Covenants, part 1

In the church we generally speak of covenants as being two way promises between God and man.  While this definition technically isn’t wrong it’s very, very incomplete.  Gospel covenants create sacred, binding relationships (see Mosiah 5:7).   

The ancient Israelites probably understood what it meant to be the Lord’s covenant people much better than we do today.  If there is anything that the Lord takes very seriously it is His covenants. 

D&C 109 contains the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland temple.  It isn’t Joseph’s prayer.  It is the Lord’s prayer and was given by revelation.  Its words have great significance.  Verse one states “Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant...”.  Of all God’s titles and of all of the ways He could properly be addressed, He chooses here to remind us and to be known as one who keeps his covenants.  This applies to both the Father and the Son.

He continues, “and showest mercy unto thy servants who walk uprightly before thee, with all their hearts“ (D&C 109:1).  He recognizes that we do not keep our covenants perfectly.  He does.  We don’t.  He shows mercy unto us, but in return he expects us to walk uprightly with all our hearts. 

His claim that he “showest mercy” is humbly understated.  He is full of patience and long-suffering.  The whole allegory of Zenos (Jacob 5) is primarily a testimony of the Lord’s patience and long suffering with the House of Israel (and with us individually as well).  Israel’s entire history and status as a covenant people is testimony not to their greatness or faithfulness (most often than not, they failed miserably) or of their favored status but rather stands as a testimony to how fully God intends to fulfill His covenants.  He tries over and over and over until he finally asks three times “what could I have done more?” (Jacob 5:41, 47, 49)  Jacob concludes his recital of Zenos’ allegory by admonishing us to repent and come to God with full purpose of heart and to “cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you.” (Jacob 6:5)  The meaning and context that these types of statements held with the ancients has been lost to our modern western society.

Notice the similarity in the Kirtland prayer to the dedication of Solomon’s temple anciently:

And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:

And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:  Who has kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him… (1 Kings 8:22-24, emphasis added)

Solomon acknowledges that the Lord keeps his covenants and that he fulfilled all of his promises to his father David.  Truly the Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever (Mormon 9:9).  And truly he keeps his covenants perfectly.