What is the significance of Covenants or being a "Covenant People" to you?


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I need some help preparing a Relief Society lesson, chapter 15 of Gospel Principles. I plan on following the book and not deviating from the scriptures in that chapter but this is one of those topics that I already struggle with. (Maybe that is why I was assigned to teach it. :)) I have a hard time understanding the significance of the covenant itself. It seems like there are many scriptures that say that if we simply obey the commandments than the Lord is already bound or that there are laws that pertain to each commandment that are written in heaven giving us certain rewards or punishments for our actions anyways. (Like D&C 82:10 - I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.)

If that is fact, then why do we need additional promises, covenants, on top of those? It seems to me that covenants are no different than commandments and in some way double covering the promises and actions that will take place with simple obedience to the law. Why are there covenants on top of that? Or are they different in some way? I am curious as to what you think the significance of a "covenant" is to you and why they are necessary for our salvation as opposed to simply obeying God's command.

I'm sure someone will say, "well, God commanded me to obey the law of the covenant." Sure .... I get it .... but why do you think God demands covenants on top of simply using commandments?

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A covenant is a promise between you and God, it is different than a commandment in that way. A commandment is a law or rule we have been given and if we follow the commandments then yes we are blessed.

A covenant is a sort of contract that we have between God, we promise to do certain things and God promises to do certain things. This gives us blessings and allows us to reach certain realms after death. For example, the covenant we make when we are sealed allows us to reach parts of the Celestial Kingdom. So I suppose commandments allow us to have blessings in this life and help us to keep on the right path to make our way back to God after death, Covenants are promises we make with God that will give us blessings in this life and after death.

So if you want to get down to brass tacks, Commandments are rules, Covenants are promises.

Edit: Also, because covenants are promises you make, breaking one brings with it more severe consequences than if you don't follow a commandment.

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A covenant is a promise between you and God, it is different than a commandment in that way. A commandment is a law or rule we have been given and if we follow the commandments then yes we are blessed.

A covenant is a sort of contract that we have between God, we promise to do certain things and God promises to do certain things. This gives us blessings and allows us to reach certain realms after death. For example, the covenant we make when we are sealed allows us to reach parts of the Celestial Kingdom. So I suppose commandments allow us to have blessings in this life and help us to keep on the right path to make our way back to God after death, Covenants are promises we make with God that will give us blessings in this life and after death.

So if you want to get down to brass tacks, Commandments are rules, Covenants are promises.

Edit: Also, because covenants are promises you make, breaking one brings with it more severe consequences than if you don't follow a commandment.

I guess that is how I see it too, the bigger question though is why do you think "promises" are a necessary part of the gospel more than "rules"? .... especially since obeying the "rule" is just as good as a "promise" for God because He will fulfill His end of the blessing associated with obeying commandments. What, specifically, is obtained from a "promise" over a commandment? Why do you think that is a necessary part of the gospel?

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To me it means I have made an agreement with God to be held to a higher standard and in return He has promised that if I hold to that higher standard He will bless me.

For example, it is not a sin for a non-LDS person to drink coffee or tea, but if an LDS member drank either they would be breaking their Covenant.

Edited by mnn727
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Well the promises act as keys of a sort. So when we die those keys will allow us to get to certain places, following the rules is nice and all but it gets you no keys in the end. In the temple we make covenants so that when we die we will have those keys and can pass the gates to get to where we would like to get to. At least this is how I understand it.

Besides this, deciding to follow a rule is different than promising to follow a rule. If we make a promise to do something it is a stronger thing than just following a rule. I suppose in today's world keeping your word on something doesn't carry as much weight as it did in years passed, however our promise to God is important in his eyes. When God gives us rules it is fine and well, but when God makes promises with us it carries an additional level of import. It is kind of like the people of Israel in the Bible, God gave them rules but they chose not to follow those rules so he refused to give them the next level of trust. Which were covenants. This is why the people of Israel couldn't perform the same temple rites we can today, they didn't show that they were willing to obey the commandments to gain the level of trust with God where he could give them the next level of priesthood and the next level of trust.

We have been given commandments in this dispensation, but we have also been given the covenants as the next level of trust. This is what being a covenant people means to me. That we are making a promise with God, basically saying, "You trust me enough to give me this covenant and so I make a promise to keep this covenant with you." Like I mentioned before, it is a sort of contract we make with God.

See it as lesser laws and higher laws if needed. The commandments (like the 10 commandments) are lesser laws, and the covenants are higher laws. What they mean is that God is trusting us with more.

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The significance of a covenant is that we will be rewarded if we live up to the Lord's commandments that pertain to that covenant.

