_{To those who have received the Covenant}

Denver began in the Prayer for Covenant with addressing the failure of the early gentile saints to keep their covenant:

“Heavenly Father, it is I whom you named David, asking you in the name of Jesus Christ for your mercy and grace to be with those of us who seek to become your people. We hope to repent and return to your path and no longer be condemned and rejected as a people because of those who went before.

Take pity on us all and have mercy for us, as we acknowledge and accept the condemnation and rejection of the latter-day gentiles, and petition that we may overcome it.

We are mindful that in 1832 the gentile saints were condemned for vanity and unbelief because they treated lightly the things they had received and they were warned by you that they would remain under condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments, not only to say but to do.

You commanded the gentiles that they bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom and if they failed to do so there remained a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon those who claimed to be the children of Zion.

They failed to bring forth the required fruit and were judged and scourged, and then violently driven out of Jackson County, Missouri.

You explained there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires by them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances.

But they did not repent, and in their pride they threatened to wage a war of extermination against the Missouri citizens, heedless of your warnings.

But it was you who used the Missouri citizens as your hand of judgment to scourge the condemned saints, in your attempt to persuade them to repent and no longer treat lightly your word.

They still saw no Divine purpose behind their distress, and railed against their Missouri persecutors.”

The saints were condemned because they did not remember the Book of Mormon and former commandments. They neglected the scriptures and therefore they could not bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom.

Their behaviors are what polluted their inheritances because they themselves did not produce the fruits of the spirit:

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another (Galatians 1:22).”

In an attempt to provoke the saints to remember the covenant, the Lord used the distress caused by the Missouri citizens to bring about repentance, though through their own choices, they decided to continue neglecting the scriptures they had received. If they had seen the divine purpose behind this distress, perhaps they would have repented and remembered the covenant they had received. We, like them, have also received a covenant in which we agreed to:

“[…] receive the scriptures approved by the Lord as a standard to govern you in your daily walk in life, to accept the obligations established by the Book of Mormon and/or Covenant of Christ as a covenant, and to use the scriptures to correct yourselves and to guide your words, thoughts, and deeds.”

When distress comes upon us as a people, will we see it as a divine means to cause us to remember our covenant? Or will we use that distress to turn elsewhere?

The scriptures are for us, right now as we are, in all our sin and failure. The scriptures are not something to put aside until we are more advanced, charitable, and civilized. The scriptures are how we get to being more advanced, charitable, and civilized.

In “The Second Comforter,” it says:

“The scriptures are accounts written about and by people who have received the Second Comforter. They did something to qualify. They tell us what to do. If, therefore, we want to get there, we should be eager to look carefully at what they tell us about how they got there. It is futile to travel other paths and hope to obtain the same things the authors of scriptures obtained while going in another direction—especially when the authors repeatedly tell us there is only one way.”

And in relation to the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith said:

“[…] the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book.“

The Book of Mormon specifically is to take precedence over any other tools used for self-improvement (aka. repentance). The scriptures must become such a part of us that our daily decisions and reactions are based from their precepts. This is how we draw nearer to God; this is how we keep the covenant.

While other materials can be used to compliment the precepts laid out in the scriptures, those materials should not be made to sound more valuable or useful than what God has written.  The scriptures are a measuring stick for finding truth in other sources.

“If we use resources other than the scriptures, then we need to anchor what we expect our children to understand by referring them back to the scriptures. Make it clear that scripture has primacy, above all else, in learning what God expects of us (Footnote 1062, Preserving the Restoration).”

“It should not matter whether you have ever had these things taught to you in plainness by a teacher. The scriptures themselves are given to us as God’s intended curriculum…The scriptures, and in particular the Book of Mormon, is God’s message delivered right over the heads of the inadequate teachers you may have had in your life. The fullness is contained in its pages. Open them, study them seriously, and you will find the fullness there for yourself (The Second Comforter, Pg. 130).”

Some may feel that while the scriptures are great, they lack any information on how to accomplish Zion and become God’s people. They tell you what to seek for, work towards and strive for, but leave us without any skills or knowledge or understanding on how to accomplish what the Lord asks of us. This simply isn’t true. Remember the words of Nephi in 1 Nephi 4:15:

“[…] And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them ₃for he truly spake many great things unto them which were hard to be understood save a man should inquire of the Lord. And they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought…

And it came to pass that after I had received strength, I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause of their disputations. ₇And they said, Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive tree, and also concerning the gentiles. ₈And I said unto them, Have ye inquired of the Lord? ₉And they said unto me, We have not, for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us. ₁₀Behold, I said unto them, How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish because of the hardness of your hearts? ₁₁Do ye not remember the thing which the Lord hath said, If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you?”

