The New and Everlasting Covenant

Close your eyes and bring your attention to your body. Whether you are sitting, standing, or laying down, make sure your body feels relaxed and supported. Relax the muscles in your face, jaw, neck, and shoulders.

Take a few deep breaths. As you breathe in, imagine drawing peace, calm, humility, and openness into your body and mind. As you breathe out, imagine expelling tension, negativity, pride, and stress from your body and mind.

In this state of calm and receptiveness, take a moment to say a brief prayer that your mind will be guided to any revelation the Lord has for you today as you ponder. As I share church teachings about gospel topics, allow your thoughts and the Spirit to guide you. Do not worry about focusing on every statement or question I share.

As your breathing returns to normal, turn your thoughts and attention to covenants.

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 covenants, we cannot receive the blessings, and in some instances we suffer a penalty as a consequence.” (“Covenant,” Gospel Topics, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, churchofjesuschrist.org).

The covenants that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints make include the baptismal covenant (which are renewed during the sacrament), the oath and covenant of the priesthood, temple endowment covenants, and the temple sealing covenant. Right now, we are going to spend time pondering the temple sealing covenant, also called the New and Everlasting Covenant.

What is the New and Everlasting Covenant

The New and Everlasting Covenant is the covenant that a husband and wife enter into when they get married. The covenant is between husband and wife, and between each individual and God. President Nelson has explained that “a temple marriage is not only between husband and wife; it embraces a partnership with God.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” General Conference, October 2008).

The obligations that couples agree to when entering into the New and Everlasting Covenant include:

• To be married by proper authority

• To have their marriage sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise

• To be faithful to each other and to God; and

• To multiply and replenish the earth.

The blessings of the New and Everlasting Covenant include:

• To be with your family for eternity, even after death;

• To receive forgiveness of sins;

• To be resurrected to celestial glory;

• To reach the highest degree of glory in the next life; and

• To continue having children after being resurrected.

Sacred Obligations

Marriage by the Proper Authority

The first obligation is to get married and have that marriage performed by someone who has the sealing keys of the priesthood (that is, power and authority from God to do so)). (D&C 132:19.)

This seems like a simple, easy step. But what does this require in terms of faith, obedience, sacrifice, etc. before a couple gets to the point where they are being married by someone with proper authority?

Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise

The next obligation is that the marriage must be “sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise.” (D&C 132:19.) The Holy Spirit of Promise is the Holy Ghost. (“Holy Spirit of Promise,” Guide to the Scriptures, scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org; see also Acts 2:33.) The Guide to the Scriptures explains that the Holy Ghost “confirms as acceptable to God the righteous acts, ordinances, and covenants of men. The Holy Spirit of Promise witnesses to the Father that the saving ordinances have been performed properly and that the covenants associated with them have been kept.” (“Holy Spirit of Promise,” Guide to the Scriptures, scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.)

When spouses “abide in [the] covenant” (Doctrine and Covenants 132:19) the Holy Ghost, in His role as the Holy Spirit of Promise, confirms to God that they have kept their covenants, and their marriage becomes eternal. To “abide in [the] covenant,” both spouses must faithfully honor the terms and conditions of their sealing covenants. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about the importance of honoring these covenants.

He said, “As taught in this scripture [Doctrine and Covenants 132:19], an eternal bond doesn’t just happen as a result of sealing covenants we make in the temple. How we conduct ourselves in this life will determine what we will be in all the eternities to come. To receive the blessings of the sealing that our Heavenly Father has given to us, we have to keep the commandments and conduct ourselves in such a way that our families will want to live with us in the eternities. (Robert D. Hales, “The Eternal Family,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 65.)

You’ve probably heard someone joke about not wanting to live with their family for eternity. But have you ever seriously considered whether your family members would want to live with you for eternity? 

If you are married, do you think your marriage has been sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise?

Fidelity to Spouse and God

The next obligation is the promise to remain faithful to each other and to God. 

Remaining faithful to a spouse means obeying the Law of Chastity, a covenant that is part of the Endowment Ceremony. The Endowment ceremony is a prerequisite of the Sealing Ceremony, so anyone entering into the sealing covenant has already promised to obey the Law of Chastity.

We have pondered the Law of Chastity, which is the promise to abstain from sexual activity outside of a legal marriage between a man and a women, in previous episodes. We have also pondered the commandment to not commit adultery, and it’s higher-law counterpart to not indulge lustful thoughts or feelings. So for now, ponder this powerful quote about commitment, and consider how it relates to the Law of Chastity:

“Commitment is falling in love with something and then building a structure of behavior around it for the moment when love falters.” (David Brooks, quoted in https://rabbisacks.org/making-love-last-vaetchanan-5778-2.)

