Linda K. Burton

 

(black text is the original talk; all yellow highlights are things I am commenting on;All blue text are my thoughts and are my opinions only and do not represent the official position of the speaker or the church.)

The Power, Joy, and Love of Covenant Keeping

By Linda K. Burton
Relief Society General President

I invite each of us to evaluate how much we love the Savior, using as a measure how joyfully we keep our covenants. "Do you love the Savior?" is not a "yes" or "no" question based on what you say you believe about him. True love motivates one to act, and since he is not here for you to know in person, you have to act in faith.

I’d like to begin by sharing a story that touches my heart.

One evening a man called his five sheep to come into the shelter for the night. The Savior always offers us shelter His family watched with great interest as he simply called, “Come on,”The Savior's call is simple - "Come, follow me" and immediately all five heads lifted and turned in his direction. This should be our response to the Savior's voice; an immediate response Four sheep broke into a run toward him. I love this image...if I heard the Savior's voice today, would I feel to run towards him? With loving kindness he gently patted each of the four on the head. The sheep knew his voice and loved him.And how did he know they loved him? They came!

But the fifth sheep didn’t come running. Remember, that she had heard his voice. She is making the choice not to come. She was a large ewe that a few weeks earlier had been given away by her owner, who reported that she was wild, wayward, and always leading the other sheep astray. A judgment has been made about the worth of this sheep.The new owner accepted the sheep and staked her in his own field for a few days so she would learn to stay put. The Savior's "field" has fences, and stakes and ropes; means to lovingly teach one to stay in his watchful care. He patiently taught her to love him Think of it...you are not the one teaching yourself to love the Savior; HE is teaching you and the other sheep and he's not just teaching you to love Him, but others as well...until eventually she had only a short rope around her neck but was no longer staked down. Accepting the Savior and his commandments brings freedom. We learn this over time.

That evening as his family watched, the man approached the ewe, which stood at the edge of the field,Even though she was learning, she still kept herself apart and again he gently said, “Come on. You aren’t tied down anymore. You are free.” Sometimes we are the last ones to accept our own change. We don't believe that we aren't that same wild, wayward, rejected lamb. Then lovingly he reached out, placed his hand on her head, and walked back with her and the other sheep Always with love, always gently; the Savior walks with us and makes sure we feel included with the other sheep toward the shelter.¹

In the spirit of that story, I pray that the Holy Ghost will help us learn together tonight about covenant keeping.  This story isn't about the wayward sheep. It is about the Master and following his example. Making and keeping covenants means choosing to bind "bind" means to "fasten or secure" ourselves to our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. It is committing "commit" is "to entrust for safekeeping" to follow the Savior. It is trusting Him and desiring to show our gratitude for the price He paid to set us free through the infinite gift of the Atonement.Making a covenant is of no value if you don't keep it. In making a covenant, we choose it to fasten ourselves to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and entrust our will to them. Our understanding of the Atonement is so deep and profound that we cannot help but show that love by desiring to do everything they ask.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained that “a covenant is a binding spiritual contract, a solemn promise to God our Father that we will live and think and act in a certain way—the way of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. WWJD In return, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost promise us the full splendor of eternal life.”² In that binding contract, the Lord sets the terms and we agree to keep them. Making and keeping our covenants is an expression of our commitment to become like the Savior.³ The ideal is to strive for the attitude best expressed in a few phrases of a favorite hymn: “I’ll go where you want me to go. … I’ll say what you want me to say. … I’ll be what you want me to be.”⁴

Why Make and Keep Covenants?

1. Covenant keeping strengthens, empowers, and protects. I want these blessings...I need these blessing...

Nephi saw in vision the significant blessings the Lord bestows upon covenant keepers: “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended … upon the covenant people of the Lord, … and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.”⁵

We should be able to testify that we can feel the power of God arming us with righteousness. I recently met a dear new friend. She testified that after she had received her temple endowment, she felt strengthened with the power to resist temptations Blessing #1 she had previously struggled with.

