In general conference this month (Oct 2013) Sister Carole M. Stephens addressed this topic in the Saturday morning session. We have been assigned to discuss the topic of 'Ordinances and Covenants' this month, and many of my remarks today will draw upon the thoughts she presented there. Her talk concluded with this statement:
“We are beloved spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and destiny. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, loved us enough to give His life for us. His Atonement provides the way for us to progress on the path to our heavenly home, through sacred priesthood ordinances and covenants.
These priesthood ordinances and covenants were restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and today President Thomas S. Monson holds all the keys of the priesthood on the earth.
“We are beloved spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and destiny. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, loved us enough to give His life for us. His Atonement provides the way for us to progress on the path to our heavenly home, through sacred priesthood ordinances and covenants.
These priesthood ordinances and covenants were restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and today President Thomas S. Monson holds all the keys of the priesthood on the earth.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught: “In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is found the priesthood authority to administer the ordinances by which we can enter into binding covenants with our Heavenly Father in the name of His Holy Son. … God will keep His promises to you as you honor your covenants with Him.”13
Priesthood ordinances and covenants provide access to the fulness of the blessings promised to us by God, which are made possible by the Savior’s Atonement.
Yesterday youth from our stake participated in an activity that included searching out names of their own family members and preparing and taking those names to the Temple. There the ordinance of Baptism for family members now passed on was provided.
In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles state: “All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.”1 To achieve this divine destiny, each son and daughter of God needs priesthood ordinances and covenants.
We need baptism. When we are immersed in the waters of baptism, we covenant to take Christ’s name upon us, always remember Him, keep His commandments, and serve Him to the end, that we may always have His Spirit to be with us.2
Our youth were able to feel the spirit that comes through obedience, through our Heavenly Fathers ordinances.
We need the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through that ordinance, we can have access to the constant companionship of the Spirit. President Wilford Woodruff taught: “Every man or woman that has ever entered into the church of God and been baptised for the remission of sins has a right to revelation, a right to the Spirit of God, to assist them in their labors, in their administrations to their children, in counselling their children and those over whom they are called upon to preside. The Holy Ghost is not restricted to men, nor to apostles or prophets; it belongs to every faithful man and woman, and to every child who is old enough to receive the gospel of Christ.”3
Now that those family members names have been taken to the temple, the additional ordinances they need can be provided to them. As Sister Stephens puts it:
We need to receive the temple endowment. Elder M. Russell Ballard said: “When men and women go to the temple, they are both endowed with the same power, which by definition is priesthood power. … The endowment is literally a gift of power.”4
We need the sealing ordinance, which leads to eternal life, “the greatest of all the gifts of God.”5 This priesthood ordinance is received only by a man and a woman together. Elder Russell M. Nelson taught, “Priesthood authority has been restored so that families can be sealed eternally.”6
Today we have be blessed to be able to partake of the Sacrament .. another sacred ordinance.
We need the opportunity to renew our covenants each week as we partake of the sacrament. Latter-day prophets and apostles have taught that when we worthily partake of the sacrament, we can renew not only our baptismal covenant but “all covenants entered into with the Lord.”7
These priesthood ordinances and covenants provide access to the fullness of the blessings promised to us by God, which are made possible by the Savior’s Atonement. They arm sons and daughters of God with power, God’s power,8 and provide us with the opportunity to receive eternal life—to return to God’s presence and live with Him in His eternal family.
Obedience to the commandments not only provides a way for us to return to God, but bring blessings
There exists today a great need for men and women to cultivate respect for each other as sons and daughters of God and reverence for our Father in Heaven and His priesthood—His power and authority.
He has a plan for us, and when we exercise our faith and trust in His plan, our reverence for Him and for His priesthood power and authority will be strengthened.
Elder Ballard also taught: “Our Father in Heaven is generous with His power. All men and all women have access to this power for help in our own lives. All who have made sacred covenants with the Lord and who honor those covenants are eligible to receive personal revelation, to be blessed by the ministering of angels, [and] to commune with God.”10
“Sacred gospel ordinances are the gateway to solemn covenants with God. Ordinances and covenants can hardly be understood apart from each other. By ordinances we enter into covenants, and by covenants we receive the ordinances. Though there may be ordinances that do not have an associated covenant—such as the blessing and naming of children, anointing of the sick, or blessings of comfort--there is no eternal covenant that is not connected to an ordinance. Our important steps toward God are introduced by sacred ordinances and are governed by the conditions of the covenants associated with those ordinances.”14
When we participated in the ordinance of the Sacrament today, did we appreciate it's significance?
