"Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ" Talk Outline

Last updated on January 21st, 2024 at 09:42 pm

General Conference Applied

“Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ” by President Emily Belle Freeman; October 2023 General Conference

Corresponding General Conference Applied episode show notes: S2 E15

Talk Outline

Invitations

“When I returned home from Israel, I listened more closely to the conversations around me regarding covenants. I noticed people asking, Why should I walk a covenant path? Do I need to enter a house for making covenants? Why do I wear the holy garment? Should I invest in a covenant relationship with the Lord? The answer to these good and important questions is simple: it depends on what degree of relationship you want to experience with Jesus Christ. Each of us will have to discover our own response to those deeply personal questions.”

Directives (“an official or authoritative instruction”)

“Here is mine: I walk this path as a “beloved daughter of heavenly parents,” divinely known and deeply trusted. As a child of the covenant, I am eligible to receive promised blessings. I have chosen to walk with the Lord. I have been called to stand as a witness of Christ. When the path feels overwhelming, I am strengthened with enabling grace. Each time I cross the threshold of His house, I experience deeper covenant relationship with Him. I am sanctified with His Spirit, endowed with His power, and set apart to build His kingdom. Through a process of daily repentance and weekly partaking of the sacrament, I am learning to become steadfast and to go about doing good. I walk this path with Jesus Christ, looking forward to the promised day when He will come again. Then I will be sealed His and lifted up as a holy daughter of God.

“This is why I walk the covenant path.

“This is why I cling to covenant promises.

“This is why I enter His covenant house.

“This is why I wear the holy garment as a constant reminder.

“Because I want to live in committed covenant relationship with Him.”

Promises

“Just as He did for Jacob, the Lord will answer each of us in our day of distress if we choose to tether our life with His. He has promised to walk with us in the way.”

Doctrines

Covenants: “All saving ordinances of the priesthood are accompanied by covenants. A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and man. God gives the conditions for the covenant, and we agree to do what He asks us to do. God then promises us certain blessings for our obedience. The sacrament allows us to renew the covenants we have made with the Lord.”

Principles

The Lord’s Covenant People: “From the beginning, the Lord has made covenants with His children on earth. When His people make covenants (or promises) with Him, they know what He expects of them and what blessings they may expect from Him. They can better carry out His work on earth. The people who covenant with the Lord and with whom the Lord makes covenants are known as the Lord’s covenant people. Members of the Church are part of the Lord’s covenant people.

“Within the gospel, a covenant means a sacred agreement or mutual promise between God and a person or a group of people. In making a covenant, God promises a blessing for obedience to particular commandments. He sets the terms of His covenants, and He reveals these terms to His prophets. If we choose to obey the terms of the covenant, we receive promised blessings. If we choose not to obey, He withholds the blessings, and in some instances a penalty also is given.”

Christlike Attributes

Obedience: “When you received the ordinances of baptism and the endowment, you covenanted that you would keep His commandments… Obeying the commandments is an expression of love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (see John 14:15). Jesus said, ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love’ (John 15:10).”

Attribute Activity

“When I pray, I ask for strength to resist temptation and to do what is right. (3 Nephi 18:15)”
“I am worthy to have a temple recommend. (Doctrine and Covenants 97:8)”
“I willingly obey the mission rules and follow the counsel of my leaders. (Hebrews 13:17)”
“I strive to live in accordance with the laws and principles of the gospel. (Doctrine and Covenants 41:5)”

Most Important Quote

“His is a mission of condescension. Jesus Christ will meet us where we are as we are. This is the why of the garden, the cross, and the tomb. The Savior was sent to help us overcome. But staying where we are won’t bring the deliverance we seek. Just as He didn’t leave Jacob there in the dirt, the Lord doesn’t intend to leave any of us where we are.

“His is also a mission of ascension. He will work within us to lift us up to where He is and, in the process, enable us to become as He is. Jesus Christ came to lift us. He wants to help us become. This is the why of the temple.

“We must remember: it’s not the course alone that will exalt us; it’s the companion—our Savior. And this is the why of covenant relationship.”

Powerful Stories

“I was introduced to a trail in Israel by my good friend Ilan. ‘It’s called the Jesus Trail,’ he said, ‘because it’s the path from Nazareth to Capernaum that many believe Jesus walked.’ I decided right then and there I wanted to walk that trail, so I began planning a trip to Israel.

“Six weeks before the trip, I broke my ankle. My husband worried about the injury; my greatest concern was how I would walk the Jesus Trail one month later. I am stubborn by nature, so I didn’t cancel the plane tickets.

“I remember meeting our Israeli guide that beautiful June morning. I hopped out of the van and then pulled out a set of crutches and a knee scooter. Mya, our guide, took one look at my cast and said, ‘Uh, I don’t think you can walk this trail in that condition.’

“‘Maybe not,’ I replied. ‘But there’s nothing that prevents me from trying.’ She gave a slight nod, and we began. I love her for that, for believing I could walk the trail broken.

“I navigated the steep path and the boulders for a time on my own. Then, moved by the sincerity of my commitment, Mya pulled out a thin rope, tied it to the handlebars of my scooter, and began to pull. She pulled me up the hills, through lemon orchards, and along the banks of the Sea of Galilee. At the journey’s end, I expressed gratitude for my sweet guide, who had helped me accomplish something I could have never accomplished on my own.”

The Best Footnote

Footnote 6: “My girls want to whisper this five-finger promise to their children (my grandchildren) every morning—a reminder of a Father in Heaven who is divinely aware of each of His children.”

“In the dark of night, [Jacob] had a dream that not only contained a ladder but also held significant covenant promises, including what I like to call the five-finger promise. On that night, the Lord stood beside Jacob, introduced Himself as the God of Jacob’s father, and then promised:

“I am with you.
“I will keep you safe.
“I will bring you home again.
“I will not leave you.
“I will keep my promise to you.

“Jacob had a choice to make. He could choose to live his life simply acquainted with the God of his father, or he could choose to live life in committed covenant relationship with Him.”

Questions for Reflection Asked by the Speaker

“Why should I walk a covenant path?”
“Do I need to enter a house for making covenants?”
“Why do I wear the holy garment?”
“Should I invest in a covenant relationship with the Lord?”

Additional Content

Previous Talk Outline (“Brothers and Sisters in Christ” by Elder Ulisses Soares)

Next Talk Outline (“Abide the Day in Christ” by Sister Amy A. Wright)

All Talk Outlines

“Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ” Talk Outline