As we keep our covenants, we also receive courage and strength to help us bear one another’s burdens. And why does it take courage and strength to do this? Probably because it takes time; sacrifice of time; physical and emotional effort; and spiritual stretching as we call on the Lord for aid. A heartbroken sister had a son who was experiencing a difficult mortal challenge. Because of her faith in her Relief Society sisters as covenant keepers, Is this how people see you? she courageously invited them to fast and pray for her son. Other people can't keep their covenant to bear your burden if you aren't willing to tell them about it.  Years ago, I attended a Church Music Workshop at BYU. One of the classes was taught by Merrilee Webb. Each class of the workshop always began with prayer, but Sis. Webb's class was different. Before we prayed she asked the sisters if they had any special needs they would like the sisters to pray in faith for. And then the sister saying the prayer would pray for these sisters by name, and their specific situation. One sister had a son struggling with his decision to go on a mission. Another prayed her friend's heart would soften. It was not a long process but such a spiritual experience that I found myself RUNNING to that class just so I would not miss the prayer. I think this is what Sis. Burton is talking about:) Another sister expressed how she wished she had asked for similar prayers from her sisters. Years before, her own son was struggling. She wished she had invited them to help her family bear this burden. Repeated for emphasis...share your burden; trust that others will keep their covenants. The Savior said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”⁶ Keeping covenants requires those in need and those who can help to unite their faith and trust in one another and the Lord.
Oh, sisters, we all have burdens to bear and burdens to share. An invitation to bear one another’s burdens is an invitation to keep our covenants. Trust that others won't be "put out" if you ask for help; and don't be "put out" if you are asked to help. Lucy Mack Smith’s counsel to the first Relief Society sisters is more relevant today than ever before: “We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another and gain instruction, that we may all sit down in heaven together.”⁷ This is covenant keeping and visiting teaching at its finest! Keeping covenants requires charity. One says, "I love you; I want to help you; my heart goes out to you. And the other says, "I know you do; I trust you; teach me." Both are filled with joy! And we all take turns being the giver and the receiver.

The Book of Mormon reminds us that even the prophet No one is exempt Alma had to bear the burden of having a rebellious son. Wayward children are a burden for loving parents But Alma was blessed with covenant-keeping brothers and sisters and so are you! in the gospel who were deeply converted unto the Lord and had learned what it meant to bear each other’s burdens. We are familiar with the verse in Mosiah that speaks of the great faith of Alma’s prayers in behalf of his son. But the record states that “the Lord … heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma.”⁸

Others shared Alma's burden...We know that the Lord always rejoices “in the soul that repenteth,”⁹ but we desire above all to have our children follow the counsel of President Henry B. Eyring to “start early and be steady” in making and keeping covenants.¹⁰ This takes prayerful, diligent watchful planning. Not long ago a thought-provoking and sincere question was raised in a council of priesthood and auxiliary leaders: do we really expect eight-year-olds to keep their covenants? As we counseled together, it was suggested that one way to prepare children to make and keep sacred baptismal covenants is to help them learn to make and keep a simple promise.We all can do this. Make a conscious effort to do what you say you will do and then know you are getting better at making and keeping covenants. Push yourself to make and keep harder and harder promises.

Faithful parents are entitled to know how to best teach to meet the needs of their children. Step 1: Be a faithful parent. Step 2: Claim the promise that you can ask and receive specific guidance regarding your children. Ask in faith and expect an answer. That's what Joseph Smith did...As parents seek and act Be prepared to do what you are told...on personal revelation, counsel together,two is always better than one minister means "give care, service or aid" and teach the simple principles of the gospel, they will have power to strengthen and protect their families.God is not going to give you instruction in answer to your prayer and have it be ineffective... Other family members can also help. My cute grandpa taught us the importance of keeping promises through a simple song. It went something like this: “Before you make a promise, consider well its importance. Then when made, engrave it upon your heart. Engrave it upon your heart.” That little song was taught with love, conviction, and power because Grandpa engraved his own promises on his heart.By small and simple means...

A wise mother I know intentionally includes her children Even though it is easier to do something on your own...in her efforts to keep her covenants. She joyfully Your children hear your attitude more than your actions bears the burdens of neighbors, friends, and ward members—Though there is probably more than enough to do in her own family, she extends her reach beyond that and teaches her children to "love thy neighbor" and comforts those who stand in need of comfort. It was not surprising when her young daughter recently came asking for help to know how to best comfort her friend whose father had just passed away. That was a perfect setting to teach that her desire to comfort her friend Help others connect their righteous actions and desires to love for the Savior was one way to keep her baptismal covenant. How can we expect children to make and keep temple covenants if we don’t expect them to keep their first covenant—their baptismal covenant?  Line upon line...

