Ordinances & Covenants

Jul 7, 2018
10 min read

The doctrinal topic for July’s study is ordinances and covenants. In True to the Faith we learn that “ an ordinance is a sacred, formal act performed by the authority of the priesthood. Some ordinances are essential to our exaltation. These ordinances are called saving ordinances. They include baptism, confirmation, ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (for men), the temple endowment, and the marriage sealing. With each of these ordinances, we enter into solemn covenants with the Lord.”1 “A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people. God sets specific conditions, and He promises to bless us as we obey those conditions.”2 “Ordinances and covenants help us remember who we are. They remind us of our duty to God. The Lord has provided them to help us come unto Him and receive eternal life. When we honor them, He strengthens us.”1 Taniela B. Wakolo explained it like this, “Like a coin with two sides, all the saving ordinances are accompanied by covenants with God. God promises us blessings if we faithfully honor those covenants.”3

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are known as a covenant-making and covenant-keeping people. The young women across the world stand each week and recite their theme, committing to live the Young Women values which when lived prepare them to “make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.”4 The purpose of Relief Society is to help “prepare women for the blessings of eternal life as they increase faith in heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Atonement; strengthen individuals, families, and homes through ordinances and covenants; and work in unity to help those in need.”5

As we study ordinances and covenants, it is imperative that we think about the inseparable role that the Atonement of Jesus Christ plays. Gerrit W. Gong taught, “Covenants … connect us to God and to each other and the Atonement of Jesus Christ … helps us put off the natural man and woman and yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit. Together, our covenants and our Savior’s Atonement enable and ennoble. Together, they help us hold on and let go. Together, they sweeten, preserve, sanctify, redeem.”6

Together our covenants and our Savior’s Atonement guide us safely along the covenant path. Together they are the only way to return back to our Heavenly Father. Speaking to the members of the Church as the newly called prophet, Russell M. 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.”7 The prophet’s words help us understand that this is a lifelong journey.

Douglas D. Holmes reminds us, “To receive Christ’s atoning power in our lives, we must believe in Him, repent of our sins, make and keep sacred covenants through ordinances, and receive the Holy Ghost. These are not principles we engage in just once; rather, they work together, reinforcing and building on each other in a continuing process of upward progression to ‘come unto Christ, and be perfected in him.’”8

Baptism is the first ordinance on the covenant path. Claudio D. Zivic taught, “When we were baptized, we made covenants—not with any man but with the Savior, agreeing to ‘take upon [ourselves] the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.’ … Partaking of the sacrament is the most important thing we do on the Sabbath day. The Lord explained this ordinance to His Apostles just before He died. He did the same on the American continent. He tells us that if we participate in this ordinance, it will be a testimony to the Father that we always remember Him, and He promises that, accordingly, we will have His Spirit to be with us.”9

The sacrament is an on-going ordinance as we continue on the covenant path. “The blessing of receiving the sacrament in sacrament meeting must never become routine or just something we do,” said M. Russell Ballard. “Partaking of the sacrament and renewing our covenants is a sign by us to the Lord that we do always remember Him. His Atonement is a gracious gift from God.”10

In the ordinances of the temple, we receive the ultimate blessings on the covenant path. Do you remember the story Taylor G. Godoy told in conference of the Peruvian sister who, after her baptism, set a goal to receive the temple ordinances? Although her income was meager, she faithfully paid her tithing and saved what she could for many years. Finally she was able to go to the temple. This is what she shared in a testimony meeting upon her return, “Today I can say that I finally feel ready to go through the veil. I am the happiest woman in the world; I have saved money, you have no idea for how long, to visit the temple, and after seven days on the river and 18 hours by bus, I was finally in the house of the Lord. When leaving that holy place, I said to myself, after all the sacrifice that has been required for me to come to the temple, I will not let anything make me take lightly every covenant I made; it would be a waste. This is a very serious commitment!”11 After hearing this sweet sister’s experience, Elder Godoy said, “Personal sacrifice drives our actions, our commitments, and our covenants and gives sacred things meaning.”11

Once we have received temple ordinances for ourselves, whenever possible we should return frequently to do work for those who have gone before us who didn’t have the opportunity to receive these blessings while in this life. This sacred privilege is not only an opportunity to bless others but keeps us firmly on the covenant path. When our daughter passed away, our temple marriage and sealing became more sacred to us and brought peace beyond expression. As a family, we have chosen to go to the temple each year on the day she passed away to do sealings. This has become a very special time for us, a day that strengthens our family on both sides of the veil and has brought continued peace and healing. At the same time, it makes available to other families the immeasurable blessing of an eternal family.

