The Priesthood always was given for the blessing of the human family. People talk about it as though it was for the special benefit of individuals. What was said of Abraham? “In thee and in thy seed”—what? I will confer blessings upon thee. O, that is all right so far as it goes. But “in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” [See Abraham 2:11.] Let us act in the capacity of benefactors, and if we are descended of Abraham, let us walk in his footsteps and make ourselves worthy of the promises, let us extend our feelings wide as eternity, and seek to bless and benefit, lift up and ennoble all around us; that we may all rejoice together and be exalted by the same principles which have been revealed for the benefit of all men. …
Sunday, May 3, 2026
If we are descended of Abraham, let us walk in his footsteps and make ourselves worthy of the promises,
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
The Abrahamic Covenant
Throughout the Old Testament, you will frequently read the word covenant. Today we usually think of covenants as sacred promises with God, but in the ancient world, covenants were also an important part of people’s interactions with each other. For their safety and survival, people needed to be able to trust each other, and covenants were a way to secure that trust.
So when God spoke to Enoch, Noah, Moses, and others about covenants, He was inviting them to enter into a relationship of trust with Him. We call this covenant the new and everlasting covenant or the Abrahamic covenant—a reference to the covenant God made with Abraham and Sarah and then renewed with their descendants Isaac and Jacob (also called Israel). In the Old Testament, it was known simply as “the covenant.” You will see that the Old Testament is fundamentally the story of people who saw themselves as the inheritors of this covenant—the covenant people.
The Abrahamic covenant continues to be important today, especially to Latter-day Saints. Why? Because we are also the covenant people, whether or not we are direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For this reason, it is important to understand what the Abrahamic covenant is and how it applies to us today.
What Is the Abrahamic Covenant?
Abraham wanted “to be a greater follower of righteousness” (Abraham 1:2), so God invited him into a covenant relationship. Abraham wasn’t the first to have this desire, and he wasn’t the first to receive a covenant. It was, after all, an everlasting covenant. Abraham sought for “the blessings of the fathers” (Abraham 1:2)—blessings that were offered by covenant to Adam and Eve and thereafter to people who sought these blessings diligently.
God’s covenant with Abraham promised wonderful blessings: an inheritance of land, a large posterity, access to priesthood ordinances, and a name that would be honored for generations to come. But the focus of this covenant was not just on the blessings Abraham and his family would receive but also on the blessing they would be to the rest of God’s children. “Thou shalt be a blessing,” God declared, “and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2–3).
Did this covenant give Abraham, Sarah, and their descendants a privileged status among God’s children? Only in the sense that it is a privilege to bless others. The family of Abraham were to “bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations,” sharing “the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:9, 11). Being God’s covenant people didn’t mean they were better than others; it meant they had a duty to help others be better.
This covenant was the blessing Abraham was longing for. After receiving it, Abraham said in his heart, “Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee” (Abraham 2:12).
That was thousands of years ago, but this covenant has been restored in our day. And it is currently being fulfilled in the lives of God’s people. The fulfillment of the covenant is building momentum in the latter days as God’s work progresses, blessing families throughout the world. And anyone who, like Abraham, wants to be a greater follower of righteousness—anyone who seeks the Lord earnestly—can be a part of it.
What Does the Abrahamic Covenant Mean to Me?
You are a child of the covenant. You make a covenant with God when you are baptized and when you partake of the sacrament. And you receive the fulness of the covenant with the sacred ordinances of the temple.
Through these covenants and ordinances, we become God’s people. We are bound to Him “with everlasting ties.” “Once we make a covenant with God,” President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “we leave neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy. … Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us.” You will see this in the history of God’s covenant people in the Old Testament, and you will see it in your own life as one of His covenant children.