Again, let us not forget that Joseph Smith said the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth…and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book.

If we are left feeling that the scriptures are lacking, the course of action is to inquire of the Lord. It is our duty to follow Nephi’s instructions to:  

• Not harden our hearts
• Ask God in faith
• Believe that we will receive
• Be diligent in keeping His commandments

And then will “these things” be made known unto you.

What if you don’t believe and instead harden your heart, don’t ask God, and therefore are not diligent in keeping His commandments?

Recall earlier how the gentile saints were condemned for vanity and unbelief. Those who dwindle in unbelief prize their errors and hold them as true (when they are not). How can these errors be discovered? By using the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon as a measuring stick. “Unbelief is often used in connection with losing truth, forsaking doctrine, and therefore, “dwindling (Glossary – Dwindle In Unbelief).” Setting aside the scriptures leads to unbelief and miracles end because men dwindle in unbelief.

In our society, it’s common to encourage and love conflict, calling it healthy and even necessary. There’s the idea that in order to change, we must be engaged in disputes because avoiding conflict is unhealthy, naive and overly simplistic. This belief goes against the Lord’s requirements for us.

As we strive to fulfill our roles in this life as women, sisters, wives and mothers, let’s remember how Heavenly Mother feels specifically about contention.

“The Hebrew פָּתַל (pâthal), from the primitive meaning to twine or twist, is translated in the KJV as froward, wrestled, or twisted. Froward is a 12th century English word meaning moving or facing away from something or someone, as opposed to toward which means moving or facing in the direction of something or someone. Frowardness means stubbornness or contrariness. ‘If we are froward, we are stubborn or contrary with one another. We dispute. We find it difficult to agree. Much debate and anger is produced by frowardness.’ It requires strength to refrain from contention and disputes with froward and arrogant people. When one feels strongly that he is right or is firmly convinced someone else is wrong, it is difficult to bridle one’s tongue and meekly persuade without contention. The Heavenly Mother, as “Wisdom,” mentions her opposition to the froward. She declares She hates the froward mouth. We repel Her by being argumentative and contrary with one another. The Mother must possess great strength because She hates the froward — the contentious. She does not welcome that spirit in Herself or any of Her offspring (see Proverbs 1:34) (Glossary – Froward).”

Again, “The Mother must possess great strength because She hates the froward — the contentious. She does not welcome that spirit in Herself or any of Her offspring.”

The Mother hates contention.

I must ask the question. How can it be righteousness to entertain the spirit of contention, which the Mother hates, in order to achieve what our Heavenly Parents ask of us?

Righteous results cannot be achieved through unrighteous ways. It’s the path taken to the destination, the process of the whole thing, that matters. Denver specified in Prayer For Covenant that the saints would “remain under condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments, not only to say but to do.” Our covenant was brought about because of a refreshed set of scriptures that we voted on making canon.

The second part of the covenant is, “Do you have faith in these things and receive the scriptures approved by the Lord as a standard to govern you in your daily walk in life, to accept the obligations established by the Book of Mormon as a covenant and to use the scriptures to correct yourselves and to guide your words, thoughts and deeds?“

The Lord said in Answer & Covenant:

“You have sought to recover the scriptures because you hope to obtain the covenant for my protective hand to be over you, but you cannot be Satan and be mine [He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the Devil, who is the father of contention (3 Nephi 5:8).]If you take upon you my covenant, you must abide it as a people to gain what I promise. You think Satan will be bound a thousand years, and it will be so, but do not understand your own duty to bind that spirit within you so that you give no heed to accuse others. It is not enough to say you love God; you must also love your fellow man [I give you a new commandment, That you love one another. Love each other as I have loved you. If you have love for each other it will be a sign that will identify you to all mankind as my followers (T&C Section 171 – Testimony of St. John)]. Nor is it enough to say you love your fellow man while you, as Satan, divide, contend and dispute against any person who labors on an errand seeking to do my will. How you proceed must be as noble as the cause you seek. You have become your own adversaries, and you cannot be Satan and also be mine. Repent, therefore, like Peter and end your unkind and untrue accusations against one another, and make peace. How shall there ever come a thousand years of peace if the people who are mine do not love one another? How shall Satan be bound if there are no people of one heart and one mind?”

