Making Covenants

[MG 2.0]

…why not rely on your direct line to God?

What covenants have you made with God? With your direct line, that is.

Did He reveal and/or give/reveal those covenants to you?

Are they specific to you or are they for everyone?

Regards,
MG

Truthfully I’m not satisfied with your response to my questions. They are somewhat fuzzy and evasive.

Regards,
MG

[MG 2.0]

Sure....These are ideas that are reinforced or added to just in the first nine pages...

M.G. what are some examples of these "ideas are added to" just in the first nine pages?

Just list a few.

Why are you not putting up a picture with a cutesy little meme?

You’re not yourself.

Regards,
MG

[canpakes]

What covenants have you made with God? With your direct line, that is.

Did He reveal and/or give/reveal those covenants to you?

Are they specific to you or are they for everyone?

Regards,
MG

Truthfully I’m not satisfied with your response to my questions. They are somewhat fuzzy and evasive.

Regards,
MG

Actually, I didn’t see those questions, so I’ve given no answer at all to it yet. : D

From the link: https://bibleproject.com/blog/covenants ... one-Bible/

“Covenants define obligations and commitments, but they are different from a contract because they are relational and personal.”

Earlier, you asked why one should expect that any version of God would or should directly communicate with an individual that God wanted to covenant with. You’re suggesting that the LDS God should instead - or is limited to - converse(ing) with only about a dozen or so mortal top dogs in a particular church, all of whom will then supposedly go out and do the exact same task that God supposedly can’t or won’t do - that being, to deliver, discuss, and agree to a covenant with any number of individuals.

If covenants are simply contemporary commandments, then there’s no difference in effort between telling one individual, or 15, or 8 billion, the exact same message (‘covenant’). If they are instead personal to the individual, then it is nonsensical to assume that the dozen or so mortal leadership members of a particular church are capable of doing the task that God can’t or won’t do, and that they’ll get it right every time.

To your question, a ‘covenant’ (in my opinion) is less so a contemporary commandment (‘Don’t drink coffee’) and more so a personal promise to do better within one’s life in ways that would align with God’s supposed word. But, if you are asking me if I’ve made promises to God (the LDS version or otherwise) in a covenant fashion as if to ‘make a deal’ for God to give me something back, then, no - I haven’t done any such thing, because I’m not looking for payment in exchange for being a decent person, or following general Biblical principles. Doing those things just seems like my responsibility as a human being, as opposed to a necessary task to be endured, so that I can get a special gift after death.

Given that The Almighty seems to have (or is claimed to have been) responsible for creating at least 20 times more galaxies in the known universe than there are people on this Earth, I don’t figure that the task you question would be beyond God’s abilities.

I think you are putting yourself in a position where there is absolutely no logical answer to my question so you are pressed into the position of saying God can do anything and everything.

I’m not sure why accepting prophets as God’s messengers seems to be so gosh darn hard for a majority of people it seems. Yes, you are then having to determine/differentiate between a true prophet and a false prophet…but nonetheless.

Prophets have ALWAYS (and Jesus for that matter) have/has never been accepted by humanity at large. I suppose there may be a multitude of reasons for that.

Are you saying that all covenants - from a biblical historical standpoint - required a prophet to deliver to ‘x’ number of people, or are there instances otherwise that are arguably part of the biblical record?

Are you having a personal relationship with God if you require a middle manager to deliver your tasks and manage your performance?

[honorentheos]

…the new and everlasting covenant…

As I mentioned to IHAQ, what was interesting to me is that the author of the book I’m recommending quoted a number of authorities that made it pretty clear that the new and everlasting covenant actually includes all of the saving ordinances and covenants of the gospel, beginning with baptism for the remission of sins and entry into the Lord’s church

Regards,
MG

After polygamy was ended by the US government.

It's not much of a magic trick when you don't stand where the magician requires you to stand.

[IHAQ]

Please give the board 3 examples of things you have learnt about covenants from Mulestain's book that you haven't really thought about before.

Can you also quote something from the book in support of those 3 examples that isn't included within the free sample content that Amazon provides?

Sure.

1. The New and Everlasting Covenant is the sum total of all gospel covenants and obligations.
2. The greatest blessings we receive from God all focus on strengthening our relationship with Him until our bond has grown so strong that we can be with Him because we have become like Him. This blessing is given within a certain context. Covenant making and covenant keeping.
3. Covenants are inextricably connected with God’s love for us. He wants to bind us to him. He wants us to belong to Him. That can only happen as we covenant to become more like Him through obedience to His law and commandments. It can happen in no other way.

These are ideas that are reinforced or added to just in the first nine pages. I expect to come across many other pearls of wisdom from the author as I continue reading. If you read it, come back and we can share more thoughts/insights.

As you know, you haven’t addressed what I actually said. Are you really saying that those are three things that learnt from Mulestain’s book that you hadn’t previously thought about? Not in Primary, Sunday School, Seminary etc?

I also asked for three quotes from the book to support those things, and which weren’t available within the Amazon sample. Your lack of response to that suggests what we all suspect. You haven’t got the book and you haven’t read any more than what is freely available. Stop being cheap. Buy the book, actually read it, it is your thread after all…

[IHAQ]

…it would be interesting to see an lds apologist quote from the entirety of a book, but i am not holding my breath.

I didn’t want to hold off on mentioning the book in case there are those…not you, of course…who might want to pick up the book and read it.

It’s a work in process. I have a whole stack of books I’m muddling my way through.

yeah, sure. I’m guessing you’ll be distracted by all those other things and won’t get further than the free sample content on Amazon.

[Marcus]

Sure....These are ideas that are reinforced or added to just in the first nine pages...

funny, almost every time DCP quotes a book it ends up being from the single digit pages, or worse yet, from the latin numeral intro. it would be interesting to see an lds apologist quote from the entirety of a book, but i am not holding my breath.

I didn’t want to hold off on mentioning the book in case there are those…not you, of course…who might want to pick up the book and read it.

It’s a work in process. I have a whole stack of books I’m muddling my way through.

I appreciate your interest.

By the way, I don’t consider myself to be an apologist. You and I both know I’m not in that class. I’m just a regular guy that has thoughts and opinions...

and who quotes only from the first nine pages. When you get into double digit pages, be sure to share.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

[inaccurate paraphrase deleted - please do not include anything within a quote that doesn’t accurately represent the quoted person’s words. RI] Week after week, despite the master classes that have been afforded him here.

- Doc

I bow to your unique way of teaching and insight, Doc. You are a master.

We should break bread. I could learn more at the feet of a true sage.

Regards,
MG

I just want it noted MG had to be modded yet again for misattributing a quote to someone else. Liar’s gonna lie, I guess.

- Doc

[IHAQ]

I bow to your unique way of teaching and insight, Doc. You are a master.

We should break bread. I could learn more at the feet of a true sage.

Regards,
MG

I just want it noted MG had to be modded yet again for misattributing a quote to someone else. Liar’s gonna lie, I guess.

- Doc

ludwigm got banned for much much much less than MG's repeated and ongoing disregard for board protocol.

[malkie]

I just want it noted MG had to be modded yet again for misattributing a quote to someone else. Liar’s gonna lie, I guess.

- Doc

ludwigm got banned for much much much less than MG's repeated and ongoing disregard for board protocol.

I don't know about anyone else, but I really liked ludwigm. For me he was one of the contributors with the most consistently thought-provoking posts.