How a Gospel Covenant ‘Is More Than Just a Contract’ With God

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By Rachel Sterzer Gibson, Church News

In the first devotional of the new year, BYU–Pathway Worldwide President Brian K. Ashton and his wife, Sister Melinda Ashton, testified to students across the globe of the love exhibited by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through covenants.

Sitting side by side with Sister Ashton during the devotional broadcast on Friday, January 10, President Ashton testified of “the reality of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and Their love for us” and invited listeners to “make and keep gospel covenants so that you can access God’s power and blessings in your life.”

In addition to explaining the power that comes from making covenants with God, the couple also shared how keeping covenants has blessed their lives and family.

About Gospel Covenants

There are two conditions in Heavenly Father’s plan that have to be overcome. First, physical death, and second, spiritual death — “meaning we would be separated from God,” President Ashton said.

Heavenly Father sent His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Savior so that, with His help, individuals could overcome physical and spiritual death.

“Because of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, we will all overcome physical death and be resurrected with immortal bodies,” President Ashton explained.

For individuals to overcome spiritual death, they must be cleansed from sin and perfected. This happens as they exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, are baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end by continuing to repent and make and keep all the covenants, including those made in the holy temple, Sister Ashton continued.

“By consistently doing these things, we eventually become perfected through Jesus Christ, can live with Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and have all the blessings They enjoy,” she said.

It is impossible to do these things without help, President Ashton said. So God gives access to His power as individuals make and keep covenants with Him.

A covenant is “an 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” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Covenant”).

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While some like to think of a covenant as a contract, a gospel covenant is so much more, Sister Ashton added. “Contracts are usually based on self-interest; covenants, on the other hand, are based on love.”

President Russell M. Nelson has taught that those who enter into a covenant relationship with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy (Liahona, October 2022).

“God makes covenants with us out of love,” Sister Ashton said. “We should, likewise, be motivated to make covenants with God because of our love for Him.”

Said President Ashton: “While contracts are usually made between two or more parties who are able fulfill the provisions of the contract, gospel covenants are between God, who has infinite power, and us, who are not capable on our own of doing what the covenant requires of us.”

Because of this, God designed covenants to bind or yoke individuals to Him so they can access His power, help and blessings to keep their covenants. “With God’s help and power, we can do things that would otherwise be impossible by relying only on our own talents and strengths,” President Ashton said.

Blessings of Covenant Keeping

President and Sister Ashton have enjoyed a happy marriage because they have kept their covenants, Sister Ashton said. “God has helped us to do this in good and hard times. If we had not kept our covenants, our relationship would be very different and would not be based on the trust we have in each other from years of keeping covenants.”

President Ashton noted that both of them have siblings who have left the gospel path. “Yet we feel hope in the Savior’s covenantal love that He will do all in His power to bring our siblings back to the gospel path, whether in this life or the next.”

Early in her marriage, Sister Ashton’s mother wondered if the gospel was true, but remembering her covenants and keeping those promises got her through her trial of faith, Sister Ashton related.

When President Ashton’s brother was 2 years old, he drowned and later passed away. However, the gospel has brought his family great comfort. “Because my parents have kept their covenants, they know that they will be with my brother again,” President Ashton said.

In conclusion, President Ashton testified “of the reality of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ and Their love for us.” He then invited students “to make and keep gospel covenants so that you can access God’s power and blessings in your life.”

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