Jean B Bingham | Covenants with God Strengthen, Protect, and Prepare Us for Eternal Glory | Faith

Covenants with God Strengthen, Protect, and Prepare Us for Eternal Glory
By Jean B. Bingham

Relief Society General President

As we choose to make covenants and keep them, we will be blessed with more happiness in this life and a glorious eternal life to come.

Sisters, what a joy to gather in a worldwide sisterhood! As women who make and keep covenants with God, we share spiritual bonds that help us meet the challenges of our day and prepare us for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. And keeping those covenants allows us to be women of influence who can draw others to the Savior.

Those who have been baptized covenanted on that never-to-be-forgotten day to take Jesus Christ’s name upon them, to always remember Him, to keep His commandments, and to serve Him to the end. When we do these things, Heavenly Father promises to forgive our sins and give us the companionship of the Holy Ghost. These blessings start us on the path that, if we press forward and endure to the end, will allow us to live with Him and His Son in the celestial kingdom. Every baptized person has the promise of these privileges if she or he keeps the covenant made that special day.

Those who make further covenants in the temple receive powerful promises conditioned on personal faithfulness. We solemnly promise to obey God’s commandments, live the gospel of Jesus Christ, be morally pure, and dedicate our time and talents to the Lord. In return, God promises blessings in this life and the opportunity to return to Him.1 In that process, we are given, or endowed with, the power to discern between truth and error, between right and wrong, amid the confusing and negative voices that bombard us. What a powerful gift!

In preparation for my first trip to the temple, my mother and experienced Relief Society sisters helped me select the items I would need, including beautiful ceremonial clothing. But the most important preparation came even before knowing what to wear. After interviewing me to determine if I was worthy, my bishop explained the covenants I would make. His careful explanation gave me the chance to think about and be prepared to make those covenants.

When the day came, I participated with a feeling of gratitude and peace. Even though I did not understand the full significance of the covenants I made, I did know that I was bound to God through those covenants and was promised blessings I could scarcely comprehend if I kept them. Since that first experience, I have been continually assured that keeping the covenants we make with God allows us to draw upon the Savior’s power, which strengthens us in our inevitable trials, provides protection from the adversary’s influence, and prepares us for eternal glory.

Life’s experiences can range from humorous to heart-wrenching, from grim to glorious. Each experience helps us understand more about our Father’s encompassing love and our capacity to change through the Savior’s gift of grace. Keeping our covenants allows the Savior’s power to cleanse us as we learn through experience—whether it is a minor misjudgment or a major failing. Our Redeemer is there to catch us when we fall if we turn to Him.

Have you ever stood on a high cliff with your toes on its edge and your back to the abyss below? In rappelling, even though you are securely connected to a system of strong ropes and equipment that can deliver you to safety, standing on the edge is still heart-racing. Stepping backward off the cliff and swinging into thin air requires trust in an anchor secured to an immovable object. It demands trust in the person who will apply tension to the rope as you descend. And although the equipment provides you with some ability to control your descent, you must have confidence that your partner will not allow you to fall.

General Conference Saturday Womens Session April 2022

Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ”
🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200

😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com

⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/

📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon

📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible

⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq

👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/

#GeneralConferenceApril2022 #FaithToAct #Christian
#BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration