Covenants and Ordinances

This week, we focused on the third paragraph of the proclamation:

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally. 

Helpful Readings:

• Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Power of Covenants”
• Elder Boyd K. Packer, “Covenants and Ordinances”

Insights I gained from reading those talks:

- The Lord gives His children trials to chasten them but to also try their faith and patience. That's always been a sort of hard concept for me but I am beginning to really understand it as I go through my own trials.

- You only get to become an angel if you don't get married in the temple. You can't go on to the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. That would be really sad I think. 

- Material and worldly things truly do not matter. The only things that matter are our relationships with God and the Savior and our families. Those are the things that last beyond death.

- We can be exalted only through sacred ordinances done in the temple.

- A covenant is a promise made between you and God, where God has come up with the stipulations. However, this is a great thing because He always keeps His promises and His rewards are great. 

- God's church (this gospel) is one of order. Everything has its place and time.

Foundational Principles:

-Families can be together for ever through sacred ordinances and covenants made in the temple.

- Baptism, confirmation, priesthood, endowment, and sealing are all priesthood ordinances

- Marrying in the temple or having an ordinance done for the dead is the only way to be sealed for eternity

- Ordinances and covenants are our credentials to live in His presence again.

Insights I've gained from this week:

- I need to work on family history more. I have a lot of work to do. All of this talk about temples and things performed in them, got me thinking. 

- We will be protected from anything as long as we live the gospel, visit the temple, and live close to the Lord.

- Keeping covenants is what keeps us smiling through hardships because God always keeps His promises, so why would we doubt Him looking out for us for even a second?

- We agreed to these covenants in our premortal existence. I had no idea. That’s pretty cool. It makes me feel less nervous

- I also had no idea that you could only be a ministering angel if you choose not to be married in the temple. Being married in the temple is so very important. I cannot wait for the day I get to do it.

- The blessings and covenants only work by your faith.