Covenant Connectedness
Brent Fillmore
September 24, 2024 11:15 AM
I’m really grateful to be here. Thank you for making the choice to be here today. Our weekly devotionals are a very important part of the educational experience here at Ensign College. Your choice to be here says a lot about you and about what you prioritize. So, thank you. Please continue to make Devotional a priority and invite others to do the same. Bring your friends.
I’d like to invite my wife to stand. She’s here with me today. Isn’t that beautiful? She is my best friend. She’s helped me a lot with this talk, and I’m really, really, grateful to have her with me today. I’m kind of madly in love with her.
Let’s start today by listening to what our beloved Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson has taught about Institute. As you watch this video, listen, please for the powerful promises available to those who choose to participate in Institute.
President Nelson:
“My dear brothers and sisters, I love you. I think about you and pray for you often. You are living in an age unlike any other. You are at the age when you are making crucial decisions—decisions that will affect the rest of your mortal and eternal life. Making these decisions may seem overwhelming, or even frightening at times. But it is also exciting, because we are living in momentous times. May I invite you to do something that will help you in a way that few other things can? Attend Institute.
“I have now watched my children, grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren attend Institute. Attending Institute has been life-changing for them. Institute has helped them and will help you to deepen your conversion to Jesus Christ. Attending Institute will help you to feel more of Heavenly Father’s great love for you. Institute will offer you inspiring instructors, faithful friends, and the feeling of belonging. It will help you to see why living the gospel leads to never-ending happiness. Attending Institute will help you to live the gospel and to feel more joy right now! If you want to know the truth about who you really are, attend Institute. If you want to know the purpose of life, attend Institute. If you want to stay on the Covenant Path, attend Institute. If you want to learn how to let God prevail in your life, attend Institute. If you want to be a peacemaker, attend Institute. I promise you these blessings, and express my love for you, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.” [1]
Here are the promises that he listed. Those are ten really powerful promises, aren’t they? I love those. I love our prophet. Each of these promises happened for me as a young man before my mission, after my mission, when I was in college. I know these promises are true.
Now, can you turn up the house lights for a minute as I ask the Institute faculty to stand? Stand up. Turn around, smile, wave. This is our Institute faculty. Aren’t they beautiful—some of them? I want to make a promise to everyone here, and to everyone who will ever watch this devotional. We, the teachers at our Institute of Religion, here at Ensign College, are completely dedicated to helping every single one of our students have these promises happen. So, that’s our job, and that’s what we want to do. So, all of you smile at the crowd and you can sit down. Thank you.
I was awakened this morning with an interesting alliterative sentence in my mind. This is it. This is at 4 o’clock this morning: “Covenants consciously and carefully kept, create a connection with Christ.”And I’m really grateful to the choir---to Rob and Jin Ho, and to that beautiful song; singing about valiantly keeping covenants, and belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That was really a beautiful way to begin—thank you.
So, let’s learn today about the chance, the challenge, and the choice, to work with the Almighty God in a covenant connectedness, or “The Power of OUR”. I’ll let you think about that as I speak.
Jesus taught that we should seek Eternal Life, which is, He said, to be even as [He and His Father] are. [2] Yet, in our weakness, how would it ever be possible for us to be like them? And the answer is: Only through a combination of their heavenly help, their higher and holier help, and our choice to cooperate with them. So, let’s consider how that miracle can happen.
Please listen and follow along as I read to you a teaching from the capable and trusted disciple Elder John A. Widtsoe. Note his use of the words “we” and “our”.
“In our preexistent state, in the day of the great council, we made a[n] … agreement with the Almighty. The Lord proposed a plan. … We accepted it. Since the plan is intended for all men, we became parties to the salvation of every person under that plan….
“We went into a partnership with the Lord. The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father’s work, and the Savior’s work, but also our work. The least of us, the humblest, is in partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation.”[3]
Isn’t that interesting? Elder Widstoe taught that God’s work is our work. When we accepted His plan, we accepted the privilege of a partnership with Him. His work and our work can be one, His and ours—ours together. We work together.
So, let’s consider how covenants help us in this partnership with the Almighty.