Couples who enter into the New and Everlasting Covenant promise to remain faithful to not just each other, but also to God. What does that mean to you? What other covenants or covenant obligations does that implicate, or include? What connection is there between remaining faithful to your spouse and remaining faithful to God?

Multiply and Replenish the Earth

Next, couples promise to multiply and replenish the earth. In other words, they promise to have children. This is a uniquely personal promise and unfortunately is not something that all couples are able to do in this life.

Why do you think the promise to have children is so important to the Lord? If you are a parent, reflect on how you have grown as a person through your choice to have kids. What skills or character traits have you developed that you otherwise might not have? If you are not a parent, ponder what growth parenthood might require of you. How can you work on growing as a person in preparation for parenthood?

Sacred Blessings

As with all covenants, those who enter into them and keep their obligations are promised blessings. Let’s ponder some of the blessings of the New and Everlasting Covenant.

Sealed to Spouse and Children for Eternity

First and foremost, couples who are sealed to each other in the temple are married for time and for all eternity. There is no “and death do you part.” This promise also applies to any children born under the covenant or later sealed to the couple.

Elder Gong said, “God wants our families to be happy and forever. Forever is too long if we make each other unhappy. Happy is too short if cherished relationships stop with this life.” (Gerrit W. Gong, “We Each Have a Story,” General Conference, April 2022.) 

If you have grown up with a belief in eternal families, it can be easy to take this doctrine for granted. Try to imagine how it would feel and what your experience with life would be if you did not believe in eternal families. Then try and imagine how you would feel when you encountered the doctrine of eternal families for the first time. Try and appreciate, or feel the awesomeness for, the idea that death is not the end of our relationships.

Forgiveness from Sins

Like with other covenants, forgiveness of sins is promised to covenant keepers. The New and Everlasting Covenant provides that we can be forgiven for just about anything if we repent. The only exceptions mentioned are shedding innocent blood and betraying the Holy Ghost. (see D&C 132:26, cf Matthew 12:31-32.) We are not going to go into detail on those exceptions.

Rather, think about your own experience with the repentance process. How has the atonement been a positive force in your life? How often do you take advantage of this incredible gift? When is the last time you asked for forgiveness?

First Resurrection

Another blessing of the New and Everlasting Covenant is that covenants keepers “shall come forth in the first resurrection.” (D&C 132:19.) We learn from scripture that the “first resurrection” refers to the resurrection of those who are resurrected to celestial glory. (1 Corinthians 15:39-42; Revelation 20:5-6; D&C 76:16-17, 69-70.)

Revelation 20 explains that those who are part of the first resurrection will “be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him” for a time after the second coming. (Revelation 20:5-6.)

Picture yourself being part of a government that has Christ at its head. What would your meetings be like? How would you approach your duties? What things do you think would be prioritized in that administration? How would a governmental administration that is based on the gospel work in the world?

Access to the Highest Degree of Glory

Next, those who keep the New and Everlasting Covenant are promised access to the highest degree of celestial glory after this life. The Doctrine and Covenants teaches that “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];”(D&C 131:1-2.). Those who enter into the New and Everlasting Covenant, and keep all the obligations that accompany the covenant, are promised to “inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths.” (D&C 132:19)

They are also promised that they will “be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.” (D&C 132:20.) 

In our earthly culture, we kind of view the desire or quest for power as a negative thing—something that plagued ancient rulers, and corrupts current political powers, and leads to wars and other evils. We are similarly skeptical about the idea of having things or entities as subjects. So what does it look like to inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, power, dominions, and all heights and depths in a celestial context? How can we view having all things be subject to us in a celestial lens, rather than a corrupt, earthly lens?  What does that look like?

(See also Revelation 2 and 3, 21, and 22 for descriptions of exaltation: “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (2:7); “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life. . . . He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” (2:10-11); “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” (2:17); “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations and he shall rule them with the word of God; and they shall be in his hands as the vessels of clay in the hands of a potter; and he shall govern them by faith, with equity and justice, even as I received of my Father.” (2:26-27, JST); “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (3:5); “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, this is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” (3:12 JST); “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne.” (3:21); “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. . . . I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (20:4-7).)

Celestial Children

Joseph Smith taught that celestial marriage includes the blessing of “hav[ing] children in … celestial glory.” (Joseph Smith, in History, 1838–1856 [Manuscript History of the Church], volume D-1, 1551 [josephsmithpapers.org]). In contrast, those who are not sealed through the Priesthood power will not have children after they are resurrected.

Imagine what it would be like to be a parent like our heavenly parents are to us. What would be the challenges? What would be the victories, or the joys? What would bring fulfillment?

