Morbilidad del Prematuro:

We make covenants when we receive ordinances such as baptism, ordination to the priesthood, and temple ordinances. A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and His children. God sets specific conditions, and He promises to bless us as we obey these conditions. Making and keeping covenants quali- fies us to receive the blessings God has promised. When we choose not to keep covenants, we cannot receive the blessings. Our covenants guide the choices we make and help us resist temptation.

Prepare yourself spiritually

Prayerfully study these scriptures and resources.  How can you help the young men desire to make and keep covenants?

Exodus 19:5; D&C 35:24; 90:24 (Bless- ings come when we keep covenants) Mosiah 5; Alma 46:10–37 (Examples in the Book of Mormon of people making and keeping covenants) D&C 82:10 (The Lord is bound when we obey)

Russell M. Nelson, “Covenants,” En- sign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 86–89

Jeffrey R. Holland, “Keeping Cov- enants: A Message for Those Who Will Serve a Mission,” New Era, Jan. 2012, 2–5; or Liahona, Jan. 2012, 48–51 D. Todd Christofferson, “The Power of Covenants,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 19–23

“Covenant,” True to the Faith (2004), 44

Let the young men lead

A member of the quorum presidency (or an assistant to the bishop in the priests quo- rum) conducts the quorum meeting. He leads the young men in counseling together about quorum business, teaches them their priesthood duties (from the scriptures and the Duty to God book), encourages them to share their experiences fulfilling their duty to God, and invites an adviser or other quorum member to teach a gospel lesson. He could prepare by filling out a quorum meeting agenda during a presidency meeting. How have you been bless-

ed by making and keeping covenants? Can you think of an experience in which your covenants guided a decision you made? How can you help the young men better un- derstand the covenants they have made and will make in the future? How will understanding the nature and importance of covenants influence the young men to live more righteously?

Begin the learning experience

Choose from these ideas or think of your own to review last week’s lesson and introduce this week’s lesson:

• Ask the young men to think of the previous lesson and take turns sharing a single sentence that sum- marizes what they learned from that lesson. How did they apply what they learned?

• Invite a young man to come to the front of the room. Demonstrate what a covenant is by making a simple promise to him in exchange for a sim- ple action on his part (for example,

promise to give him a small reward if he will recite an article of faith). Allow the young man to complete the action if he chooses, and fulfill your promise as well. Help the young men define covenant (see the third paragraph of Elder Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Cov- enants”), and ask them to explain how this example is similar to and different from covenants we make with God.

Learn together

Each of the activities below will help the quorum members understand why we make covenants. Following the inspiration of the Spirit, select one or more that will work best for your quorum:

• Invite a quorum member to teach a portion of this lesson. He could do this as part of his Duty to God plan to learn and teach about covenants and ordinances (see “Understand Doc- trine,” page 18, 42, or 66).

• Invite the young men to imagine they are trying to help a friend of another faith understand covenants. Invite them to study “Covenant” in True to the Faith or the scriptures listed in this outline and prepare ways to explain covenants to their friend. Invite them to role-play teaching each other. Ask them to include in their explanation the reasons covenants are important to them.

• Invite the young men to individu- ally search Mosiah 5, marking words or phrases that impress them about making and keeping covenants. Ask them to write on the board what they find. On the board, write, “Keeping my covenants is important to me because ________.” Invite each young man to complete the sentence.

• Show a picture of Captain Moroni raising the title of liberty (see Gospel Art Book, 79). Ask the young men to identify some of the details in the pic- ture and briefly tell the story it depicts (see Alma 46:10–37). What covenants did the Nephites make (see verses 20–22)? Why did the people choose to make these covenants despite the danger they faced? How did their

Teaching tip

“You can demonstrate that you are listening by displaying an expression of interest. You can look at the speaker rather than at your lesson materials or other things in the room. You can encourage the speaker to complete his or her thoughts with- out interruption. You can avoid jumping into conversations prematurely with advice or judgments” (Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 66).

covenants influence the outcome of the battle? Ask the young men to list the covenants they have made. How do these covenants help us overcome challenges and temptations?

