What are the covenants made at baptism?
“When we were baptized, we entered into a covenant with God. We promised to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, always remember Him, keep His commandments, and serve Him to the end. Heavenly Father promised us a remission of sins and, through the ordinance of confirmation, the gift of the Holy Ghost. We renew this covenant each time we partake of the sacrament.”
When you’re baptized into the Church, you’re told the Holy Ghost will be your constant companion as long as you keep yourself worthy. If you sin and don’t repent or don’t live up to the doctrines of the Church, you can lose the Holy Ghost because he can’t remain in someone unclean.
If you remain worthy, according to Mormon doctrine, the Holy Ghost will serve as a guide for your life, help you to make the right choices, and comfort you in times of need. Henry B. Eyring explains the benefits of having the Holy Ghost –
“The companionship of the Holy Ghost makes what is good more attractive and temptation less compelling. That alone should be enough to make us determined to qualify for the Spirit to be with us always.”
By partaking of the Sacrament every Sunday, Mormons renew their baptismal covenants and allow the Holy Ghost to continue to be with them. In the same General Conference talk, Henry B. Eyring also said –
“If we partake of the sacrament in faith, the Holy Ghost will then be able to protect us and those we love from the temptations that come with increasing intensity and frequency.” (Henry B. Eyring)
In Mormonism, commandments are more than just what Christians might think when they hear the word commandment. For Mormons, a commandment doesn’t just come from the 10 Commandments; it comes from their church leaders and all of the teachings of their Church. Each step on the Mormon’s journey to their ultimate goal of godhood when they die brings additional commandments.
After they have been baptized, received the Holy Ghost, and are partaking of the Sacrament every Sunday, they must continue to keep themselves worthy. They must do this so they can attend the temple for the first time to receive their endowments, where they will be given additional covenants to keep. If they break any of these covenants, it will make them unworthy of the Holy Ghost.
In Ephesians 1:13-14, we read –
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. “
When we heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and believed, the Holy Spirit was sealed to us. Scripture tells us that when we are saved, our bodies become the temple for the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:16 – Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
As followers of Jesus, we need the Holy Spirit to be with us and not abandon us when we need him the most. I’m so thankful for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in my life, without it I never would have been led out of Mormonism and to the truth.
In Christ,
Melissa Grimes
References –
Baptism and the Holy Ghost, Study Manual
What covenants did I make at baptism?
Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.”
The Holy Ghost As Your Companion, Henry B. Eyring