Elder Richard G. Scott observed, “One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds.”¹¹ This is "being a good citizen" at it's best! What are some ways we can create  Never forget your power to create such a home to prepare our children to make and keep temple covenants?

1. • We can discover together what it means to be worthy of a temple recommend.
2. • We can discover together how to listen to the Holy Ghost. Because the temple endowment is received by revelation, we need to learn that vital skill.This statement is worth pondering. We endowment isn't a one time event. We grow into it as we learn about it through revelation. There is more there than we realize...
   
3. • We can discover together how to learn through the use of symbols, beginning with the sacred symbols of baptism and the sacrament.
4. • We can discover together why the body is sacred, why it is sometimes referred to as a temple, and how modest dress and grooming relates to the sacred nature of temple clothing.
5. • We can discover the plan of happiness in the scriptures. The more familiar we are with Heavenly Father’s plan and the Atonement in the scriptures, the more meaningful temple worship will be.
6. • We can learn the stories of our ancestors together, research family history, index, and perform vicarious temple work for deceased loved ones.
7. • We can discover together the meaning of terms such as endowment, ordinance, sealing, priesthood, keys, and other words related to temple worship.
8. • We can teach that we go to the temple to make covenants with Heavenly Father—we return home to keep them!¹² 

Notice how she keeps saying "discover together". As you study and share you will learn too! This is a checklist of things we need to make sure our children and grandchildren understand. We teach them first, by example. 
Let us remember the concept of “good, better, and best” as we teach.¹³ It is good to teach our children about the temple. It is better to prepare and expect them to make and keep covenants. It is best to show them by example that we cheerfully cleave to our own baptismal and temple covenants! Example covers the first two. Sisters, do we realize our vital role in the work of salvation as we nurture, teach, and prepare children to progress along the covenant path? The power to do so will come as we honor and keep our covenants. Children need mommies to be mommies!  Power comes by first being what we desire our children to become. Not perfection, but striving...

2. Keeping covenants is essential for true happiness.

President Thomas S. Monson taught, “Sacred covenants are to be revered by us, and faithfulness to them is a requirement for happiness.”¹⁴ In 2 Nephi we read, “And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.”¹⁵ I always wondered what this looked like. "manner" is a "way of doing or being" so, the "manner of happiness" is to "be" a covenant keeper! It is independent of circumstances, trial, position, or education. Earlier in this same chapter we learn that Nephi and his people had just built a temple. Ahh...I love how we are given so many clues in the scriptures, but we have to put them together...Surely they were joyful covenant keepers! And in Alma we read, “But behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni.”¹⁶ Why? Again we learn in a previous verse that they “were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord.”¹⁷ Covenant keepers are commandment keepers!And commandment keepers are HAPPY PEOPLE!!!!

I love the scripture that reads: “And now when the people had heard these words [meaning the words describing the baptismal covenant], they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.”¹⁸ I love the desire of their hearts. They cheerfully desired to make and keep their covenants!Why? Because they just heard the "secret" to happiness; the "way" through all their trials; that the "answer" was within their power; that they were not here to be "acted upon" but to "act" and that in "acting" as covenant keepers they would be HAPPY!!!

One Sunday a young sister joyfully exclaimed, “I get to take the sacrament today!” When was the last time we rejoiced in that privilege? And how do we demonstrate it? We do this by always remembering the Savior and always keeping His commandments, which include keeping His Sabbath day holy. We do it by always remembering Him as we always have our personal and family prayers, daily scripture study, and weekly family home evenings. And when we get distracted or casual Warning....these are the stumbling blocks to watch for! Distractions and being casual in our obedience! with these important things, we repent and begin again.Do you intend to keep all of Father's commandments? "Yes! ALL of them!" But when I fail.... I try again. If there were a sign over my door it would say, "Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me."(Mosiah 26:30)

Making and cheerfully This is really being emphasized; (Moroni 7:8) For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God." keeping our covenants gives validity "makes valid; binds the Lord" and life makes active to the vital sacred and saving does not sound optional ordinances we need to receive in order to obtain “all that [the] Father hath.”¹⁹ Ordinances and covenants are the “spiritual milestones” President Henry B. Eyring referred to when he taught: “The Latter-day Saints are a covenant people. From the day of baptism through the spiritual milestones of our lives, we make promises with God and He makes promises with us. He always keeps His promises offered through His authorized servants, but it is the crucial test of our lives to see if we will make and keep our covenants with Him.”²⁰