We need the opportunity to renew our covenants each week as we partake of the sacrament. Latter-day prophets and apostles have taught that when we worthily partake of the sacrament, we can renew not only our baptismal covenant but “all covenants entered into with the Lord.”7
“Partaking worthily of the sacrament can bring a weekly endowment of divine power in our lives. .. And it came to pass that [Alma] said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
“Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. …
“… What have you against being baptised in the name of the Lord?” 30
“Isn’t this a perfect description of a sacrament meeting? Should we not all come to that meeting mourning for our sins and willing to mourn with others over this same matter? The Savior’s promise in the Sermon on the Mount is that those who mourn will be comforted. This occurs during the administration of the sacrament. I think this is why we come to sacrament meeting. As we partake of the sacrament, we express our willingness to take the name of Christ upon us, to always remember Him, and to keep His commandments. For this, God extends His covenant that we will always have His Spirit to be with us. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter. As we come to the sacrament mourning for our sins, so may we also leave comforted and forgiven of our sins. Is it any wonder, then, that those who stay away from this sacred ordinance also estrange themselves from the covenant associated with it?
“Sacred ordinances are ordained of God. They are essential to our salvation and exaltation. Through personal participation in sacred gospel ordinances we come to know God. To Nephi the Lord said, “I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.” 20
“Sacred gospel ordinances are the gateway to solemn covenants with God and provide an endowment of divine power in our lives. Through the sacred ordinances of the gospel, we learn of His kingdom and learn of Him, we enter into holy and eternal covenants, and we receive an endowment of divine power in our lives. All of these things bring us to Christ that we may be perfected in Him.
This is what our youth learned this week. This is what we should have come to know in participating in the Sacrament here today. This is how we 'Come unto Christ'.
Priesthood ordinances and covenants provide access to the fulness of the blessings promised to us by God, which are made possible by the Savior’s Atonement.
Yesterday youth from our stake participated in an activity that included searching out names of their own family members and preparing and taking those names to the Temple. There the ordinance of Baptism for family members now passed on was provided.
In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles state: “All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.”1 To achieve this divine destiny, each son and daughter of God needs priesthood ordinances and covenants.
We need baptism. When we are immersed in the waters of baptism, we covenant to take Christ’s name upon us, always remember Him, keep His commandments, and serve Him to the end, that we may always have His Spirit to be with us.2
Our youth were able to feel the spirit that comes through obedience, through our Heavenly Fathers ordinances.
We need the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through that ordinance, we can have access to the constant companionship of the Spirit. President Wilford Woodruff taught: “Every man or woman that has ever entered into the church of God and been baptised for the remission of sins has a right to revelation, a right to the Spirit of God, to assist them in their labors, in their administrations to their children, in counselling their children and those over whom they are called upon to preside. The Holy Ghost is not restricted to men, nor to apostles or prophets; it belongs to every faithful man and woman, and to every child who is old enough to receive the gospel of Christ.”3
Now that those family members names have been taken to the temple, the additional ordinances they need can be provided to them. As Sister Stephens puts it:
We need to receive the temple endowment. Elder M. Russell Ballard said: “When men and women go to the temple, they are both endowed with the same power, which by definition is priesthood power. … The endowment is literally a gift of power.”4
We need the sealing ordinance, which leads to eternal life, “the greatest of all the gifts of God.”5 This priesthood ordinance is received only by a man and a woman together. Elder Russell M. Nelson taught, “Priesthood authority has been restored so that families can be sealed eternally.”6
Today we have be blessed to be able to partake of the Sacrament .. another sacred ordinance.
We need the opportunity to renew our covenants each week as we partake of the sacrament. Latter-day prophets and apostles have taught that when we worthily partake of the sacrament, we can renew not only our baptismal covenant but “all covenants entered into with the Lord.”7
These priesthood ordinances and covenants provide access to the fullness of the blessings promised to us by God, which are made possible by the Savior’s Atonement. They arm sons and daughters of God with power, God’s power,8 and provide us with the opportunity to receive eternal life—to return to God’s presence and live with Him in His eternal family.
Obedience to the commandments not only provides a way for us to return to God, but bring blessings
There exists today a great need for men and women to cultivate respect for each other as sons and daughters of God and reverence for our Father in Heaven and His priesthood—His power and authority.