President Nelson taught, “One of the most important concepts of revealed religion is that of a sacred covenant. In legal language, a covenant generally denotes an agreement between two or more parties. But in a religious context, a covenant is much more significant. It is a sacred promise with God. He fixes the terms. Each person may choose to accept those terms. If one accepts the terms of the covenant and obeys God’s law, he or she receives the blessings associated with the covenant.” [4]
That was in 2011.He gave that talk, called “Covenants”.And then, just last Saturday, Joan and I received, in our home, the new Liahona. And the first article was authored by the prophet. He wrote, “When we make and keep covenants, we take the Lord’s name upon us as individuals. In addition, we take His name upon us as a people. Thus, we travel the covenant path both individually and collectively. Our covenant relationship with God gives us a common cause and a common identity.”[5]As I have pondered about covenants, I’ve thought of the name of our church, that President Nelson has so strongly emphasized, addition to teaching us to love God and love our neighbor. I’ve pondered how the name of the Church can be illustrative of the covenant partnership. So, consider the word “of” in the name of the Church. The word “of” is a word that means “about”, or “because of” or “belonging to”, so, The Church of Jesus Christ—The Church is about Jesus Christ. The Church exists because of Him. The Church belongs to Jesus Christ. But also notice the second word “of”. Of Latter-day Saints. The word “of” is there twice. The Church is also about the Saints—us. It exists because of the Saints—us. We are a covenant people in a common cause, with a common identity. Now, obviously, we do not act as equals with Christ, but can you see the common cause? The partnership? Jesus Christ shares His Church with us. In a way we could say it’s “our” Church. The Lord taught Joseph Smith that the Church is also ours as we repent and come unto Him. “Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of Life freely. Behold, this is my doctrine. Whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my Church.” [6] Even with our imperfections, and in our weakness, He not only allows us, but even encourages us to come, to partake, to repent, and to be involved. It is a combined effort that honors Him and His role, and His power. And He lets us help. The Church is a portion, therefore, of the partnership between Almighty God and us.
In her General Conference talk in April of 2022, Sister Reyna Aburto, a counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency emphasized this idea. She said, “Let us not underestimate the marvelous work the Lord is doing through us, His Church…”. The Church is more than the buildings and the ecclesiastical structure; the Church is us, the members. We are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with Christ at the head and the prophet as His mouthpiece”. [7]
Similarly, Elder Lawrence W. Corbridge taught, at BYU, “We are the Church. You and I are the Church” [8]
And one more…
In the year that I graduated from high school, President Marion G. Romney, then a counselor in the First Presidency, taught this same idea. He said, “Today we are the Church of Christ, and the Lord expects us to come to this same unity. He has said to us: “Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine”. [9]
A few weeks ago, Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught the faculty of Ensign College, that it really is a miracle that the Lord ever lets us touch anything. “We are weak and imperfect.”, he said, “Nothing we can do even comes close to what He, the Lord can do. But, in His mercy, He lets us try to help. We get to help—what a blessing”, Elder Christofferson said. [10] Have you thought about that? He lets us imperfect people try to help.
God’s gift of His covenants provides a chance, a challenge, and a choice for us to use our agency and unify with Him. As we do, His covenants can become Our covenants and through these shared covenants, He blesses us to become like Him. Joan and I have gained an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the Savior, as we are reminded that even with all that He is, He encourages little old me through covenants. Through these covenants, God reaches down to us, and we reach up to Him. Our shared covenants allow us, even in our weakness, to grow and try to help. And he wants us to help because He knows, “in process of time” [11] we can grow to become as He is.
Elder Renlund put it this way. He taught about God’s eternal power and the covenant path, “The term covenant path refers to a series of covenants whereby we come to Christ and connect to Him.” [12]
President Nelson similarly taught, “Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ”.[13]
Let’s consider now the covenants He offers us together with the ordinances through which we make and renew them.
And I pause here to just make a little comment. I had a student ask me once, “Why are children baptized at age 8?” And there’s lots of reasons for that. We refer to a lot of those. But it occurred to me of late that an 8 year-old can kind of understand the covenants they make. But if they really knew what those covenants were, they might feel really small. I learned from this that Heavenly Father is OK with us growing into our covenants. I remember when I was endowed, and I look back now, and I understand much more deeply, because I’ve grown into my covenants. But He shares those covenants with us, even when our capacity to keep them is small. It’s OK to grow.