• As a quorum, read, watch, or listen to the story at the beginning of Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk “The Power of Covenants.” How did Pamela’s covenants help her deal with tragedy she faced? Assign each young man to read one of the re- maining sections of the talk, looking for answers to the question “How can my covenants strengthen and protect me?” Ask the young men to share what they find. Invite them to discuss specific situations they could

face during the coming week in which they could find strength or protection in their covenants.

• Write on the board the words “Covenants” and “Missionary Work.” Invite the young men to each read a section of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s article “Keeping Covenants: A Mes- sage for Those Who Will Serve a Mission.” Ask them to look for the relationship between covenants and missionary work. Invite the young men to share with each other what they learn from Elder Holland’s message. How does his counsel affect what they will do as they prepare to serve full-time missions?

Ask the young men to share what they learned today. Do they understand covenants better? What feelings or impressions do they have? Do they have any additional ques- tions? Would it be helpful to spend more time on this doctrine?

Invite to act

The young man who is conducting concludes the meeting. He could: • Share what it means to him to make

a covenant.

• Encourage other quorum mem- bers to share their impressions about what they have learned with a family member.

Teaching in the Savior’s way

The Savior invited His followers to exercise faith and act upon the truths He taught (see Luke 18:18–25). How can you help the young men gain a desire to participate in ordinances and covenants and honor their covenants through righteous actions?

Selected Resources

Excerpt from D. Todd Christofferson, “The Power of Cov- enants,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 19–23

On August 15, 2007, Peru suffered a massive earth- quake that all but destroyed the coastal cities of Pisco and Chincha. Like many other Church leaders and members, Wenceslao Conde, the president of the Balconcito Branch of the Church in Chincha, immediately set about helping others whose homes were damaged.

Four days after the earthquake, Elder Marcus B. Nash of the Seventy was in Chincha helping to coordinate the Church’s relief efforts there and met President Conde. As they talked about the destruc- tion that had occurred and what was being done to help the victims, President Conde’s wife, Pamela, approached carrying one of her small children. El- der Nash asked Sister Conde how her children were. With a smile, she replied that through the goodness of God they were all safe and well. He asked about the Condes’ home.

“It’s gone,” she said simply.

“What about your belongings?” he inquired.

“Everything was buried in the rubble of our home,” Sister Conde replied.

“And yet,” Elder Nash noted, “you are smiling as we talk.”

“Yes,” she said, “I have prayed and I am at peace. We have all we need. We have each other, we have our children, we are sealed in the temple, we have this marvelous Church, and we have the Lord. We can build again with the Lord’s help.”

“Covenant,” True to the Faith (2004), 44

A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people. God sets specific conditions, and He promises to bless us as we obey those conditions. When we choose not to keep cov- enants, we cannot receive the blessings, and in some instances we suffer a penalty as a consequence of our disobedience.

All the saving ordinances of the priesthood are accompanied by covenants. For example, you made a covenant when you were baptized, and you renew that covenant each time you partake of the sacra- ment (see Mosiah 18:8–10; D&C 20:37, 77, 79). If you have received the Melchizedek Priesthood, you have entered into the oath and covenant of the priesthood (see D&C 84:33–44). The temple endowment and the sealing ordinance also include sacred covenants. Always remember and honor the covenants you make with the Lord. Then you will not need to be commanded in everything you do (see D&C 58:26–28). You will be inspired by the Holy Ghost, and Christlike conduct will be part of your nature. As the Lord has promised, you will “receive revela- tion upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal” (D&C 42:61). Your greatest hope should be to enjoy the sanctification that comes from this divine guidance; your greatest fear should be to forfeit these blessings.

Additional references: Jeremiah 31:31–34; Mosiah 5; Moroni 10:33; D&C 82:10; 97:8; 98:13–15

JULY: ORDINANCES AND COVENANTS

See the appendix for other teaching and learning ideas.

What covenants did I make at