The Baptismal Covenant

Close your eyes and bring your attention to your body. Let go of any tension you are holding in your face, jaw, neck, shoulders, hands, stomach, legs, and feet. Rest in a comfortable posture where you feel centered, balanced, and relaxed.

Now bring your attention to your breath. As you take a few deep breaths, take a moment to say a brief prayer that you will be open to any inspiration that may come to you as you ponder. 

As your breathing returns to normal, gently turn your thoughts and attention toward the topic of sacred 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 baptismal covenants (which are renewed during the sacrament), priesthood covenants, temple endowment covenants, and temple sealing covenants. Right now we are going to spend time pondering the baptismal covenants.

What it Includes

How often do you think about the covenants you made when you were baptized? Do you remember what you promised to do? Or, if you haven’t been baptized yet, do you understand the covenants you will enter into when you are baptized?

The baptismal covenants are explained through various scriptural references. In Mosiah chapter 18, those who entered into the Waters of Mormon to be baptized promised to:

• bear one another’s burdens, including

  • • mourning with those who mourn; and

    • comforting those who stand in need of comfort;

• stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places;

• serve God; and

• keep His commandments. (Mosiah 18: 8-10). 

In the Doctrine and Covenants, the baptismal covenant is described as promising to:

• • • have a broken heart and contrite spirit;

    • repent of all sins;

    • be willing to take upon yourself the name of Christ; and

    • manifest through your works that you have received the Spirit of Christ. (D&C 20:37).

In the Gospel Topics manual published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the baptismal covenant includes promises to:

• take upon the name of Christ;

• keep His commandments; and

• serve Him to the end.

(“Baptism,” Gospel Topics, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, churchofjesuschrist.org).

Elder Bednar has summarized the baptismal covenant this way: “Our sacred responsibility is to develop holy habits that invite the Spirit of the Lord to be with us at all times—habits such as honoring covenants, obeying the commandments, repenting, forgiving, searching the scriptures, serving, and worshipping at home, at church, and in the temple.” (David A. Bednar, “That We May Always Remember Him,” Liahona, June 2023.)

How would you summarize the baptismal covenant if you were explaining it to someone who doesn’t know what it is?

If we keep our baptismal covenant, the Lord promises us

• the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost;

• a remission of sins;

• spiritual rebirth; and

• eternal life.

(“Baptism,” Gospel Topics, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, churchofjesuschrist.org).

Because the baptismal covenant entails maintaining a certain lifestyle—a Christ-centered lifestyle—keeping it takes constant and consistent work and effort. So to help us keep the covenant firmly in mind and remember all the things we promise to do and become, Christ gave us the sacrament ordinance.

The Sacrament

When we take the sacrament, we promise to remember Christ, to take upon ourselves his name, and keep His commandments—the sacrament is a renewal of the baptismal covenants. The elements of the covenant are repeated in the prayers over the bread and the water, giving us a weekly reminder of what we promised to do when we were baptized. (see D&C 20:77, 79). So the baptismal and sacrament ordinances are intertwined.

Take a few moments to ponder this quote from President Nelson: “Often, I hear the expression that we partake of the sacrament to renew covenants made at baptism. While that’s true, it’s much more than that. [When I take the sacrament,] I’ve made a new covenant. You have made new covenants. . . . Now in return … [the Lord] makes the statement that we will always have His Spirit to be with us. What a blessing!” (Russell M. Nelson, in Dale G. Renlund, “Unwavering Commitment to Jesus Christ,” Liahona, Nov. 2019, 25, note 18; see also D&C 20:77).

Now let’s spend a few moments pondering some of the elements of the baptismal covenant one at a time.

Willing to Take Christ’s Name

First, being willing to take upon us Christ’s name. What does it mean to be willing to take Christ’s name upon ourselves?

Ponder this thought from Elder Bednar:

Oftentimes we may think that in the waters of baptism, we have wholly and totally and completely taken upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. I think, however, in the waters of baptism, we begin that process by pledging our willingness to take His name upon us. In essence, as we are standing in the baptismal font and pledge that willingness, we’re looking to the future to additional covenants in the associated ordinances. Each covenant and each ordinance helping us to more fully take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.