When people, therefore, are baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are offered a covenant to be willing to take upon us the name of Christ, to always remember Him, and to keep his commandments. We make this covenant once in our lives and then have the privilege of renewing it each week as we participate in the ordinance of the Sacrament. His promise is that we may “always have his spirit to be with us” [14] Over time, slowly, as we seek to consciously keep these covenants, we are imitating Jesus, and through His spirit, becoming like Him.
Because of His great love for you and I, God offers us more and more in this partnership. He offers us additional shared covenants. Think of it. We can covenant to receive priesthoods, to magnify callings, and to live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.[15] Can you see, how, with His help, these covenants invite us to imitate Him and become like Him? It’s like He’s saying, “Here. Here’s an opportunity. Will you keep this covenant?” And gives us the privilege of saying, “Yes! We’re going to try.” Love that!
As part of the ordinance of the endowment, this shared process continues. As a means to help us become as He is, He offers us additional covenants. As I read of these covenants, shared from Him to us, consider how each is an invitation to imitate Him and become like Him.
Many of you will remember, in the Endowment, we covenant to be obedient—that’s an imitation of Jesus. We covenant to sacrifice—that’s an imitation of Jesus, we covenant to live the gospel of Jesus Christ—that’s an invitation to imitate Jesus. To be chaste and to consecrate ourselves. [16] Each of those, an invitation to imitate Jesus and become like Him. Beautiful.
And, to help us to remember these shared covenants in the Endowment, He shares with us the garment of the Holy Priesthood which is an interior, physical, and daily reminder of our covenant connection to Jesus Christ. Those who have received their endowment in the temple are symbolically “covered” each and every day, by their own choice, with a symbol of Jesus Christ. “The garment is a sacred symbol of Jesus Christ. It is also a reminder of temple covenants. When members keep their covenants, including the sacred privilege to wear the garment as instructed, they will have greater access to the Savior’s mercy, protection, strength, and power”.[17]
Many of you know that President Holland wrote an article in the September Liahona that reminds us that the garment is a symbol of the oneness possible through our covenants.
President Holland wrote, “And that’s the way covenants are—not set aside out of convenience or carelessness and not modified to fit the styles and fashions of society. In the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ, the ways of the world must be modified to align with our covenants and not the other way around.” [18]
In process of time, and as we choose to remember Him, His power and influence cover us, the Holy Ghost changes our nature and sanctifies us, we become more like Him and more able to be one with Him. So, think of it. The daily repetition of dressing in the garment of the holy priesthood, of “putting on Christ” as the apostle Paul taught is a deliberate effort to remind us of our partnership and covered covenant connection with Him.[19]
As they participate in the sealing ordinance, members of our Church are offered additional covenants. Next time you participate in or observe a sealing ordinance, listen carefully for the offered covenants and promises and how the prescribed partnership can help us in the process of becoming like God.
Here is a way to think about our covenants and the union that can come as we keep them.
Some time ago, as a tourist, I visited a cave—one of those very large caves. This is a cartoon example on the screen. There’s a roof and there’s a floor—can you see the floor there? And it’s dark. If you’ve ever been in one of those caves you know what it’s like. Among the various structures in these caves, there are stalactites, which hang from the roof; and there are stalagmites, which grow on the floor. As water passes slowly through the rock, it absorbs small quantities of minerals. As it descends, the water leaves behind some of these minerals. Do you hear that? (sound or dripping water). Those drops form a stalactite, coming down. The water droplets then land below. Some of the minerals from above remain in the water droplet. When the water evaporates, the minerals left behind form stalagmites. Because of this alignment, in process of time, stalactites and stalagmites come closer and closer and closer to each other until they eventually meet and become one. It’s a slow but constant process. And then the water flows freely. We’re kind of like those stalagmites. Our shared covenants, available only through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, help us to sit down, stop running around, to be still, to align with God’s will, and, over time, to become one with Him. Interestingly, the apostle, John taught that those who overcome will become “pillars” in the temple of God, “to go no more out”.
So, how might all of this apply to us here, at Ensign College?
I suggest that Ensign College is “Our College”, a special place, where so many are seeking to keep the covenants we have made. We seek to have no manner of “ites”, but to be one; the children of Christ. Again, from President Nelson’s Liahona Article, “God has invited all to come unto Him. There is room for everyone. We may differ in our cultures, politics, ethnicities, tastes, and many other ways, but as we unite in Jesus Christ, such differences fade in their significance, and are superseded by our overriding desire to be one, so that we may be His.”
