The Gospel of Jesus Christ offers each of us a path to walk here on this earth. Christ said that we can enter the kingdom of God if we have faith, repent, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. Christ has given us ordinances and covenants to help us on our lifetime journey. He wants us to be successful. He wants all of us back to live with Him and our Heavenly Father.
As we grow and mature, we can look at the steps of our covenant path and make sure we do and learn the things our Savior has set in order for us. Becoming like Him is a lifetime work. We cannot complete the path today. We must progress step by step, covenant upon covenant.
President Nelson said that “the covenant path is all about our relationship with God – our hesed relationship with Him. When we enter a covenant with God, we have made a covenant with Him who will always keep His word. He will do everything He can, without infringing on our agency, to help us keep ours.” The Everlasting Covenant, Oct 22
Sometimes, we make mistakes, but the beautiful plan has a way for us to repent and turn back to Christ. He is there to help us all along the way.
Activity
You may want to make a ladder out of wood, PVC pipe, tape on the wall, etc. You could also bring a ladder, used under supervision! You could also use a path on the floor, using tape, chalk, sticks etc.
In Genesis 28: 10-16, Jacob tells about a dream that he had. He saw a ladder leading up to heaven. The steps on the ladder represent the steps we take to get closer to God.
For Younger Children
You might keep the covenant path more generic. The steps would include:
Learn about Jesus Christ and follow Him
Be baptized and confirmed a member of His Church
Help and serve
Listen to the Holy Ghost
Pray
Read the scriptures
Take the sacrament
Do temple baptisms
Receive other temple covenants and blessings
Love and serve my family
Repent
Follow Jesus all my life!
Download a copy of these words here to place on the covenant path.
Here is a coloring page provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints webpage that goes along with these ideas.
The Covenant Path https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/friend/2023/08-se/33-walking-along-the-covenant-path?lang=eng
For Older Children
You can list actual covenants and ordinances they need to receive in their life. These can be printed out and placed on the ladder to show them how each step moves them closer to Christ. You can discuss each of these covenants and ordinances and spend a bit more time teaching.
Baptism: Even though Jesus was without sin, He was baptized to set a perfect example of obedience to Heavenly Father (2 Nephi 31: 6-10)
Confirmation: Becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints brings many blessings, including opportunities for the children to be active participants in God’s work.
When we are baptized and confirmed, Heavenly Father promises that we “may always have his Spirit to be with [us]” . This wonderful gift from God is called the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77)
The Sacrament: The Savior gave us the sacrament to help us remember His sacrifice for us and renew our covenants. Because of this weekly ordinance, we can continue to enjoy the blessings of our baptism throughout our lives. (3 Nephi 18: 1-12)
Priesthood Power, Authority, and Keys: All of God’s children—female and male, young and old—receive God’s power as they keep the covenants they have made with Him. We make these covenants when we receive priesthood ordinances such as baptism. (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
, 3.5 ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Worthy male Church members can be ordained to an office in the priesthood. In addition, whenever a person is set apart for a calling or assigned to help in God’s work, he or she can exercise delegated priesthood authority. The use of all priesthood authority in the Church is directed by individuals who hold priesthood keys, such as the stake president, the bishop, and quorum presidents. Priesthood keys are the authority to direct the use of the priesthood in doing the work of the Lord. (Doctrine and Covenants 65: 2)
Being Baptized and Confirmed for Ancestors: The gospel of Jesus Christ makes it possible for all of God’s children to return to live with Him, even if they die without knowing the gospel. In the temple, we can be baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ on their behalf.
Receiving a Patriarchal Blessing: A patriarchal blessing can be a source of guidance, comfort, and inspiration. It contains personal counsel to us from Heavenly Father and helps us understand our eternal identity and purpose.
Receiving the Endowment in The Temple: God wants to endow, or bless, all His children with “power from on high”. We go to the temple to receive our own endowment only once, but the covenants we make with God and the spiritual power He gives us as part of the endowment can bless us every day of our lives. (Doctrine and Covenants 95:8)
Temples are a part of Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. In temples, we make sacred covenants with Him, are endowed with priesthood power, receive revelation, perform ordinances for our deceased ancestors, and are sealed to our families for eternity. All of this is possible because of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice. (Doctrine and Covenants 97: 15-16)
Serving a Mission: Elder David A. Bednar taught: “The single most important thing you can do to prepare for a call to serve is to become a missionary long before you go on a mission. … The issue is not going on a mission; rather, the issue is becoming a missionary and serving throughout our entire life with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. … You are preparing for a lifetime of missionary work”
Receiving the Sealing Ordinance: In the temple, a husband and wife can be married for eternity. This occurs in an ordinance called “sealing.” Even though this ordinance may be many years away for you, the small, simple, consistent things you do in your life can help you prepare for this wonderful blessing. (Doctrine and Covenants 121:44)
You can download a copy of the words here for your covenant path
Saving Ordinances
In the Church, an ordinance is a sacred, formal act performed by the authority of the priesthood. Some ordinances are essential to our salvation. As part of these “saving ordinances,” we enter into solemn covenants with God. These ordinances are, Baptism, Confirmation, The Sacrament, Priesthood, The Endowment and Sealing. For more information on saving ordinances, you can read here.
As we enter into these important covenants, we become partakers of the new and everlasting covenant, “even the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ”
The new and everlasting covenant is “the sum total of all gospel covenants and obligations we’ve made, and the resulting blessings include all that the Father has, including eternal life“.
As we strive to understand and keep our covenants, we should remember that keeping our covenants is not merely a list of things to do but a commitment to become like the Savior.