Abrahamic Covenant (Part 8)

Here is Ezekiel's great prophecy on the importance of gathering all of Israel to the temple in the latter days. Notice that Ezekiel declares that it is there (in the temple) that they will serve the Lord and be acceptable to him. We should never underestimate the importance and the power of the temple.

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Abrahamic Covenant (Part 7)

As has been pointed out in a previous post, the Abrahamic Covenant is administered in the temple. Sometimes we refer to what we receive in the temple as an endowment because it is a gift from God to us. Just as the Gift of The Holy Ghost is given in an ordinance, the full blessing of the ordinance is not realized until the Holy Ghost actually comes to the person to function in their life. So it is with the endowment, there are blessings and gifts which are to be attendant with the ordinance as pointed out by the Prophet Joseph Smith,

Remember, you are not to go to their nations till you receive your endowments. Tarry at Kirtland until you are endowed with power from on high. You need a fountain of wisdom, knowledge and intelligence such as you never had. Relative to the endowment, I make a remark or two, that there may be no mistake. The world cannot receive the things of God. He can endow you without worldly pomp or great parade. He can give you that wisdom, that intelligence, and that power, which characterized the ancient saints, and now characterizes the inhabitants of the upper world.
(Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols., introduction and notes by B. H. Roberts, 2:, p.197)

Again, the Prophet had this to say about the endowment,

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Abrahamic Covenant (Part 6)

Abraham received the promises from the Lord in Abraham 2:9-12, by speaking with the Lord face to face. The Abrahamic Covenant is designed to bring man back into God's presence. The Prophet Joseph Smith had this to say about being taught the things of God,

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Abrahamic Covenant (Part 5)

In an earlier post (July 9) I presented the concept of "HESED" a Hebrew word which depicts a very close and loving relationship between two people. This is the relationship that the Savior wants us to have with him and he with us (see Hosea 6:6). To have this relationship we need to have the Savior foremost and constantly in our thoughts. As he said to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, "Look to me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."

It is also pointed out in the scriptures that the Savior considers his relationship with us as a marriage covenant. Each party is to have the other preeminent above all other people, things, objects, etc., in the relationship.

The relationship that we have with our spouse should be patterned after our relationship with the Savior and should include "HESED." Our spouse is to be preeminent in our lives above all others. We are sealed to each other in the Abrahamic Covenant which allows us the power to do the same thing that God does - create life in our own image and likeness. This power that we have together makes us more like God than any other power. It is imperative that children be brought through the veil into a loving and secure relationship between a husband and wife. President Spencer W. Kimball explained the priority that a husband and wife should have for each other,

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Abrahamic Covenant (Part 4)

As mentioned in an earlier post, sacrifice is a part of the Abrahamic Covenant. Just as Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac pointed us to the Father's willingness to sacrifice his Only Begotten Son (Jacob 4:5) so also we are to follow the example of the Father and Christ in this law. There are many aspects to sacrifice that we are to learn. The angel that taught Adam about the Law of Sacrifice explained that part of the sacrifice is doing all that we do in the name of the son,

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Not only are we to do all that we do in the name of the son, but the apostle Paul counsels servants in the Roman Empire to serve their masters as they would serve Christ and for that they would be rewarded in heaven,

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In the book of Omni we learn that the actual sacrifice is our whole soul,

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Abrahamic Covenant (Part 3)

Just as the promise for a land of inheritance forever was cryptic language that the earth was to become a Celestial Kingdom, so also is the promise of infinite posterity adumbrative language that man can become like his God with the power to create life forever. The following scripture helps one to see this concept,

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Abrahamic Covenant (Part 2)

Elias the prophet restored the Abrahamic Covenant with all of its attendant blessings. The full blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant are administered in the temple,

In the temple, with the authority of the sealing power, blessings of the Abrahamic covenant will be conferred. There, we may truly become heirs to all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
(Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, and Other Favorite Discourses , p.206)

There are many ramifications to the Abrahamic Covenant but they can be condensed into two basic promises.

1. A land of inheritance forever (see Genesis 13:15).
2. Posterity as the dust of the earth (see Genesis 13:15). According to the Lord's promise to Abraham in Abraham 2:11 the priesthood is assumed in the posterity.

The first promise listed above appears to be adumbrative language that is referring to the fact that the earth is to become the Celestial Kingdom. This concept is reinforced in the restored gospel in the following two scriptures,

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Abrahamic Covenant (Part 1)

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