3. Keeping our covenants demonstrates Can't just "say"...must "do" our love for the Savior and our Father in Heaven.

Of all the reasons we ought to be more diligent in our covenant keeping, this reason is more compelling than all—love. This has been a great emphasis of Pres. Eyring. That the compelling reason we serve others is because of our love for the Savior...even more than our love for those we serve, or duty. A verse in the Old Testament is one that touches my heart as we consider the principle of love. Who of us is not moved by Jacob and Rachel’s biblical love story as we read, “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her”?²¹ Love changes our perspective of time and enduring. If the "journey seems long", focus more on cultivating a deeper love for the Savior. Sisters, do we keep our covenants with that kind of deep and devoted love? Dig deeper, grow roots...

Why was the Savior willing to keep His covenant with the Father and fulfill His divine mission to atone for the sins of the world? It was His love for His Father and His love for us. Why was the Father willing to allow His Only Begotten and perfect Son to suffer pain beyond description to bear the sins, heartaches, sicknesses, and infirmities of the world and all that is unfair in this life? We find the answer in these words: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.”²²   We have been given the perfect example. Love overcomes everything. Love can change anything. “If we fully appreciated the many blessings which are ours through the redemption made for us, there is nothing that the Lord could ask of us that we would not anxiously and willingly do.”²³ Clearly, we can learn to more fully appreciate the blessings of the Atonement. According to this statement by President Joseph Fielding Smith, covenant keeping is one way to express our love and we will want to show it in this manner. It's where the "cheerfully" attitude comes from..for the incomprehensible, infinite Atonement of our Savior and Redeemer and the perfect love of our Father in Heaven.

Elder Holland movingly suggested, “I am not certain just what our experience will be on Judgment Day, but I will be very surprised if at some point in that conversation, God does not ask us exactly what Christ asked Peter: ‘Did you love me?’”²⁴ Did you keep my commandments? Did you feed my sheep? Tonight I invite each of us to evaluate how much we love the Savior, using as a measure how joyfully we keep our covenants. Not just "if" you keep them, but "how joyfully" you keep them. Do you love to read the scriptures or is it a duty or chore? Do you love to visit your sisters? Do you love to pray? attend church? serve at the cannery? the vegetable farm? care for the sick? The Savior said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: Don't tell me you love me and then go days without reading your scriptures or weeks without having family home evening, or skip Sunday School, or fail to visit your aging mother... and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”²⁵ How we all need a regular manifestation of the Savior in our daily lives!  This promise is both spiritual and literal!  You can feel the love of the Savior every day; you can also seek a personal audience with the Lord. This is what the temple teaches us. (Read "Following the Light of Christ" by John Pontius.) Your vision will expand:)

Let us remember that even those who have been wayward in the past or who are currently struggling can feel the touch of the Good Shepherd’s hand upon their heads and hear His voice saying: “Come on. You aren’t tied down anymore. You are free.” Never give up...The Savior said, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”²⁶ He can say that because He kept His covenants with love. The question then is, will we? May we go forth with faith, cheerful hearts, and a great desire to be covenant keepers. This is how we demonstrate our love for our Father in Heaven and our Savior, both of whom I testify with great love in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. The morning after this talk was given (a Sunday) I went to meet a friend's son to let him in his mother's storage unit (she is serving a mission). When I went to his apartment, I saw him in a complete mess, with no help and less than 12 hours to be moved out. He is not active and is struggling to make his own way "through the mists of darkness".  The Lord gave me this opportunity to love Him (the Savior) on a day when I was free from responsibilities at church. (He made it really easy to say yes) I called and woke my daughter up with these words: "Would you like to keep your baptismal covenant today?" I explained the situation to her, and for the next 6 hours we cleaned and packed for this young man. Did we go to church that day? No. Were we living our religion? Yes! 

                                               *  *  *  *  *

Now, we know when someone prepares a talk that they have studied and gather much much more than they have time to share. The teacher, we say, always learns more than the student They choose words and stories that will convey the messages in compact ways. It is our opportunity to spend time "unpacking" these wonderful talks to learn as much as the one preparing it did. We do that by studying their resources.

Notes

1.   1. See D. Todd Christofferson, “You Are Free,” Ensign, Mar. 2013, This is worth reading!38, 40; or Liahona, Mar. 2013, 16, 18.
   
