Abrahamic Covenant
After the flood, Noah's sons Shem, Ham and Japheth began to repopulate the earth with their seed. Abraham was a descendant of the seed of Shem. Abraham was nine generations from Seth and ten generations from Noah.
Abraham tells us that "I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same" (Abr. 1:2). The Lord God of the fathers spoke to Abraham and said, "I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:1-3).
Abraham is then commanded by God to "walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Gen. 17:1). While appearing to Abraham God then tells Abraham, "I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, as for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee (Gen. 17:2-6).
This covenant was then to continue through Abraham's son Isaac. "But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year" (Gen. 17:21). God then instructs Abraham, "Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Gen. 21:12). Abraham is then told that the Lord, "will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore" (Gen. 22:17).
Abraham's seed receive the same covenant and are commanded to be true to it. If they are true to the covenant then God promises, "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: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6 & Deut. 14:2).
The Lord's servants throughout time are to be a light of the covenant, "It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6).
Even when the seed of Abraham turns to iniquity the God of Abraham pleads with his seed to return unto him and stay true to the covenant. The Lord declares, "turn, O backsliding children...for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding" (Jer. 3:14-15). But, because of the complete apostasy of the children of Abraham with Abraham's God he promises through the Prophet Jeremiah that he will "make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah" (Jer. 31:31).
Hosea chapter 2 speaks of the severe judgments of God upon Israel for worshipping false gods. God can only make covenant with Abraham's seed through their righteousness, "I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies" (Hosea 2:19).
John the Baptist tells the children of Israel to enter back into the covenant by bringing "forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: For I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham" (Luke 3:8).
Jesus then confirms John's words and teaches, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?" Christ's simple answer to them is, "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" and in bondage (John 8:31-33).
Christ then teaches to a remnant of the tribe of Judah, during his earthly ministry, that declaring oneself to be of the seed of Abraham is not the same as receiving and possessing the Abrahamic covenant. The Abrahamic covenant comes from God of which Christ testifies. They refuse to hear Christ and Christ tells them that, "Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad" (John 8:56). They then remind Christ that he is not even 50 years old and how could he have seen Abraham. Then Christ bears witness that He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament that Abraham made covenant with, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:57-58).
The apostle Peter then teaches that Christ is the prophet that Moses prophetically foretold would be raised up by God to turn them away from their iniquities and to enter back into the Abrahamic covenant. Peter taught, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" for God shall "send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you" just as Moses prophesied saying, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you" (Acts 3:19-22). Peter then goes on to testify, "Yea, even all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days" (Acts 3:24). Peter then teaches that those that entered into baptism under Christ's authority during the New Testament period "are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed" for God "having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 3:25-26).
The apostle Paul teaches that the seed of Abraham are heirs of the promise, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost" that the Israelites are those to whom "pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came" (Romans 9:1-5). Concerning those that are a remnant of the children of the seed of Abraham that do not come before Christ in faith - Christ then becomes a stumbling block to them (Romans 9:32-33). Paul reiterates to the Galatians that one must come before Christ in faith to enter into the Abrahamic covenant. "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7). Paul continues to point this out by saying, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's. then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:26-29).
Nephi teaches in the Book of Mormon that a remnant of Lehi's seed will know that they are of the seed of Abraham for "at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved" (1 Nephi 15:14).
Nephi teaches further that the God of Israel, "loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt" (1 Nephi 17:40).
Nephi goes on to teach "And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel. And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations. Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers (1 Nephi 19:13-15).
God then speaks through his prophet Jacob and teaches, "But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanteth with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance" (2 Nephi 10:7).
"And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever" (2 Nephi 29:14).
Christ then visits the people of Nephi and teaches them that they are children of the house of Israel. "And behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed" (3 Nephi 20:25).
Ether then speaks of a coming day when the inhabitants of Old Jerusalem will be washed clean "in the blood of the Lamb" stating; "And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham" (Ether 13:11).
In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, Christ states, "Behold, thus saith the Lord unto the elders whom he hath called and chosen in these last days, by the voice of his Spirit- Saying: I, the Lord, will make known unto you what I will that ye shall do from this time until the next conference, which shall be held in Missouri, upon the land which I will consecrate unto my people, which are a remnant of Jacob, and those who are heirs according to the covenant" (D&C 52:1-2).
Christ tells us that the believing men of this dispensation who receive baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have the holy priesthood conferred upon them, "become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God" (D&C 84:34).
For it is the will of the Lord to bring "again Zion; the Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel, according to the election of grace, which was brought to pass by the faith and covenant of their fathers" (D&C 84:99).
The Lord reveals to Joseph Smith that he is a rightful heir to the holy priesthood according to his flesh, Joseph Smith being a literal seed of Abraham. "Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers- For ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God" (D&C 86:8-9).
In the Kirtland temple on 3 April 1836 heavenly keys concerning the holy priesthood of God are restored upon the head of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Among these keys "Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed" (D&C 110:12).
The covenant that God made with father Abraham is affirmed and acknowledged by the Lord as being the same covenant that the Prophet Joseph Smith was now under. The Lord says, "And as I said unto Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant Joseph: In thee and in thy seed shall the kindred of the earth be blessed" (D&C 124:58). In addition, the Lord states that those that receive the covenant are to, "Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye shall be saved" (D&C 132:32).
