Conduit of Power

I've been ruminating on a few comments made from a talk given a few weeks ago in Sacrament meeting about covenants, particularly this:

"Covenants are a conduit by which we draw upon the powers of heaven."

A conduit is a passage (pipe, tube, duct) by which (generally) water or electricity flows from one place to another (an interesting lesson here - both electricity and water are sources of great power). So by establishing and making covenants with the Lord, we literally have access to His power. Of course, we need to remember that we never set the terms - we only agree to them. But by agreeing and following through, the Lord wants to and is thereby able to impart at least a degree of His power for our use - in faith - and we learn, bit by bit, to be like Him.

To access that power, the Lord requires both prerequisites (faith, repentance, conversion, worthiness) and in-the-moment must-haves (that we exercise faith, ask in His name and according to His purposes and will, and that we are still worthy - for example).

Maybe it's a little bit like driving a car. To earn a driver's license we have to take a written test, accumulate hours of practice, and prove our capability with a formal driving test. There - covenant made. But to access the power we've been granted access to, it's assumed that we will also adhere to several in-the-moment reqirements (unimpaired by drugs, alcohol, lack of sleep, or correct and adequate vision - for example).

The point is - if we have a driver's license, we use it. And if we've made covenants, we should be using them. The Lord, by extending His covenants to us, has granted permission to His power to great purpose in our lives - to bless our families, to be better people, to be like Him, to serve others and generally to bring about great good in the world. Let's make it work.