have this marvelous Church, and we have the Lord. We can build again with the Lord’s help.”

This tender demonstration of faith and spiritual strength is repeated in the lives of Saints across the world in many different settings. It is a simple illustration of a profound power that is much needed in our day and that will become increasingly crucial in days ahead. We need strong Christians who can persevere against hardship, who can sustain hope through tragedy, who can lift others by their example and their compassion, and who can consistently overcome temptations. We need strong Christians who can make important things happen by their faith and who can defend the truth of Jesus Christ against moral relativism and militant atheism.

What is the source of such moral and spiritual power, and how do we obtain it? The source is God. Our access to that power is through our covenants with Him. A covenant is an agreement between God and man, an accord whose terms are set by God (see Bible Dictionary, “Covenant,” 651). In these divine agreements, God binds Himself to sustain, sanctify, and exalt us in return for our commitment to serve Him and keep His commandments.

We enter into covenants by priesthood ordinances, sacred rituals that God has ordained for us to manifest our commitment. Our foundational covenant, for example, the one in which we first pledge our willingness to take upon us the name of Christ, is confirmed by the ordinance of baptism. It is done individually, by name. By this ordinance, we become part of the covenant people of the Lord and heirs of the celestial kingdom of God.

Other sacred ordinances are performed in temples built for that very purpose. If we are faithful to the covenants made there, we become inheritors not only of the celestial kingdom but of exaltation, the highest glory within the heavenly kingdom, and we obtain all the divine possibilities God can give (see D&C 132:20).

The scriptures speak of the new and everlasting covenant. The new and everlasting covenant is the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, the doctrines and commandments of the gospel constitute the substance of an everlasting covenant between God and man that is newly restored in each dispensation. If we were to state the new and everlasting covenant in one sentence it would be this: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Jesus explained what it means to believe in Him: “Now this is the commandment [or in other words, this is the covenant]: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day” (3 Nephi 27:20).

What is it about making and keeping covenants with God that gives us the power to smile through hardships, to convert tribulation into triumph, to “be anxiously engaged in a good cause, … and bring to pass much righteousness” (D&C 58:27)?

Strengthened by Gifts and Blessings

First, as we walk in obedience to the principles and commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we enjoy a continual flow of blessings promised by God in His covenant with us. Those blessings provide the resources we need to act rather than simply be acted upon as we go through life. For example, the Lord’s commandments in the Word of Wisdom regarding the care of our physical bodies bless us first and foremost with “wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” (D&C 89:19). Furthermore, they lead to a generally more healthy life and freedom from destructive addictions. Obedience gives us greater control over our lives, greater capacity to come and go, to work and create. Of course, age, accident, and illnesses inevitably take their toll, but even so, our obedience to this gospel law enhances our capacity to deal with these challenges.

In the covenant path we find a steady supply of gifts and help. “Charity never faileth” (1 Corinthians 13:8; Moroni 7:46), love begets love, compassion begets compassion, virtue begets virtue, commitment begets loyalty, and service begets joy. We are part of a covenant people, a community of Saints who encourage, sustain, and minister to one another. As Nephi explained, “And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them” (1 Nephi 17:3).

Strengthened with Increased Faith

All this is not to say that life in the covenant is free of challenge or that the obedient soul should be surprised if disappointments or even disasters interrupt his peace. If you feel that personal righteousness should preclude all loss and suffering, you might want to have a chat with Job.

This brings us to a second way in which our covenants supply strength—they produce the faith necessary to persevere and to do all things that are expedient in the Lord. Our willingness to take upon us the name of Christ and keep His commandments requires a degree of faith, but as we honor our covenants, that faith expands. In the first place, the promised fruits of obedience become evident, which confirms our faith. Secondly, the Spirit communicates God’s pleasure, and we feel secure in His continued blessing and help. Thirdly, come what may, we can face life with hope and equanimity, knowing that we will succeed in the end because we have God’s promise to us individually, by name, and we know He cannot lie (see Enos 1:6; Ether 3:12).

Early Church leaders in this dispensation confirmed that adhering to the covenant path provides the reassurance we need in times of trial:

“It was [the knowledge that their course in life conformed to the will of God] that enabled the ancient saints to endure all their afflictions and persecutions, and to take … not only the spoiling of their goods, and the wasting of their substance, joyfully, but also to suffer death in its most horrid forms; knowing (not merely believing) that when this earthly house of their tabernacle was dissolved, they had a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Cor. 5:1.)” (Lectures on Faith [1985], 67).

