The Divine Destination
Today I am departing from the usual discussion of the Old Testament scripture curriculum. Instead, I hope to lay out the meaning and purpose of covenants from the beginning and how they are administered. I will try to use non-religious language where possible in describing these ideas so that everyone, regardless of affiliation with any or no religion, can better conceptualize and apply the fundamental elements of the underlying principles surrounding oaths and covenants.
Every conscious human has an innate desire to discover themselves, find solutions that make life better, and develop self-discipline; the natural result of which is happiness. Additionally, we believe, and rightfully so, that we must have existed prior to this life and will continue beyond the confines of mortality. Occasionally we experience things that remind us that this is the case. We all believe that there has to be a transcendent ideal that we should aim towards, or in other words, a heavenly goal. If you have never wondered about these things, you are either naive, nihilistic, or have lost hope. If I just offended someone with that last statement, please know that all of these conditions are reversible.
Discovering the identity of the transcendent requires logic and reason followed by faith, which then transitions over time and experience to a sure knowledge. The consensus of people over the ages is that what exists at the top of everything transcendent is God. Once we believe in God, we must conceptualize and understand him correctly. It is abundantly clear that people disagree on the true nature of God. Is he an amorphous spirit, the order in the universe, the highest of human ethics, pure love, etc., or is he the embodiment of all that is good?
Without beating around the bush, I believe the answers to all these things are to be found in covenants.
If you look at successful organizations, both good and evil, you will discover that the source of their perpetuity is in the oaths and covenants taken by their members. They rely on the honor of their initiates to defend and execute the organization’s objectives. Cain took the first known oath before he slew his brother Abel. The account is in the Book of Moses, chapter five, verses 29-31. “And Satan said unto Cain: Swear unto me by thy throat, and if thou tell it thou shalt die; and swear thy brethren by their heads, and by the living God, that they tell it not; for if they tell it, they shall surely die; and this that thy father may not know it; and this day I will deliver thy brother Abel into thine hands. And Satan sware unto Cain that he would do according to his commands. And all these things were done in secret. And Cain said: Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain. Wherefore Cain was called Master Mahan, and he gloried in his wickedness.” Evil organizations follow this pattern.
These kinds of oaths are never administered to immature and unprepared people. The person wanting to make the covenants should possess a solid determination to make serious promises and uphold them. This idea is illustrated in the Book of Abraham, “And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.” The response from God was, “Behold, I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name, even the Priesthood of thy father, and my power shall be over thee. As it was with Noah so shall it be with thee; but through thy ministry my name shall be known in the earth forever, for I am thy God.”
The methods used to administer the oaths and covenants are not irrelevant or accidental. The words used and the actions taken, and in some cases, the clothing we wear, are designed to cement in our minds the severe nature of the promises we make and to help us remember them. Symbolic representations of death, rebirth, and progression through various stages of glory are done to inspire additional thought and a desire to understand the nature of God and his holy ways. Sacramental ordinances help us renew our covenants. God understands human nature and has adapted the administration of the covenants to different times and cultures. God provides Prophets instructions on the most effective ways and places to give them.
While the oaths taken with the intent to do good or evil by individuals are in polar opposition to each other, the one thing they have in common is that the initiated persons act as though their very lives depend upon keeping their word. In the case of the dark oaths, the rewards are power and riches, and breaking the oath is death. In the case of promises made between God and man, the reward is coming to know yourself and God and how you can obtain eternal life, and breaking the oath results in eternal condemnation and hell. In both cases, breaking oaths is not good.
Making organizational covenants and taking oaths is not something you can not do on your own. Each institutional entity possesses the authority to administer them. For example, you can’t become a mafia member and function within that framework without their authorization. Conversely, the kingdom of God also operates within a structured order to ensure consistent administration of covenants. You could say the church is the caretaker of the covenant. It is evident in the Old Testament that those who chose to join with ancient Israel had to conform to the ceremonial practices of the time.
While the church administers covenants made in the Kingdom of God, the covenants made are between God and the individual. The church is responsible for dealing with those who reject the covenants as far as membership is concerned. Still, the spiritual ramifications of covenant-breaking are up to God and are far more devastating than losing membership in the church. All the doom and gloom prophecies in the scriptures are related to not keeping covenants. The destruction of wicked nations, cities, and individuals who fail to keep covenants is the same.
Salvation comes through Christ alone. Our good works and devotion to God, above all else (covenant-making and keeping), prepares us to understand and accept the Savior and the salvation he offers to all who will come unto him. Coming to Christ, which is our divine destiny, is not a casual endeavor. Each covenant and promise helps us understand who we are, who God is, and how the atonement of Christ makes us one with him and the Father. Being with God our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ is our divine destination.