If you do not enter into a covenant to do these things then there is no promised reward.

When we enter into a covenant, then keep the Lord's requirements of that covenant, then the Lord is bound.

No covenant means no binding contract. It also means there is no delivered commandment, so a person won't even know what to do to gain the reward.

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To me it means I have made an agreement with God to be held to a higher standard and in return He has promised that if I hold to that higher standard He will bless me.

For example, it is not a sin for a non-LDS person to drink coffee or tea, but if an LDS member drank either they would be breaking their Covenant.

So, that promise is higher than the promise we all made before coming here, with our pre-earthly decision to follow God as opposed to Satan, to be tested and the promise that we will be able to return to our Heavenly Father if we are obedient to His commandment?

Why does a covenant for essentially the same thing trump that pre-earthly promise that God made with us?

With the example of the drinking coffee or tea, the person would be breaking the word of wisdom, isn't that enough? Why is breaking a covenant more of an issue than breaking the word of wisdom law that the person has already agreed to obey by becoming a member of the church?

... I appreciate your responses, by the way.

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Well the promises act as keys of a sort. So when we die those keys will allow us to get to certain places, following the rules is nice and all but it gets you no keys in the end. In the temple we make covenants so that when we die we will have those keys and can pass the gates to get to where we would like to get to. At least this is how I understand it.

Besides this, deciding to follow a rule is different than promising to follow a rule. If we make a promise to do something it is a stronger thing than just following a rule. I suppose in today's world keeping your word on something doesn't carry as much weight as it did in years passed, however our promise to God is important in his eyes. When God gives us rules it is fine and well, but when God makes promises with us it carries an additional level of import. It is kind of like the people of Israel in the Bible, God gave them rules but they chose not to follow those rules so he refused to give them the next level of trust. Which were covenants. This is why the people of Israel couldn't perform the same temple rites we can today, they didn't show that they were willing to obey the commandments to gain the level of trust with God where he could give them the next level of priesthood and the next level of trust.

We have been given commandments in this dispensation, but we have also been given the covenants as the next level of trust. This is what being a covenant people means to me. That we are making a promise with God, basically saying, "You trust me enough to give me this covenant and so I make a promise to keep this covenant with you." Like I mentioned before, it is a sort of contract we make with God.

See it as lesser laws and higher laws if needed. The commandments (like the 10 commandments) are lesser laws, and the covenants are higher laws. What they mean is that God is trusting us with more.

I take it from your response then that before this world began you think we made no promise to follow the word and in return certain blessings would be given to us?

If they are lesser laws and higher laws, why not call them that?

As far as God's side of the promise, I can't see any difference in laws versus covenants because if we are obedient God is bound either way. To me, at least, a commandment is just as important as a covenant. Maybe I still don't have an appreciation or understanding of covenants but it seems like they carry the same results and significance in the end. If they unlock things that are only available by performing the covenant than I can see how they are different but then the question is why do they have to be unlocked that way? If I promise to obey a law, how is that different than me promising to obey a covenant and the laws attached to it? I am having a hard time seeing the difference. Just by being here in this world we are bound to God and He to us. There is no need to bind our contract any further, is there? Didn't we all agree to follow God's plan by coming here? Isn't that a contract and covenant that covers everything? What more than that needs to be unlocked?

It would be like signing up for college and then an individual professor asks you to sign a contract for his class to do the best you can do in the class and then she will give you an A. Why is that any different than signing up for college in the first place?

I think this is important because this is what certainly separates us from other religions is the importance of being a covenant people. If covenants aren't important than also the priesthood power is not important. If the priesthood power is not important than one would not think to need organized religion or the right religion for that matter. I think our ability to articulate what a covenant is more than just a higher law or another law speaks of our importance given to the priesthood power and God's organization.

I appreciate your response. Thanks.

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So, that promise is higher than the promise we all made before coming here, with our pre-earthly decision to follow God as opposed to Satan, to be tested and the promise that we will be able to return to our Heavenly Father if we are obedient to His commandment?

Why does a covenant for essentially the same thing trump that pre-earthly promise that God made with us?

With the example of the drinking coffee or tea, the person would be breaking the word of wisdom, isn't that enough? Why is breaking a covenant more of an issue than breaking the word of wisdom law that the person has already agreed to obey by becoming a member of the church?

... I appreciate your responses, by the way.

Do you remember making your pre-earthly promise? If you had not been told about it then you would not remember it at all. How can you fulfill a promise you made that you don't remember? This is what it means when the scriptures say we will not be judged on commandments or covenants that we do not know the rules of. Once we learn about that covenant then we must live by it.

