Covenants - How to Break a Covenant

Covenants - Being Added Upon

There are a lot of comments made about the 144,000. I would like to add a few thoughts. How does one become sealed so that they can become a member of the 144,000? First of all, who are the 144,000? What made them the 144,000 and why is that important? "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." - Revelations 7: 3-4, 14 In the Kingdom of Glories vision, Joseph Smith continues the description of the 144,000. However, he uses different language to discuss them. This describes those who have been sealed. "And again we bear record—for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just— They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given— That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power; And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. They are they who are the church of the Firstborn. They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things— They are they who are priests and kings, [queens and priestesses] who have received of his fulness, and of his glory; And are priests [priestesses] of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son. Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons [and daughters] of God— Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. And they shall overcome all things." D&C 76: 50-60 All of these blessings are preliminary. Each person must be thoroughly proven. "When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man [or women] is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man [or women] will find his [her] calling and his [her] election made sure, then it will be his [her] privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses." TPJS 149 - 150 "What was the power of Melchizedek? 'Twas not the Priesthood of Aaron which administers in outward ordinances, and the offering of sacrifices. Those holding the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood are kings and priests [queens and priestesses] of the Most High God, holding the keys of power and blessings. In fact, that Priesthood is a perfect law of theocracy, and stands as God to give laws to the people, administering endless lives to the sons and daughters of Adam" TPJS 322 Are all of these connected? Is the 144,000 connected to the church of the Firstborn? Is the 144,000 connected to becoming a King/Priest and Queen/Priestess? Is receiving your calling and election connected? Is that also connected to the terrestrial world and a point of fellowship required to be able to receive "they that come"? Is this token central to receiving Christ in His glory? Is this communicating getting "added upon"? Is this the desired outcome of the fulness of the gentiles? What begins this process? Is it a covenant or something else? Potential progress chart: Faith >> Repentance - Translates into Laws and Commandments Laws >> Covenant >> Priesthood >> Added Upon >> Sealed Sealed >> Zion >> Second Comforter

The Scripture Project – The Means to a Covenant

Covenants are the means of progression for all intelligent beings in this universe. It is THE means Heavenly Father uses to enable the progression of his children. Without a covenant, there is no progression.

Commandments and Law

A covenant must be based on something. God uses commandments and laws to base the condition of covenants on. When Moses first came down from Mount Sinai, he presented the children of Israel a set of commandments based on a Melchizedek law. After 400 years in Egypt, the children of Israel were not ready for the higher law, with higher blessings. A golden calf was built, and Charlton Heston had to go back up the mount to get a lesser law with a lower set of blessings. 

Faith

The children of Israel could have received a higher law. They, however, did not have the necessary faith to receive it. They put their faith and trust in the gods of the Egyptians and lost out on the higher law. In the first generation of the LDS church, Joseph Smith had the desire for all members of the church to receive the Melchizedek priesthood. The Melchizedek priesthood is given through the calling of His own voice.

“And thus, having been approved of God, he was ordained an high priest after the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch,
It being after the order of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God;
And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name.” -  JST Genesis 14: 27- 29

Obtaining the Melchizedek priesthood by the calling of His own voice didn’t work out, and was one of the biggest failures of the restoration. As a result, the School of the Prophets was formed and the Lectures on Faith were given to communicate how to have faith in God. The Lectures on Faith communicate foundational principles on what is necessary in order to have faith unto salvation.

1. A person must believe in God;
2. Have a correct understanding of his character attributes and perfections
3. Know the course in life one is pursuing is according to his will.

Repentance

With the correct faith, men and women can know what is required to repent and become like the God they believe in. The children of Israel, with the correct faith, would have been able to repent and know a golden calf was idolatrous and ineffective in assisting them to achieve the level of salvation God and Moses desired for them. Moses continued to work with the children of Israel in the wilderness, but Israel wouldn’t soften their hearts.

“Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;

But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.

Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;

And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel." D&C 84: 23-26

In the first generation of Mormonism, the correct faith enabled them to repent.  It showed them the conditions by which they were to receive the blessings God and Joseph Smith desired for them. Like the children of Israel, they hardened their heart and would not receive the higher commandments and law.

“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.” D&C 84: 54-57

Israel and the early Mormon church communicate how difficult it is to receive all that God offers us. It also shows how difficult it is to receive and keep covenants. When there is a group of people who have faith, and know how to repent, then they are in a position to receive a covenant.

Covenants

Covenants are a promise with a blessing. Men and women do not make covenants with God. They can make oaths or vows, but that is discouraged. They can only receive a covenant. In order to receive a covenant, a person must have something to base it off of. In each dispensation, the covenant is based off a set of commandments and laws. If the people obey the commandments, they are blessed. If they do not obey the commandments, they are cursed.

“Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever.” 2 Nephi 1:9

Right now, there is an ability to present to the Father a set of scriptures which will be approved by common consent. These scriptures represent a set of commandments and a law, that if obeyed, can constitute the conditions for a possible covenant with God. God has the right to accept the conditions set forth and the associated commandments and law. The group who is presenting the scriptures do not have the right, and they are unable to create a covenant. The group is presenting the conditions, God accepts or rejects them. God has the only right to provide a covenant.

What is missing in the narrative and conversation around the scripture project is that if the project isn’t presented with one heart and one mind, why would the Lord give a covenant? This process must be presented meekly with a lowly heart. It needs to include every voice who wants to receive the covenant. Everyone should read and add their voice to the project. The scripture project can result in a great blessing. Covenants always come with related blessings. The people need to qualify for it first. That will then allow the people the opportunity to be added upon with blessings.