Covenants and Spiritual Capacity

[laronius]

I came across an idea this morning that to me makes a lot of sense and helps me visualize how things work with covenants. Whenever a person enters into a covenant with the Lord he/she is essentially receiving an increased spiritual capacity. For instance, when a person is baptized they receive a large bowl (or however big a container you like to visualize) of spiritual capacity. But whether that bowl is filled with knowledge, power, and whatever blessings the Lord is willing to bestow depends on us keeping the covenants we have made.

Then when we go to the temple that bowl is replaced with a large bucket. Our capacity or potential to receive that spiritual endowment is greatly enhanced. But once again it depends on us living the covenants we have made. I suspect it's incredibly difficult to completely fill that bucket but it makes me wonder how full mine is. I think some feel that carrying around that bucket is sufficient but it's not.

In the parable of the ten virgins all ten had lamps but only five were utilizing their capacity to carry oil and had sufficient to last until the bridegroom came. Having the capacity is not enough.

[Traveler]

23 hours ago, laronius said:

I came across an idea this morning that to me makes a lot of sense and helps me visualize how things work with covenants. Whenever a person enters into a covenant with the Lord he/she is essentially receiving an increased spiritual capacity. For instance, when a person is baptized they receive a large bowl (or however big a container you like to visualize) of spiritual capacity. But whether that bowl is filled with knowledge, power, and whatever blessings the Lord is willing to bestow depends on us keeping the covenants we have made.

Then when we go to the temple that bowl is replaced with a large bucket. Our capacity or potential to receive that spiritual endowment is greatly enhanced. But once again it depends on us living the covenants we have made. I suspect it's incredibly difficult to completely fill that bucket but it makes me wonder how full mine is. I think some feel that carrying around that bucket is sufficient but it's not.

In the parable of the ten virgins all ten had lamps but only five were utilizing their capacity to carry oil and had sufficient to last until the bridegroom came. Having the capacity is not enough.

I agree but look at it a little differently.  To me it is more like we are given access to a great library and exercise facility.  In reality nothing in our life has changed until we access the library to learn (using the gift of the Holy Ghost as a tutor) and access the exercise facility for physical development (using the gift of the Holy Ghost as our physical trainer and coach).  

 

The Traveler