So that extended view—not that one time I had the name come upon me, but through my devoted discipleship and my trying to do my very best over time. Increasingly, the name of the Savior comes upon us.

We show our willingness to take upon ourselves Christ’s name every time we take the sacrament. (3 Nephi 18:10). In an article on LDS Living, Emily Belle Freeman tells of inspiration she had one Sunday. After hearing the promise to be willing to take Christ’s name upon herself in the sacrament prayer, she had the inspired thought, “Which name should you take?” She searched the list of names of Christ in the Bible Dictionary and pondered the one that stood out to her. Now, each week, she picks a new name during sacrament meeting and spends the next week studying what it means and how she can take it upon herself. (Emily Belle Freeman, “‘Which name should you take?’ The inspired question that came to Emily Belle Freeman during the sacrament,” LDS Living, ldsliving.com).

How do we take Christ’s name upon ourselves? President Henry B. Eyring taught that taking on ourselves the name of Christ “means we must see ourselves as His. We will put Him first in our lives. We will want what He wants rather than what we want or what the world teaches us to want.” (Henry B. Eyring, “That We May Be One,” Ensign, May 1998, 67).

Finally, why do we need to take on Christ’s name? Other than the fact that we promised to do so in our baptismal covenant, taking Christ’s name upon ourselves is important because Alma the Younger taught “that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.” (Alma 5:38).

How does this teaching affect your understanding of the promise to take Christ’s name upon yourself?

Always Remember Him

Next, part of the baptismal covenant is always remembering Christ. What does it look like for us, in the 21st century, to always remember Christ?

We have a lot of things to think about and focus on and remember in our daily lives. So how can we always remember Christ too? Christ taught his disciples that “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance . . .” (John 14:26, emphasis added). So, seeking to always have the Holy Ghost with us at all times will help us to always remember Christ.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is given to us when we are baptized, and is again promised to us each week when we take the sacrament. That gift is another example of how Christ makes a way for us to keep our baptismal covenants—we promise to always remember Him, and He promises to give us a comforter and teacher, the Holy Ghost, who in turn helps us to always remember Christ.

Do you feel like you have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion? If not, what can you do to increase his presence in your life?

Serve God

Next, we promise to serve God when we are baptized.

Serving God takes many forms. For example, Jesus taught that serving God’s children is a way to serve Him: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40). This would include bearing one another’s burdens, mourning with those who mourn, and comforting those who stand in need of comfort.

What is the difference between “mourning with those who mourn” and “comforting those who stand in need of comfort”?

Another form serving God could take is standing “as a witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.” (Mosiah 18:8-10) What does that mean to you in your life?

What other ways do you serve God? (callings, raising righteous children, etc.)

Keep His Commandments

Next, during baptism we covenant to keep the commandments. What are the “commandments”? And how are you doing at keeping them?

Repent

Finally, part of our baptismal covenant is that we promise to repent. This is a unique promise because the covenant allows for the inevitability of us making mistakes, forgetting, messing up, and breaking our promises. It gives us a way to remain in the covenant without being perfect. We promise to repent and the Lord promises to forgive us and remember our sins no more. (Hebrews 8:12).

President Nelson recently counseled us to find the joy in daily repentance. (Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” General Conference, April 2022).

Elder Renlund taught that “joy is one of the inherent results of repentance. The word repent connotes ‘to perceive afterwards’ and implies ‘change.’ In Swedish, the word [for repentance] simply means ‘to turn around.’ The Christian writer C. S. Lewis wrote about the need and the method for change. He noted that repentance involves ‘being put back on the right road. A wrong sum can be put right,’ he said, ‘but only by going back till you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on.’

Real repentance must involve faith in the Lord Jesus Christ . . . . When we ‘perceive afterwards’ and ‘turn around’ with the Savior’s help, we can feel hope in His promises and the joy of forgiveness..” (Dale G. Renlund, “Repentance: A Joyful Choice,” General Conference, October 2016). 

Now that you have spent the past few minutes pondering your baptismal covenant, what are you inspired to do to help yourself to be willing to take Christ’s name upon yourself, to always remember Him, to serve God, to keep His commandments, and to repent daily?

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