A key aspect of the Abrahamic covenant is bearing the priesthood that Christ bears and using it to administer to the inhabitants of the world. The Lord tells Abraham that "I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations" (Abr. 2:9).
Abraham tells us that "I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same" (Abr. 1:2). The Lord God of the fathers spoke to Abraham and said, "I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:1-3).
Abraham is then commanded by God to "walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Gen. 17:1). While appearing to Abraham God then tells Abraham, "I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, as for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee (Gen. 17:2-6).
This covenant was then to continue through Abraham's son Isaac. "But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year" (Gen. 17:21). God then instructs Abraham, "Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Gen. 21:12). Abraham is then told that the Lord, "will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore" (Gen. 22:17).
Abraham's seed receive the same covenant and are commanded to be true to it. If they are true to the covenant then God promises, "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: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6 & Deut. 14:2).
The Lord's servants throughout time are to be a light of the covenant, "It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6).
Even when the seed of Abraham turns to iniquity the God of Abraham pleads with his seed to return unto him and stay true to the covenant. The Lord declares, "turn, O backsliding children...for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding" (Jer. 3:14-15). But, because of the complete apostasy of the children of Abraham with Abraham's God he promises through the Prophet Jeremiah that he will "make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah" (Jer. 31:31).
Hosea chapter 2 speaks of the severe judgments of God upon Israel for worshipping false gods. God can only make covenant with Abraham's seed through their righteousness, "I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies" (Hosea 2:19).
John the Baptist tells the children of Israel to enter back into the covenant by bringing "forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: For I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham" (Luke 3:8).
Jesus then confirms John's words and teaches, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?" Christ's simple answer to them is, "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" and in bondage (John 8:31-33).
Christ then teaches to a remnant of the tribe of Judah, during his earthly ministry, that declaring oneself to be of the seed of Abraham is not the same as receiving and possessing the Abrahamic covenant. The Abrahamic covenant comes from God of which Christ testifies. They refuse to hear Christ and Christ tells them that, "Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad" (John 8:56). They then remind Christ that he is not even 50 years old and how could he have seen Abraham. Then Christ bears witness that He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament that Abraham made covenant with, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:57-58).
The apostle Peter then teaches that Christ is the prophet that Moses prophetically foretold would be raised up by God to turn them away from their iniquities and to enter back into the Abrahamic covenant. Peter taught, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" for God shall "send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you" just as Moses prophesied saying, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you" (Acts 3:19-22). Peter then goes on to testify, "Yea, even all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days" (Acts 3:24). Peter then teaches that those that entered into baptism under Christ's authority during the New Testament period "are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed" for God "having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 3:25-26).
The apostle Paul teaches that the seed of Abraham are heirs of the promise, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost" that the Israelites are those to whom "pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came" (Romans 9:1-5). Concerning those that are a remnant of the children of the seed of Abraham that do not come before Christ in faith - Christ then becomes a stumbling block to them (Romans 9:32-33). Paul reiterates to the Galatians that one must come before Christ in faith to enter into the Abrahamic covenant. "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7). Paul continues to point this out by saying, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's. then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:26-29).
Nephi teaches in the Book of Mormon that a remnant of Lehi's seed will know that they are of the seed of Abraham for "at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved" (1 Nephi 15:14).
Nephi teaches further that the God of Israel, "loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt" (1 Nephi 17:40).
Nephi goes on to teach "And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel. And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations. Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers (1 Nephi 19:13-15).
God then speaks through his prophet Jacob and teaches, "But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanteth with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance" (2 Nephi 10:7).
"And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever" (2 Nephi 29:14).
Christ then visits the people of Nephi and teaches them that they are children of the house of Israel. "And behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed" (3 Nephi 20:25).
Ether then speaks of a coming day when the inhabitants of Old Jerusalem will be washed clean "in the blood of the Lamb" stating; "And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham" (Ether 13:11).
In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, Christ states, "Behold, thus saith the Lord unto the elders whom he hath called and chosen in these last days, by the voice of his Spirit- Saying: I, the Lord, will make known unto you what I will that ye shall do from this time until the next conference, which shall be held in Missouri, upon the land which I will consecrate unto my people, which are a remnant of Jacob, and those who are heirs according to the covenant" (D&C 52:1-2).
Christ tells us that the believing men of this dispensation who receive baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have the holy priesthood conferred upon them, "become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God" (D&C 84:34).
For it is the will of the Lord to bring "again Zion; the Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel, according to the election of grace, which was brought to pass by the faith and covenant of their fathers" (D&C 84:99).
The Lord reveals to Joseph Smith that he is a rightful heir to the holy priesthood according to his flesh, Joseph Smith being a literal seed of Abraham. "Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers- For ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God" (D&C 86:8-9).
In the Kirtland temple on 3 April 1836 heavenly keys concerning the holy priesthood of God are restored upon the head of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Among these keys "Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed" (D&C 110:12).
The covenant that God made with father Abraham is affirmed and acknowledged by the Lord as being the same covenant that the Prophet Joseph Smith was now under. The Lord says, "And as I said unto Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant Joseph: In thee and in thy seed shall the kindred of the earth be blessed" (D&C 124:58). In addition, the Lord states that those that receive the covenant are to, "Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye shall be saved" (D&C 132:32).
A key aspect of the Abrahamic covenant is bearing the priesthood that Christ bears and using it to administer to the inhabitants of the world. The Lord tells Abraham that "I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations" (Abr. 2:9).