There is, in the Old Testament, an obscure story that most of us miss. It is the story of Balaam, Balak and the Children of Israel. Some of us remember that Balaam’s donkey talked to him, but that is about all we know of him or this story. However, the part of his story I want to share has some wonderful teachings for us. Like a lot of things taught in the scriptures, there is the obvious story and there is the motif or pattern of the story which can also teach all of us, as Nephi said, to liken the scripture to ourselves.
To understand this story, it will be helpful for me to give some background. The Children of Israel have been wandering in the desert now for 40 years. They have the reports of earlier spies who went into the Promised Land and called it a land of milk and honey. Fresh fruits grew there like grapes, figs and pomegranates. Some of these people maybe have never tasted this kind of food. Now they are very close. They are traveling on the east side of the Dead Sea and are at a point where the Jordan River goes into that inland sea.
Finally, they are ready to move to the Promised Land. They can almost see it. This is where we pick the story up. Balak is King of the Moabites, who possess a lot of the Promised Land, and he has had reports telling him of this people (the Israelites) who are going to move in on his land. Nobody has been able to stop them from moving up toward the Promised Land, not the Midianites, not the Edomites. Balak has heard that the reason why is because their god is so powerful. None of his counselors appear to have an answer on how to stop the Covenant People. Balak learns that Balaam has some knowledge of or experience with this God, and he sends for him. The king offers Balaam a large sum of money to curse the Children of Israel. Balaam has been warned by the Lord and refuses over and over again to curse them. He must have mentioned that the Lord was not letting him curse the Children of Israel because “Balak told Balaam, ‘I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor’” (Num. 24:11-12). Balaam appears to leave, but then he apparently had an idea, one where he could still get the honor and not curse the Israelites, something he was warned against doing. Balaam understood that the Children of Israel were a covenant people. As long as they kept the commandments, God would protect and bless them. However, what if they were tempted and gave into serious sin. The Lord would leave them, and they would be weak like other men.
In Numbers, we read, “And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.” (Num. 25:1) “Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord” (Num. 31:16).
Just so we can understand what Balaam had King Balak do, he told him that if Israel could be tempted to break their covenants, Israel would be vulnerable. They would lose the protection of the Lord. So Balak sent young women out and used them to lure the men of Israel into breaking their covenants.
Before we go back to the story, we ought to review what is a covenant? It must be important. It is mentioned hundreds of times in the Old Testament alone. Most of us have heard it called a two way promise. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught, "A covenant is a contract and an agreement between at least two parties. In the case of gospel covenants, the parties are the Lord in heaven and men on earth. Men agree to keep the commandments, and the Lord promises to reward them accordingly."
Elder Jeffery R. Holland taught, “A covenant is a binding spiritual contract, a solemn promise to God our Father that we will live and think and act in a certain way—the way of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In return, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost promise us the full splendor of eternal life.”1
Elder Holland also said, “Trust me. The key to this work is in keeping our covenants. In no other way can we claim and demonstrate the powers of godliness. You have the word of the Lord on that subject.”
Sister Janette C. Hales former YW General President stated, “As I've gotten older, I've really come to appreciate covenants. When I think of making a promise to my Heavenly Father to do certain things, it's like a reminder to me that helps keep me committed while I grow in my experience and understanding. I also believe that covenants help us stay committed to those things that will sustain our families from one generation to another. When we are making choices, if we can understand the consequences and the way they affect not only ourselves and our families now, but also future generations, then we might take those choices more seriously.”
Elder D. Todd Christofferson explained, “Our covenants supply strength—they produce the faith necessary to persevere and to do all things that are expedient in the Lord. Our willingness to take upon us the name of Christ and keep His commandments requires a degree of faith, but as we honor our covenants, that faith expands. In the first place, the promised fruits of obedience become evident, which confirms our faith. Secondly, the Spirit communicates God’s pleasure, and we feel secure in His continued blessing and help. Thirdly, come what may, we can face life with hope and equanimity, knowing that we will succeed in the end because we have God’s promise to us individually, by name, and we know He cannot lie.”2
One of the blessings I have had while working at BYU–Hawaii has been to have the friendship of Isileli Tupou Kongaika. He comes from a family of faith, one that understands the importance of covenants. Isi’s parents were poor by U.S. standards. They had saved for years to go to the temple. When a group from Tonga was going to the New Zealand Temple, they wanted to go too, but Isi’s father Viliami realized that there was only enough savings for him and his wife to go. He postponed going because he said, “When we go we all go.” So he set to selling everything they had. They sold their frame home, the cook house, the stove, the furniture, all the furnishings and then the cows, pigs, and other animals, even Viliami’s bicycle and his wife’s sewing machine. They literally had nothing but their clothes, but they had enough money that all could go to the temple. They travelled to New Zealand and made the sacred covenants in the holy temple and had all their family sealed together. Later after returning home, they began to try to build a home again, starting from nothing. Not long after, a hurricane hit the small island, and everyone on the island lost everything. Viliami was to remark something like this: “We are poor, but everyone on the island is poor. The difference is that now we have a family sealed for eternity.” If they had kept everything, they would have lost it and not had the covenant. To the Kongaikas, obtaining the covenant was worth selling all they had. It was like the pearl of great price mentioned in the New Testament where the individual sold all he had so he could buy it.
