BOOK OF MORMON: DAY 296: I WILL REMEMBER MY COVENANT -

Today’s Reading: 3 Nephi 16:10-20

11 And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them.

I was recently interviewed by a Jewish classmate in my counseling graduate program, about my LDS beliefs, as part of a class assignment. The purpose was to conduct an interview on a topic that would normally trigger a defensive reaction within the interviewer and cause her to internally shut down the speaker. It was designed as an opportunity to practice self-awareness in order to stay mentally and emotionally present with the needs of counseling clients coming from various backgrounds and beliefs.

Knowing the nature of this interview, I found myself a bit nervous about how our conversation would go and what I might share with her. I battled a bit internally beforehand. I wanted to seize the golden opportunity of sharing my testimony while also wanting to protect something that I valued from being potentially trivialized.

We met and the questions began:

“Tell me about your history with this religion.”

“Describe what’s at the heart of this religion. What’s the doctrine?”

“In what ways does your faith conflict with other faiths.”

“How does your faith separate you from the greater community.”

“How does this impact your daily life? What do you get from your beliefs?”

We discussed these and many more thought provoking questions about my LDS beliefs.

As we began talking, my initial apprehension vanished and her genuine interest began to grow. The interview that turned into a nearly two-hour conversation hit a powerful peak when our discussion turned to temple covenants. As a devout Jew, this was something that she could readily relate to. She too had a belief in the power of making and keeping promises with God. Where we had initially felt divided because of our differing views of Jesus Christ and his role, we were drawn together when considering covenants.

In 3 Nephi 16, we read that when the time comes that the Gentiles “sin against the gospel and are lifted up in pride against the world” (sounds like we’re pretty much there!), then will Christ remember and fulfill his covenant with the house of Israel, and return them to a knowledge of his gospel. The time will come that the House of Israel will accept Jesus Christ as their savior and we with them will together enjoy all the blessings of God’s promises.

Sis. Linda K. Burton, in a phenomenal talk on covenants, quoted Pres. Henry B. Eyring who taught:

The Latter-day Saints are a covenant people. From the day of baptism through the spiritual milestones of our lives, we make promises with God and He makes promises with us. He always keeps His promises offered through His authorized servants, but it is the crucial test of our lives to see if we will make and keep our covenants with Him.

Towards the end of my interview with this classmate, she stopped me and after an extraordinarily long pause she gathered her words. “I am so touched by how optimistic your religion is. What a hopeful message your beliefs have about our eternal future and our family ties. These are things that I’ve never considered before.” She was clearly moved in a way that she hadn’t expected to be nor had I prepared for. My heart was touched with how the Spirit was able to plant a seed that day as I testified of covenants.