Promises to Covenant Israel

Nephi told us that God “loveth those who will have him to be their God.” As an example, “he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made” (1 Nephi 17:40).

In August of 1830, Joseph Smith received a revelation in which the Lord referred to “Joseph, and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, your fathers, by whom the promises remain” (Doctrine and Covenants 27:10, italics added).

Last October, President Russell M. Nelson clarified that everyone who is willing to let God prevail in their lives is part of Israel and eligible to receive the blessings promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He encouraged us to “make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel,” and to ponder those promises, discuss them with family and friends, and watch for their fulfillment in our lives (“Let God Prevail,” General Conference, October 2020).

Here are some of God’s promises to Israel that I have found in the Book of Mormon:

• The Messiah will “[bring] them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom” (2 Nephi 3:5). God will help me overcome the barriers in my life, including those caused by my own ignorance.
• They will be “restored to the true church and fold of God” (2 Nephi 9:1-2). As I put God first in my life, He will help me connect with other like-minded people.
• The Lord will remember them, no matter where they go (2 Nephi 10:20-22). God is mindful of me, aware of my circumstances, and willing to help me where I am.
• He will make “a highway” (or clear a path) for them to escape from captivity, just as He did for ancient Israel to escape from bondage in Egypt (2 Nephi 21:16). He will remove roadblocks which prevent me from moving forward.
• Different branches of Israel will have one another’s words. Just as God will gather and unify His people, He will also gather and unify the inspired words written by those people (2 Nephi 29:12-14). He will help me appreciate inspired words from multiple sources, including the standard works, to find connections between them, and to understand the core principles they collectively teach.
• When they harden their hearts, He “stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long” (Jacob 6:4). God will be patient with me.
• Jesus Christ will gather them and nourish them just as a hen does for her chickens if they will repent and return unto Him (3 Nephi 10:4-6). I will receive spiritual nourishment as I turn my heart to the Savior.
• He will bring them to “the knowledge of the fulness of [the] gospel” (3 Nephi 16:12). God will help me understand eternal truths.
• The powers of heaven will be in their midst, and He will be with them (3 Nephi 20:22). I will have access to God’s power. He will be with me as I do His work.
• They will not need to hurry or panic, because God will protect them (3 Nephi 20:42). I can overcome fear and anxiety as I put my trust in the Lord.

Today, I will remember the promises God has made to those who are willing to put Him first in their lives. I will be grateful for the protection, knowledge, power, and security I enjoy because my Heavenly Father is mindful of me.