TO KNOW OUR FATHERS IS TO SEAL OUR HEARTS

With my oldest turning eight next year, if ready, she’ll be making sacred baptismal covenants—-covenants have really been something I’ve put a lot of thought into lately. As a parent and mother, part of my stewardship is to prepare my children for these covenants to be learned, made, and kept.

Growing up, the only pocket of persecuted Christians widely talked about in The Church are the Pioneers. Many of my ancestors are pioneers with life-changing stories—-but I wish I would have grown up hearing about other covenant-keeping Christians as well. One group that I have come to love is the Scottish Covenanters.

The Covenanters zealously stood for the supreme Kingship of Jesus Christ at a time when the monarchs of England and Scotland sought to usurp what belongs only to Jesus Christ—-the role of the head of the church. It was a deadly time for those who signed the National Covenant in 1638. But these Christians were faithful and put their trust and their lives in God’s hands. The Covenant essentially urged loyalty to the king but reaffirmed that their obedience was to God. The king took that as rebellion.

So many were killed defending the faith.

Preparing our children to make and keep sacred covenants comes through learning about, and celebrating our righteous Christian forefathers.

OUR OBEDIENCE IS TO GOD

The foundation they laid for posterity in their devotion to not only keep covenants but in the laying down of their lives for Jesus Christ, really changes a person. To know our fathers is to seal our hearts—-and that of our children.

Scottish Covenanters, Pioneers, Pilgrims —-their cause is our cause! Our obedience is to God. Our fight is for the freedom to keep our covenants, and I’m going to defend that cause with everything I have in me. A mother who knows and honors sacred covenants points her children back to our righteous forefathers because once you know whose blood you have running through your veins, you know your mission and your place, you know where you belong—-and you understand the responsibility of keeping your covenants.

February 28th is the anniversary of the signing of the National Covenant. For those of you with a Scottish, or Irish background, who come from a Founding Father, or even a descendant of Joseph Smith—-it will be well worth it to learn the history of this pocket of Scottish Christians, I can attest!

Which is your clan? What does your tartan look like? And what blessings were carried down through posterity from their made and kept covenants?

This is important. To know our fathers is to seal our hearts.