I Will Covenant With My People

One of the stories in the scriptures that that shows us what “the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel,” as President Nelson invited us to search, is the account of Alma and his people at Helam. This people had become a covenant people of the Lord by entering into the waters of baptism with these words spoken by the one performing the ordinance: “I baptize thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body” (Mosiah 18:13). Because of their covenant with the Lord, He helped them to escape the armies of the king. They subsequently established a prosperous society in Helam. Sometime later they were taken captive by the Lamanites despite their righteousness. But that story of their captivity and ultimate escape teaches us about what the Lord will do for His covenant people.

                One of the lessons about what the Lord will do for covenant Israel from this story is found in this introduction to their bondage by Mormon: “Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith” (Mosiah 23:21). That is perhaps not very reassuring to us, but the Lord will chasten and try His people to bless them. He confirmed this principle in our day: “Therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son.” This is not something any of us typically desire, but the Lord explained in the previous verse why He will do this for His covenant people: “Yet I will own them, and they shall be mine in that day when I shall come to make up my jewels” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:3-4). He wants to refine and purify us, He wants to make us to become even as He is. To be His people we must be put through trials that help us to be His “jewels” and be prepared to return to His presence. This is in fact a great blessing to us despite what we might at first think; it is because the Lord loves us and has covenanted with us that He will help us to become as He is. And this is what He did for this people who were indeed refined through their trials.  

                The second and more comforting lesson of this story, though, is that in these trials and chastening experiences, the Lord has promised to help and deliver us. Mormon wrote, “Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people. For behold, I will show unto you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob. And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings” (Mosiah 23:22-24). As they suffered under the oppression of Amulon, “The voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: “Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.” Because they were His covenant people He would not leave them comfortless but did visit and strengthen them: “And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.” This story witnesses that the Lord will comfort and help and ultimately deliver His covenant people in their trials. Eventually, because they kept their covenant with Him and did not falter in their faith, “The voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage” (Mosiah 24:13-16). If we will stand as witnesses of Him as His covenant people, He will visit us in our afflictions and deliver us out of our personal bondage. Then we can declare as they did that we know that the Lord God does indeed visit His people in their afflictions. And great will be our rejoicings too.