Written In Our Hearts

This semester is just like the last one and leaves me no time to blogging, which makes me sad, but the little bit of time I don't study or cook or clean, I spend with my family. I have had so many thoughts about General Conference and was so glad for the uplift that my weary mind needed. When I was studying the visiting message a week ago, I noticed how well it went with the messages we heard at the General Relief Society Broadcast.

There were several topics addressed, but the one that stood out to me in both Sister Burton and Sister Stephen's talks was that of our covenants. Our Heavenly Father has always expected his chosen people (anyone who is willing to follow and obey Him) to be a covenant-making and a covenant-keeping people. These covenants are sacred and serious, but sadly, many people treat them lightly and do not see the consequences of breaking such a holy promise. In our world today, keeping one's word is almost extinct.

But for those of us who make covenants and keep them, we see the blessings that come only through obedience. They help make us better people and to keep our perspective focused on the eternal.

Sister Linda K. Burton said in her talk, "When covenants are kept, families are strengthened." Families are falling apart more and more because of broken promises and covenants. Those families who stay together are blessed in ways that will strengthen each member all through their lives and into the eternities. How beautiful to be a part of something that has no end.

She also said, "Making, keeping, and rejoicing in our covenants will be the evidence that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is truly written in our hearts."

Heavenly Father asks of us a broken heart and a contrite spirit that leads to obedience. When we really love our Heavenly Father more than we love ourselves, we can do what He asks us to do and He will know we have faith in Him and His plan.

Sister Carole M. Stephens quoted Elder Hales, “When we make and keep covenants, we are coming out of the world and into the kingdom of God.”

Isn't that such a beautiful quote??? Each step that we make toward keeping our covenants takes us closer to our eternal home in the Celestial Kingdom. Until we are there, we get a taste of it in our homes as we continue to keep our covenants and remain holy and unspotted from the world around us.

The visiting teaching message had this quote from Elder Russell M. Nelson, “When we realize that we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us. His law is written in our hearts. He is our God and we are His people.”

It is important for us to feel we belong somewhere and to someone, and what can feel better than knowing we belong to the King of all the earth and even more? Our covenants link us together and help us to make it through the hardest things in life and still feel peace and love.