The Benefits to Being Covenant Keeping Women
Being a Woman Of Covenants
If we are to be women of covenants in this dispensation and answer President Russell M. Nelson’s plea, we need to reflect the virtues and strengths of personal conversion and conviction that come by keeping the commandments. One of the first and foremost of these commandments was taught not only in one particular talk, but in found in several. It was to ‘Keep the Sabbath Day Holy’.
Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy is a ‘distinctive trait’ found in a woman of this dispensation that enables her to have an enormous impact on all others she may be seen of and known by. Her example both in the church and out of it, as she keeps the Sabbath Day Holy, goes against the trends of the world today. Brother Nelson said that we as women are needed for our abilities to lead, our wisdom, our voices to speak with the power and authority of God, and our organizational skills and executive abilities.
What better way to become women of discernment, to know and understand how to make courageous things happen, by our faith, through the use of personal revelation and our ‘vision, grit and love’. And, to prepare ourselves for all these capabilities, by using our devotion to the Sabbath and all it’s restorative powers to ‘prepare to meet God’.
Elaine Cannon, a former Young Women’s General President, quoted by Sister Rosemary Wixom (Primary General President) in the Women’s Conference, said that the two most important days in a woman’s life are: “the day she is born and the day she finds out why.”
If we honor and keep the Sabbath Day, by it’s observance in the following ways, we will come to know why, and be able to enjoy both the privileges and the blessings that come with being ‘Women of Distinction’ in this dispensation.
When we reflect righteousness and articulateness we in our lives, by accepting the responsibilities of teaching, strengthening, shepherding, protecting, directing, and defending our roles as wives, mothers, daughters, women; and our homes and families, we will be filled with faith, truth and the pure love of Christ. We will then have all we need to overcome the evils of the world we are sure to continue to encounter in these latter days.
As we keep the Sabbath Day Holy we will be able to claim the blessing made by Elder Nelson when he said: “I promise, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the Holy Ghost will magnify your influence in unprecedented way.” And, “Bless you to rise to your full stature—to fulfill the measure of your creation…”
Personal Ways Women Can Keep the Sabbath Day Holy
1. Have Personal Prayer.
Ask for what you need; ask in faith. Believe that you will receive and then follow the promptings. “Trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good…” In Brother Oaks’ talk, he referred to the hymn written by Emma Lou Thayne which encourages us to: “Draw myself apart, searching my soul”, when we have the need to turn to our Savior and find peace through prayer. In the third verse, it states: “He answers privately, reaches my reaching, In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.”
Prayer is honoring and keeping the Sabbath Day.
2. Partake of the Sacrament and Meditate on the Message of the Sacrament Prayers.
Focusing on the words of the Sacrament Prayers helps us understand the promises and blessings of the Atonement. If we ‘always remember Him’, we will find it easier to keep His commandments. By allowing the Atonement to work in our lives, we will allow it to heal, comfort, strengthen, and help us to overcome the challenges we face.
3. Listen to, and Reflect on the Words and Messages of the Hymns.
The messages and lyrics to the hymns can help us with personal reformation and developing ‘A Change of Heart’. They help us become what our Father in Heaven wants us to become, because He knows our potential as Neill F. Marriott (2nd Councilor in the Young Women’s General Presidency) reminds us.
Dallin H. Oaks, told us that the Power of the Atonement allows Christ to succor and heal us, and he quoted several phrases from hymns that showed us: ‘Fear not I am with thee—Oh be not afraid…”, and, “Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can not heal.”
4. Observe the Fast.
Fasting helps our weakness’ become our strengths’. It enable us to more fully feel of the Holy Spirit and become sanctified through Him. It helps us “keep the commandments so that we can overcome our limited perspective and learn to comprehend all things like our Father”, Von G. Keeth of the Quorum of the Seventies says. “We become—through a conversion of the heart.”
5. Bear your Testimony.
President Henry B. Eyring stated that: “We need the constant companionship of the ‘Spirit of Truth’ and moments of inspiration are like seeds of faith. When we become women of distinction in this dispensation, we will not be afraid to speak up and speak out… and use our voices to share the truth of the gospel, use our impressions and our inspiration vocally. To take our rightful place in our homes, our communities and in the Kingdom of God.
6. Read, Study and Ponder the Scriptures.
7. Search for Answers to Questions, Problems and Needs.
If we learn to trust in the Lord, to exercise our faith, obey His commandments and learn what His course is for us, we will be happier. Elder Dale G. Renlund, newly call to the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said this: “The Lord has called you for what He needs to do through you and that can only happen if you do it His way.”
Elder James B. Martino (of the Quorum of Seventies), reiterated that continual answers to prayer come by keeping the commandments, not hardening our hearts, and remembering the Lord’s words. If we ask in faith, believe we will receive and be diligent through obedience; never giving up, we will have our answers.
8. Listen to and Open your Heart to the Still Small Voice.
President Monson strongly counseled the priesthood brethren to tone down the loud outside voices of the world and be influence by the still small voice. To be alert and relentless in our efforts and vigilance.
Ronald A Rasband, also a new apostle, reminded us to reach out to our fellow man in love, to invite, persuade, serve and rescue. When we learn to listen the the promptings of the Holy Spirit we are better able to do this. The Sabbath is the perfect day to focus on these kinds of activities, plans, and goals.
If we develop good spiritual habits, we will be able to wait on the Lord as we become all that we can be. Sister Marriott says,” He takes us as we are and makes us more than we ever imagined.”
President Uchdorf also told us that, “Because you are His child….He relishes your potential. He waits for you to come to Him in Prayer.” And , “Partaking of the Sacrament each week breathes hope into the divinity within us, and we remember our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Elder Nelson emphatically stated that we, as women in the Church today, are fulfilling the prophecy made by President Spencer W. Kimball made in 1979, about the impact of ‘Covenant Keeping Women’.
At the very end of Moroni’s farewell address(Moroni 10:31-33), he exhort’s the Church as a whole to come unto Christ, and calls upon ‘Jerusalem—O daughter of Zion’ to help fulfill the Lord’s covenants through the power of His Atonement. If we read this passage of scripture, as if it pertains directly to us as daughters and women of covenants, we can see how much the focus and messages of this particular conference can be applied for our specific benefit and lives right now. Today.
We are the ‘Covenant Woman of Prophesy’.