He has a plan for us, and when we exercise our faith and trust in His plan, our reverence for Him and for His priesthood power and authority will be strengthened.
Elder Ballard also taught: “Our Father in Heaven is generous with His power. All men and all women have access to this power for help in our own lives. All who have made sacred covenants with the Lord and who honor those covenants are eligible to receive personal revelation, to be blessed by the ministering of angels, [and] to commune with God.”10
“Sacred gospel ordinances are the gateway to solemn covenants with God. Ordinances and covenants can hardly be understood apart from each other. By ordinances we enter into covenants, and by covenants we receive the ordinances. Though there may be ordinances that do not have an associated covenant—such as the blessing and naming of children, anointing of the sick, or blessings of comfort--there is no eternal covenant that is not connected to an ordinance. Our important steps toward God are introduced by sacred ordinances and are governed by the conditions of the covenants associated with those ordinances.”14
When we participated in the ordinance of the Sacrament today, did we appreciate it's significance?
We need the opportunity to renew our covenants each week as we partake of the sacrament. Latter-day prophets and apostles have taught that when we worthily partake of the sacrament, we can renew not only our baptismal covenant but “all covenants entered into with the Lord.”7
“Partaking worthily of the sacrament can bring a weekly endowment of divine power in our lives. .. And it came to pass that [Alma] said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
“Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. …
“… What have you against being baptised in the name of the Lord?” 30
“Isn’t this a perfect description of a sacrament meeting? Should we not all come to that meeting mourning for our sins and willing to mourn with others over this same matter? The Savior’s promise in the Sermon on the Mount is that those who mourn will be comforted. This occurs during the administration of the sacrament. I think this is why we come to sacrament meeting. As we partake of the sacrament, we express our willingness to take the name of Christ upon us, to always remember Him, and to keep His commandments. For this, God extends His covenant that we will always have His Spirit to be with us. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter. As we come to the sacrament mourning for our sins, so may we also leave comforted and forgiven of our sins. Is it any wonder, then, that those who stay away from this sacred ordinance also estrange themselves from the covenant associated with it?
“Sacred ordinances are ordained of God. They are essential to our salvation and exaltation. Through personal participation in sacred gospel ordinances we come to know God. To Nephi the Lord said, “I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.” 20
“Sacred gospel ordinances are the gateway to solemn covenants with God and provide an endowment of divine power in our lives. Through the sacred ordinances of the gospel, we learn of His kingdom and learn of Him, we enter into holy and eternal covenants, and we receive an endowment of divine power in our lives. All of these things bring us to Christ that we may be perfected in Him.
This is what our youth learned this week. This is what we should have come to know in participating in the Sacrament here today. This is how we 'Come unto Christ'.
Notes
- “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 129.
- See Moroni 4:3; 6:3.
- Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff (2004), 49.
- M. Russell Ballard, “Let Us Think Straight” (Brigham Young University Education Week devotional, Aug. 20, 2013); speeches.byu.edu.
- Doctrine and Covenants 14:7; see also Doctrine and Covenants 131:1–4.
- Russell M. Nelson, “Nurturing Marriage,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2006, 37; or in Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 134.
- Delbert L. Stapley, in Conference Report, Oct. 1965, 14; quoted in L. Tom Perry, “As Now We Take the Sacrament,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2006, 41; see also Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley (1997), 561; The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball (1982), 220.
- See Doctrine and Covenants 109:22.
- See M. Russell Ballard and Rosemary M. Wixom, “Blessings of the Priesthood in Every Home,” in Strengthening the Family and the Church through the Priesthood (worldwide leadership training, 2013); lds.org/broadcasts.
- M. Russell Ballard, “Let Us Think Straight”; speeches.byu.edu.
- D&C 46:9, 12.
- D&C 84:38.
- D. Todd Christofferson, “The Power of Covenants,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 22.
- Dennis B. Neuenschwander, “A Way to Know God” BYU Fireside address, 27 October 2000.
- D&C 124:33.
- Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 308.
- D&C 128:5.
- D&C 1:15–16.
- D&C 84:19–21.
- 2 Ne. 28:30.
- D&C 50:24.
- Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 324; emphasis in original.
- D&C 132:13.
- Mosiah 4:11–12.
- D&C 132:10.
- JS—H 1:19; emphasis added.
- John 18:36.
- D&C 1:20.
- Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young (1997), 302.
- Mosiah 18:8–10.
- The Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- John 14:6.
- Mosiah 3:17.
- A of F 1:3.
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