Part 2 — VIII. COVENANTS OF THE GOSPEL.
Reading edition
Pursuing the comparison of instructor and student still further, we find that their relations are governed by an implied contract from beginning to end. The student who sets out to take a course of instruction in civil engineering, for instance, agrees, on his part, to follow the directions of the instructor throughout the term of years prescribed to complete the work. On the part of the instructor an agreement is made that if the student will so follow the course laid out, for the stated number of years, he shall receive a diploma as a civil engineer.
It is proper, therefore, for us to make an inquiry as to the agreement, if any, entered into in the beginning between the Great Formulator of this course of study we are pursuing, and the world of mankind.
It is interesting to note here that the late President Lorenzo Snow looked upon the passage about to be quoted, "I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen," as going the farthest back of any of the revelations we have, direct from the Almighty.
We may here gather from the following quotation, the covenant entered into by the spirits, "in the beginning:"
"I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen.
"Now, the lord had shewn unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; and God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them, thou wast chosen before thou wast born.
The spirits, therefore, after this plan of the Gospel had been presented to and accepted by them, had agreed to "do all things whatsoever the Lord their God should command them." In accord herewith is the statement of President Joseph F. Smith that not order, but obedience, is the first law of heaven.
As to the covenant made by the Lord in His part of the contract, we read in the Doctrine and Covenants:
As it is designed in the Gospel plan for the redemption of the dead, that all men who have arrived at years of accountability and who during their life time here were subject to law, shall have the Priesthood conferred upon them, either in person or by proxy, it will be seen how wide the application of this covenant will extend.
The great covenants pertaining to the Gospel are, accordingly; on the part of the spirits, obedience to whatever law is given them; on the part of the Lord, to those who are the most faithful, a fullness of His glory. But, as will be seen hereafter, provision is made for all, even for the least of His creatures.