Covenants
And I went in unto the king, and he covenanted with me that I might possess the land of Lehi-Nephi, and the land of Shilom.
Now it was the cunning and the craftiness of king Laman, to bring my people into bondage, that he yielded up the land that we might possess it.
Throughout scripture, God has invited His children to make covenants with Him. In Exodus 19:5, He declares, "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession." God desires that we bind ourselves to Him through Jesus Christ, that we may become His people and receive the blessings reserved for those who follow and serve Him.
For God, a covenant is sacred. He faithfully honors His promises as we honor ours.
In the Book of Mormon, Zeniff made a covenant with the king of the Lamanites in hopes that he would keep his word. Zeniff knew who King Laman was. He knew of the Lamanites' hatred toward his people. Yet, because he was determined to reclaim the land of his ancestors, he chose to trust the enemy.
In the end, that trust proved costly. The covenant became a tool of deception, and Zeniff's people were brought into bondage. They became subject to the Lamanites and were eventually forced to bear heavy burdens.
As we move through life, we are continually choosing where to place our trust. While we may not make formal covenants as Zeniff did, we often enter into unspoken agreements with the things we believe will save us. We place our trust in our own strength, wisdom, achievements, connections, possessions, or positions. We pursue authority and success because they seem to offer security, admiration, and influence.
Many of these pursuits are good and even necessary. The danger lies not in possessing them, but in trusting them.
Earthly possessions, power, and prestige cannot provide lasting peace, joy, or fulfillment. They are temporary by nature. When our identity becomes tied to what we have, we risk feeling diminished when those things are lost—and eventually, many of them will be.
Covenants with God offer a different foundation.
As we make and keep sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father, we become more than our careers, titles, bank accounts, accomplishments, or influence. We come to know ourselves as sons and daughters of God. Our worth is no longer dependent on what we possess but on whose we are.
When we understand our divine identity, we gain access to a source of strength that cannot be taken away. We become creators rather than merely consumers—able to create joy, peace, purpose, and goodness regardless of our circumstances.
May we be wise in whom we trust and careful in the covenants we make. And may we seek the treasures that God offers—treasures that endure long after the things of this world have passed away.