Here at Ensign College, sponsored by our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we work together with the Savior as we develop into His capable and trusted disciples. Imagine that. Here in our college, we work and study and learn and teach and serve in a place of personal partnerships, where we are being helped by the Almighty God, and by each other. There’s the two great commandments again. Isn’t that wonderful?
Let’s close by rereading the teaching from Elder Widstoe:
“In our preexistent state, in the day of the great council, we made a[n] … agreement with the Almighty. The Lord proposed a plan. … We accepted it. Since the plan is intended for all men, we became parties to the salvation of every person under that plan….
“We went into a partnership with the Lord. The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father’s work, and the Savior’s work, but also our work. The least of us, the humblest, is in partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation.” [20]
May we through our covenants, cooperate with our Savior, align with the Almighty, and thus acquire His assistance to become one with Him as He is.
I testify to you that our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson is indeed a living prophet. We are led by prophets, seers, and revelators. Jesus Christ is our Savior. He lives. He is real. Heavenly Father is our loving Father. The covenants they share with us help us choose to become one with Them. This is our thing.
I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
1 Personal Invitation to Attend Institute (churchofjesuschrist.org)
[2] John 17:3
[3] John A. Widtsoe, “The Worth of Souls”, Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, October 1934, p. 189.
[4] Russell M. Nelson, “Covenants”, October 2011 General Conference.
[5] Russell M. Nelson, “A Pattern for Unity in Jesus Christ”, September 2024 Liahona.
[6] D&C 10:66-67
[7] Reyna I. Aburto, “We Are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”, April 2022 General Conference.
[8] Lawrence E. Corbridge, “Tand Forever”, BYU Speeches, January 22, 2019.
[9] Marion G. Romney, “Unity”, April 1983 General Conference.
[10] D. Todd Christofferson, Remarks at Ensign College President’s Workshop, September 4, 2024.
[11] Moses 7:21
[12]Dale G. Renlund, “Accessing God’s Power Through Covenants”, April 2023 General Conference.
[13] Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest”, October 2022 General Conference.
[14] D&C 20: 77-79
[15] D&C 84:33, 44
[16] General Handbook 27.2
[17] General Handbook 27.2
[18] Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Garment of the Holy Priesthood”, September 2024 Liahona.
[19] Romans 13:14
[20] John A. Widtsoe, “The Worth of Souls”, Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, October 1934, p. 189.
I’d like to invite my wife to stand. She’s here with me today. Isn’t that beautiful? She is my best friend. She’s helped me a lot with this talk, and I’m really, really, grateful to have her with me today. I’m kind of madly in love with her.
Let’s start today by listening to what our beloved Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson has taught about Institute. As you watch this video, listen, please for the powerful promises available to those who choose to participate in Institute.
President Nelson:
“My dear brothers and sisters, I love you. I think about you and pray for you often. You are living in an age unlike any other. You are at the age when you are making crucial decisions—decisions that will affect the rest of your mortal and eternal life. Making these decisions may seem overwhelming, or even frightening at times. But it is also exciting, because we are living in momentous times. May I invite you to do something that will help you in a way that few other things can? Attend Institute.
“I have now watched my children, grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren attend Institute. Attending Institute has been life-changing for them. Institute has helped them and will help you to deepen your conversion to Jesus Christ. Attending Institute will help you to feel more of Heavenly Father’s great love for you. Institute will offer you inspiring instructors, faithful friends, and the feeling of belonging. It will help you to see why living the gospel leads to never-ending happiness. Attending Institute will help you to live the gospel and to feel more joy right now! If you want to know the truth about who you really are, attend Institute. If you want to know the purpose of life, attend Institute. If you want to stay on the Covenant Path, attend Institute. If you want to learn how to let God prevail in your life, attend Institute. If you want to be a peacemaker, attend Institute. I promise you these blessings, and express my love for you, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.” [1]
Here are the promises that he listed. Those are ten really powerful promises, aren’t they? I love those. I love our prophet. Each of these promises happened for me as a young man before my mission, after my mission, when I was in college. I know these promises are true.
Now, can you turn up the house lights for a minute as I ask the Institute faculty to stand? Stand up. Turn around, smile, wave. This is our Institute faculty. Aren’t they beautiful—some of them? I want to make a promise to everyone here, and to everyone who will ever watch this devotional. We, the teachers at our Institute of Religion, here at Ensign College, are completely dedicated to helping every single one of our students have these promises happen. So, that’s our job, and that’s what we want to do. So, all of you smile at the crowd and you can sit down. Thank you.
