Fire of the Covenant

A Covenant of Fire

Sons of the Utah Pioneers Day of '47 Sunrise Service

Assembly Hall

July 24, 2006

By Elder Merrill J. Bateman

Of the Presidency of the Seventy

"On September 25, 1846, Brigham Young, camped at Winter Quarters, received word about the Battle of Nauvoo and the final expulsion of the poverty-stricken Saints. The last remnant had been forced to leave the city—the poor, the widowed, and the orphans who were now camped in eastern Iowa on the banks of the Mississippi. Upon learning of their situation, and in spite of the desperate straits of the Saints who had just crossed Iowa and were camped on the banks of the Missouri River, Brigham Young gathered together the priesthood brethren and said: “The poor brethren and sisters, the widows and orphans, sick and destitute, are now lying on the west bank of the Mississippi, waiting for teams and wagons and means to remove them. Now is the time for labor. Let the fire of the covenant, which you made in the house of the Lord burn in your hearts like flame unquenchable.”³ President Young then asked for those who had wagons and were able to cross Iowa to assist the destitute in joining the main body of the Saints. Within a few days, almost “a hundred wagons were moving east to rescue the poor.”⁴"The fire of the covenant spoken of by President Young is not an imaginary but a real force in the lives of all faithful Saints. The rescuers as well as the last remnants on the banks of the Mississippi were strengthened by it. Most, if not all of us, have felt the burning as well. A personal witness received at baptism lights the fire. The intensity of the flame increases as we face adversity and the furnace of affliction tempers our soul. The flame bursts into a full-fledged fire as we enter into and live temple covenant."
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Last night I was a little bored and went to my room to find something to do. I saw my all time favorite book, Fire of the Covenant by Gerald N. Lund, and I decided to start reading it. I know that the Lord knew what he was doing when he had me see this book and start reading it. i absolutely LOVE this book. There is something within the pages of the book that can only be picked up when you have a heart open to the Lord and the Holy Ghost. I have read this book three or four times before this and each time i read it, i just think, "Wow. what faith the pioneers had!"

I may never get to push a hardcart over 1400 lines of land, water, mud, rocks, hills, or through snow, or ice covered rivers as the pioneers did, but i have a purpose here and now in the the late 20th century and the 21st century now. Sometimes i think that i would have rather lived then and pushed a handcart across the plains, but recently I have come to realize through my institute classes (which you should take. they are NOT just for members!), church, and recent life situations, that my challenges in life as a young adult in the 21st century are just as challenging and faith promoting as the pioneers faced. The only difference between the pioneers and me, the situation that causes my faith to grow is just different. They faced physically grueling tasks of pulling of cart or walking 1400 miles; many even left their homelands, had to learn a new language, some never to see family again, others got shunned at work and lost their job, or got shunned by their community, beaten up, hurt, or spiritually lost along the way. i am just amazing and floored at how much faith and perseverance those members had to keep going and going and going and going until they thought they couldn't go no more and then they kept going! 


Today we face different challenges as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We face pornography, immodesty, lying, cheating, drugs, addictions, idols, wasting time, trying to keep healthy and "anxiously engaged in a good cause" (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27), ingratitude, "me me me me" attitude.

I know that as we pray daily, study not just reading the scriptures but spending time pondering and thinking about what a verse(s) mean, regular temple attendance, choosing and doing what is right, serving those around you, gratitude, gaining spiritual knowledge, loving, turning to your priesthood leaders for guidance, but also as important, is turning to the Lord for guidance. I know that as I have turned to the scriptures, my priesthood leaders, and the Lord for guidance in my life, that the Lord hears and answers every single prayer. I know the fire of the covenant burns brightly when we are most low. It is what keeps me going when I feel I am unable to go any farther. I know the Lord is real. I know he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to live and be put on the cross to make an atonement possible for us to return back to him despite all our shortcomings. I know that Jesus Christ lives again today and I cant wait for that day when I get to met my Savior and say thank you after all I have done to make it back to the Celestial Kingdom. I know that there is hope, peace, joy, and light in an ever darkening world today. The Lord let me know that by sending the young missionaries little over 11 years ago when they taught my family and I the gospel. I cant imagine my life without the gospel. I know all things happen in the time of the Lord and nothing I do will change that time. I say this in the name of my glorious Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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The full address by Elder Bateman can be found by clicking the following link.
http://lds.org/library/display/0,4945,5344-1-2783-6,00.html