Chapter 15 - The Covenant People
Are covenants a thing of the past—or are they the very path to becoming God’s people?
Chapter 15 - The Covenant People
What if I told you…
👉 The Bible never teaches that God stopped making covenants?
Introduction
Welcome to the Mormon Mann YouTube channel. I’m Kendall, the Mormon Mann.
In this chapter, we’re going to examine a powerful question:
Are God’s people always a covenant people?
Joseph Smith taught that God restored the everlasting covenant in the last days.
But here’s the real question:
👉 Does the Bible support that claim?
Let’s walk through it—step by step.
📜ABrief History of the Restoration of God’s Covenants
From the earliest days of the church that Joseph Smith set up, the Lord spoke of establishing His everlasting covenant again with His people. It was on November 1, 1831 when the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith one of the purposes of restoring the church:
D&C 1:22 - That mine everlasting covenant might be established;
Another example of the Lord establishing His covenant with Joseph Smith and His people is on February 16, 1832 when the Lord was explaining the different glories of heaven and what happens to the most just men on earth.
D&C 76:69 These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.
According to the Mormon Church history, over the next thirteen years the Lord restored His fullness of the gospel to earth and one of the many precious truths that was established was the “covenants” that were so prevalent throughout the ages of the Bible.
When the Lord spoke of the last days, “restoring all things” and the “times of restitution”:
Matthew 17:11
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Acts 3:21
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
The Lord meant that “all things” would be restored.
When the Lord spoke about not “one jot or tittle will in no wise pass from the law:”
Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
📜God Has Always Worked Through Covenants
From the very beginning, God has always dealt with His people through covenants.
With Noah:
Genesis 6:18
But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons wives with thee.
Genesis 9:16
And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
With Abraham:
Genesis 17:2-7
2. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4. As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a god unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
Genesis 26:3-5 – 3. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4. And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5. Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.“With Israel through Moses:
“If ye will obey my voice… and keep my covenant…” (Exodus 19:5)
With Moses
Exodus 6:4
And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
Exodus 19:5
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine.
Exodus 22:10,11
11. If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: 11. Then shall an oath of the Lord be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.
Exodus 34:28
And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant,the ten commandments.
And what were these covenants centered on?
👉 The Ten Commandments
Deuteronomy 4:13
And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
This is critical:
The covenant was not optional—it defined God’s people.
📜 Covenants Included Oaths and Commitments
Throughout the Old Testament, covenants were not casual—they were binding.
“If a man vow a vow… he shall not break his word.” (Numbers 30:2)
God made covenants with
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
Moses
David
and even with Entire nations
And the people responded with oaths.
Along with the Lord’s covenants, there were also oaths that His people would swear to the Lord.
Numbers 30:2
If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond;he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Deuteronomy 7:8
But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 29:12,13
12. That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day: 13. That he may establish thee today for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
👉 Being part of God’s people meant entering into serious commitments with Him.
The Lord brought in other covenants.
Deuteronomy 29:1
These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.
Another one of the covenants that the Lord made had to do with the “everlasting priesthood”.
Numbers 25:10-13
12. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace; 13. And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
The Lord Made Covenants With The Saints
Most of the past examples have been where the Lord established His oaths and covenants with the prophet and leaders of the faith. Not only did the Lord establish these oaths and covenants with the prophets, He also established His covenant with the general membership or with all the saints.
Psalm 50:5
Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
In the 1800’s, through Joseph Smith, the Lord established once again His covenants with His saints…the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Through out the Old and New Testaments, the general membership were called saints!
See my Chapter 4 - The Organization of the Original Church of Christ for more details.
📜Did Covenants End with Christ?
Many believe that when Christ came, covenants ended.
But the New Testament says the opposite.
Luke teaches:
Luke 1:72, 73
72. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73. The oath which he sware to our father Abraham.
Paul teaches:
Romans 11:27
For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
And even more clearly:
Galatians 3:17,29 17. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect….
29. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
👉 That means:
Christ didn’t remove covenants—He fulfilled and continued them.
🔑 The New Covenant
The Bible does teach a new covenant.
Hebrews 6:12-19 12. That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14. Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 17. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Hebrews 8:13 – In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Hebrews 12:24 – And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
“Jesus the mediator of the new covenant…” (Hebrews 12:24)
“A better covenant… established upon better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6)
But don’t miss this:
👉 It’s not no covenant
👉 It’s a new and better covenant
And how is it entered?
Hebrews gives a clue:
Hebrews 6:19.
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
That’s temple language.
🏛️Covenants and the Temple
In the Bible, covenants were often tied to sacred spaces.
