Making Covenants

[MG 2.0]

…why not rely on your direct line to God?

What covenants have you made with God? With your direct line, that is.

Did He reveal and/or give/reveal those covenants to you?

Are they specific to you or are they for everyone?

Regards,
MG

[canpakes]

If God has a certain set of covenants that also require authority to administer, that limits the number of people who receive those covenants.

In what way is that advantageous to God or truth?

And there would need to be an administrator.

There apparently wasn’t one for the first several thousand years of modern civilization. Why start now?

This is even before the selection criteria for the creation of the Administration is considered, which was arguably inefficient and nonsensical, given where it started and how it currently operates.

Unless you’re thinking God is going to administer those same specific covenants to everyone one by one.

Given that The Almighty seems to have (or is claimed to have been) responsible for creating at least 20 times more galaxies in the known universe than there are people on this Earth, I don’t figure that the task you question would be beyond God’s abilities.

Disclaimer: I’m not trying to be difficult with the subject. I genuinely want to know how folks process these questions.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

They “process” it by just asserting it’s a thing. Boom. Thinking is done.

Well.

MG and “thinking” is oil and water, but you get the point.

- Doc

[Marcus]

Please give the board 3 examples of things you have learnt about covenants from Mulestain's book that you haven't really thought about before.

Can you also quote something from the book in support of those 3 examples that isn't included within the free sample content that Amazon provides?

Sure....These are ideas that are reinforced or added to just in the first nine pages...

funny, almost every time DCP quotes a book it ends up being from the single digit pages, or worse yet, from the latin numeral intro. it would be interesting to see an LDS apologist quote from the entirety of a book, but i am not holding my breath.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Sure....These are ideas that are reinforced or added to just in the first nine pages...

M.G. what are some examples of these "ideas are added to" just in the first nine pages?

Just list a few.

[honorentheos]

Can you also quote something from the book in support of those 3 examples that isn't included within the free sample content that Amazon provides?

Sure.

1. The New and Everlasting Covenant is the sum total of all gospel covenants and obligations.

D&C Section 132

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines—

2 Behold, and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee as touching this matter.

3 Therefore, prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same.

4 For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory.

5 For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world.

6 And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, it was instituted for the fulness of my glory; and he that receiveth a fulness thereof must and shall abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord God.

7 And verily I say unto you, that the conditions of this law are these: All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, and that too most holy, by revelation and commandment through the medium of mine anointed, whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this power (and I have appointed unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred), are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead.

Funny how the new and everlasting covenant sounds like a scam that protected Joseph Smith's scheme to cheat on his wife.

Of course, one would have to be willing to look at it without asserting Mormonism is true, and Mormon God exists, to see that.

And, friends, that is how these "covenants" work.

[MG 2.0]

Given that The Almighty seems to have (or is claimed to have been) responsible for creating at least 20 times more galaxies in the known universe than there are people on this Earth, I don’t figure that the task you question would be beyond God’s abilities.

I think you are putting yourself in a position where there is absolutely no logical answer to my question so you are pressed into the position of saying God can do anything and everything.

I’m not sure why accepting prophets as God’s messengers seems to be so gosh darn hard for a majority of people it seems. Yes, you are then having to determine/differentiate between a true prophet and a false prophet…but nonetheless.

Prophets have ALWAYS (and Jesus for that matter) have/has never been accepted by humanity at large. I suppose there may be a multitude of reasons for that.

One being that there are folks that don’t believe in or have a confidence that there is or even could be a creator God. It’s a nonstarter.

Covenants actually make sense. Why? Because it’s a two way relationship. We have to CHOOSE to have that relationship with the giver of all.

Out of interest, a question to those that are well trained in knowing the ins and outs of the other major world religions besides Christianity…are there other religions in which covenant making with a creator God is an absolutely integral part of that religion?

Regards,
MG

[MG 2.0]

MG and “thinking” is oil and water, but you get the point.

- Doc

I appreciate the fact that you do have an opinion.

Regards,
MG

[MG 2.0]

…it would be interesting to see an LDS apologist quote from the entirety of a book, but i am not holding my breath.

I didn’t want to hold off on mentioning the book in case there are those…not you, of course…who might want to pick up the book and read it.

It’s a work in process. I have a whole stack of books I’m muddling my way through.

I appreciate your interest.

By the way, I don’t consider myself to be an apologist. You and I both know I’m not in that class. I’m just a regular guy that has thoughts and opinions.

Regards,
MG

[MG 2.0]

…the new and everlasting covenant…

As I mentioned to IHAQ, what was interesting to me is that the author of the book I’m recommending quoted a number of authorities that made it pretty clear that the new and everlasting covenant actually includes all of the saving ordinances and covenants of the gospel, beginning with baptism for the remission of sins and entry into the Lord’s church

Regards,
MG