The Power, Joy, and Love of Covenant Keeping ~ Part One

Good Morning, or Good Afternoon, or Good Evening, 

this post should take approximately five minutes to read from start to finish.

What is your definition and understanding of the following statement, "The Power, Joy and Love of Covenant Keeping"?

This post focuses on a October 2013 General Conference talk and it is called, "The Power, Joy, and Love of Covenant Keeping" by Sister Linda K. Burton. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk and I hope you would be able to learn something new while you are reading this post.

Sister Burton mentioned the following, "Making and keeping covenants means choosing to bind ourselves to our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. It is committing to follow the Savior. It is trusting Him and desiring to show our gratitude for the price He paid to set us free through the infinite gift of the Atonement.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained that “a covenant is a binding spiritual contract, a solemn promise to God our Father that we will live and think and act in a certain way - the way of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In return, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost promise us the full splendor of eternal life.” In that binding contract, the Lord sets the terms and we agree to keep them. Making and keeping our covenants is an expression of our commitment to become like the Savior. ..

"The greatest COMPLIMENT that can be earned
here IN THIS LIE is to be known as a COVENANT
KEEPER." - Elder Russell M. Nelson.

Why Make and Keep Covenants?

1. Covenant keeping strengthens, empowers, and protects.

... As we keep our covenants, we also receive courage and strength to help us bear one another’s burdens. ... Oh, sisters we all have burdens to bear and burdens to share. ...

The Book of Mormon reminds us that even the prophet Alma had to bear the burden of having a rebellious son. But Alma was blessed with covenant-keeping brothers and sisters in the gospel who were deeply converted unto the Lord and had learned what it meant to bear each other’s burdens. We are familiar with the verse in Mosiah that speaks of the great faith of Alma’s prayers in behalf of his son. But the record states that “the Lord … heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma.”

We know that the Lord always rejoices “in the soul that repenteth,” but we desire above all to have our children follow the counsel of President Henry B. Eyring to “start early and be steady” in making and keeping covenants.

... As we counseled together, it was suggested that one way to prepare children to make and keep sacred baptismal covenants is to help them learn to make and keep a simple promise.

Faithful parents are entitled to know how to best teach to meet the needs of their children. As parents seek and act on personal revelation, counsel together, minister and teach the simple principles of the gospel, they will have power to strengthen and protect their families. Other family members can also help. ...

Elder Richard G. Scott observed, “One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds."

What are some ways we can create such a home to prepare our children to make and keep temple covenants?

We can discover together what it means to be worthy of a temple recommend.

We can discover together how to listen to the Holy Ghost. Because the temple endowment is received by revelation, we need to learn that vital skill.

... We can discover together why the body is sacred, why it is sometimes referred to as a temple, and how modest dress and grooming relates to the sacred nature of temple clothing.

... We can discover together the meaning of terms such as endowment, ordinance, sealing, priesthood, keys, and other words related to temple worship.

We can teach that we go to the temple to make covenants with Heavenly Father - we return home to keep them!

Let us remember the concept of “good, better, and best” as we teach. It is good to teach our children about the temple. It is better to prepare and expect them to make and keep covenants. It is best to show them by example that we cheerfully cleave to our own baptismal and temple covenants! Sisters, do we realize our vital role in the work of salvation as we nurture, teach, and prepare children to progress along the covenant path? The power to do so will come as we honor and keep our covenants."

Stay Tuned until next time.