Bearing the Name: A Call to Humility for Covenant Christians
It has now been about eight years since the Lord offered a covenant to a people in Boise, Idaho. And recently, He gave that people a name: Covenant Christians.
This should be a deeply sobering moment for us—not one of boasting or pride.
There is a pattern here that ought not to be missed: around eight years after the Book of Mormon was published, the Lord gave the early Latter-day Saints a name too—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And what happened shortly after that?
That same year—1838—they were smitten, scattered, and chastened. Armed conflict erupted in Missouri. The Saints were driven from their homes. Seventeen were massacred at Haun’s Mill. The Governor of Missouri issued an Extermination Order, forcing the Saints to flee the state. Joseph Smith and other church leaders were arrested and held in Liberty Jail under brutal conditions. The temple they had hoped to build was delayed, and the fullness that could have been was lost.
And as the Lord has said to us:
“They proved themselves utterly incapable of the serious discipleship necessary to obtain the Lord's trust. We are not distinguishing ourselves from them.”
We are not doing better than they did.
The Name Is Not a Reward—It's a Burden
Being called Covenant Christians is not a prize. It is not a validation of our righteousness. It is not a reason to boast.
The name is not a reward. It is a burden. It is meant to humble, not to exalt.
Before the name was announced, Denver stated:
“After learning that the Lord intends to accomplish His work through our group, or at least a remnant that includes some from our group….”
It is a calling. A trust. A weighty responsibility. The name points to two fundamental aspects: the covenant we have entered into with God, and the life and example of Jesus Christ.
Neither of these should lead us to pride—they should lead us to the dust. If only some will qualify, what will qualify them? What will disqualify those who will be cut off?
“...We are failing again. We are so fixated on achieving a result that we fail to realize that the results do not matter; only the process matters. Results should be a byproduct of the process.…How we proceed is critical to succeeding as a people. Results, accomplished through compulsory means, which include peer pressure, refusing to engage, and shaming someone for a desire to stay in the process, cannot and will not bring people of peace together.”
“People who can live in peace with one another, without rancor or jealousy, fear and defensiveness will undoubtedly exclude some of us and include some outside this present body of believers. Currently, we are plagued by fear, anxiety, defensiveness, judgment, discord, anger, intolerance, a lack of desire, and capacity for doing the work God has asked us to do. Many have openly stated their unwillingness to engage in the work and lack the desire to understand one another. There is little to commend us as a people of Zion…..Giving heed does not mean we argue with one another about some particular statement, phrase, or verse, using a teaching to justify our opinions, perceptions, or errors. Giving heed requires us to submit, obey, and respect the Lord’s words as if they are meant to condemn and correct us personally. They are not intended to equip us to criticize our neighbor or justify our ignorant opinion. Seeing the flaws in others is easy. It requires nothing of us. Seeing our own flaws seems to be impossible. The words of the Lord are precepts or teachings intended to bring you down in humility so you can meekly submit to His guidance in all things, not just the things you care about….None of us should be proud, thinking ourselves better than our fellow man. We aren’t. We are not even as much as the dust of the earth because the dust we occupy belongs to God.”
An Opportunity Squandered?
We were given an opportunity to resolve a controversy that had divided us. But how did we fare?
We can only truly judge our own hearts here:
“Many of us have approached the task of deciding the controversy with fear and not with cheerful confidence. I am confident that the voice of the people will almost always choose the right outcome. I approach disagreements with the confidence that, in the end, we will achieve the right outcome. Be encouraged to lay aside your fears, trust the body of believers, and do not lose faith because we have a matter to resolve.”
I don’t believe this is saying that our outcomes are always correct, but rather that engaging in the proper way, with cheerful confidence that the right outcome will result, is the Lord's work. Let us set aside fear, anger, pride, and mistrust. Let us be confident in each other and assume the best of one another.
The Bitter Truth: We Have Not Learned to Love
“We MUST, but have not, learned to disagree respectfully. We take sides, prejudge, run away from conflict, and prefer being right with man over being right with God.
We need to counsel with one another patiently and listen attentively.
Some disagreements and differences may take years to work out.
An ‘us vs. them’ mentality permeates this movement. It has been on display for years and was especially obvious surrounding this year’s general and women’s conferences. This is the work. And many still refuse to see that God cares about how we treat one another as much—or more—than our outward projects.
For eight years, we have ignored this wise counsel from the Lord:”
“In the work you have performed there are those who have been Satan, accusing one another, wounding hearts, and causing jarring, contention, and strife by their accusations. Rather than loving one another... some have dealt unkindly as if they were the opponents, accusers, and adversaries. In this they were wrong.
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...
It is not enough to say you love God; you must also love your fellow man...
You have become your own adversaries, and you cannot be Satan and also be mine.”
A Plea for Repentance, Over Celebration
I write this with a heavy heart because I see us repeating the same mistakes as the early Saints. I see boasting where there should be mourning. I see self-congratulation where there should be repentance.
I see a people God is trying to claim for Himself… and who are resisting.
Now is not the time for pride. Now is the time for broken hearts and contrite spirits.
The name we've been given is not an endorsement of who we are—it’s a call to become who we are meant to be.
“We need to stop fighting and start reasoning together as if we reflected the image of God. We need to behave more like our Lord and less like His adversary. The work to prepare people for the Lord's glory is imposed on every disciple. I can only improve myself. I can do nothing to improve you. But you have the power to individually rise up and qualify for the glory to be revealed. Or you can choose instead to lapse into petty arguments, prideful disputes, and more wasted time.”
We are not yet what we are called to become. But we are called by a name given by God. And He does not give a name unless He intends to preserve and fulfill it.
How do we get there?
“Zion is also a byproduct of the process and will never be the result of an achieved goal. Differences and disagreements should not make us enemies or evil. The Lord expects us to learn and grow our ability to respectfully disagree with one another. If we can acknowledge our differences and talk through our disagreements as beloved brothers and sisters who respect each other, we might just experience a remarkable byproduct. But until we are willing to engage in the process, we are only left to endure sad experiences.”
“We are not there yet, but we are clearly working on it.”
If any of this doesn’t apply to you—because you’ve already found your own heart pure and your conduct blameless—then I commend you.
For myself, I know I have not always acted in accordance with the Lord’s will. But I very much want to get it right!
I echo Denver’s heartfelt words:
“I hope that I can prove faithful. But if any of you are there when the Lord brings again Zion, then let your songs of everlasting joy break forth, and the hills tremble at your presence, and God’s pavilion spread over you to shield you from drought and hunger, and let your gratitude in God’s charity sink deeply into your souls.”
A Closing Prayer
Lord, help us to be worthy of the name You have given us.
Teach us to love, to forgive, to be patient and kind.
Let us forsake envy, pride, contention, and all that divides us.
Fill us with the charity of Christ, that we may be one.
We offer Thee our hearts and ask Thee to make us clean.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Thanks for your willingness to share your heart. All three of these posts. Love you
ReplyDeleteLove you too Teresa ❤️
Delete