“How you proceed must be as noble as the cause you seek.” If we are to take the scriptures as our daily guide and the scriptures say to rid ourselves of contention, then we CANNOT use contention to get us to a point of not contending. It cannot be part of the process. We need different tools.

There cannot be both peace and conflict. Satan will be bound because we will bind him in our hearts. He is the accuser. The Lord said:

“You must not argue about this as you’ve done before, and you must not argue about the points of My doctrine either, as you’ve done before. In truth I tell you: Anyone who welcomes the spirit of conflict doesn’t follow Me, but is following the accuser, who’s the father of conflict. He incites people to angrily fight with each other. This isn’t My doctrine, to incite angry fighting by people. But this is My doctrine, everything like that should end. (CoC 3 Nephi 5:8).”

To engage in conflict in order to achieve Zion is a contradiction to the Lord’s doctrine.

If the Lord is not asking us to use conflict, disagreement, and contention as a tool to become of one heart and one mind, then what skills and knowledge do the scriptures contain that will bring us closer to God?  

“Who is a wise man, and endowed with knowledge, among you? Let him show out of good conduct his works with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish; for where envying and strife are, there are confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace, of them that make peace (Ep. Jacob 1:14).”

“The more we contend and dispute with one another the better we become at contention. We polish the rhetorical skills to oppose others. That spirit of contention can take possession of us and when it does, we are hard-pressed to be a peacemaker with others. Christ said: 

‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt. 5:7-9)

[…]Our tools must be limited to persuasion, gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned, pure knowledge, all of them mustered ‘without compulsory means’ to persuade others to accept the truth. And if we fail to make the persuasive case then the problem is not others, the problem is that we’ve yet to figure out how to be sufficiently knowledgeable so as to bring them aboard (Podcast #173: Cry Peace, Part 2).”

Alma provides us with additional skills to develop:

“Now, my people, I plead with all my heart, with painful anxiety, that you listen to my words and abandon your sins and not delay the day you repent. Please humble yourselves before the Lord, call upon His holy name, and watch and pray continually, so you aren’t tempted more than you can resist. Then you can be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering. I ask you to have faith in the Lord, and hope to receive eternal life, and have God’s love always in your hearts, so you can be lifted up on the last day and enter His rest[…](CoC Alma 10:4)”

These are the tools to use when coming to agreement through reasoning. I believe that the way God expects us to deal with conflict is by interceding on our contender’s behalf:

 “Christ was [and is] the great Intercessor. In like measure, you must make intercession for those who fall short in your life. You should thank God for the opportunity that they give to you to show that charity. It may seem odd to do this when you start. But prayer and grace go together. You will find you are able to pray with sincerity for those in your life after you have spent time on your knees on their behalf. Grace begets grace. Do it, and you will grow as a result (Glossary – Intercession).”

Nephi made intercession on behalf of his brothers. This conduct made him a “type” of Christ. We are commanded to be like Christ.

In fact, He said:

“Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavily loaded, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. And you shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 6:8).”

What is this labor and being heavily loaded that Christ is speaking of? Our sins. How do we learn of Christ so that we can take His yoke upon us? Through study and application of the scriptures. He promises that you will find rest because his yoke is easy and his burden is light. What is Christ’s yoke? I believe it is intercession.

“Christ’s ‘yoke’ is easy because it spares you from the afflictions, diseases, indignities, disappointments and fears we inevitably encounter when our life is adrift in sin. Christ’s burden is ‘light’ because we are rescued from the corruption, confusion, degradation and slavery imposed on us by a malignant culture urging vanity, selfishness and pride as virtues. Even if the world then hates you, being reconciled with Christ will free you from the control the world’s hate attempts to exercise over you. A life in Christ is far more meaningful than a life without Him. Far more at peace with Him than without Him. Read the accounts of His life for yourself. Test His teachings by living them. Reconcile yourself to Christ. Find peace (Denver’s blog).”

Also consider 4^th Nephi:

“[…] Jesus’ disciples had formed a congregation of Christ in every surrounding land. Those who came to them and truly repented of their sins were baptized in Jesus’ name and received the Holy Ghost. In the 36th year, the people were all converted to the Lord throughout the land, both Nephites and Lamanites. There were no conflicts or disputes among them. Everyone dealt fairly and honestly with each other. They had all things in common, so there weren’t any rich or poor people, enslaved or free people, but they were all given their freedom and allowed to share in the heavenly gift.  (CoC 4 Nephi 1:1).”

