Lessons on the Temple
Lesson No. Twenty-Five

The New and Everlasting Covenant

The new and everlasting covenant – The sum of all gospel covenants that God makes with mankind is the gospel of Jesus Christ and is called “the new and everlasting covenant.”  (See D&C 132:6)   The new and everlasting covenant consists of several individual covenants.  One is “a new and an everlasting covenant” of baptism.  (See D&C 22:1-2)  Another is celestial marriage.  It is a new and an everlasting covenant (see D&C 132:4) or “the new and everlasting covenant of marriage” (D&C 131:2).  (Bold added)

There are two essential requirements for an ordinance to be sealed (See D&C 132:7) 

Draper Utah Temple Sealing Room

  1. The ordinance must be performed by someone with authority.  When a man or a woman is set apart as ordinance worker they are given authority to administer the ordinances of the temple on behalf of both living and dead.  The sealing ordinances of the temple must be performed by a man who has the sealing power.  The sealing power is conferred only when it has been specifically delegated by the Prophet to one of his councilors, the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, or to a temple president.  This ordinance was performed by the Father himself when He sealed Adam and Eve as husband and wife in the Garden of Eden.  The Garden of Eden was essentially a temple.     

  2. All ordinances must be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise which is another title for the Holy Ghost.  Every blessing of the gospel is conditioned on keeping covenants.  The Holy Ghost knows our hearts and can thereby discern deceit, half-truths, or misrepresentations.  Therefore, when an ordinance is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise the Holy Ghost confirms that the person(s) is worthy.  

Only when these two requirements are met is an ordinance sealed “for time and for all eternity” (D&C 132:7).  “For time and all eternity” are usually thought of in connection with celestial marriage, but they apply to all ordinances.  It is important to remember that if someone becomes unworthy the sealing by the Holy Spirit of Promise is broken.

Celestial marriage requires individual and joint covenants and individual worthiness 

  1. Individual covenants and blessings – Each partner individually and separately makes promises and covenants with God, and will individually receive blessings conditioned on their individual worthiness.  Therefore, even if one partner were to become unworthy and forfeits the promised blessings, the other partner who remains faithful will continue to be eligible to receive those blessings.

  2. Joint covenants and blessings – A man and a woman jointly make promises and covenants with God and each other.  The continued faithfulness of both partners is essential if the promised blessings are to be received jointly because the promises are made to the partners as one – that is a single unit consisting of two halves.

Testimony – Speaking of the turmoil and uncertainty of the last days the Lord promised protection “to [his] disciples [who] stand in holy places and [are] not moved” (D&C 45:32).  Those holy places are the temples and should also be our homes.  We are certain that if our homes are filled with the Holy Spirit, and if we attend the temple as often as reasonably possible, and do so worthily, we will be blessed and protected.