Ever since I was a small boy, I have had a strong desire to live my life worthily so that I can someday go to the temple. It is very important to me to be able to be married in the temple and to make other sacred covenants with the Lord.
What is a sacred covenant? A sacred covenant is a mutual agreement between a person and Heavenly Father. The person promises to follow certain commandments or to do something that the Lord wants him to do, and the Lord, in return, gives him blessings. In D&C 82:10, the Lord says, "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." I believe that this is literally true and that when we follow through with what we promise, we will receive blessings from heaven.Some of the first covenants we make are those connected with baptism. The promises I made at the time I was baptized have been very important in my life. I feel wonderful when I live up to these promises.
Partaking of the sacrament is a way to renew our baptismal covenants and become closer to Christ. Each time we partake of the sacrament, we should not only remember Christ's sacrifice for us, but also carefully consider our actions during the past week and reflect upon how we can improve and become better people.
I live very close to the Jordan River Temple, and this has been a great blessing for me. Living in the "shadow of the temple" is a constant reminder of my eternal goals and what I must do to make covenants in the temple someday. I am very thankful for this rare blessing.
I have on several occasions had the opportunity of performing baptisms for the dead in the temple. The spirit in the temple makes me feel at peace and has let me know that I am doing something worthwhile. I hope that I can feel this spirit many more times in the future.
I want to make all the temple covenants that I can, including entering into the eternal covenant of marriage. These are essential steps for me to take so that I may return to Heavenly Father.
I know that the Lord gave us covenants to help us grow and return to Him. I feel wonderful when I keep my promises to Him. Any sacrifice is well worth the rewards of Heavenly Father's blessings.
Andy Poulsen, 16, is a priest in the Jordan River 1st Ward, South Jordan Utah River Stake.
