In the Book of Mormon, two prophets (first Lehi, then his son, Nephi) see a vision about the path that leads to experiencing a fullness of God’s love, represented by partaking of the fruit of the tree of life.
Partaking of the fruit required an individual to enter the path, take hold of the iron rod, advance through the midst of darkness by holding to the rod to the end of the path. There were many who failed to hold to the rod or otherwise got lost in their efforts. Because life can be so unpredictable in what challenges arise, I think the iron rod underlines the significance and power of making and keeping commitments and covenants.
Elder J. Golden Kimball said, paraphrasing, “I may not always walk the straight and narrow but I sure try to cross it as many times as I can.” We all make mistakes as part of the learning process. While the blessings of the atonement are contingent upon our faithfulness to God’s commandments, the Lord’s work and glory is our progression to eternal life. To the degree we are willing to learn and change, He has every motivation to help us.
King Benjamin reminds us that, “he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.” As we commit to change, our repentance enables us to make meaningful and lasting development that get us back on the path that qualifies us for greater blessings.
As our faith and commitment to change deepens, we are both worthy and willing to solidify our resolve by way of covenant with God. These covenants strengthen our place on the path moving forward in a number of ways but I’ll mention two:
The Lord rewards our covenant-making with special blessings that further enable us to keep the covenants we make. Baptism is followed by the gift of the Holy Ghost, which both guides and sanctifies us. Further, we refer to our temple covenants as an endowment. As the Lord instructed Joseph,
“Verily I say unto you, it is expedient in me that the first elders of my church should receive their endowment from on high in my house, which I have commanded to be built unto my name in the land of Kirtland ….
“And inasmuch as they follow the counsel which they receive, they shall have power after many days to accomplish all things pertaining to Zion.”
Elsewhere in the scriptures the phrase is used that we are endowed with power. Which brings me to the second reason why our covenants are so important to the purpose of our existence. Our covenants are a source of power because they put us in a contractual agreement with the Savior Himself. It is His power we are able to draw on. As we take upon us the name of Christ and become joint-heirs with Him (Romans 8:17), “his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Ultimately it is that relationship that allows us to inherit all that the Father hath (D&C 84:33-39).
How important are our covenants? Returning to the imagery we began with, the Lord told Joseph Smith,
“Verily I say unto you, all among them who … are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me.
“For I, the Lord, will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit” (D&C 97:8–9).