The church of Christ was joined by people who came to the disciples, repented of their sins, were baptized and received the Holy Ghost. The next year, all the people were converted unto the Lord and there were no conflicts or disputes among them. To be converted to the Lord means you will not contend or dispute, but instead deal justly. Continuing:

They didn’t perform the rites and ordinances of the Law of Moses anymore [the lesser law], but they obeyed the commandments they received from their Lord and God, continuing in fasting and prayer and in meeting together often, both to pray and hear the Lord’s word. There were no conflicts among the people in the whole land, but there were mighty miracles happening among Jesus’ disciples (CoC 4 Nephi 1:2).

When you follow Christ, you do not seek conflict, or to contend and dispute. Those things will be done away.

When a people dwindle in unbelief, miracles cease. It’s specified here that these people in 4^th Nephi had miracles, which means they believed. And directly linked to the miracles is the one tiny detail that there were no conflicts among all the people. Can it be, then, that eliminating contention and conflicts from a group of people is part of demonstrating to God that we do believe and can be one in Zion? Continuing:

“Yea, even an hundred years had passed away, and the disciples of Jesus whom he had chosen had all gone to the paradise of God — save it were the three who should tarry. And there were other disciples ordained in their stead, and also many of that generation which had passed away. And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people; and there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness. And surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God (4 Nephi 1).”

“[…] indeed, 100 years came and went. And the disciples of Jesus, whom He had chosen, had all gone to God’s paradise, except for the three who were to remain. Other disciples were ordained to replace them, and many of that generation also died. There were no conflicts in the land because of God’s love that filled the people’s hearts. There was no envying or disputes or disturbances or whoredoms or lying or murder or any kind of unrestrained, lustful conduct. There certainly couldn’t have been a happier people among all the people created by God (CoC 4 Nephi 1:3).”

“No conflicts” is the fruit of having the love of God in your heart. To be the happiest people who had been created by the hand of God, that group in 4^th Nephi had to have no conflicts  or disputes. As a result, there were no envyings, strifes, tumults, whoredoms, lyings, murders, or any manner of lasciviousness.

Now, I want to point out a serious implication that the Covenant of Christ lays before us as it has translated the word “contention” as “conflict.” Modern science tells us that:

“Conflict and contention, while related, represent different approaches to dealing with disagreements. Conflict is a natural and often unavoidable part of life, stemming from differing needs or opinions. Contention, however, is a choice to engage in conflict with hostility, disrespect, or a desire to prove oneself right, often leading to escalation and unproductive outcomes.”

The LDS Church agrees with this sentiment as it wrote in an article by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, in which he said, “Conflict is inevitable. Contention is a choice.”

If modern science is to be used as our guide, then the translation from “contention” to “conflict” must be an error of some kind. If scripture is our guide, then what the ancient authors had intended to be understood in our day is that conflict is to be avoided, not just the modern understanding of contention.

In the Covenant of Christ, the word contention has been replaced with conflict each time it appears. In fact, the word contention does not appear once in the Covenant of Christ. The point of the Covenant of Christ is to provide a modernized version of the Book of Mormon and therefore contention was changed to conflict throughout the book.

“In truth I tell you: Anyone who welcomes the spirit of conflict doesn’t follow Me, but is following the accuser, who’s the father of conflict. He incites people to angrily fight with each other (CoC  3 Nephi 5:8).”

Those who welcome conflict, encourage it, and find it necessary are those who welcome the spirit of conflict. When we engage in conflict, we are using the tools of the accuser:

“Five of the virtuous virgins who were expecting the wedding party to arrive, were nevertheless excluded. They were virgins like the others. But the others were allowed to enter and they were not. They did not lack virginity. They did not lack notice. They were not surprised by an unexpected wedding party arriving. But they lacked “oil,” which is a symbol of the Holy Ghost. They failed to acquire the necessary spirit with which to avoid conflict, envy, strife, tumult and contention. To grow into the kind of people God will want to welcome into His dwelling, requires practice, experience and effort. People have not done it (Civilization Paper, 2019).”

The oil needed in the parable of the 10 virgins is the Holy Ghost and we need it to acquire the necessary spirit that will help us avoid conflict and contention.

“Those who mock or criticize efforts to complete the Restoration are defining themselves as unworthy by their own words. No matter how good they may otherwise be, when they embrace conflict, envy, strife, tumult, and contention, they cannot be invited to the wedding of the Lamb (Civilization Paper, 2019).”