The covenant we made with God during our premortal life gave us the opportunity to come to earth. The covenants we make during our earthly life give us opportunities in our life after death. The commandments help us to take the path that will get us there, but the covenants are what give us those opportunities.

The word of wisdom started out as just that, words of wisdom, advice, good counsel. However over time they have become commandments. A covenant is between us and God, it is different than a commandment in the way that it is a promise. Again I want to bring up trust. Take the law of driving speed. We are given speed limits as a law of the land, we can choose to keep that law or we can break it. Now if we break it then we can get in trouble with the police. Now let us say that we made a promise to a loved one that we would not drive over the speed limit. If we choose to break that law not only are we breaking the law and taking the risk of getting in trouble with the police, but we are also breaking the promise we made with our loved one, we are breaking their trust in us.

When we make a covenant with God we agree to follow certain laws, but we also make a promise as well with God. So if we choose to break the covenant not only are we breaking the law (and thus reaping the consequences) but we are also breaking the promise and the trust God has placed in us. It is the fact that it is a promise, and that we are making it with God with his trust that we will keep it that makes it a higher law over just regular commandments.

Please let me know that some of this is making sense and that I am not just repeating myself and rambling on and on.

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I take it from your response then that before this world began you think we made no promise to follow the word and in return certain blessings would be given to us?

If they are lesser laws and higher laws, why not call them that?

As far as God's side of the promise, I can't see any difference in laws versus covenants because if we are obedient God is bound either way. To me, at least, a commandment is just as important as a covenant. Maybe I still don't have an appreciation or understanding of covenants but it seems like they carry the same results and significance in the end. If they unlock things that are only available by performing the covenant than I can see how they are different but then the question is why do they have to be unlocked that way? If I promise to obey a law, how is that different than me promising to obey a covenant and the laws attached to it? I am having a hard time seeing the difference. Just by being here in this world we are bound to God and He to us. There is no need to bind our contract any further, is there? Didn't we all agree to follow God's plan by coming here? Isn't that a contract and covenant that covers everything? What more than that needs to be unlocked?

It would be like signing up for college and then an individual professor asks you to sign a contract for his class to do the best you can do in the class and then she will give you an A. Why is that any different than signing up for college in the first place?

I think this is important because this is what certainly separates us from other religions is the importance of being a covenant people. If covenants aren't important than also the priesthood power is not important. If the priesthood power is not important than one would not think to need organized religion or the right religion for that matter. I think our ability to articulate what a covenant is more than just a higher law or another law speaks of our importance given to the priesthood power and God's organization.

I appreciate your response. Thanks.

Thanks, I did not see this before writing my response above.

I think I covered the pre-earth covenant in my last response. So on to the rest.

Why do things have to be unlocked that way?

This I have no answer to, I don't really know exactly how things work once we die, I only know what I have learned in the temple and what I have learned from the spirit. I have learned that I need certain covenants to unlock certain things, I don't know what those things are, I don't know how the covenant will unlock them, but I have faith that God knows and has a purpose for it all.

How promises are different than just obeying the law I covered in my previous answer as well (who knew I would answer them ahead of time! ^_^).

Here is another way of looking at covenants and commandments in the way of higher and lower laws. Say you are entering a maze, there are certain doors that you have to open to get to the goal. By doing different things you are given keys to doors. However as time goes by you have to do more and more to get the keys you need. Thus lower laws for the easy keys, and higher laws for the keys that require more.

This is why to repent from breaking a commandment is realitively easy compared to repenting from breaking a covenant. Because much more is expected when it comes to covenants.

It is much like the priesthood, Aaronic priesthood was only given to the Israelites because they did not prove that they could be trusted with more. Because we as a people have proven that we can be trusted with more we are given more. We are given the ability to have the higher priesthood and we are given the higher laws, we are allowed to make the higher covenants with God.

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I need some help preparing a Relief Society lesson, chapter 15 of Gospel Principles. I plan on following the book and not deviating from the scriptures in that chapter but this is one of those topics that I already struggle with. (Maybe that is why I was assigned to teach it. :)) I have a hard time understanding the significance of the covenant itself. It seems like there are many scriptures that say that if we simply obey the commandments than the Lord is already bound or that there are laws that pertain to each commandment that are written in heaven giving us certain rewards or punishments for our actions anyways. (Like D&C 82:10 - I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.)

If that is fact, then why do we need additional promises, covenants, on top of those? It seems to me that covenants are no different than commandments and in some way double covering the promises and actions that will take place with simple obedience to the law. Why are there covenants on top of that? Or are they different in some way? I am curious as to what you think the significance of a "covenant" is to you and why they are necessary for our salvation as opposed to simply obeying God's command.

