The Restoration as Covenant Renewal

Keywords

Restoration, Covenants, Mormonism Studies, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Abstract

The Lord, in His preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, says that because the world has “broken mine everlasting covenant” the Restoration was necessary, “that mine everlasting covenant might be established” (1:15, 22). Thus, the concept of covenant is central to understanding the restored gospel. Covenant is a central and unifying theme of the scriptures beginning in the Hebrew Bible and reflected in the very title of the book in Christendom—the Old Testament. The English word “testament” ultimately derives from the Hebrew word for “covenant,”[1] whereas the term “old” is used to designate the Mosaic covenant—in effect until the time of Christ—and contrasted with the terminology of Jeremiah, who prophesied the future establishment of a “new” covenant (Jeremiah 31:31). The Apostle Paul confirmed that Jesus Christ fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy and was the “mediator of the new testament [covenant]” (Hebrews 9:15).[2] Therefore, the record of the ministry of Jesus and the early covenant community became known as the New Testament, and the titles of both parts of the Christian Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament, refer to the two significant stages of biblical covenant. The covenant document of the new and everlasting covenant is called the Doctrine and Covenants.

Original Publication Citation

“The Restoration as Covenant Renewal.” Pages 357-80 in the publication of the Symposium The Old Testatment and the Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Randall Books, 1986.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2005

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6435

Publisher

Religious Studies Center

Language

English

College

Religious Education

Department

Ancient Scripture

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

Link to Full Text

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