The Parable of the Ten Virgins

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25:1-13).

An incorrect interpretation of this parable would distinguish the wise from the foolish virgins as being distinguished between members of the Lord’s Church on the one hand and members of the pseudo-Christian community and gentiles on the other. Support for this erroneous interpretation might be in part based upon an improper reading of the following scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants namely, D&C 45:56-59 and 63:53, 54. In fact, all ten virgins are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We know the lesson the Lord taught with this parable did not apply to those living in His day because the coming of the bridegroom has reference to the Lord’s glorious appearance at the ushering in of the Millennium.

At the time we were baptized and confirmed, we entered into a covenant with God to serve Him and to keep His commandments (Mosiah 18:10). In return, He promised that His Spirit, the Holy Ghost, would be with us to guide and sustain us as we labored for the opportunity to return to His presence. The blessings at the hand of the Holy Ghost and the opportunity to return to the presence of our Father are dependent upon us being faithful in our living of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who are judged as having lived the gospel unfaithfully will have neither the Holy Ghost to sustain them in this life nor will they gain admittance into their Father’s presence after death. In other words, within the Lord’s Church are to be found both the wise and the foolish or the righteous and the wicked. “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise” (D&C 82:10).

This is the truth the Lord desired to teach when He related the parable of the ten virgins. The five wise virgins were faithful to their baptism and confirmation covenants, and the five foolish virgins were not. The wise ones were admitted into the wedding feast, the foolish ones were not. Thus the lesson for each and every member of the Lord’s Church in these last days is that we must live the gospel faithfully as long as we are upon the earth if we expect to receive the Lord’s “promised” blessings. What is being written concerning us in “the book of life” (Revelation 20:12-13) will end abruptly with either the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ or our mortal death, timely or not.

The Restoration of the Holy Priesthood

During mankind’s history on this earth, the priesthood of God has been conferred or restored upon selected men seven major times thereby ushering in on each occasion a period of gospel activity known as a dispensation. The heads of these seven dispensations are Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the twelve apostles called by the Lord in the meridian of time, and finally, the Prophet Joseph Smith. At various additional times, the priesthood and the Lord’s gospel have been given to numerous prophets down through the ages thus commencing minor dispensations. How many of these minor dispensations have occurred, we do not know.

In 1820, when Joseph Smith was called to usher in this final dispensation, the dispensation of the fulness of times, following the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment periods in Western Civilization, his labors would require at a very minimum the restoration of the priesthood of God, the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. The subject matter of this writing is limited to only one of these activities namely, the restoration of the priesthood.

As the work of translating the Book of Mormon continued with Joseph Smith dictating the Book’s contents to his scribe, Oliver Cowdery, they came across several references to the ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins (see Joseph Smith--History, 1:68-75). Seeking enlightenment on this subject, they retired to the woods in their vicinity on May 15, 1829 and prayed to their Father in heaven. In response to their supplications, there appeared to them a heavenly messenger who introduced himself as John the Baptist. Through the laying on of hands, this messenger conferred upon Joseph and Oliver the Aaronic Priesthood. The young men were informed that John the Baptist’s appearance and actions were accomplished under the direction and authority of Peter, James, and John who had received the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood at the beginning of the previous dispensation. In time, this Priesthood would be conferred upon them as well. Having received the Aaronic Priesthood, Joseph and Oliver were directed to go into the Susquehanna River and baptize each other. Upon leaving the water, they were instructed to re-ordain one other. This they did.

Not many days after the visitation of John the Baptist, Peter, James and John appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood. The exact date upon which this significant event occurred is not known.

By 1836, the required work of restoration was well underway. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been organized in conformity with the laws of the State of New York in 1830, and subsequently, the main body of the Church had moved westward. Those who settled in the area of Kirtland, Ohio had followed their Lord’s command and had prepared a temple for dedication. The Prophet delivered the dedicatory prayer in the temple on March twenty-seventh of 1836. It was in this newly dedicated temple that an event of extraordinary importance occurred on the third of April, and a report of its particulars is to be found in Section 110 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Jesus Christ appeared in person to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery accepting the sacrifices of the members who had erected the temple. “I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house” (D&C 110:7).

This visit was the fulfillment of a prophesy made by Malachi. “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1). These words of Malachi were affirmed by the Lord himself in this dispensation. In December 1830, the Lord said, “I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to my temple” (D&C 36:8). For those who recognize that this visit is one of the preparatory events preceding the Lord’s coming in glory, this appearance by the Lord in the Kirtland Temple is a confirmation that we are in the last days.

