Before I get into my analysis of Genesis 17, I’d like to talk about my feelings about covenant. One helpful way I find to understand covenant is to understand the marital covenant. Before I was married, I had connections – to my family and friends. I was trying to lift off into life. I had moved out of my parents home, I went on a mission and to college. I had friends and roommates, but my most direct responsibility was to myself. I had support and I tried to be supportive of others, but I was mostly on my own. Eventually, I met Sara, we fell in love and got married. At that point, I was no longer really alone. Essentially, I took on her name, I’m not just Scott, I’m also Sara’s husband. She’s not just Sara, she’s my wife. Nearly everything in my life is ours. We are in covenant to each other, with all of the repsonsbiliies and blessings that brings.

Now with that as a lens, let’s dive into Genesis 17. In verse 1, Abram is told to walk before God and be perfect – an impossible standard, but essentially it’s a call for Abram to walk with God. And in that covenant, Abram is promised that he would be a father to many nations and through his generations all the world will be blessed. Abram’s name is changed to Abraham. Sarai’s , who is also part of this covenant, has her name changed to Sarah. In verse 8, God promises that he will be the God of Abraham, the God of Sarah and the God of their offspring. God also mentions Isaac, the soon to be conceived son of Sarah who is impossibly old, has struggled with lifelong infertility. Isaac is also part of this covenant.

So, what does this mean? God speaks to Abraham and Sarah directly. But Isaac learns of the covenant through Abraham. So, the covenant can only be fulfilled based on whether Abraham and Sarah can successfully transmit this covenant to their son. Isaac comes to these parents and is born into the covenant, circumcised, is cared for and ultimately has to endure an unfathomable almost sacrifice by Abraham on Mount Mariah. The very next chapter, Sarah dies. Abraham spends time burying Sarah properly and then realizes Isaac needs a wife, and findsfor him, Rebekah. At that point in time, Isaac takes over the story, accepts the covenant and begins the process of transmission all over again, tryiing to raise Jacob within it. And then Jacob needs to do the same thing all over again with his twelve sons, at which time Israel, the covenant people, spring up.

A lot of details are missing in this story, we don’t know how much Isaac wrestled with his call. We don’t know what the sacrifice on Mount Moriah did to him. The process he went through. What we do know is that the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon, in particular, two books of scriptures that span hundreds and hundreds of years of familial and national history is filled with stories where children reject the legacy of the gospel their parents try to pass down to them. Genesis begins with Adam and Eve leading directly to Cain and Abel. The book of Mormon begins with Lehi, with sons are Nephi, Sam, Laman and Lamuel, who struggle with violence and discord. These books are filled with difficulties.

The story of the Abrahamic covenant is the story of the difficult and important work to transmit our sacred covenants to the next generation. The  stories in the scriptures show how difficult this work of transmission can be.

In many ways, like many of you here, my life echo’s Isaac’s. I was born into the church, baptized when I was eight years old. My parents faithfully took me to church each week. My mom, dragged me out of bed for early morning seminary classes. I remember very reluctantly, sitting with my dad for home-teaching visits, going with him to priesthood meetings, sleeping with him on Father’s and Son’s outings. I eventually went on a mission, met and married my own Sara and had my own kids. Like Isaac, I accepted my covenants and then like Isaac I am in the process of trying to transmit them to my own children, but like so many other parents, I recognize the struggle to do so successfully.

It’s hard. I know. But we don’t have to do it alone. My parents didn’t do it alone. I benefited greatly from dedicated bishops, youth leaders, seminary teachers, and other’s examples who showed me how making good choices can lead to good outcomes and seeing and feeling the love they had for me. Parents need the support of the ward.

To this end, we are establishing a program suggested in last fall’s general conference. In October 2023 general conference Brother Newman, the second counselor in the Sunday School general presidency said:

“One of our most sacred responsibilities is to help our children come to know deeply and specifically that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, their personal Savior and Redeemer, who stands at the head of His Church! We cannot allow our covenant voice to become muted or silent when it comes to Him.

You may feel a bit inadequate in this role, but you should never feel alone. For example, ward councils are authorized to organize teacher council meetings for parents. In these quarterly meetings, parents can gather to learn from each other’s experiences, discuss how they are strengthening their families, and learn key principles of Christlike teaching. This meeting should be held in the second hour of church.¹⁴ It is led by a ward member selected by the bishop and follows the format of regular teacher council meetings, using Teaching in the Savior’s Way as the primary resource.¹⁵ Bishops, if your ward is not currently holding teacher council meetings for parents, work with your Sunday School president and ward council to organize yourselves.”

The Grandview ward is organizing ourselves. We will be kicking off regular parent teacher council meetings beginning on May 19th. The goal of these councils is for parents in the Grandview Ward gather, to share ideas, to provide support, so that we can help each other help each other in the difficult work of raising the next generation.

Nobody in the Grandview ward should feel alone in any of their efforts. We need to be there for each other. Youth, you are not alone. You are loved, cared for, prayed over. It is my prayer that we can organize our wards to provide the necessary support so that our youth and children feel God’s love and partake of Christ’s abundant grace in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.