2024 April General Conference, Saturday Morning Session

Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ
Sister J. Anette Dennis
First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency

Main Points

  • Through honoring our covenants, we enable God to pour out the multitude of promised blessings associated with those covenants. 
  • As we choose to draw nearer to Him through a covenant relationship, it allows Him to draw nearer to us and more fully bless us.

Gospel Principles taught

God the Father, Our Heavenly Family, Jesus Christ, Agency, The Atonement, The Lord’s Covenant People, Temple Work 

Gospel Doctrine taught

The Plan of Salvation, The Atonement of Jesus Christ, Ordinances and Covenants, The Plan of Salvation, Agency, The Covenant Path

Scriptures

Mark 4: 33-34, Matthew 17:20, Luke 15:3–7, Luke 15:11–32, Matthew 13:9, Matthew 13:10–13, John 3:16–17, John 1:29, 1 Nephi 11:20–22, Doctrine and Covenants 133:53, Deuteronomy 7:9, Jeremiah 31:33; 1 Nephi 17:40; James 4:8; Doctrine and Covenants 88:63, Mosiah 5:5; Mosiah 18:8–10, Romans 6:3–4; Colossians 2:12, 2 Nephi 31:13; Moroni 6:3; Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, Galatians 3:27, Luke 22:19–20, John 6:56, 2 Nephi 28:30, Exodus 28; 40:12–13 , Genesis 3:21, Romans 13:12&14, Ephesians 6:10–18, Mosiah 24:13–15; Psalm 119:105; 1 Nephi 17:13, Mosiah 4:24–25, Alma 41:14; John 3:16–17; 15:12–13; Doctrine and Covenants 34:3, Isaiah 49:14–16

Talks & Works Cited

Russell M. Nelson, “The Atonement,” “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,”  Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Muhlestein, God Will Prevail, 9–12; Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,”  Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail,” Russell M. Nelson, “Covenants,” Russell M. Nelson, “Spiritual Treasures,” Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Camille N. Johnson, “Jesus Christ Is Relief,” Dale G. Renlund, “Accessing God’s Power through Covenants,” Jean B. Bingham, “Covenants with God Strengthen, Protect, and Prepare Us for Eternal Glory,” Dale G. Renlund, “Unwavering Commitment to Jesus Christ,” “Sacred Temple Clothing,” David A. Bednar, “Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease,” Neal A. Maxwell, “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father,”  Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Merciful Obtain Mercy,” Jeffrey R. Holland, “None Were with Him,” Russell M. Nelson, “A Plea to My Sisters,” General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Temple Recommends 26.5.1, Temple Ordinances for the Living 27.2.2, Russell M. Nelson, “Closing Remarks”

Look for Jesus Christ:

  • Testimony of Christ.
    • I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. His atoning sacrifice for us became the greatest symbol of His and our Father in Heaven’s infinite love for each of us, with the tangible symbols of that love and sacrifice—the marks in the Savior’s hands, feet, and side—remaining even after His Resurrection.
    • I testify that the great blessings of that covenant relationship are well worth the price.
  • Description of His Teachings.
    • Jesus taught through stories and symbols—a mustard seed to teach the power of faith, a lost sheep to teach the worth of souls, a prodigal son to teach the character of God. His parables were symbols through which He could teach deeper lessons to those who had “ears to hear.” But those not seeking the deeper meaning would not understand…
  • Description of His Atonement.
    • When God the Father offered His Only Begotten Son as a sacrifice for us, Jesus Christ Himself became the highest symbol of our Father in Heaven’s undying love for each of us. Jesus Christ became the Lamb of God.
    • Jesus Christ is at the center of all covenants we make, and covenant blessings are made possible because of His atoning sacrifice.
    • Being immersed in the water and coming up again is symbolic of the Savior’s death and Resurrection to new life.
    • The gift of His Atonement is symbolically offered to us each week when a priesthood holder, representing the Savior Himself, offers us the bread and water.
    • Everything we do in the temple points to our Father’s plan for us, at the heart of which is the Savior and His atoning sacrifice.
    • Our temple garment reminds us that the Savior and the blessings of His Atonement cover us throughout our lives.
    • I am so grateful for the privilege of wearing the garment of the holy priesthood to remind me that the Savior and the blessings of His infinite Atonement constantly cover me throughout my mortal journey.
  • Description of His relationship with us.
    • Each person on earth is a beloved son or daughter of God.
    • Our Father wants a deeper relationship with all His sons and daughters, but it is our choice.
    • He will protect me from evil, give me power and increased capacity, and be my light and guide through the darkness and difficulties of this world.

