What is a Covenant?

This article was written by guest-writer, Cody Bosch.

“A covenant is a sacred promise, as used in the scriptures, a solemn, enduring promise between God and man. The fullness of the gospel itself is defined as the new and everlasting covenant.”-Boyd K. Packer. 
In an April 1987 address to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Boyd K. Packer related the story of the recent death of his fellow apostle, Elder A. Theodore Tuttle .The people of the Church were asked to fast and pray that he would recover from an illness that had been plaguing him.  Even with prayers of millions of faithful, however, Elder Tuttle eventually succumbed to his illness. During his address, Elder Packer, lest someone's faith be shaken, pulled out a sheet of paper that he originally had planned to read at Elder Tuttle's funeral, but at the time couldn't bring himself to do it.  Elder Packer informed the congregation of Elder Tuttle's humility and faith during his trying illness. In a visit to to Elder Tuttle's hospital bed, Elder Packer had heard the man say that he had prayed to God that all the blessings coming his way would be passed along to someone else who was more needful, more deserving.

“No matter what citizenship or race, whether male or female, no matter what occupation, no matter your education, regardless of the generation in which one lives, life is a homeward journey for all of us, back to the presence of God in his celestial kingdom.”-Boyd K. Packer. 

A covenant, like the one made by the ailing Elder Tuttle, is essentially a two-way promise between God and man. In exchange for obedience to God and His commandments, the commensurate blessings based on those commandments can be awarded in the Lord's  time. One covenant that each must make is the covenant of baptism. By being baptized by the correct authority, we signify to God that we are willing to end our life of sin and start anew, taking upon ourselves the name of Christ. The Lord holds His end of the deal by washing us clean from our repented sins, and have the opportunity for repentance should we stumble later on.
If you would like to learn more about covenants and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you can follow this link to chat live with actual missionaries. Mormon.org/chat

Mormonism: Why is the temple so important?

Anyone familiar with Mormonism probably has had some sort of exposure to the concept of temples. But many people are somewhat mystified by these buildings. What is their purpose? What goes on in there? And why does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stress so much importance on the temple attendance of its members?
Everything that goes on in Mormon temples is centered around the family and their relationship with Jesus Christ. All things done inside are to ensure the salvation of all and to bind families together for eternity. Simply stated, members of the Church go to the temple to perform essential ordinances and to make covenants with the Lord. It is a place of peace, a House of the Lord. Members go there for clarity, to reflect, to be nearer to God, to pray.
Another key purpose of LDS Temples is the redemption of the dead. Ancestors who died without baptism or the other essential ordinances of the Temple can do so by proxy. A living member of the Church, worthy to enter the temple, may perform these ordinances on behalf of the deceased by being baptized, confirmed, etc. in their place. Some outside the Church take issue with this, as it seems to them that the Church is forcibly converting people after death. But this is not the case. Members can only submit the names of direct ancestors, and if they wish to submit someone else's ancestor, they need express permission from a living descendant. According to the teachings of the LDS Church, there is an element of choice inherent in these proxy ordinances. Those on the other side have the choice as to whether they accept the ordinances, just as a person would have a choice here on earth. Members serving in the temple are merely opening a door for their ancestors; whether they walk through it or not is their choice.
One question often leveled to the Church is "Why is there so much secrecy surrounding the temple?" Most of what happens inside remains a mystery to non-Mormons, and even to those Mormons who have not been through the temple yet. Those who do know, usually don't talk about it outside the temple. If it's such a great place, why can't everybody know the intricate details?
There are a few reasons for this, the first being the sacredness of the temple and the mysteries learned therein. The temple is a sacred place, and only members of the Church who are worthy--meaning they obey the teachings of the Church to the best of their ability--may enter inside. These individuals may enter because they have disciplined themselves, and have proven themselves in the eyes of God that they can respect and cherish the blessings and teachings they receive inside the temple. Those who go through the temple have usually learned enough that what happens in the temple makes sense on some level, and has context. This is another reason that the inner-workings of Mormon temples are not trumpeted from the rooftops. They lack context. Without an understanding of the background of these ordinances, and their symbolic and spiritual implications, it's easy to discount them, to make light of them, and disrespect their holiness. The perceived "secrecy" is to protect the holy covenants of the temple from ridicule, and also to protect those who might mock them from judgement, as they do not have the full picture.
This is not to say that one trip to the temple can give you all the knowledge you need or instantly make you perfect. Members often describe themselves as continually learning new things, gaining new insights on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and gaining personal revelation for their lives. Even prophets, the men who lead, and receive revelation for the whole Church, have said that they are still learning on each visit to one of these sacred houses of the Lord.

On other sacred ordinances of the LDS Church, read this article about the importance of the sacrament.