From the beginning of the world, the Lord has made covenants with man, and he has promised if we keep the commandments, then we will have eternal life, which the Lord says is his greatest gift. As it says in D&C 82:10, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”
There is another warning in the D&C: “But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world or in the world to come. And "Refrain from sin, lest sore judgments fall upon your heads. For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation" (D&C 84:41).
Simply put, the Lord will never break a covenant, and he does not expect us to. If we do, we need to repent quickly, or we run the risk of losing His Spirit and protection.
Elder Richard G. Scott said in an October 1992 Conference address, "Please understand, no one has the privilege to choose what is right. God reserved that prerogative to Himself. Our agency does allow us to choose among alternate paths, but then we are bound to the consequence God has decreed."3
Now back to the story. As I mentioned, it has taken 40 years to get the Children of Israel this far. The Promised Land is right there. All they have to do is keep the commandments.
Can you see how this story might be a motif or pattern for us? We are the covenant people. We have made promises or covenants. We are striving to get to the Lord’s Promised Land or Celestial Kingdom. It is a place of unspeakable peace, happiness and beauty. All we have to do is keep his commandments.
Why did Balaam choose chastity to make Israel fall? The scriptures are quiet on this, but we know from scripture both ancient and modern that breaking the commandment of chastity is very serious.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland teaches, “The body is an essential part of the soul. This distinctive and very important Latter-day Saint doctrine underscores why sexual sin is so serious. We declare that one who uses the God-given body of another without divine sanction [i.e. marriage] abuses the very soul of that individual, abuses the central purpose and processes of life, ‘the very key’ to life, as President Boyd K. Packer once called it. In exploiting the body of another-which means exploiting his or her soul-one desecrates the Atonement of Christ, which saved that soul and which makes possible the gift of eternal life. And when one mocks the Son of Righteousness, one steps into a realm of heat hotter and holier than the noonday sun. You cannot do so and not be burned.”4
From Elder Dallin H. Oaks, we learn, "‘Thou shalt not commit adultery,’ the Lord commanded from Sinai and repeated in modern revelation. ‘Flee fornication,’ the New Testament commands. Always the prophets of God have condemned whoredoms. Yet these eternal commands have frequently been ignored, opposed, or mocked by powerful traditions in many lands. This is especially visible today, when the movies, magazines, and Internet communications of one nation are instantly shared with many others. Sexual relations out of wedlock are tolerated or advocated by many. So is the rapidly expanding culture of pornography. All who have belonged to these cultures of sin must repent and change if they are to become the people of God, for He has warned that 'no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom'(3 Ne. 27:19)."5
Or, in our story, into the Promised Land. You will not enter into the Promised Land if you have broken this commandment and remain unrepentant.
Alma had a son who broke the law of chastity. Here is his counsel to his son:
“Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost? … And now, my son, I would to God that ye had not been guilty of so great a crime. I would not dwell upon your crimes, to harrow up your soul, if it were not for your good. But behold, ye cannot hide your crimes from God; and except ye repent they will stand as a testimony against you at the last day. Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember, and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things” (Alma 39:5,7-9).
We know that all sin is offensive to God, but it is obvious that some sins are worse, and breaking the law of Chastity is much worse, which is probably why Balaam suggested it. Listen to this scripture and remember:
“And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out. Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that committeth adultery, and repenteth not, shall be cast out. But he that has committed adultery and repents with all his heart, and forsaketh it, and doeth it no more, thou shalt forgive” (D&C 42:23-25).
