This morning in Ward Council, Patrick Maass shared this paragraph from the handbook and talked a tiny bit about how covenants strengthen him and help him. I felt like I had a million things I wanted to say about it, and so when the spirit whispered to me to bear my testimony, I decided to share my testimony of how covenants have blessed my life.
Here's the section from the handbook:
"0.4Questions about Instructions
When questions arise that are not addressed in the scriptures, the words of the living prophets, or this handbook, Church members should rely on their covenants with God, the counsel of their local leaders, and the inspiration of the Spirit for guidance."
Here are my thoughts, some of these were expressed in my testimony but several of them weren't. I feel like, for some reason, once I stood up some of my thoughts didn't come very clearly. But I got two texts that said that my testimony was a blessing and source of strength so hopefully I was guided to say what others needed to hear even if it wasn't quite what I'd been planning or wanting to express. Jackie texted me and said that she had been sending me a text to say that if I felt prompted to share my testimony, it would really help her today and then I stood up. That made my heart happy!:
*Covenants bind us to Christ. Through our covenants we become the sons and daughters of Christ, we become the sons/daughters of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and heir to all the blessings promised to covenant Israel. They help us/allow us to become eternal families. I can imagine no greater blessing!
*There are lots of things that I don't know. I have questions about plenty of things, but if I spend my thoughts and efforts on what I DO know then I am able to find peace. And often I also find answers, though not always.
*My covenants help me make better decisions every day. When I am remembering my covenants--those made at baptism and those made in the temple--I am better at being honest, paying my tithing, remembering Christ every day, striving to have the Holy Ghost with me, serving others, bearing others' burdens. It gives me a guideline to measure my conduct against. It helps me know when I need to make course corrections.
*My covenants draw me closer to Christ. I feel Him near. I feel His strength and power flowing into my life and enabling me to be more and do more than I can on my own. My covenants give me access to priesthood power.
*In conference, President Nelson asked us to study the blessings promised to covenant Israel. At first, this felt a little overwhelming...how did I differentiate between blessings given to covenant Israel, blessings given to an individual and blessings given to one specific tribe or group. I don't know that I fully have that answer but as I've studied, here's what I have come to believe. God has given tremendous promises to covenant Israel. They are probably on nearly every page of scripture! And while they were given to His covenant people, His ultimate desire is for every ONE of His children to become part of His covenant people. He wants to bless each one of us with these blessings. So I think that when you read virtually any promise in the scripture, you can trust that God is willing and eager to share that blessing with you! Doesn't that feel amazing? He's promised things like to go before your face, to be on your right hand and on your left. He's promised to send His angels to guide you. He's promised to give you strength beyond your own. He's promised to give you priesthood, posterity and a promised land. He's promised that with His help you will prevail. He's promised immortality and eternal life if you keep His commandments and repent. All that God hath has been promised to you!!
*There is power in covenants and especially in the ordinances connected with covenants. "Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest." (D&C 84:20)
* From a conference talk given by Elder Kent F. Richards in April 2016: "Just a few months before the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, he met with the Twelve Apostles to talk about the greatest needs the Church was facing in that very difficult time. He told them, “We need the temple more than anything else.”1 Surely, today in these trying times, each of us and our families need the temple more than anything else."
I believe this. We NEED the temple. But in a year when temples have been closed, I have found strength and guidance from pondering my past experiences in the temple and pondering the covenants I have made there. I have found PEACE despite turbulent times. I haven't been able to go inside the temple but the temple has not stopped being inside me. The temple is everything...purpose, peace, perspective, relationship, power, guidance, revelation, covenants and ordinances, sealing, strength.
*My covenants remind me that I am truly a daughter of God. He loves me. I have Heavenly Parents and a Savior that want to help me. They know me. They offer forgiveness of sins. The offer a path to become more like them. I KNOW this is true. I know it as surely as I know that I am a daughter of Bryan and Barbara or that I have blue eyes or that I love to read. My covenants keep tying me back to what I do know. They keep me tethered to all that is most important. And what is most important? Relationships. Love. Love God and love people. My covenants help me do that. I'm not perfect at it, but I'm growing and becoming better at it and that is largely due to my covenants.
*On a day a few months ago when I was especially missing the temple and longing to be there to receive some guidance about an issue I was worried over and praying about, the spirit whispered for me to take out my journal and write down every good experience I could think of that happened in the temple. Immediately several came to mind. So I sat down and began to write. I wrote for over an hour and I wasn't finished. Most of these experiences had previously been recorded, but putting them all down in the same place and remembering them all at the same time brought power and strength and comfort and insight flowing into me. I ended up needing to stop but more memories kept coming. So the next day I wrote some more. And the next. And since then a few other memories have come. The temple has blessed my life immeasurably. And even just pondering on past experiences has reminded me of the temple's importance and role in my life. And covenants are central to that.
Emma Smith was given this counsel in D&C 25: "Wherefore, alift up thy heart and brejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made." My covenants help me to rejoice. They help me to feel joy and to "Hear Him." I'm profoundly grateful.
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