I'm sure someone will say, "well, God commanded me to obey the law of the covenant." Sure .... I get it .... but why do you think God demands covenants on top of simply using commandments?

I believe that covenants are not very well understood in our current culture. The covenant is the structure and carriage of all exchanges man has with G-d. For example G-d hears our prayers by covenant and we participate in the sacrament by covenant.

If one takes a critical look into our LDS covenants they will discover a great deal of vagueness. For example: What does it mean to keep the Sabbath day holy? Most people think of this covenant as a list of do’s and don’ts rather than the actual purpose that a covenant Sabbath has been provided – which BTW is covenant is not an isolated covenant but is part of our baptismal covenant. It is kind of missing the forest because of all the trees – thing.

There are 5 important elements of covenant.

1. The ordinance: This is sometimes seen as a ritual because it combines both the physical and the spiritual. Sometimes spoken of as the spirit of the Law and the letter of the Law. It is important to realize that both the spirit and letter must be combined to complete the ordinance and to make it whole. Officiating in the ordinance is G-d or his proxy. This is why the priesthood is necessary because it gives legal authority to G-d’s proxy. It is a most grievous sin to pretend to be G-d or his proxy without proper authority.

2. The covenant promise: There can be no covenant without all involved in the covenant giving a promise to provide or give something. The promise is part of the covenant ordinance.

3. The covenant benediction: This is the blessing or reward for being loyal to the covenant.

4. The covenant malediction: This is the punishment or loss of blessing for not being loyal to the covenant.

5. The covenant trial: This is a probationary time in which one qualifies themselves for the covenant benedictions or maledictions.

The Traveler

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This is a little (or a lot) late for your lesson, but I'm going to mention it anyway. The other aspects of covenants that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is the cyclical or generational (perhaps personal?) aspect. We are taught that God is unchanging and there are certain laws that he wants us to live by. That's all well and good, but you don't really have that guarantee until God himself reveals it to you. Yes, it is true that when we make a covenant that we are promising to live the same commandments that others have kept, which has secured for them the blessings the Lord has promised and delivered. But it is also true that their blessings are not our blessings until we enter into the same covenants. Think Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who all received the same covenant, with the same conditions and the same blessings, but still had to receive it for themselves. Think also of Enoch being promised that the Lord would destroy the world with a flood but preserve Noah. Noah still had to qualify and receive this promise himself.

I'll include a quote from Joseph Smith that leads me to this kind of thinking. He does not mention covenants, but he does talk about securing the same blessings of previous generations and the equal faithfulness and revelation required. Add the word "covenant" and you have what I stated above. Joseph Smith wrote the following to his uncle Silas:

This same might be said on the subject of Jacob’s history. Why was it that the Lord spake to him concerning the same promise, after he had made it once to Abraham, and renewed it to Isaac? Why could not Jacob rest contented upon the word spoken to his fathers? When the time of the promise drew nigh for the deliverance of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, why was it necessary that the Lord should begin to speak to them? The promise or word to Abraham, was, that his seed should serve in bondage, and be afflicted, four hundred years, and after that they should come out with great substance. Why did they not rely upon this promise, and when they had remained in Egypt, in bondage, four hundred years, come out, without waiting for further revelations, but act entirely upon the promise given to Abraham, that they should come out?

...

I may believe that Enoch walked with God, and by faith was translated. I may believe that Noah was a perfect man in his generation, and also walked with God. I may believe that Abraham communed with God, and conversed with angels. I may believe that Isaac obtained a renewal of the covenant made to Abraham by the direct voice of the Lord. I may believe that Jacob conversed with holy angels, and heard the word of his Maker, that he wrestled with the angel until he prevailed, and obtained a blessing. I may believe that Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire with fiery horses. I may believe that the saints saw the Lord, and conversed with him face to face after his resurrection. I may believe that the Hebrew church came to Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. I may believe that they looked into eternity, and saw the Judge of all, and Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant. But will all this purchase an assurance for me, and waft me to the regions of eternal day, with my garments spotless, pure and white? Or, must I not rather obtain for myself, by my own faith and diligence in keeping the commandments of the Lord, an assurance of salvation for myself? And have I not an equal privilege with the ancient saints? And will not the Lord hear my prayers, and listen to my cries as soon as he ever did theirs, if I come to him in the manner they did? Or, is he a respecter of persons - From History of Joseph Smith by His Mother (328-9)

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I need some help preparing a Relief Society lesson, chapter 15 of Gospel Principles. I plan on following the book and not deviating from the scriptures in that chapter but this is one of those topics that I already struggle with. (Maybe that is why I was assigned to teach it. :)) I have a hard time understanding the significance of the covenant itself. It seems like there are many scriptures that say that if we simply obey the commandments than the Lord is already bound or that there are laws that pertain to each commandment that are written in heaven giving us certain rewards or punishments for our actions anyways. (Like D&C 82:10 - I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.)

