And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel—

That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation, until the time comes that they shall be restored to the true church and fold of God; (2 Nephi 9: 1, 2)

 

Covenants Are Restored

God’s people are a covenant making people and have been since the Garden of Eden.  God made a covenant with Abraham and renewed that covenant with Isaac, Jacob/Israel, and Joseph.  He made covenants through Moses with the Children of Israel during their exodus from Egypt.  Covenants are two-way promises, in this case, between God and His children.  He told us in the Doctrine and Covenants that I the Lord am bound when you do what I say, but if you do not do what I say, you have no promise. (Doctrine and Covenants 82: 10) Unfortunately, throughout the history of the world, while some have kept their part of the covenant, far too many have not.

In traditional Judaism, they have a saying that the covenant has always been there. [1] Any breaking of that covenant has not been on the Lord’s part, but on people, individual and in groups.  The ultimate result of a broken covenant is apostasy.

 

Following a great apostasy, God’s original Church has been restored in our day.  This is the day Isaiah and Jacob foresaw.  Part of this was the restoration of God’s covenant with man.  We enter into the covenant in the waters of baptism.  We renew the covenant each week as we partake of the Sacrament.  We make further covenants in the holy temple. We take Jesus’ name upon us, promising to always remember Him, and keep His commandments.  In return, we receive the Gift of the Spirit to help us stay on the covenant path.

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[1] BBC - Religions - Judaism: The First Covenant

(Israel) shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise. …they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth (2 Nephi 9: 2; 10: 8)

 

The Gathering

The Old Testament is full of references to the gathering of Israel in the last days.  In the covenant God made with Abraham, He promised him posterity, priesthood, and prosperity in a land of promise. Abraham also was promised that, through his lineage, all the world would be blessed. Through Abraham’s grandson, Jacob/Israel, the promise was fulfilled as the Children of Israel inherited the land promised to Abraham.  But as with all covenants, this was a two-way promise.  God kept His part of the promise, but the Children of Israel did not. As a result they lost the land of promise, first the northern ten tribes to Assyria and, later, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to the Babylonians. Through it all, the prophets testified that one day, Israel would be gathered. The covenant with Lehi’s family included many of the same features, new land of promise. 

 

We, who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a special responsibility to facilitate this final gathering before Christ comes again. In the early days of the Restoration, the Saints were asked to gather to a specific place so that they could build a temple.  Today, the Saints are asked to gather with other Saints in their own lands.  As the number of temples increases around the world, these communities become lands of inheritance to their people. The gathering today is first and foremost a spiritual gathering: a gathering of honest and seeking souls to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They then are joined to Israel, either through birth or adoption, and entitled to all of the blessings of Abraham.  It is an exciting time to be living!