Inspiring Words & Phrases

  • When God the Father offered His Only Begotten Son as a sacrifice for us, Jesus Christ Himself became the highest symbol of our Father in Heaven’s undying love for each of us. Jesus Christ became the Lamb of God. 
  • We have the privilege and blessing of being invited into a covenant relationship with God, in which our own lives can become a symbol of that covenant.
  • When we choose to be part of a covenant, it enhances and deepens our relationship with Him.
  • As we choose to draw nearer to Him through a covenant relationship, it allows Him to draw nearer to us and more fully bless us.
  • Jesus Christ is at the center of all covenants we make, and covenant blessings are made possible because of His atoning sacrifice.
  • As we make covenants with God in the house of the Lord, we further deepen our relationship with Him.
  • As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, those of us who have chosen to make covenants with God in the house of the Lord wear sacred ceremonial outer clothing during temple worship, symbolic of the clothing worn in ancient temple rituals. We also wear the garment of the holy priesthood, both during temple worship and in our everyday lives.
  • As part of the temple endowment, we are authorized to wear the garment of the holy priesthood. It is both a sacred obligation and a sacred privilege.
  • It (the garment) also reminds me that as I keep the covenants I have made with God in the house of the Lord, I have symbolically put on Christ, who Himself is an armor of light.
  • There is deep and beautiful symbolic meaning in the garment of the holy priesthood and its relationship to Christ. I believe that my willingness to wear the holy garment becomes my symbol to Him. It is my own personal sign to God, not a sign to others.
  • As I keep my covenants and obligations with God, including wearing the garment of the holy priesthood, my very life can become a personal symbol of my love and deep gratitude for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and my desire to have Him with me always.
  • Through a covenant relationship with God, our own lives can become a living symbol of our commitment to and deep love for our Father in Heaven, our hesed for Him, and our desire to progress and eventually become like our Savior, being prepared to one day enter Their presence. I testify that the great blessings of that covenant relationship are well worth the price.

Lists

Covenants:

  • Create a relationship with God
  • that covenant relationship allows God to mold and change us over time
  • That covenant relationship allows God to lift us to become more like the Savior
  • Draw us closer and closer to Christ and the Father
  • Eventually prepare us to enter Their presence.

Our Heavenly Father wants a deeper relationship with us, but choosing that deeper relationship is up to us. We have exercise our agency to choose to draw near to Him. Here is the progression of that relationship:

  • God sets the conditions and obligations of the covenants.
  • When covenantal conditions and obligations are met, there are promised blessings attached.
  • A natural consequence of keeping covenantal conditions and obligations is power to change and become more like Jesus Christ.
  • When we choose to enter that covenant relationship, we witness our willingness to abide by the conditions He has set.
  • The way we witness that willingness is through symbols & symbolic actions.
  • As we honor our covenants, our actions enable God to bless us with the promised blessings.

Symbols in baptism:

  • Baptism by immersion is the symbolic gate through which we enter into a covenant relationship with God. 
  • Being immersed in the water and coming up again is symbolic of the Savior’s death and Resurrection to new life.
  • As we are baptized, we symbolically die and are born again into the family of Christ.
  • When we are baptized, we show our willingness to take His name upon us.
  • With our baptism, we symbolically put on Christ. 
  • We ourselves embody that symbolism.

Symbols in the sacrament:

  • The bread and water are symbolic of Christ’s flesh and blood shed for us. 
  • The gift of His Atonement is symbolically offered to us each week when a priesthood holder, representing the Savior Himself, offers us the bread and water.
  • As we perform the action of eating and drinking the emblems of His flesh and blood, Christ symbolically becomes a part of us.
  • We again put on Christ as we make a new covenant each week.

Symbols in the temple:

  • Everything we do in the temple points to our Father’s plan for us.
  • At the heart of the Plan of Salvation is the Savior and His atoning sacrifice.
  • In the temple, the Lord teaches us line upon line through symbolism.
  • The garment of the holy priesthood is deeply symbolic and points to the Savior.

A closer look at the garment of the holy priesthood:

  • Many religious traditions employ special clothing during worship, symbolizing their beliefs and their commitment to God. 
  • In ancient times, sacred ceremonial clothing was used in temple worship.
  • In modern times, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have chosen to enter temple covenants wear sacred, ceremonial clothing during temple worship – symbolic of ancient temple worship.
  • Additionally, those who have covenanted also wear the garment of the holy priesthood, both during temple worship and in daily life.
  • The garment of the holy priesthood is symbolic.
  • The garment of the holy priesthood points to the Savior, symbolic of His sacrifice for us.
  • It also reminds me that as I keep the covenants I have made with God in the house of the Lord, I have symbolically put on Christ, who Himself is an armor of light.
  • Not because of personal preference, inconvenience, or style, but because of certain medical conditions, for some people, wearing the garment is much more difficult. The Lord knows our hearts and understands our desires to honor our commitments with Him. See, for example, Mosiah 4:24–25.