Following this appearance of the Lord, “Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north” (D&C 110:11). “After this, Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed” (D&C 110:12).

The fourth and final appearance on this occasion was a visitation by the Prophet Elijah. Down through the generations of particularly the Jews, the coming of Elijah has been an awaited sign. Elijah’s coming was announced four times in a single day by the Prophet Moroni during his appearances to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1823. Moroni chose other words than those of Malachi when referring to the ancient prophet’s proclamation namely, “And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (JS--H, 1:39). What Elijah bestowed upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on this occasion were the keys of the sealing authority that would allow actions taken upon the earth to be binding in heaven for eternity. These keys held and exercised by Joseph Smith and each succeeding prophet throughout this dispensation allows us now to begin the work of binding the righteous families of the earth together forever. This authority must be necessarily exercised upon the earth in order that the “work and glory” of God might be realized namely, the bringing “to pass [of] the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Elijah’s final recorded words to the two Church leaders were “[t]herefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors” (D&C 110:16).

So it was, that between 1829 and 1836, the Melchizedek Priesthood and its inherent keys were returned to the earth and bestowed upon the Prophet Joseph Smith, who still stands at the head of this dispensation today. In the great plan of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith would yet fulfill the role he was foreordained to play. His role was so important in fulfilling the purposes of God that it was said of him that he accomplished “more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it” (D&C 135:3).

Who Will Inherit a Kingdom of Glory?

A simple answer to this question might be everyone who is not judged to be a son of perdition. A more satisfying answer may quickly become complex. Desiring to avoid here the complexities and unanswerables inherent in a discussion of this subject, may I suggest a careful study of particularly Sections 76, 88, 131, and 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants should be enlightening. For this writing, it will be sufficient to consider some of the broader more defining attributes of those who will inherit each one of the three kingdoms of glory as their abode for eternity.

During His mortal ministry, the Lord taught that in His Father’s house were many mansions. “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3). The number of the mansions that eventually will be prepared for those of us who were sent to this earth to experience our mortal probation is beyond our understanding. However, revelations in both ancient and modern times make it clear there will be three kingdoms, each one very distinguishable in its characteristics from the other two. The Apostle Paul taught the Corinthians that “there are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead” (I Corinthians 15:40-42). The Lord has made known in this generation that the celestial kingdom will contain “three heavens or degrees” (D&C 131:1). If we assume that the internal structures of the other two kingdoms include various degrees also, then we may come closer to an understanding of the Lord’s use of the word “many” to describe the number of mansions in His Father’s house.

Modern-day revelations have blessed us with increased understanding beyond Paul’s teachings wherein the three kingdoms of glory are likened to the sun, the moon, and the stars in their respective degrees of light. Thus moving beyond Paul’s distinctions of the three kingdoms, it is true to say that those who will inherit the celestial kingdom are those who embrace the Lord’s gospel, are baptized and confirmed, and are judged worthy to enter His Father’s presence as a result of their faithfulness. Those who will inherit the terrestrial kingdom are, in general terms, those who are judged either unfaithful in living the gospel and/or are found to be among the honorable inhabitants of the earth. Those who will receive a telestial glory in the resurrection are those who in civilized society live criminal lives whether they are so judged officially or not. In other words, those who are judged as living their lives dishonorably.

What may be most striking about this revealed understanding of what awaits God’s spirit children after the final judgment is how desperately different it is from the understanding of the so called “Christian” world. Generally for them, the many mansions in our “Father’s house” number two: heaven and hell. To view hell as being one of the many mansions in God’s house is an error of fundamental gravity. There are those “Christians” who believe in a temporary place of punishment between death and the final judgment that they call “purgatory.” Here, the believers are punished for their sins until they are freed in time for the final judgment. This is an attempt by the apostate Christian world to explain the circumstances of the “spirit prison” (D&C 138:28) the real purposes of which were lost to them many generations ago. Those who find themselves in the spirit prison are not benefited by the prayers and the lighting of candles by their kindred living. They may be benefited by their friends and relatives who are still alive acting as proxies in the performance of the saving ordinances on their behalf in one of the Lord’s temples. Then when the gospel is preached to the deceased in prison, they will have an opportunity to accept it, repent of their sins, and accept the ordinances done in their behalf.