Dale G. Renlund spoke of this sacred privilege and blessing. He said, “When God directs us to do one thing, He often has many purposes in mind. Family history and temple work is not only for the dead but blesses the living as well. … As Church members, we do have a divinely appointed responsibility to seek out our ancestors and compile family histories. This is far more than an encouraged hobby, because the ordinances of salvation are necessary for all of God’s children. We are to identify our own ancestors who died without receiving the ordinances of salvation. We can perform the ordinances vicariously in temples, and our ancestors may choose to accept the ordinances. … It is breathtakingly amazing that, through family history and temple work, we can help to redeem the dead. … God, in His infinite capacity, seals and heals individuals and families despite tragedy, loss, and hardship. We sometimes compare the feelings we experience in temples as having caught a glimpse of heaven. … God will strengthen, help, and uphold us; and He will sanctify to us our deepest distress. When we gather our family histories and go to the temple on behalf of our ancestors, God fulfills many … promised blessings simultaneously on both sides of the veil.”12

This heavenly work is not only a privilege, it is a responsibility. Quentin L. Cook made that quite clear when he said, “The increase in temples and family history work is phenomenal. This pace will continue and accelerate until the Second Coming of the Savior. … Family history work, heaven-blessed by technology, has dramatically increased in the past few years. We would be unwise to become complacent about this divinely appointed responsibility and expect that Aunt Jane or some other committed relative will take care of it. Let me share President Joseph Fielding Smith’s jarring comments: ‘None is exempt from this great obligation. It is required of the apostle as well as the humblest elder [or sister]. Place, or distinction, or long service in the Church … will not entitle one to disregard the salvation of one’s dead.’ We now have temples across the world and the resources of the patron assistance fund to help those in need who are far from a temple. As individuals, we would do well to evaluate our effort in pursuing … temple and family history work, and preparations to meet God.”13

“Ordinances and covenants help us remember who we are. They remind us of our duty to God. The Lord has provided them to help us come unto Him and receive eternal life.”1 In other words, they prepare us to meet God. Each week we have the privilege of partaking of the sacrament and renewing our covenants. Latter-day prophets have taught that this means we renew whatever covenants we have made with the Lord. If we have only been baptized, we are renewing our baptismal covenants. If we have received our endowment, we are renewing that covenant as well. And if we have been sealed, we are also renewing that covenant. So each time we partake of the sacrament, we are renewing all the covenants we have made with the Lord. What a special time the sacrament should be for us as we contemplate and appreciate our covenants and the blessings the Lord has promised for keeping those covenants.

With that in mind, think about what Elder Wakolo invited us to ask ourselves, “What ordinances, including the sacrament, do I need to receive, and what covenants do I need to make, keep, and honor?” He promised that “participating in ordinances and honoring the associated covenants will bring you marvelous light and protection in this ever-darkening world.”3

Do you remember the powerful invitation President Nelson issued and the incredible blessings he promised? “We invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior, receive the blessings of the holy temple, have enduring joy, and qualify for eternal life. Eventual exaltation requires our complete fidelity now to covenants we make and ordinances we receive in the house of the Lord.”14 It is amazing that we have so many temples! Currently there are 159 in operation. It is exciting to see the continued effort to bring temples closer to more members of the Church. At the end of conference when President Nelson excitedly announced seven more, he said, “Construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will.” What he said next really struck me! “In that spirit, I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you can spend more time in the temple. I bless you with greater harmony and love in your homes and a deeper desire to care for your eternal family relationships. I bless you with increased faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a greater ability to follow Him as His true disciples. I bless you to raise your voice in testimony, as I do now, that we are engaged in the work of Almighty God! Jesus is the Christ. This is His Church, which He directs through His anointed servants.”14

The prophet’s words were so personal to me. I knew that I wanted and needed to spend more time in the temple. I had also been feeling like I should be a temple worker but worried about the time commitment. My parents had some real health challenges and things with them were getting a lot more demanding. My sister took my dad into her home to care for him in his final few months and my mom had to go to a memory care facility. I promised my dad that I would visit mom every day. I had a lot of other family commitments as well. My dad passed away in the middle of March and a loving Heavenly Father took my mom home just two weeks later, so I began thinking again about asking to be a temple worker. As I began talking about my desire, I started hearing how hard it is to find a substitute and how challenging the time commitment can be. I started to think maybe I could just go to the temple once a week and wait a few more years before being a temple worker. But the prophet’s words kept coming to me, “I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you can spend more time in the temple.”14 I can testify that miracles happen when we hear and heed the prophet of God! I now have the great blessing of being a temple worker. I love my time in the temple! Among the many wonderful experiences there is the great blessing to hear the beautiful promises our Heavenly Father has in store for us as we keep the covenants we make with Him. I urge you to take advantage of all the temple has to offer and to listen to the words that are spoken wherever you are. It is such a blessing in my life to help assist in this magnificent work!

Read again the blessings President Nelson promised if we will spend more time in the temple. I challenge you to put them to the test. Do whatever it takes to be worthy to go to the temple. I know your life will be blessed! I am so grateful to have the sacred opportunity to make and keep sacred covenants. I cannot imagine my life without them! They bring peace and safety in an increasingly tumultuous world. I testify that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father who has provided us with a covenant path back to Him. May we follow the counsel of our prophet to keep on that covenant path!