If that is fact, then why do we need additional promises, covenants, on top of those? It seems to me that covenants are no different than commandments and in some way double covering the promises and actions that will take place with simple obedience to the law. Why are there covenants on top of that? Or are they different in some way? I am curious as to what you think the significance of a "covenant" is to you and why they are necessary for our salvation as opposed to simply obeying God's command.

I'm sure someone will say, "well, God commanded me to obey the law of the covenant." Sure .... I get it .... but why do you think God demands covenants on top of simply using commandments?

Treasured people by GOD...

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I would like to make one more point with a parallel to our current understanding of law. Many think and feel that just because they do not personally enter into a covenant they are not bound by the laws of that covenant. This is not true. Let me give the example of owning property. If you acquire property you are bound by the covenants of ownership whether or not you personally agreed to the covenants. You are bound by the covenants by virtue of ownership.

This is something many people do not understand concerning G-d. Both us and G-d are bound by commandments and the laws governing those covenants even if we do not agree or accept the covenant. Part of our obligation under our covenants as saints of G-d church is to warn the world concerning disobedience. In this the president of the priesthood (presiding authority of the church and priesthood) is obligated to warn not just LDS but the entire world. An example is the rather recent “Proclamation to the World”.

This is part of the reason that every person must; at one time receive the ordinances of the Priesthood – even by proxy. We are all bound by the law even if we reject the covenant.

The Traveler

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How did your lesson go by the way?

It went well thanks. As usual, I over prepare and everyone else carries the lesson with their comments. I appreciate everyone's help here. I feel that I learn tons more by giving the lesson than I could by receiving it. ... Unfortunately, we didn't have much time left over to talk about the Abrahamic Covenant. My appreciation and understanding of "covenants" and the need for them has grown. One of the revealing things I learned is that there is additional sustaining power obtained by covenants and there are many versus in D&C that suggest that. It makes one think about the difference between a temple marriage versus a non-temple marriage as one is a covenant with God, that there is in essence a third member of the team that is not available without the covenant. There is additional sustaining power, support and knowledge that comes from having covenants that are not there if we just take on the commandment alone. ... that was one of the comments made. Thanks.

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Although I am late, I'd like to chime in.

When you enter a contract in the secular world, there is a token involved, such as a handshake, a person's word, and document that is singed, etc... The act binds those involved, often legally, and they are held accountable for the performance of their end of the bargain.

A covenant with the Lord is no different. The covenants we make with God are all associated with holy priesthood ordinances that we call saving ordinances. The ordiances, or holy acts, that serve as tokens of our covenants with God do not save us, and neither do our good works by themselves. Salvation comes by way of the Atonement, and is specifically accessible through the making and keeping of covenants by proper priesthood authority.

When we enter one of these covenants by the administration of priesthood authority, our names are recorded both here on earth and in heaven. If we are true and faithful to the covenant, our name will remain on the books, and the Lord is bound to uphold his end of the bargain. Though there is real power in righteousness, by making and keeping sacred covenants, there is no magic involved. We are bound to the Lord and He to us by divine contract. It's a legal matter. That is what being sealed is all about.

Now, the nature of this ordinance consists in the power of the priesthood, by the revelation of Jesus Christ, wherein it is granted that whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Or, in other words, taking a different view of the translation, whatsoever you record on earth shall be recorded in heaven, and whatsoever you do not record on earth shall not be recorded in heaven; for out of the books shall your dead be judged, according to their own works, whether they themselves have attended to the ordinances in their own propria persona, or by the means of their own agents, according to the ordinance which God has prepared for their salvation from before the foundation of the world, according to the records which they have kept concerning their dead. (D&C 128:8)

The Father made a promise to us, before the foundation of this world, that if we would enter into these contracts during our mortal experience, of our own free wills, and remain true to them, that we would be exalted! That is the nature of the "Master Covenant" we call the new and everlasting covenant. It encompasses all covenants and contracts made with the Lord, and when we have been true and faithful to this covenants, and sufficiently proven to the Lord that we will obey him at all times and in all places, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise unto eternal life, thus allowing the Father to fulfil his promise to us. Of the final ordinances that must be performed in mortality (marriage/sealing), the Lord revealed the following:

...for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be glorified. (D&C 132:63)

Sincerely,

Vanhin

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