From Commandments to Covenants

When I was growing up in the Church, the focus of much teaching (as I remember it at least) was on commandments. We were taught the commandments, from the Word of Wisdom to the law of tithing and many others as outlined in the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, and we were encouraged to keep them as youth. Ever since President Nelson has been the prophet, it seems the focus of the teaching has shifted to covenants. I of course learned of covenants in my youth, but it was not something that was emphasized as much as it is now. The idea of covenants in reality encompasses commandments, for to keep our covenants we have to obey the commandments that we have agreed to obey. But the idea of a covenantal relationship with the Lord is more powerful concept than simply being obedient to His commandments because it includes the promises of the Lord to us and helps us see how we are bound to Him. In his very first message as our new prophet, given from the temple (the place of covenant-making), President Nelson said: “Keep on the covenant path. Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere.” Since then he has continued to emphasize the importance of keeping our covenants with the Lord, such as in his most recent message: “In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. We learn of Him. We make covenants to follow Him. We come to know Him. As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power.” Ultimately, I think the difference between speaking about covenants instead of just commandments is one of a focus on the Savior. It is easy to talk about keeping this or that commandment without even mentioning the Savior; but we cannot talk about covenants without implying that we are speaking of a commitment and relationship to Jesus Christ. When the focus is on covenants, the purpose of keeping the commandments is put in the perspective of our commitment to follow Jesus Christ and the power that He gives us in our lives.

                When the Savior came among the Nephites, the idea of covenants was a major focus. He described Himself to them this way: “Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end” (3 Nephi 15:5). He spoke of the last days and the promise of His covenants to be fulfilled to the house of Israel: “And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and then will I fulfil the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the house of Israel…. And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel” (3 Nephi 16:11-12). He emphasized this again on His second day: “And behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant—And after that ye were blessed then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.” He further taught, “And I will remember the covenant which I have made with my people; and I have covenanted with them that I would gather them together in mine own due time” (3 Nephi 20:25-27, 29). Over and over, He emphasized to them that His covenants would be fulfilled, speaking much more of what He would do for His people than what they were required to do for Him. Mormon ended the book of 3 Nephi with two small chapters meant for us in the last days and focused on the fulfilling of the covenants of the Lord to us: “For behold, the Lord will remember his covenant which he hath made unto his people of the house of Israel…. Yea, and ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of the Jews, nor any of the remnant of the house of Israel; for behold, the Lord remembereth his covenant unto them” (3 Nephi 29:3, 8). We can be sure that the Lord will remember His covenant to bless us; we are invited then to turn from our wicked ways and repent so we can be numbered among His covenant people (3 Nephi 30:2).