Jennifer C. Lane - Finding Christ in the Covenant Path: Ancient Insights for Modern Life

e feel lost. We are trapped. But our Heavenly Father has a plan. He wants us to know that his plan of redemption will work. We are not supposed to stay lost and in bondage, separated from his presence. His plan is big enough to bring all his children home. He has chosen his Only Begotten Son as our Redeemer, the one who gave his life to ransom us from our captivity and to bring us back through the covenant path. This message of hope is communicated in scriptures and in the ordinances we perform, particularly in the temple.

But we have a problem. Much of the language of scripture is rooted in an ancient world, a world of relationships and symbols that can feel foreign. The plan of redemption and its covenants are expressed in ancient words that we are filtering through modern eyes and ears. We hear the words but dont always understand the message of hope that our Father is trying so hard to communicate. The assurance of our ransom price is likewise communicated through symbols in the ordinances that we can easily tune out or rush by in our hectic modern lives.

This book has two parts to help bring into focus this message of Christ as our Redeemer and as our Ransom. The first part helps us see Christs identity as our Kinsman-Redeemer by exploring the ancient words that connect covenants, redemption, worship, the presence of the Lord, and sitting down enthroned in Gods presence as his children and heirs. The second part helps us see Christ as our Ransom by exploring medieval images that can help us increase our confidence in the price that was paid for our deliverance. Christ invites us to behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet (Doctrine and Covenants 6:37). Knowing that he is our Redeemer and that his suffering and death is our ransom price allows us to look unto [him] in every thought and to doubt not and fear not (Doctrine and Covenants 6:36).

This is the message our Father in Heaven has been trying so hard to communicate to usChrist can free us and bring us home if we trust him and come unto him. Learning from ancient words and medieval images can provide additional tools to help us tune in to this message of hope. With these additional resources, we can study the scriptures and participate in the ordinances with deeper and deeper experiences of Gods love and assurance. We can more fully rely on our Redeemer and more fully come unto him, receiving the gift of life that he offers us.

This journey of coming unto Christ can be understood more clearly as we become attuned to the concepts and symbolic language communicated in the covenants and ordinances of salvation. These covenants and ordinances, including those of the temple, map out this journey back to the presence of God through the redemption of Jesus Christ. Our understanding of this journey of our life becomes clearer as we learn the meaning of ancient words that connect covenants, redemption, and returning to Gods presence to sit enthroned. Likewise, learning to ponder images and symbols pointing to Christs suffering and death can open our eyes and minds to more clearly behold the symbolic presentation throughout the ordinances. A deeper study of these ancient words allows us to appreciate the power of our covenant relationship with Christ, and a deeper study of medieval devotional images gives us practice in pondering the images of Christs suffering and death, allowing us to see the message of redeeming love communicated in the ordinances.

Part one, Christ, Our Kinsman-Redeemer, develops core scriptural concepts to explain why faith in Christ and making and keeping covenants can bring peace and hope to all. With explanations and personal accounts, it develops the ancient sense in which covenants ( brt ) create family relationships. It explains that Christs role as our Kinsman-Redeemer ( gl ), the Hebrew role of one appointed to buy family members out of bondage, stems from those relationships. We can have confidence that he is our Redeemer because of our covenants with him.