I was awakened this morning with an interesting alliterative sentence in my mind. This is it. This is at 4 o’clock this morning: “Covenants consciously and carefully kept, create a connection with Christ.”And I’m really grateful to the choir---to Rob and Jin Ho, and to that beautiful song; singing about valiantly keeping covenants, and belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That was really a beautiful way to begin—thank you.
So, let’s learn today about the chance, the challenge, and the choice, to work with the Almighty God in a covenant connectedness, or “The Power of OUR”. I’ll let you think about that as I speak.
Jesus taught that we should seek Eternal Life, which is, He said, to be even as [He and His Father] are. [2] Yet, in our weakness, how would it ever be possible for us to be like them? And the answer is: Only through a combination of their heavenly help, their higher and holier help, and our choice to cooperate with them. So, let’s consider how that miracle can happen.
Please listen and follow along as I read to you a teaching from the capable and trusted disciple Elder John A. Widtsoe. Note his use of the words “we” and “our”.
“In our preexistent state, in the day of the great council, we made a[n] … agreement with the Almighty. The Lord proposed a plan. … We accepted it. Since the plan is intended for all men, we became parties to the salvation of every person under that plan….
“We went into a partnership with the Lord. The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father’s work, and the Savior’s work, but also our work. The least of us, the humblest, is in partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation.”[3]
Isn’t that interesting? Elder Widstoe taught that God’s work is our work. When we accepted His plan, we accepted the privilege of a partnership with Him. His work and our work can be one, His and ours—ours together. We work together.
So, let’s consider how covenants help us in this partnership with the Almighty.
President Nelson taught, “One of the most important concepts of revealed religion is that of a sacred covenant. In legal language, a covenant generally denotes an agreement between two or more parties. But in a religious context, a covenant is much more significant. It is a sacred promise with God. He fixes the terms. Each person may choose to accept those terms. If one accepts the terms of the covenant and obeys God’s law, he or she receives the blessings associated with the covenant.” [4]
That was in 2011.He gave that talk, called “Covenants”.And then, just last Saturday, Joan and I received, in our home, the new Liahona. And the first article was authored by the prophet. He wrote, “When we make and keep covenants, we take the Lord’s name upon us as individuals. In addition, we take His name upon us as a people. Thus, we travel the covenant path both individually and collectively. Our covenant relationship with God gives us a common cause and a common identity.”[5]As I have pondered about covenants, I’ve thought of the name of our church, that President Nelson has so strongly emphasized, addition to teaching us to love God and love our neighbor. I’ve pondered how the name of the Church can be illustrative of the covenant partnership. So, consider the word “of” in the name of the Church. The word “of” is a word that means “about”, or “because of” or “belonging to”, so, The Church of Jesus Christ—The Church is about Jesus Christ. The Church exists because of Him. The Church belongs to Jesus Christ. But also notice the second word “of”. Of Latter-day Saints. The word “of” is there twice. The Church is also about the Saints—us. It exists because of the Saints—us. We are a covenant people in a common cause, with a common identity. Now, obviously, we do not act as equals with Christ, but can you see the common cause? The partnership? Jesus Christ shares His Church with us. In a way we could say it’s “our” Church. The Lord taught Joseph Smith that the Church is also ours as we repent and come unto Him. “Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of Life freely. Behold, this is my doctrine. Whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my Church.” [6] Even with our imperfections, and in our weakness, He not only allows us, but even encourages us to come, to partake, to repent, and to be involved. It is a combined effort that honors Him and His role, and His power. And He lets us help. The Church is a portion, therefore, of the partnership between Almighty God and us.
In her General Conference talk in April of 2022, Sister Reyna Aburto, a counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency emphasized this idea. She said, “Let us not underestimate the marvelous work the Lord is doing through us, His Church…”. The Church is more than the buildings and the ecclesiastical structure; the Church is us, the members. We are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with Christ at the head and the prophet as His mouthpiece”. [7]
Similarly, Elder Lawrence W. Corbridge taught, at BYU, “We are the Church. You and I are the Church” [8]
And one more…
In the year that I graduated from high school, President Marion G. Romney, then a counselor in the First Presidency, taught this same idea. He said, “Today we are the Church of Christ, and the Lord expects us to come to this same unity. He has said to us: “Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine”. [9]
A few weeks ago, Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught the faculty of Ensign College, that it really is a miracle that the Lord ever lets us touch anything. “We are weak and imperfect.”, he said, “Nothing we can do even comes close to what He, the Lord can do. But, in His mercy, He lets us try to help. We get to help—what a blessing”, Elder Christofferson said. [10] Have you thought about that? He lets us imperfect people try to help.
