Elder Donald L. Hallstrom (pictured top), a member of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke at BYU–Hawaii’s devotional, held this past Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the Cannon Activities Center. His talk, titled, "The Power of Covenant", delved into the importance of making sacred covenants.
Hallstrom asked self-defining questions: "Are you a covenant keeper? Are you living your life by covenant, or simply by convenience? Are your covenants the basis for your decisions and the direction of your life?"
He continued, "Sometimes, when we are young, or young in the gospel, we view the keeping of covenants as difficult, maybe too difficult. We wonder, 'Isn't there an easier way?' " He noted the implausibility of an easier way, stating that when we understand the masterful plan of God we do not seek one. "Living by covenant," stated Hallstrom, "is the way we mature in gaining the attributes of Godliness."
His advice was simple: "During our spiritual development, there is a significant point we can reach when we recognize that our covenants are a blessing, not a burden. This brings great peace, even in difficult times. It also provides protection. It is common for us to pray for physical safety. In a dangerous world, that prayer makes sense and certainly is appropriate. However, I have come to even more fervently pray for something else—I pray continually for the strength to live true to my covenants. This provides spiritual protection. We should live wisely in protecting ourselves from physical harm; but, in reality, whether we live a long or short life upon this earth is of little consequence in the eternities. What really matters is how we live. Living the life of a covenant keeper is of highest value, as that is the only way for us to fulfill our eternal purpose."
--Photo by Monique Saenz
Click here to view the full transcript of Donald L. Hallstrom's devotional