Please visit mormon.org for a wonderful basis to the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A couple of weeks ago I created a blog that told of an older lady in my ward.  We had gone as a ward choir to sing for her, since she was a long-time member of the choir and now homebound.  

This past week, she passed away, which was expected.  The funeral was earlier this week and the ward choir was asked to perform, of which I am the piano accompanist.  The point of this current blog will be to relate the last lesson I had in my Book of Mormon class at Brigham Young University.  The topic was relative to the covenant and kingdom of Christ compared to the covenant and kingdom of the Father (God).  A covenant, according to lds.org is "a sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people. God sets specific conditions, and He promises to bless us as we obey those conditions. When we choose not to keep covenants, we cannot receive the blessings, and in some instances we suffer a penalty as a consequence of our disobedience."

I learned that the Bible and Book of Mormon contain holy writ mostly about the saving ordinances necessary for salvation.  Christ’s doctrine (singular) is the simple truths of the gospel: have faith in Him and His atonement, repent of our mistakes, be baptized and make that covenant to follow Him, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which ultimately leads us to “endure to the end”.  Most religions would agree with this doctrine and say that is how we are to be “saved”.

However, Christ alludes to things we must do that go beyond the “saving” ordinances described above.  We must learn about the covenant and kingdom of the Father.

This covenant is how families, not just individuals, can be saved, and exalted in the life hereafter.  If faithful, we then can be part of the kingdom of the Father – which is to live, as families, in His presence.

Now, the reason I bring this up, is because this past week as I was attending the funeral, I realized the importance of this concept.  I’ve always just thought of the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of the Father as an all-in-one encompassing realm, so to speak. However, there is a grand difference, and the latter (getting to God’s kingdom) is a more difficult task.  This old lady whom we respect and revere highly, lead a Christ-like life and kept all of her promises with God.  She not only covenanted with Christ through baptism and the other “saving” ordinances, but in God’s temple, she was able to make covenants as a family that would enable her to live with God, in His kingdom, forever.  She lived a full life, and kept the faith, and honored her covenants.  That’s what this life is about.  Learning what God wants us to do, and successfully heeding His wishes.

Tags: God Jesus Christ Book Mormon BYU Covenant

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