With reference to the gross distinctions between those of our Father’s spirit children in light of their eventual residence in one of the three kingdoms of glory, my wife has often remarked in our journey through life together how clearly the substance of those three kingdoms are already apparent in the behaviors of our fellowmen. This insight does not in anyway preclude the possibility of any particular person accepting the gospel once they are introduced to it and markedly changing the manner in which they are living life. The reverse possibility is just as true. Those of us who have accepted the gospel and are attempting to live it as best we can must realize that Satan would be especially happy to see us fail in our effort to follow the Lord, thus losing our opportunity to return to the presence of our Father in heaven. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are obligated to strive for the reward that we have been promised will follow a life of faithful service. At the same time, we are obligated to do what is within our power to bring others to an understanding of the blessings they will experience from the successful living of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sons of Perdition Experience the Second Death

“They are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born; . . . Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame. . . . the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power; Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath. For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, . . .” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:32-39).

This is an example of a gospel subject that the Lord has clarified for us who live in this final gospel dispensation beyond the teachings of Church leaders in other dispensations as reflected in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. A review of the scriptures in three of our four standard works enumerated in the Topical Guide concerning the second spiritual death demonstrates my point, but I will not go through that exercise here. What does become clear to a student of the scriptures is that our clearest understanding of this subject comes from the modern-day teachings of the prophets as well as the Lord’s revelations to them.

The second death must be a spiritual one, and on this point the prophets of old and of the modern-day are united. For through the transgressions of Adam and Eve in the garden, two deaths came upon our first parents and all of their descendants. One death was physical in nature; the other was spiritual. Through Christ’s atonement, the physical death is overcome for all by Him because He was “the first begotten of the dead” (Revelation 1:5). We have no choice as to whether we individually want to participate in the resurrection or not. Participation in the resurrection is mandatory. However, the degree of our participation in the salvation wrought for us through Jesus Christ’s atonement is very much within our control. All of God’s spirit children who are resurrected to one of the three kingdoms of glory will receive the appropriate degree of salvation and will be forever free thereafter of Satan’s temptations. However, the sons of perdition receive no degree of salvation, they experience no forgiveness of their sins, and they will spend eternity with Lucifer. Individually, they will be brought out of that hell where they will have suffered damnation for their sins until the end of the millennium long enough to claim their resurrected body, and then they will be thrust down to Satan’s dominion for eternity. There, they will exist in a condition superior to their “master,” (Moses 5:23) because they will possess a body of flesh and bones, a blessing Lucifer will never realize.

So the question ought to be asked, what did they do to warrant such a hopeless and damned end? These are they “concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come--Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame” (D&C 76:34-35). On this subject, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught the following: “What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against Him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it; and from that time he begins to be an enemy. This is the case with many apostates of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

When a man begins to be an enemy to this work, he hunts me, he seeks to kill me, and never ceases to thirst for my blood. He gets the spirit of the devil--the same spirit that they had who crucified the Lord of Life--the same spirit that sins against the Holy Ghost . . .” (Teachings, 358).

Also helpful are these thoughts concerning verses 34 and 35 of Section 76: “He [a son of perdition] thereby commits murder by assenting unto the Lord’s death, that is, having a perfect knowledge of the truth, he comes out in open rebellion and places himself in a position wherein he would have crucified Christ, knowing perfectly that he was the Son of God. Christ is thus crucified afresh and put to open shame” (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Craig J. Ostler, Revelations of the Restoration, 524).

There is a bit of what I choose to call “social gospel” that circulates among some Latter-day Saints to the effect that the number of the sons of perdition will be very few, perhaps no more than those who may be counted on the fingers of one hand. For them, I would focus attention on the Prophet’s comment quoted above. When teaching concerning the number of the apostates of the Lord’s Church that possibly have placed themselves in jeopardy of being judged sons of perdition, Joseph Smith used the word “many.” For me, five is not many, and consider please that the Prophet apparently was speaking of those apostates of his day. If nothing else, this subject should give us cause for reflection.

Those Who Died Without The Law

Enumerating those who among others would inherit the terrestrial kingdom for eternity, the Lord said, “Behold, these are they who died without law” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:72). While at first glance this statement might appear fully understandable to a casual reader, in reality, it is not. A discussion of the important aspects of this pronouncement is the subject of this writing. At least three identifiable groups of our spirit siblings may live upon this earth and die without coming under the confines of the law: those who die before the age of accountability, those who live at least to the age of accountability and are mentally disabled, and lastly, those who live to become accountable but are not judged to have heard the law. Which kingdom of glory they will inherit depends upon individual circumstances.

