Covenants bring strength

Turn with me to Mosiah 24:13. In this chapter we find that Amulon is persecuting Alma and his people. Verse 13, “And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.”

Please note that in verse 13, deliverance is focused in covenants. The beginning is covenants. Covenants and the associated ordinances properly performed in the authority of the priesthood, [please listen], open the door to the fullest possible range of the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ. In other words, you can’t have access to all of the blessings of the atonement of Christ unless we receive the ordinances of salvation and make the associated covenants. In the Doctrine and Covenants it says that in the ordinances of the priesthood, specifically the Melchizedek Priesthood, the power of godliness is made manifest. And without the ordinances of the priesthood the power of Godliness is not made manifest unto men in the flesh (D&C 84:20-21).

Well, what is the power of godliness? It is the full range of the blessings that come through the atonement of Jesus Christ. And without priesthood ordinances we cannot have access to those blessings. That’s why we find in verse 13 a focus on covenants. Verse 14, “And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders.” You’re not going to like the way this happens, because when we read that first line, Oh, good, the Lord is going to take it away from me, make things easy. No. “And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.”

Now watch this in verse 15, “And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.” Did the burden change? No. Did the people change? Yes. How did the people change? They were strengthened. And stronger people bearing the same burden felt the burden to be lighter. “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:30) It is necessary to pack a load, to bear a burden, in order to be strengthened. The atonement of Jesus Christ not only enables us to be cleansed from sin, but it can strengthen us to do hard things that in our own capacity we could never do. Some of you [may be thinking] "I don’t know if I can do this." Of course you can’t - alone. But in the strength of the Lord, with the help that He will bless you to receive, you can do anything in His strength. Great missionaries in the Book of Mormon said, I will not boast in my own strength, for I know that I am nothing. But I will boast of my God, for in His strength I can do all things (Alma 26:11-12).

Source: Elder Bednar, The Answer is the Doctrine