This is the precious understanding granted to us because of the Restoration of the Abrahamic covenant through the Prophet Joseph Smith. So when you read about covenants in the Old Testament, don’t think just about God’s relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Think also about His relationship with you. When you read about the promise of numberless posterity, don’t think just about the millions who today call Abraham their father. Think also about God’s promise to you of eternal families and eternal increase. When you read about the promise of a land of inheritance, don’t think just about the land promised to Abraham. Think also about the celestial destiny of the earth itself—an inheritance promised to the “meek” who “wait upon the Lord” (Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37:9, 11). And when you read about the promise that God’s covenant people will bless “all the families of the earth” (Abraham 2:11), don’t think just about the ministry of Abraham or the prophets who descended from him. Think also about what you can do—as a covenant follower of Jesus Christ—to be a blessing to the families around you.
Come Follow Me, Old Testament 2026 Manual, Thoughts to Keep in Mind
Friday, January 30, 2026
How We Should Behave as Latter-Day Saints in the Community of the World
As followers of Christ, we ought to be the friendliest and most considerate of all people anywhere. We should teach our children to be kind and considerate of everyone. We should, of course, avoid the kinds of associations and activities that compromise our conduct or dilute our faith and worship. But that should not keep us from cooperative efforts with people of every persuasion—believers and nonbelievers.
Saturday, September 23, 2023
It is a wondrous journey to be wheat among the tares, sometimes fraught with heartache but always calmed by the maturing and assuring settling of our faith
We are all “children of the covenant” stretching across the earth in nations and cultures on every continent, numbering in the millions, as we await the glorious return of our Lord and Savior. Shining as a light to those around us, we consciously shape our desires, thoughts, choices, and actions. Seeking with all our heart to know and love the Savior, we separate ourselves from the world through covenants with God, being distinct, uncommon, and special, as we honor Him and His teachings without isolating ourselves from others who believe differently.
It is a wondrous journey to be wheat among the tares, sometimes fraught with heartache but always calmed by the maturing and assuring settling of our faith. As you allow your love for the Savior and His love for you to sink deep into your heart, I promise you added confidence, peace, and joy in meeting the challenges of your life. And the Savior promises us: “I [will] gather together my people, according to the parable of the wheat and the tares, that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory.”
Saturday, February 12, 2022
Our flight from the world should be noticed, and this itself will be a message to the disobedient.
“Both by word and by flight.” I love this phrase. Those who are obedient will flee the world and gather in Zion. That used to mean to gather to the headquarters of the Church; today, it means to gather together in places of righteousness, including the temple. As President Russell M. Nelson has said, “Each one of us needs the ongoing spiritual strengthening and tutoring that is possible only in the house of the Lord.”
As we gather to Zion, that should be a message to others. In other words, people should notice that we don’t participate in certain things. We remove from certain places; we flee to the temples, to chapels, and to our homes. It should be clear to others what we consume and don’t consume, what we watch or don’t watch, what we read or don’t read, and what we say or don’t say. Our flight from the world should be noticed, and this itself will be a message to the disobedient.
Also, the Lord expects us to use our voices. While we flee the evils of the world, we must also declare the glories of the gospel. In normal and natural ways, people will be curious about why we don’t participate in certain worldly things, and we should have the courage to answer them, not out of condescension or pity but out of love and a genuine desire to save them.
As Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “I am not asking that you stand on a street corner with a megaphone and shout out Book of Mormon verses. What I am asking is that you always look for opportunities to bring up your faith in natural and normal ways with people—both in person as well as online. I am asking that you ‘stand as witnesses’ [Mosiah 18:9] of the power of the gospel at all times—and when necessary, use words.”
What Comes from Above Is Sacred, Elder Jorge M. Alvarado, Liahona June 2021
Saturday, February 20, 2021
It is Not Easy to Rise Above Such Abuse
This is a day of sometimes merciless attacks in social media and in person against those who seek to uphold the Lord’s standard in dress, entertainment, and sexual purity. It is often the youth and young adults among the Saints, as well as women and mothers, who bear this cross of mocking and persecution. It is not easy to rise above such abuse, but remember the words of Peter: “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.”
Foot Notes: 1 Peter 4:14. Remember also the promises cited in 2 Nephi 9:18 and 3 Nephi 12:12.