Making and Keeping Covenants
What a covenant is at its deepest level, why covenants matter individually and collectively, and how major gospel covenants are structured.
What Is a Covenant?
A covenant is an agreement between God and an individual. The person pledges obedience to God’s will and commandments, while God promises specific blessings in return. But a covenant is more than a contract. “A Covenant is more than a Contract/Agreement — it is the unifying of our self to God and his purposes.”
The Hebrew term da’ath (yada), used to describe ancient Israel’s covenant relationship with God, translates as “to know” — meaning to share unified concerns, obligations, dedication, and affections with God. This is the same word used for the deepest human relationships:
John 17:3
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
D&C 132:24
“This is eternal lives — to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent.”
Why Are Covenants Important?
Complete commitment to Christ’s gospel is essential. “Either you are committed or you are not. Either you are moving forward or you are standing still. There’s no halfway.”
For the individual: Covenants require actual obedience, not merely intellectual knowledge. JST James 2:18–19 teaches that “faith without works is dead and cannot save you.” Making covenants demands personal transformation through repentance and the Atonement.
Mosiah 3:19
“For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”
For the community: Throughout all dispensations, covenant disciples constitute a distinct “Covenant People.” These covenants bind members together, unite their beliefs and values, and enable spreading the gospel through organized community action.
How Is a Covenant Made?
Covenants typically involve four components:
Four Elements of a Covenant
- Ritual/Ordinance — performed through priesthood authority with symbolic meaning
- Promise/Oath — a commitment requiring action
- Name — taking a new designation, becoming different
- Blessing/Reward/Protection — what God promises in return
The Baptismal Covenant
Baptism symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection through immersion. We covenant to serve God and keep His commandments, take upon ourselves Christ’s name, and receive in return the forgiveness of sins and the gift of His Spirit.
The Marriage Covenant
The marriage ordinance binds husband and wife in unity through all circumstances with total fidelity. They take upon themselves one household name and receive in return the blessing of eternal union, eternal family, and eternal progression.
The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood
D&C 84:33–41
“For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies. They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God. And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord; For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.”
The promise of the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood is staggering: “all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.” And the warning is equally stark — those who break this covenant have no forgiveness in this world or the next.
Conclusion
The Lord employs covenants to increase our commitment to obedience, strengthen faith through promised rewards, transform hearts so that evil loses its appeal, and increase our sense of responsibility to obey. Covenants are not a burden — they are the mechanism by which God and His children become united in purpose, affection, and destiny.