Sister Dennis’ own experience:

  • Wearing the garment is a privilege
  • Wearing the garment reminds me that the Savior and His infinite atonement cover me throughout mortality.
  • Wearing the garment reminds me that as I keep my covenants, I have symbolically put on Christ.
  • Christ himself is an armor of light. He will:
    • Protect me from evil
    • Give me power
    • Give me increased capacity
    • Be my light through the darkness of this world
    • Be my guide through the difficulties of this world
  • I believe that my willingness to wear the holy garment becomes my symbol to Him. It is my own personal sign to God, not a sign to others.
  • As I keep my covenants and obligations with God, including wearing the garment of the holy priesthood, my very life can become a personal symbol of my love and deep gratitude for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and my desire to have Him with me always.

Prerequisites for making temple covenants:

  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • No longer attending High School (or equivalent)
  • Be a member of the Church for at least a year.
  • Meet standards of personal holiness (as reviewed here).

Not prerequisites:

  • Have a mission call.
  • Be engaged to be married.

Through a covenant relationship with God, our lives can become:

  • a living symbol of our commitment to our Father in Heaven.
  • a symbol for our deep love for our Father in Heaven.
  • a symbol of our hesed for Him.
  • A symbol of our desire to progress and become like our Savior.
  • A symbol of our desire to enter into the presence of Heavenly Father and our Savior.

Equations & Definitions

  • The armor of light=Jesus Christ 
  • Hesed = a covenant relationship in which both parties are bound to be loyal and faithful to each other
  • Kaphar = atonement; “to cover”

Invitations/Challenges

  • Our temple garment reminds us that the Savior and the blessings of His Atonement cover us throughout our lives. As we put on the garment of the holy priesthood each day, that beautiful symbol becomes a part of us. 
  • If you have not yet done so, I invite you to choose a deeper relationship with God by making covenants with Him in the house of the Lord. 
  • Study the talks of our prophet (including the beautiful teachings in the footnotes of his talks, which most conference talks have). He has spoken repeatedly about covenants for years and especially since becoming President of the Church. 
  • Learn from his teachings about the beautiful blessings and increased power and capacity that can be yours through making and keeping covenants with God.
  • If you have the desire to deepen your relationship with your Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ by making sacred covenants in the house of the Lord, I invite you to speak with your bishop or branch president and let him know of your desires. He will help you know how to prepare to receive and honor those covenants.

Blessings/Promises

  • The Lord will teach us line upon line through the symbolism of the ordinances and covenants as we open our hearts and prayerfully seek to understand the deeper meanings. 

Stories:

  • Sister Dennis recalled that she had purposely chosen books to read to her children that had symbolism within the story. It was enjoyable to her to help them discover the meaning behind the symbols. She was delighted to find out that her young son had started a new book with the intent of just enjoying the story; but he found himself trying to find a deeper meaning. Sister Dennis was pleased that he was looking for symbols.
  • President Russell M. Nelson has taught that when we choose to make covenants with God, our relationship with Him can become much closer than it was before our covenant, and it enables Him to bless us with an extra measure of His mercy and love, a covenantal love referred to as hesed in the Hebrew language. The covenant path is all about our relationship with God—our hesed relationship with Him.
  • When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit and had to leave the Garden of Eden, they were given coats of skins as a covering for them. It is likely that an animal was sacrificed to make those coats of skins—symbolic of the Savior’s own sacrifice for us. Kaphar is the basic Hebrew word for atonement, and one of its meanings is “to cover.”
  • In the New Testament book of Romans, we read: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. … Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Application Ideas

  1. Think about symbols: in the scriptures, in talks and books, in your patriarchal blessing, and in your life. Take time to list in your journal what the most powerful symbols are for you and why you feel that way.
  2. Consider the function of agency in making and keeping covenants. You may want to note in your scriptures, journal or study journal what difference it makes in a covenantal relationship ( in any relationship) to “act” and not be “acted upon.” (see 2 Nephi 2)
  3. Brainstorm a list of actions, behaviors, thoughts, deeds and words that you could use to show your Heavenly Father and Christ that you desire a stronger relationship with them. Choose one to focus on for the next week.
  4. Whether you are endowed or not. pray for a greater understanding of the garment of the holy priesthood.
  5. Study President Nelson’s talks (listed above). Consider looking for and highlighting the following things as you look for patterns and instruction in covenants:
    1. beautiful blessings promised to those who make and keep covenants
    2. increased power granted to those who make and keep covenants
    3. Increased spiritual capacity as a natural consequence to making and keeping sacred covenants

Write in your journal any observations you have as well as any promptings you feel for taking action on the prophet’s words.

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