They further pointed out that in offering whatever sacrifice God may require of us, we obtain the witness of the Spirit that our course is right and pleasing to God (see Lectures on Faith, 69–71). With that knowledge, our faith becomes unbounded, having the assurance that God will in due time turn every affliction to our gain. Some of you have been sustained by that faith as you have endured those who point fingers of scorn from the “great and spacious building” and cry, “Shame!” (see 1 Nephi 8:26–27), and you have stood firm with Peter and the Apostles of old, “rejoicing that [you] were counted worthy to suffer shame for [Christ’s] name” (Acts 5:41).

The Lord said of the Church:

“Verily I say unto you, all among them who … are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me.

“For I, the Lord, will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit” (D&C 97:8–9).

The Apostle Paul understood that one who has entered into a covenant with God is both given the faith to face trials and gains even greater faith through those trials. Of his personal “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7), he observed:

“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

“Therefore I take pleasure in [my] infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8–10).

Strengthened through the “Power of Godliness”

We have considered, first, the empowering blessings and, second, the endowment of faith that God grants to those who keep their covenants with Him. A final aspect of strength through covenants that I will mention is the bestowal of divine power. Our covenant commitment to Him permits our Heavenly Father to let His divine influence, “the power of godliness” (D&C 84:20), flow into our lives. He can do that because by our participation in priesthood ordinances we exercise our agency and elect to receive it. Our participation in those ordinances also demonstrates that we are prepared to accept the additional responsibility that comes with added light and spiritual power.

In all the ordinances, especially those of the temple, we are endowed with power from on high. This “power of godliness” comes in the person and by the influence of the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost is part of the new and everlasting covenant. It is an essential part of our baptism, the baptism of the Spirit. It is the messenger of grace by which the blood of Christ is applied to take away our sins and sanctify us (see 2 Nephi 31:17). It is the gift by which Adam was “quickened in the inner man” (Moses 6:65). It was by the Holy Ghost that the ancient Apostles endured all that they endured and by their priesthood keys carried the gospel to the known world of their day.

When we have entered into divine covenants, the Holy Ghost is our comforter, our guide, and our companion. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are “the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment” (Moses 6:61). The gifts of the Holy Spirit are testimony, faith, knowledge, wisdom, revelations, miracles, healing, and charity, to name but a few (see D&C 46:13–26).

It is the Holy Ghost that bears witness of your words when you teach and testify. It is the Holy Ghost that, as you speak in hostile venues, puts into your heart what you should say and fulfills the Lord’s promise that “you shall not be confounded before men” (D&C 100:5). It is the Holy Ghost that reveals how you may clear the next seemingly insurmountable hurdle. It is by the Holy Ghost in you that others may feel the pure love of Christ and receive strength to press forward. It is also the Holy Ghost, in His character as the Holy Spirit of Promise, that confirms the validity and efficacy of your covenants and seals God’s promises upon you.

Divine covenants make strong Christians. I urge each one to qualify for and receive all the priesthood ordinances you can and then faithfully keep the promises you have made by covenant. In times of distress, let your covenants be paramount and let your obedience be exact. Then you can ask in faith, nothing wavering, according to your need, and God will answer. He will sustain you as you work and watch. In His own time and way He will stretch forth his hand to you, saying, “Here am I.”

I testify that in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is found the priesthood authority to administer the ordinances by which we can enter into binding covenants with our Heavenly Father in the name of His Holy Son. I testify that God will keep His promises to you as you honor your covenants with Him. He will bless you in “good measure, pressed down, … shaken together, and running over” (Luke 6:38). He will strengthen and finish your faith. He will, by His Holy Spirit, fill you with godly power. I pray that you will always have His Spirit to be with you to guide you and deliver you from want, anxiety, and distress. I pray that through your covenants, you may become a powerful instrument for good in the hands of Him who is our Lord and Redeemer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

— James E. Faust, “Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart,” “Ensign,” May 1998, p. 18

— Richard G. Ellsworth, “Spiritual Experience”, “BYU Speeches of the Year 1984-85,” 23 July 1985

— John A. Widtsoe, “Evidences and Reconciliations,” p.197

— Orson Hyde, “Journal of Discourses,” Vol.7, p.316

— Elder F. Burton Howard, “Commitment,” General Conference, April 1996

President Henry B. Eyring