The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the undedicated Kirtland temple that “all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven” (D&C 137:10). Lest there be any misunderstanding as to the age the Lord had in mind, it appears that age eight has been the threshold to accountability since ancient times. To Abraham, He said, “And I will establish a covenant of circumcision with thee, and it shall be my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations; that thou mayest know for ever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old” (Genesis 17:11 JST). In this dispensation, the Lord revealed the applicable law. “For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized. And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands” (D&C 68:26-27). So it is clear that all children who die before the age of accountability and thus do not fall under the law will inherit the celestial and not the terrestrial kingdom.

The second group for consideration here are those individuals who live beyond the age of accountability, but who are so mentally impaired that the Lord considers them to be unaccountable. Mormon wrote in his first epistle to his son, Moroni, “For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing” (Moroni 8:22). The applicable words here are “and also all they that are without the law.” The Lord affirmed this principle in our dispensation when He said, “And, again, I say unto you, that whoso having knowledge, have I not commanded to repent? And he that hath no understanding, it remaineth in me to do according as it is written” (D&C 29:49-50). So again it is clear that those individuals who are judged to be unaccountable because of their limited mental capacity are treated the same as those children who died before the age of eight. They will inherit the celestial kingdom. Confirmation of this scriptural interpretation is found in the writings of Elder Joseph Fielding Smith. “Therefore the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers all deficient children with retarded capacity to understand, just the same as little children under the age of accountability. They are redeemed without baptism and will go to the celestial kingdom of God, there, we believe, to have their faculties or other deficiencies restored according to the Father’s mercy and justice” (Answers to Gospel Questions III:21).

Those who die after reaching the age of accountability and are judged as not having had an opportunity to accept the gospel while in this life make up the final group for our consideration here. At the time of death, these individuals are directed to a “spirit prison” where they dwell separated from the righteous dead. There, the gospel is preached to them, and they exercise their agency in accepting or rejecting the message. This opportunity to accept the gospel is necessary in order “that they might be judged according to men in the flesh” (D&C 76:73). The reference here is to those who live in a time and place such that they have an opportunity to hear the gospel message while in mortality.

Joseph Smith taught that “neither Jew nor heathen can be culpable for rejecting the conflicting opinions of sectarianism, nor for rejecting any testimony but that which is sent of God, for as the preacher cannot preach except he be sent, so the hearer cannot believe without he hear a ‘sent’ preacher, and cannot be condemned for what he has not heard, and being without law, will have to be judged without law. When speaking about the blessings pertaining to the Gospel, and the consequences connected with disobedience to the requirements, we are frequently asked the question, what has become of our fathers? Will they all be damned for not obeying the Gospel, when they never heard it? Certainly not. But they will possess the same privilege that we here enjoy, through the medium of the everlasting Priesthood, which not only administers on earth, but also in heaven [by preaching the gospel to them] in prison . . . in order that they might fulfill all the requisitions of God. . . .” (Teachings 221-222).

Thus those who live on earth without the opportunity to partake of the gospel’s blessings are taught the gospel in spirit prison. If they accept the gospel, they will be judged in the same manner as those who heard the gospel while in the flesh. The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that “All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God” (see D&C 137:7-9). Moreover, after they have accepted the gospel and their ordinance work consisting of baptism and confirmation has been completed by proxies for them on the earth, they will be ushered from their place in spirit prison into paradise to join with the righteous who are already there. “. . . Every man that has been baptized and belongs to the kingdom has a right to be baptized for those who have gone before; and as soon as the law of the Gospel is obeyed here by their friends who act as proxy for them, the Lord has administrators there to set them free” (Teachings 367).

In the final analysis then, the only ones of God’s spirit children who will inherit the terrestrial kingdom because they “died without law” are those who when given the opportunity to accept the gospel reject its blessings, and they will be not a few.

The Church of the Firstborn

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may or may not become members of the Church of the Firstborn. After new members place their feet upon the path to salvation by submitting themselves to baptism and confirmation, each is free to realize as much or as little of their God-given potential as they desire. The members of the Church of the Firstborn are those Saints who are found worthy of exaltation or eternal life. The Apostle Paul understood this requirement and taught it to the Hebrews. “. . . To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, . . .” (Hebrews 12:23).

Contrary to the belief of some, the Kingdom of God on the earth or the Latter-day Saint Church is not the Church of the Firstborn. The key words distinguishing the membership of the Church of the Firstborn from all of the Father’s other spirit children are those that refer to the “fulness of the Father” or language to this effect in reference to their eventual reward. To have a fulness of what the Father has means to live as He lives i.e., to be exalted or to have eternal life. This is the great promise made by the Father to all who faithfully live in accordance with the terms of the oath and covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood. “And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:38). To live as the Father lives requires us to take upon ourselves all of the ordinances available in a Latter-day Saint temple including the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase” (D&C 131:1-4).

