The Covenant of Baptism

I overheard a conversation today in which someone expressed the concern of some in the Church that they don’t know what it means to keep their covenants.  This is a phrase we hear often, but apparently in this person’s ward there were some who expressed frustration because they didn’t even know what those covenants were that they were supposed to be keeping.  Someone commented that it is not really clear what covenants we make at baptism as a young eight-year-old child.  I can certainly appreciate that—the baptismal prayer in the ordinance does not reference the commitments we are making to God.  So, thinking of that experience in isolation I can see how some might question what the covenant of baptism really is.    

               And yet, with just a little reflection and observation, I believe we can know very clearly the promises we are making with baptism.  Every week in the Sacrament we have the opportunity to listen to the priest pronounce the promises we are making in the Sacrament: “…and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them” (D&C 20:77).  There are three things that we commit to do: take upon us the name of Christ, always remember Christ, and keep His commandments.  The Sacrament is a renewal of our baptismal covenant, for the Savior taught the Nephites that the disciples should “break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name” (3 Nephi 18:5).  The words of the Sacrament prayers, which we hear over and over again each Sunday, help us to see how we are doing in keeping our covenants of baptism, and we can understand what we are committing to with baptism and with the Sacrament each week.  Given that, I don’t think we can really claim ignorance as to what our covenants are—we are reminded weekly if we are listening.    

            The prayer that Alma gave when he baptized Helam included this phrase, “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).  Our covenant is to serve God throughout our life, and we do that by living the three-fold promise of the Sacrament: we remember Him, keep His commandments, and take upon us His name.  Gratefully for us these three commitments are prefaced with the merciful phrase, “they are willing to.”  We do not promise to perfectly keep these commitments all the time, but we do promise to be willing to do so.  In other words, to say that we are keeping our covenants of baptism we must be willing to keep His commandments and therefore be trying to be obedient; we must be willing to always remember Him and therefore be trying to think on Him frequently as we pray and study His word; and we must be willing to take upon us His name as we try to act as He would.  If we are willing to do those things—if we are trying so to do—then I believe we can answer with confidence that we are indeed keeping our covenant of baptism.