God’s gift of His covenants provides a chance, a challenge, and a choice for us to use our agency and unify with Him. As we do, His covenants can become Our covenants and through these shared covenants, He blesses us to become like Him. Joan and I have gained an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the Savior, as we are reminded that even with all that He is, He encourages little old me through covenants. Through these covenants, God reaches down to us, and we reach up to Him. Our shared covenants allow us, even in our weakness, to grow and try to help. And he wants us to help because He knows, “in process of time” [11] we can grow to become as He is.
Elder Renlund put it this way. He taught about God’s eternal power and the covenant path, “The term covenant path refers to a series of covenants whereby we come to Christ and connect to Him.” [12]
President Nelson similarly taught, “Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ”.[13]
Let’s consider now the covenants He offers us together with the ordinances through which we make and renew them.
And I pause here to just make a little comment. I had a student ask me once, “Why are children baptized at age 8?” And there’s lots of reasons for that. We refer to a lot of those. But it occurred to me of late that an 8 year-old can kind of understand the covenants they make. But if they really knew what those covenants were, they might feel really small. I learned from this that Heavenly Father is OK with us growing into our covenants. I remember when I was endowed, and I look back now, and I understand much more deeply, because I’ve grown into my covenants. But He shares those covenants with us, even when our capacity to keep them is small. It’s OK to grow.
When people, therefore, are baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are offered a covenant to be willing to take upon us the name of Christ, to always remember Him, and to keep his commandments. We make this covenant once in our lives and then have the privilege of renewing it each week as we participate in the ordinance of the Sacrament. His promise is that we may “always have his spirit to be with us” [14] Over time, slowly, as we seek to consciously keep these covenants, we are imitating Jesus, and through His spirit, becoming like Him.
Because of His great love for you and I, God offers us more and more in this partnership. He offers us additional shared covenants. Think of it. We can covenant to receive priesthoods, to magnify callings, and to live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.[15] Can you see, how, with His help, these covenants invite us to imitate Him and become like Him? It’s like He’s saying, “Here. Here’s an opportunity. Will you keep this covenant?” And gives us the privilege of saying, “Yes! We’re going to try.” Love that!
As part of the ordinance of the endowment, this shared process continues. As a means to help us become as He is, He offers us additional covenants. As I read of these covenants, shared from Him to us, consider how each is an invitation to imitate Him and become like Him.
Many of you will remember, in the Endowment, we covenant to be obedient—that’s an imitation of Jesus. We covenant to sacrifice—that’s an imitation of Jesus, we covenant to live the gospel of Jesus Christ—that’s an invitation to imitate Jesus. To be chaste and to consecrate ourselves. [16] Each of those, an invitation to imitate Jesus and become like Him. Beautiful.
And, to help us to remember these shared covenants in the Endowment, He shares with us the garment of the Holy Priesthood which is an interior, physical, and daily reminder of our covenant connection to Jesus Christ. Those who have received their endowment in the temple are symbolically “covered” each and every day, by their own choice, with a symbol of Jesus Christ. “The garment is a sacred symbol of Jesus Christ. It is also a reminder of temple covenants. When members keep their covenants, including the sacred privilege to wear the garment as instructed, they will have greater access to the Savior’s mercy, protection, strength, and power”.[17]
Many of you know that President Holland wrote an article in the September Liahona that reminds us that the garment is a symbol of the oneness possible through our covenants.
President Holland wrote, “And that’s the way covenants are—not set aside out of convenience or carelessness and not modified to fit the styles and fashions of society. In the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ, the ways of the world must be modified to align with our covenants and not the other way around.” [18]
In process of time, and as we choose to remember Him, His power and influence cover us, the Holy Ghost changes our nature and sanctifies us, we become more like Him and more able to be one with Him. So, think of it. The daily repetition of dressing in the garment of the holy priesthood, of “putting on Christ” as the apostle Paul taught is a deliberate effort to remind us of our partnership and covered covenant connection with Him.[19]
As they participate in the sealing ordinance, members of our Church are offered additional covenants. Next time you participate in or observe a sealing ordinance, listen carefully for the offered covenants and promises and how the prescribed partnership can help us in the process of becoming like God.
