Why the Covenant Path
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Before Reading
Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:
- What does Elder Christofferson mean by the "covenant path"?
- How can making and keeping covenants open the door to spiritual blessings and privileges?
- What are the unique aspects of the covenant path according to Elder Christofferson?
- How does the covenant path impact our obedience to God?
- What are the blessings of gathering with the covenant people?
Topics
Understanding the Covenant Path
The covenant path is the path that leads to the celestial kingdom of God, which begins at baptism and extends beyond mortality. It involves receiving all the ordinances and covenants pertaining to salvation and exaltation. Walking this path helps us avoid many problems and challenges in life.
What is the covenant path? It is the one path that leads to the celestial kingdom of God.
We embark upon the path at the gate of baptism and then “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men [the two great commandments] … to the end.”
- What does the covenant path represent?
- How does one embark on the covenant path?
- What are some benefits of walking the covenant path?
- How have you experienced the benefits of walking the covenant path?
- What steps can you take to more diligently walk the covenant path?
- How can you help others embark on and stay on the covenant path?
Committed Obedience
Walking the covenant path involves a higher level of obedience to God. Beyond just having good intentions, we solemnly commit to live by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God. We feel accountable to God for our choices and lives, and our obedience becomes rooted in our souls.
With covenants, we are intent on more than just avoiding mistakes or being prudent in our decisions. We feel accountable to God for our choices and our lives.
With covenants, obedience to gospel principles becomes rooted in our very soul.
- How does walking the covenant path affect our level of obedience to God?
- What does it mean to feel accountable to God for our choices and lives?
- How have you experienced the rooting of obedience to gospel principles in your soul?
- What can you do to increase your level of committed obedience?
- How has your commitment to the covenant path influenced your daily decisions and actions?
Being Bound to God
The covenants God offers to His children not only guide us, but also bind us to Him. This binding relationship allows us to overcome all things. Each person makes an individual commitment to God and in return receives a personal covenant from Him.
The covenants God offers to His children do more than guide us. They bind us to Him, and, bound to Him, we can overcome all things.
Each one makes an individual commitment to God and in return receives from Him a personal covenant, by name, that he or she can rely on implicitly in time and eternity.
- How do the covenants we make with God bind us to Him?
- What does it mean to have a personal covenant with God?
- How have you experienced the power of being bound to God through covenants?
- What does your personal covenant with God mean to you?
- How can you strengthen your binding relationship with God?
Receiving Divine Help
God provides an incomprehensible gift to help us keep our covenants: the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift provides constant companionship, protection, guidance, hope, and perfect love. On the covenant path, we also find essential blessings of forgiveness and cleansing from sin.
God provides an almost incomprehensible gift to help covenant-makers be covenant-keepers: the gift of the Holy Ghost.
On the covenant path we also find the essential blessings of forgiveness and cleansing from sin.
- What is the role of the Holy Ghost in helping us keep our covenants?
- What are some of the essential blessings we find on the covenant path?
- How have you experienced the help of the Holy Ghost in keeping your covenants?
- How have the blessings of forgiveness and cleansing from sin impacted your journey on the covenant path?
- How can you seek and recognize more of the divine help available to you on the covenant path?
Gathering with the Covenant People
Those pursuing the covenant path also find blessings in various divinely appointed gatherings, such as weekly church meetings, temple visits, and other gatherings of the covenant people. These gatherings provide spiritual and physical renewal, opportunities for worship and service, and a chance to receive the ordinances, blessings, and revelation uniquely available there.
Fourth, those pursuing the covenant path also find singular blessings in various divinely appointed gatherings.
The covenant people also gather to the temple, the house of the Lord, to obtain the ordinances, blessings, and revelation uniquely available there.
- What are some of the divinely appointed gatherings Elder Christofferson mentions?
- What are the blessings of gathering with the covenant people?
- How have you experienced the blessings of gathering with the covenant people?
- How have your experiences in these gatherings strengthened your commitment to the covenant path?
- How can you more fully participate in and benefit from these gatherings?
Inheriting Covenant Promises
The ultimate blessings of walking the covenant path are the inheritance of the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the blessings of salvation and exaltation that only God can give. Those who are loyal to their covenants will come forth in the resurrection of the just and inherit all things.
Finally, it is only in pursuing the covenant path that we inherit the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the ultimate blessings of salvation and exaltation that only God can give.
Those who are loyal to their covenants “shall come forth in the resurrection of the just.”
- What are the ultimate blessings of walking the covenant path?
- What does it mean to be "loyal to our covenants"?
- How does the promise of inheriting the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob motivate you to stay on the covenant path?
- How have you experienced the blessings of salvation and exaltation in your life?
- How can you demonstrate your loyalty to your covenants?