The veil
The priesthood
The sanctuary
Ezekiel prophesied:
Ezekiel 37:26
26. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
This is key:
👉 Covenant + Sanctuary = God dwelling with His people
🌍 Section 6: Covenants in the Last Days
The prophets saw something coming:
👉 A restoration of the covenant
Isaiah:
Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Jeremiah 32:40
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their heart, that they shall not depart from me.
Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 31:31,33
31. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And this wasn’t just for Israel—
Ezekiel says even the gentiles would be included.
Ezekiel 37:26-28
26. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
27. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
28. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
⚠️ The Covenant Was Broken
The Bible also warns:
👉 The covenant would be broken.
Deuteronomy 29:25,26 25. Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt:
26. For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto the:
Isaiah 24:5
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
The Lord confirmed the breaking of the “everlasting covenant.”
Doctrine & Covenants 1:14,15
14. And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;
15. For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
This aligns with the idea of apostasy and opens the door to the idea of the restoration.
🔥 The Big Question
Now we have to ask:
👉 If covenants were always essential…
👉 If they continued in the New Testament…
👉 If they were broken…
Would God restore them?
Joseph Smith said:
👉 Yes.
He claimed that:
The covenant was restored
The priesthood was restored
Temple covenants were restored
📊Biblical Support Challenge
So here’s the challenge:
Is the following topic supported in the Bible? Yes or No
Does the Bible support Joseph Smith’s that special oaths and covenants should be made with the Lord? Yes
(Gen 6:18; Gen 26:3-5; Exo 6:4; Exo 19:5; Exo 22:10,11; Exo 34:28; Deut 4:13; Deu 29:1; Num 30:2; Deu 7:8; Deu 29:12,13; Gen 26:42; 1 Kings 2:43; 1Kings 11:11; 2 Kings 11:4; 2 Kings 23:2,3; 2 Chron 34:29-31; Psalm 50:5; Psalm 89:3; Neh 9:38; Neh 10:29; Luke 1:72,73; Rom 11:27; Gal 3:17,29; Eph 2:12; Heb 6:12-19; Heb 7:20,21; Heb 8:6,13; Heb 12:24)
Does the Bible support Joseph Smith’s teachings about an “everlasting covenant?” Yes
(Gen 9:16; Gen 17:2-7; Num 25:10-13; 1 Chron 16:14-17; Psalm 105:8-10; Heb 13:20,21)
Now the real question becomes:
👉 Where are those covenants today?
❓ Closing Challenge
So here’s the question:
If God has always worked through covenants…
And if those covenants are clearly taught in scripture…
👉 Where do we find the same covenant structure taught today?
And more importantly:
👉 Do modern covenant practices align exactly with what the Bible teaches?
🎬 Outro
In the next chapter, we’ll continue building on this foundation and examine how these doctrines develop even further.
If you found this helpful, make sure to like, subscribe, and follow along as we continue this series:
Joseph Smith and the Bible.
🔥Closing Thought
Question: “Why are Mormons so committed?
One can read through or watch this YouTube Channel and find the answer to that question.
It is God’s commandment to “be perfect.”
All of the knowledge of the restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, the Priesthood, the temples, and etc. goes into making the Mormons a committed people who are seeking that “perfection.”
The path to “perfection” is making the additional oaths, covenants, anointing, endowment, and sealings that are made in the temples with the Lord.
It has been stated in both the latter-days to Joseph Smith and in the New Testament days of Jesus Christ that “unto whom much is given much is required.”
D&C 82:2-4
2. Nevertheless, there are those among you who have sinned exceedingly; yea, even all of you have sinned; but verily I say unto you, beware from henceforth, and refrain from sin, lest sore judgments fall upon your heads.
3. For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.
4. Ye call upon my name for revelations, and I give them unto you; and inasmuch as ye keep not my sayings, which I give unto you, ye become transgressors; and justice and judgment are the penalty which is affixed unto my law.
Luke 12:48
But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
When the Lord said “unto whom much is given” He was talking about the rewards of glory that He will give to each person who lived on the earth.
Christ is talking about the three degrees of glory spoken of in Chapter 12 - The Plan of Salvation – Post Mortal Life.
These three degrees of glory are the Celestial Kingdom, where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ dwells, the Terrestial Glory, where Jesus Christ’s presence will also be, and the Telestial Glory, where both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will not even visit.
In order to receive the highest glory, the Celestial Glory, where both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will dwell, one must make these oaths and covenants, to include “the new and everlasting covenant” in one of the “Houses of the LORD” that have been built around the world by the Mormons.