2.   2. Jeffrey R. Holland, “Keeping Covenants: A Message for Those Who Will Serve a Mission,” New Era, Jan. 2012, 3; or Liahona, Jan. 2012, 49.
   
3.   3. See “Understanding Our Covenants with God,” Ensign, July 2012, 25; or Liahona, July 2012, 23.
   
4.   4. “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go,” Hymns, no. 270; emphasis added.
   
5.   5. 1 Nephi 14:14.
   
6.   6. John 13:35.
   
7.   7. Lucy Mack Smith, in Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 25.
   
8.   8. Mosiah 27:14; emphasis added.
   
9.   9. Doctrine and Covenants 18:13.
   
10.   10. See Henry B. Eyring, “Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 37–40.
    
11.   11. Richard G. Scott, “For Peace at Home,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 30.
    
12.   12. See D. Todd Christofferson, “The Gospel Answers Life’s Problems and Challenges” (worldwide leadership training meeting, Feb. 2012); lds.org/broadcasts.
    
13.   13. See Dallin H. Oaks, “Good, Better, Best,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 104.
    
14.   14. Thomas S. Monson, “Happiness—the Universal Quest,” Ensign, Oct. 1993, 4; or Liahona, Mar. 1996, 5.
    
15.   15. 2 Nephi 5:27.
    
16.   16. Alma 50:23.
    
17.   17. Alma 50:22.
    
18.   18. Mosiah 18:11.
    
19.   19. Doctrine and Covenants 84:38.
    
20.   20. Henry B. Eyring, “Witnesses for God,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 30; emphasis added.
    
21.   21. Genesis 29:20.
    
22.   22. John 3:16.
    
23.   23. Joseph Fielding Smith, “Importance of the Sacrament Meeting,” Relief Society Magazine, Oct. 1943, 592.
    
24.   24. Jeffrey R. Holland, “The First Great Commandment,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 84.
    
25.   25. John 14:21.
    
26.   26. John 10:11.

Time to go back and identify the Imperatives (things we are being asked to do); the Doctrinal Insights; and the Prophecies and Promises and Warnings

IMPERATIVES 

• Be a faithful, cheerful covenant keeper
• Have the courage and strength to bear one anothers burdens; invite others to share your burden; accept the invitation
• Cherish, watch over, comfort and gain instruction from one another
• Help young children to start early and stay steady in keeping covenants by helping them to make and keep simple promises. 
• Expect children to keep their baptismal covenants
• Bless the world with the power of a Christ-centered home:
• temple worthy;temple service; temple learning
• listen to the Holy Ghost
• understand sacred symbols
• modest dress and grooming
• study the scriptures
• family history
• make and keep covenants

• Remember "good, better, best" - best to show by example
• Rejoice in the privilege of partaking of the sacrament; show that gratitude:
• ALWAYS remember the Savior
• ALWAYS keep His commandments:
• ALWAYS keep the Sabbath day holy
• ALWAYS have personal and family prayer
• ALWAYS have daily scripture study
• ALWAYS have weekly family home evening
• Repent if you have become distracted or casual in your obedience
• Keep your covenants with a deep and devoted love
• Evaluate how much you love the Savior by measuring how joyfully you keep your covenants.

DOCTRINAL INSIGHTS

• Covenant Keeping is choosing to bind yourself to God; committing to follow the Savior; trusting Him; showing gratitude for the Atonement.
• Mothers have a vital role in the work of salvation as they nurture, teach, and prepare children to progress along the covenant path.
• Keeping covenants is essential to true happiness
• The "manner of happiness" describe by the Nephites came from being covenant keepers.
• Christ obeyed the Father out of love; the Father sacrificed His Son out of love for us

PROMISES

• Covenant Keeping strengthens, empowers and protects
• Faithful parents are entitled to know how to best teach and meet the needs of their children.
• As you seek and act on personal revelation, counsel together as parents, minister, and teach simple principles of the gospel, you will have power to strengthen and protect your family. 
• The power to fulfill your vital role in the work of salvation will come as you honor and keep your covenants.
• Fully appreciate your blessings through the Atonement and you will feel to obey ALL the Lord's commands promptly and willingly
• When you love the Savior and Heavenly Father (by keeping your covenants) they will love you and the Savior will manifest himself to you.

 WARNINGS

• It is the crucial test of your life to see if you will make and keep your covenants.