No matter how good, or skilled, or educated, or prepared we think we are, if we embrace conflict, we cannot be invited to the wedding of the Lamb. To have a love for conflict is to love the spirit of the accuser. To embrace the use of conflict as a necessary growing pain towards becoming Zion is to wrest scriptural-based efforts to keep the Lord’s commandment to not contend. To believe that conflict is a necessary tool in order to change and better oneself is to dismiss Christ’s yoke.

Does it not then seem needful for the Lord to have updated the word from contention to conflict in such a day and age as ours? It is always the case that the world contends against what the Lord is commanding His people to do and be.

“Joseph Smith once remarked that the problem with councils and conferences is that we wouldn’t agree to hold our disagreements long enough in order to reach a proper resolution. We have to be willing to allow for differences as we search for the solution. Sometimes the solution requires years of differing opinions, differing viewpoints, differing ways of approaching things. That’s not evil. It’s only evil when we allow that to crowd our hearts in such a way that we begin to envy and be jealous and be resentful and be hateful and to have our pride injured. If we are charitable, then we look upon even what we think are the shortcomings of someone else in a way that is tolerant and kindly. We think Zion is going to be the great peaceful community. and it surely will be. But that doesn’t mean that the residents aren’t going to have differing opinions.

Art, literature, great thought, very often — music, all the creative impulses very often are stimulated by a conflict that the person who is doing the creating is grappling with. Zion may not be a place in which there is the absence for the potential of conflict, but it will be a place where the potential for conflict is resisted because of the charitable impulse to abide peaceably with one another while we work on the things that separate us, that make us different. Our differences aren’t evil. Our differences are something to be considered, thought about, to be explored, to be understood. Because charity is the peaceful means of dealing with these diverse ways of understanding lives, of understanding why we’re here, what we’re trying to do, of understanding how we can be kindly towards one another (Podcast #46: Charity, Part 1).”

Zion will be a great peaceful community. Because each person will abide by the precepts and use the communication tools laid out in the scriptures, their disagreements will always fall short of contention, conflict and disputation. They will never go beyond the potential of conflict. That is how they will bind Satan in their hearts. Each one will recognize their responsibility to say, “The contention ends with me. In fact! It won’t even begin with me!” Their differences will be dealt with charity and all the tools listed previously.

The saints failed. Amongst other things, contention was the result of neglecting the Book of Mormon. Therefore, using contention as a tool to get to a point where we no longer contend is not the answer. Using conflict to overcome conflict is not the answer. It is not what the Lord commands. It is not what pleases the Mother. It is not what will bring about Zion. It is not what will make us more patient, meek, kind and long-suffering. Only by taking the Lord’s yoke upon us can we step out of the hell we all currently reside in. Only by being charitable and interceding on the behalf of those around us, instead of contending, can we actually start to see the fruit of our labors.

In Denver’s closing remarks after the Covenant in 2017, he said:

“The covenant, if it is kept, will prevent you from losing light and warmth of heart as the spirit now steadily recedes from the world. The time will come when you will be astonished at the gulf between the light and truth you will comprehend and the darkness of mind of the world.

Be charitable and patient and labor to reach others. They will judge you harshly, but nevertheless be kind to them. They are going to grow to fear you, but that’s only part of how darkness responds to light. Give them no reason to fear you. The time will come for us to gather, but between now and then, be leaven. Preserve the world. Be salt. Preserve the world, even if it hates you.”

Neglecting the scriptures will result in a continuous loss of light. The Lord used the distress caused by the Missouri citizens to drive the saints to repent, stop taking the Book of Mormon lightly and stop their fighting. We are experiencing the same distress today by being bombarded from all sides with the temptation to contend and neglect the scriptures. The process currently underway requires practicing, making the effort and gaining the experience in becoming the “kind of people God will want to welcome into His dwelling.” If we don’t want to lack the oil, we must avoid conflict, envy, and strife NOW or else we risk failing just as the early saints did.

Responding to conflict by interceding instead of engaging in the conflict is being the leaven. It’s being the salt. It’s preserving the world. Even if the world hates us, like it did Christ, we have the opportunity now in the tiniest of capacities to do what Nephi did and become a “type” of Christ reflecting what Christ did for us in Gethsemane.

In conclusion, I’ll use the words of King Benjamin to voice my own plea:

“My people, please make sure you don’t let any conflicts arise among yourselves, and that you don’t follow the evil spirit mentioned by my father Mosiah. A woe is pronounced on anyone who chooses to obey that spirit, and if they remain and die in their sins, that person drinks damnation to their own soul. By disobeying God’s law, they’ll receive an everlasting punishment as their wages, and nothing else. Therefore it’s crucial to stay on the right path and avoid the ways of evil spirits.”