Now consider the following scripture quotes noting the key language already discussed. “They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace; And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion” (D&C 76:94-95). “For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace. And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn; And all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn” (D&C 93:20-22). “And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the church of the Firstborn who have received the fulness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament” (D&C 76:71).

Ordinances and Covenants

For a number of years, Sister Linford and I taught the temple preparation course in our ward. One of the lessons was dedicated to the subject of temple ordinances and covenants. Expanding the approach to this subject matter in order that the discussion applies generally to the ordinances and covenants of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the topic of this writing.

After reviewing several sources, the best definition for an ordinance that I can find is on page sixteen of the teacher’s manual for the Church’s temple preparation course namely, “[a]n ordinance is a sacred ceremony that has a spiritual meaning and effect.” The gospel embraces two types of ordinances: those that are necessary for salvation, and those that are not. The non-essential ordinances include the naming and blessing of babies, the anointing and blessing of the sick, and the dedicating of the graves of the deceased. Those required ordinances for admission into the celestial kingdom are baptism by immersion and confirmation by the laying on of hands to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I am adding to these two ordinances the sacrament service given that partaking of the sacrament is necessary in order to renew our baptism and confirmation covenants, a requisite for the successful living of the gospel. The required ordinances for exaltation or eternal life within the celestial kingdom are receipt of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the temple endowment, and the temple sealing.

In order to be efficacious, each of these ordinances must be performed by persons holding the proper authority and performed for the benefit of members of the Church who have been found worthy by their ecclesiastical leaders to receive these sacred rites. With the exception of the baptism ordinance that may be performed by a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood, all of the other ordinances enumerated here must be performed by someone possessing the Melchizedek Priesthood or having been set apart by a Melchizedek Priesthood authority as is the case of sisters who are called to be ordinance workers in the Lord’s temples. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith the importance of this latter priesthood when he stated, “And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:19-22).

“In the gospel sense, a covenant is a binding and solemn compact, agreement, contract, or mutual promise between God and a single person or a group of chosen persons” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 166). As there are two parts to a civil contract, the offer and the acceptance, so there are two parts to a covenant, the oath and the covenant. In His oath, God declares the terms of the covenant. Those entering into the covenant with God agree to the terms of the offer. In the meridian of time, the Lord commanded mankind to stop swearing oaths in the gospel sense given that man possesses nothing upon which he might so swear an oath. “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black” (Matthew 5:33-36).

When we make a covenant with God, we agree to the conditions that He has set forth in His oath, and we await the receipt of the blessings God has promised to those who live worthy of the enumerated blessings because of their obedience to the agreed upon commandments. The means by which men and women show their acceptance of a particular offer made by the Lord is through participating in the relevant and required ordinance.

Baptism and confirmation are examples of this ordinance and covenant making process. By submitting to the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, the candidate signifies to God that His offer of conditions and blessings related to entrance into the Kingdom of God are accepted. New members covenant with God that they will “serve Him” and “keep His commandments.” The promised blessing is that the new members will “have His Spirit to be with them.” This is what Alma taught his followers at the waters of Mormon. “Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?” (Mosiah 18:10). Unfortunately, what the record does not state but what we know to be true is that two ordinances not just one are required in order to received the promised blessings through the Holy Ghost.

What is true concerning the pattern of covenant making as applies to baptism and confirmation is true of all of the ordinances and covenants into which we are invited to enter with God. Thus it would seem worthy of our time and effort to stop periodically and reflect upon all of the covenants we have made with God enumerating His expectations of us to which we are now obligated. In addition, we ought to review the related promised blessings that will be ours if we live worthy of them. An expression of our gratitude for these opportunities and blessings would likewise be appropriate. For “in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments” (D&C 59:21).

Elder John A. Widtsoe said: “The covenant made in the temple, or elsewhere, if of the right kind, is merely a promise to give life to knowledge, by making knowledge useful and helpful in man’s daily progress. Temple work, or any other work, would have no meaning unless accompanied with covenants” (Endowed From On High, 17). Elder Widtsoe’s insight is worthy of contemplation. Referring to the subjects of baptism and confirmation again, he is suggesting that having knowledge alone may well prove to be insufficient motivation for some believers to follow successfully the Lord’s dictates. However, by placing the relevant commitments of baptism and confirmation in a covenant concluded between God and an individual, the latter generally feels more committed to obeying God’s commands. The result is that we Saints reap greater blessings because of our greater obedience.