RS Lesson 8 Aug 2010

Ok, first off, there are some changes in the RS presidency. The new presidency consists of; Sue Brown- President, Wendy Bonham- 1st Counselor, Dede Bessey- 2nd Counselor, and Margaret McAllister- Secretary.

Now, on to the lesson.
Our lesson, Ch. 15 of the Gospel Principles manual; entitled "The Lord's Covenant People" was taught by Sis. Susan Klippel.

Sis. Klippel started by saying that when she thinks of the word "Covenant" she is reminded of the story of Zoram. Zoram was Laban's servant. He made an oath to come with Nephi, Laman, and Lemuel into the wilderness, and to remain with them. On his word, Nephi, Laman, and Lemuel said their "fears did cease concerning him." (1 Nephi 4:37) Just because Zoram promised something, the brothers took him at his word, took him into their camp, accepted him into their family, and no longer feared him causing them to be discovered and therefore killed. That was quite the promise.

A covenant is a promise between man and God. It is a commitment. The new fourth verse of the Primary song "I Am A Child of God" says; "Celestial glory SHALL be mine, if I can but endure." Shall be mine, not could be mine, not might be mine, not "if the Lord keeps up His end." SHALL be mine, IF I can but endure. If there is a break in a covenant, we know from which side it had to have come. The Lord has told us that He "is bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." (D&C 82:10) We make covenants because we want the blessings that are promised. We, as Latter-day Saints, have been given an understanding of what these blessings are. The manual says "From the beginning, the Lord has made covenants with His children on earth. When His people make covenants (or promises) with Him, they know what He expects of them and what blessings they may expect from Him.

We each make individual covenants with the Lord. These include; baptism, taking of the sacrament, temple ordinances. For each covenant we make, we are given a promise. For example, when we partake of the sacrament, we promise to take His name upon ourselves, to remember Him, to obey His commandments. We are promised that the Holy Spirit will be with us.

The Lord also made covenants with Abraham. Sis. Klippel asked us "Why did the Lord choose Abraham?" The answer that I liked the most was "because Abraham chose Him!" In the Abrahamic covenant, the Lord promised Abraham;
1. That he would have numberless descendants.
2. That all of these descendants would be entitled to receive the gospel.
3. The blessings of the priesthood.
4. All of the ordinances of exaltation.
5. That through these descendants ALL the families of the earth would be blessed.
6. This covenant would be established with all generations of Abraham's children.

Abraham, in return, promised the Lord that he would;
1. Be righteous.
2. Carry the gospel to all nations.

The blood descendants of Abraham are not the only people whom God calls His covenant people. Two groups of people are included in the covenant made with Abraham. 1) Abraham's righteous blood descendants and 2) those adopted into his lineage by accepting and living the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Abraham 2:10, and 2 Nephi 30:2)
This means that each of us, when we are baptized into the church enters into the covenant the Lord made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Along with the blessings we receive as the Lord's covenant people, we have great responsibilities. The opportunity to preach the gospel to all the world belongs only to the Lord's church and His covenant people.

The fulness of the gospel is called the new and everlasting covenant. It includes the covenants made at baptism, during the sacrament, in the temple, and at any other time. When we accept the new and everlasting covenant, we agree to repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, receive our endowments, receive the covenant of marriage in the temple, and follow and obey Christ to the end of our lives. As we keep our covenants, our Heavenly Father promises us that we will receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom. (D&C 132:20-24) The greatness of that promise is hard for mortals to understand. The commandments He fives are for our benefit, and as we are faithful, we may forever share the blessings and beauties of heaven and earth. We may live in His presence and partake of His love, compassion, power, greatness, knowledge, wisdom, glory, and dominions.

What does being the Lord's covenant people have to do with us? What are our responsibilities today? Are you keeping the covenants you have made, so that "celestial glory SHALL be" yours? Dede B.