Family Matter Not Individual Matter

One unique quality of the New and Everlasting Covenant is that unlike the other covenants, it involves two people—a man, a woman—and God, not just one person and God. Another difference is that while baptism and endowment covenants result in salvation, the New and everlasting covenant results in exaltation. President Nelson explained that “While salvation is an individual matter, exaltation is a family matter.”(Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” General Conference, October 2008).

What is the difference between salvation and exaltation? What changes when you view a covenant as a family matter rather than an individual matter? What other differences are there between the New and Everlasting Covenant and other covenants? 

Robert D. Hales taught that “Being one in a family carries a great responsibility of caring, loving, lifting, and strengthening each member of the family so that all can righteously endure to the end in mortality and dwell together throughout eternity. It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is equally important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families. If we return home alone to our Heavenly Father, we will be asked, ‘Where is the rest of the family?’ This is why we teach that families are forever. The eternal nature of an individual becomes the eternal nature of the family.” (Robert D. Hales, “The Eternal Family,” General Conference, October 1996.)

Think of the various roles you fill in your family: spouse, parent, child, sibling, cousin, niece or nephew, etc. Is there anything you are prompted to do to better serve in any of those roles?

Unmarried or Unable to have Children

The New and Everlasting Covenant is the standard—the ideal. It is the perfection that we are all seeking. But we are imperfect beings in a fallen and complicated world.

So President Nelson asked “But what of the many mature members of the Church who are not married? Through no failing of their own, they deal with the trials of life alone. Be we all reminded that, in the Lord’s own way and time, no blessings will be withheld from His faithful Saints. The Lord will judge and reward each individual according to heartfelt desire as well as deed.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” General Conference, October 2008.)

And in 2021, President M. Russell Ballard taught that “More than half of adults in the Church today are widowed, divorced, or not yet married. Some wonder about their opportunities and place in God’s plan and in the Church. We should understand that eternal life is not simply a question of current marital status but of discipleship and being “valiant in the testimony of Jesus” [Doctrine and Covenants 76:79; see also Doctrine and Covenants 121:29]. …

… All those who accept the Savior’s gracious gift of repentance and live His commandments will receive eternal life, even though they do not attain to all its characteristics and perfections in mortality. (“Hope in Christ,” Liahona, May 2021, 55.)

In Hebrews 11:13, the author describes the great faith of Abraham, Sara, Noah, Enoch, and Abel and describes their righteous lives but explains that none of them received everything they were promised during their lives. It reads, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” 

Think about a blessing you have not received, whether that is an eternal marriage, being able to have children, or something else. How can an eternal perspective help you keep living a faithful life despite the monumental challenges of unrealized blessings?

People who are waiting for promised blessings are often counseled to have hope in Christ. But what does that mean? Ponder writer Vaclav Havel’s definition of hope, and consider how maintaining hope in Christ can help in your own life: “Hope is not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.” Vaclav Havel, Disturbing the Peace, p. 82.

Sister Eubank explained why the church maintains a clear focus on ideal families, despite the fact that the ideal family is becoming more and more rare. She said, “[f]itting into a Church focused on family can [] be challenging. [] the reality is that a majority of Church members do not live in perfect family situations. I’m not sure anyone lives in that perfect, ideal family. So why keep the emphasis? Because family is our destiny, and we are on this earth to learn the skills of strong family relationships, no matter what our own situation is.” (Sister Sharon Eubank, “A Letter to a Single Sister,” Ensign, Oct. 2019, 40.)

What kind of family relationship skills have you learned? How have you learned those skills? What skills do you still need to develop? How can you practice them?

The Gospel is the New and Everlasting Covenant

To wrap up this session, let’s ponder the following quote from President Joseph Fielding Smith. He said that “The Gospel itself is the new and everlasting covenant and embraces all of the agreements, promises, and rewards which the Lord offers to his people.”

What does that mean that “the gospel itself is the new and everlasting covenant”?

President Nelson taught that “The earth was created and this Church was restored so that families could be formed, sealed, and exalted eternally.” And he pointed out that “Whenever scriptures warn that the “earth would be utterly wasted,” the warning is connected to the need for priesthood authority to seal families together in holy temples (see D&C 2:1–3; 138:48; Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39).” (Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” General Conference, October 2008, footnote 17.) He then declared that “All Church activities, advancements, quorums, and classes are means to the end of an exalted family.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” General Conference, October 2008).

Do you feel the weight of this covenant in your life? In the gospel? Is its importance reflected in your goals? Your daily habits? Your hopes and dreams? Do you have any questions about the covenant that you can take to the scriptures or the Lord? No matter where you are on the covenant path, how can you orient your life toward the New and Everlasting Covenant? Are you prompted to change any behaviors? Start any new ones?

When you are ready, take a final deep breath. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a few minutes to write down any thoughts, questions, or promptings that came to mind while you were pondering. And if necessary, make a plan to act on those things.