Here is a way to think about our covenants and the union that can come as we keep them.
Some time ago, as a tourist, I visited a cave—one of those very large caves. This is a cartoon example on the screen. There’s a roof and there’s a floor—can you see the floor there? And it’s dark. If you’ve ever been in one of those caves you know what it’s like. Among the various structures in these caves, there are stalactites, which hang from the roof; and there are stalagmites, which grow on the floor. As water passes slowly through the rock, it absorbs small quantities of minerals. As it descends, the water leaves behind some of these minerals. Do you hear that? (sound or dripping water). Those drops form a stalactite, coming down. The water droplets then land below. Some of the minerals from above remain in the water droplet. When the water evaporates, the minerals left behind form stalagmites. Because of this alignment, in process of time, stalactites and stalagmites come closer and closer and closer to each other until they eventually meet and become one. It’s a slow but constant process. And then the water flows freely. We’re kind of like those stalagmites. Our shared covenants, available only through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, help us to sit down, stop running around, to be still, to align with God’s will, and, over time, to become one with Him. Interestingly, the apostle, John taught that those who overcome will become “pillars” in the temple of God, “to go no more out”.
So, how might all of this apply to us here, at Ensign College?
I suggest that Ensign College is “Our College”, a special place, where so many are seeking to keep the covenants we have made. We seek to have no manner of “ites”, but to be one; the children of Christ. Again, from President Nelson’s Liahona Article, “God has invited all to come unto Him. There is room for everyone. We may differ in our cultures, politics, ethnicities, tastes, and many other ways, but as we unite in Jesus Christ, such differences fade in their significance, and are superseded by our overriding desire to be one, so that we may be His.”
Here at Ensign College, sponsored by our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we work together with the Savior as we develop into His capable and trusted disciples. Imagine that. Here in our college, we work and study and learn and teach and serve in a place of personal partnerships, where we are being helped by the Almighty God, and by each other. There’s the two great commandments again. Isn’t that wonderful?
Let’s close by rereading the teaching from Elder Widstoe:
“In our preexistent state, in the day of the great council, we made a[n] … agreement with the Almighty. The Lord proposed a plan. … We accepted it. Since the plan is intended for all men, we became parties to the salvation of every person under that plan….
“We went into a partnership with the Lord. The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father’s work, and the Savior’s work, but also our work. The least of us, the humblest, is in partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation.” [20]
May we through our covenants, cooperate with our Savior, align with the Almighty, and thus acquire His assistance to become one with Him as He is.
I testify to you that our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson is indeed a living prophet. We are led by prophets, seers, and revelators. Jesus Christ is our Savior. He lives. He is real. Heavenly Father is our loving Father. The covenants they share with us help us choose to become one with Them. This is our thing.
I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
1 Personal Invitation to Attend Institute (churchofjesuschrist.org)
[2] John 17:3
[3] John A. Widtsoe, “The Worth of Souls”, Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, October 1934, p. 189.
[4] Russell M. Nelson, “Covenants”, October 2011 General Conference.
[5] Russell M. Nelson, “A Pattern for Unity in Jesus Christ”, September 2024 Liahona.
[6] D&C 10:66-67
[7] Reyna I. Aburto, “We Are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”, April 2022 General Conference.
[8] Lawrence E. Corbridge, “Tand Forever”, BYU Speeches, January 22, 2019.
[9] Marion G. Romney, “Unity”, April 1983 General Conference.
[10] D. Todd Christofferson, Remarks at Ensign College President’s Workshop, September 4, 2024.
[11] Moses 7:21
[12]Dale G. Renlund, “Accessing God’s Power Through Covenants”, April 2023 General Conference.
[13] Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest”, October 2022 General Conference.
[14] D&C 20: 77-79
[15] D&C 84:33, 44
[16] General Handbook 27.2
[17] General Handbook 27.2
[18] Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Garment of the Holy Priesthood”, September 2024 Liahona.
[19] Romans 13:14
[20] John A. Widtsoe, “The Worth of Souls”, Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, October 1934, p. 189.