Especially for Newlyweds
How Do We Progress on the Covenant Path Now That We’re Married?
Without church or the temple, it was up to us to start our marriage off on the right foot in our home.
Up until a few days before my wedding, I had only minor things to worry about: Would there be good weather? Did we order enough food for the reception?
But then COVID-19 hit, and I suddenly had more worries than I’d ever expected.
It was March 2020. There had only been rumors of the virus. But then schools shut down, restaurants closed, and travel was restricted. The world seemed to be collapsing.
Regardless, I was hopeful and prayerful that our original plan to get sealed in the temple would work out. And eventually we were assured that our sealing would go as planned. I had never been so relieved!
My husband, Tanner, and I were sealed together and joined each other on the covenant path. But within a matter of days after the wedding, the world was shutting down and our commitment to the covenant path was tested.
We couldn’t go to church or to the temple, and we were even wary of visiting friends and family because of the lockdown. All we had were each other and our commitment to God. This got me thinking about how we, as a married couple, could move forward on the covenant path from here on out.
Being on the Covenant Path Together
President Russell M. Nelson has testified about the importance of getting on and staying on the covenant path: “Our Father in Heaven … wants each of us to return home to Him. This is a grand goal of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—to help each of us to come back home.” 1
While that “grand goal” begins with the temple sealing—it doesn’t end there.
Tanner and I have realized that our journey along the covenant path is now tied together, and we strive to stay on it interdependently—meaning that we help, strengthen, and encourage each other along the covenant path.
For us, interdependently following the covenant path looked like establishing a routine of studying the scriptures together, praying together, serving together, and participating in the sacrament each week.
During our first year of marriage, while temples were closed, these small spiritual habits helped us start our marriage off on the right spiritual foot.
Prioritize Your Temple Covenants
Both Tanner and I grew up surrounded by temples, and we attended frequently while we were engaged. So to suddenly have that opportunity stripped away for a time was initially disheartening. But I thought about places in the world where the closest temple was hours or even days away. This taught me the importance of living worthy of a temple recommend and being mindful of my temple covenants every day, even if I couldn’t attend the temple.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “Let me emphasize, whether you have access to a temple or not, you need a current temple recommend to stay firmly on the covenant path.”2
There is nothing I love more than being in the temple with my husband. Being in the celestial room together brings us unmatched levels of joy and peace. And being reminded of the incredible blessings promised us in the temple motivates us to keep living lives worthy of returning again (even if we don’t always know when that will be).
The covenants Tanner and I made when we were sealed are an important part of how we choose to live. Even though we are imperfect people, we made promises with God, who keeps His promises perfectly.
So if we do our part to love each other, raise our family in righteousness, repent, and love God with all of our heart, mind, and strength, then He does His part to bless and strengthen our relationship. And when our relationship is strengthened, we only feel more resolve to stay on the covenant path together.
Continued Blessings
Each night before bed, Tanner and I read scriptures and say a prayer. This routine has continued since we first got married. Whether we’ve had a good day or a rough day, and whether we feel like it or not, engaging in spiritual habits together has kept us close to the Lord and to each other. This has helped us continue our conversion and stay on the covenant path together and individually.
Sister Rebecca L. Craven, former Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, said: “Conversion won’t come while doing nothing. It comes through the power of the Holy Ghost as we intentionally make an effort to know by asking, seeking, and knocking. It comes by doing [see Alma 5:45–46].”3
By doing what we can to stay converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ no matter our circumstances, Tanner and I have seen a plethora of blessings, including having a joyful, enduring relationship.
At the time we got married, we had no choice but to rely on each other and the Savior. We learned the importance of that through a pandemic, but newlyweds today don’t have to face drastic challenges to learn how to deepen their covenant relationship with one another.
Whether the world is in utter chaos or not, simply striving to keep your temple covenants can give you and your spouse so much peace, assurance, and comfort, knowing that God will bless you each day. I know it has for Tanner and me! And those blessings inspire us to keep moving forward on the covenant path together.