President David O. McKay offered, “The Lord has drawn no essential distinctions between fornication [or sexual relations between non-married people], adultery, and harlotry or prostitution. Each has fallen under His solemn and awful condemnation.”6
President Harold B. Lee also counseled, “I want to warn … against that great sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, which has been labeled as a sin second only in seriousness to the sin of murder. I speak of the sin of adultery, which, as you know, was the name used by the Master as He referred to unlicensed sexual sins of fornication as well as adultery; and besides this, the equally grievous sin of homosexuality, which seems to be gaining momentum with social acceptance in the Babylon of the world, of which Church members must not be a part.”7
President Gordon B. Hinckley taught, “The finger of the Lord wrote on the tablets of stone, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Ex. 20:14). I believe that fornication is included within that term. Of course you are tempted. It seems as if the whole world has become obsessed with sex. In a very beguiling and alluring way, it is thrown at you constantly. You are exposed to it on television, in magazines and books, in videos, even in music. Turn your back on it. Shun it. I know that is easy to say, and difficult to do. But each time that you do so, it will be so much the easier the next time. What a wonderful thing it will be if someday you can stand before the Lord and say, ‘I am clean.’”8
In section 76 of the D&C, we are taught about those that obtain each of the degrees of glory. Describing the Telestial Kingdom in verse 103, it says, “These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.” People who break this covenant of chastity are going to the Telestial Kingdom unless they repent.
Let’s be honest. Are there sons or daughters of the Moabites who are out there today, trying to get us to break the great law of chastity? We know there are, and unfortunately, some are among us as wolves in sheep’s clothing. The Promised Land is in front of us, but we must not fall prey to the temptations of these people. We need to continue to be a covenant people. We need to heed the prophets’ warnings and ones from the scriptures such as this one:
“And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people; For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall” (D&C 1:14-16).
In For The Strength of Youth pamphlet, we have the counsel of our Church Leaders. Under the section entitled “Dress and Appearance,” we read this scripture: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? . . . The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17).
The pamphlet continues, “Your body is sacred. Respect it and do not defile it in any way. Through your dress and appearance, you can show that you know how precious your body is. You can show that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ and that you love Him. Prophets of God have continually counseled His children to dress modestly. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and you can be a good influence on others. Your dress and grooming influence the way you and others act. Never lower your standards of dress. Do not use a special occasion as an excuse to be immodest. When you dress immodestly, you send a message that is contrary to your identity as a son or daughter of God. You also send the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval. Immodest clothing is any clothing that is tight, sheer, or revealing in any other manner. Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance. Young men and young women should be neat and clean and avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior. They should choose appropriately modest apparel when participating in sports. The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord’s standards will not change.
“Do not disfigure yourself with tattoos or body piercings. Young women, if you desire to have your ears pierced, wear only one pair of earrings. Show respect for the Lord and yourself by dressing appropriately for Church meetings and activities. This is especially important when attending sacrament services. Young men should dress with dignity when officiating in the ordinance of the sacrament. If you are not sure what is appropriate to wear, study the words of the prophets, pray for guidance, and ask your parents or leaders for help. Your dress and appearance now will help you prepare for the time when you will go to the temple to make sacred covenants with God. Ask yourself, 'Would I feel comfortable with my appearance if I were in the Lord’s presence?'”
It seems obvious from this quote that we are not only responsible to not rob, lie, cheat, etc. but we are also responsible to be an example in our actions, dress and words. We are all being watched. Our dress and actions are influencing others, and we will be held accountable for that.
I will share three experiences that have taught me how much we are being observed.
Experience #1 - My wife and I were at a high school state championship game in Aloha Stadium. There was a really large crowd. We were there to watch Kahuku play St. Louis for the 2006 championship. The game went back and forth and was a real defensive battle. Kahuku just couldn’t move the ball against St. Louis. St. Louis had 6 points, and it looked to be enough. My wife lost interest and wanted to beat the crowd, so I agreed to leave. We quietly left the game and got away before the crowd. As it happened, we no sooner left than Kahuku scored and kicked an extra point (something which was hard for them to do that year) for the win. Well, for the next couple of weeks, people came up to me and said, “Oh we saw you left the game early – too bad.” I did not think anyone was paying attention to us. I was so wrong.
Experience # 2 - Some time ago, we were in a stake presidency meeting with Elder Scott D. Whiting. The zone leaders for full-time missionaries in the area were invited for a part of the meeting. Elder Whiting questioned them about where they ate lunch on a particular day the past week. He then asked if they were talking about such and such a thing and goofing off. They replied they were. He reminded them that they had a badge on that said they were representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was a standard expected of them, and they fell short. There were people watching and had reported their actions to Elder Whiting.
Experience # 3 - My brother and sister-in-law came to visit us. After a walk on the beach, my brother-in-law stated, “I saw something I have never seen before. I saw a young woman in a bikini -- reading the Book of Mormon.” To him this was incongruous.
It was to me, and I think is should have been for her. As Elder Holland once paraphrased Elder Maxwell, "Such people know they should have their primary residence in Zion, but they still hope to keep a summer cottage in Babylon."9 We are being watched, and we are influencing others for good or evil.
Let’s go back to the story:
There is another lesson or two to be learned from this story. King Balak was trying to keep the Children of Israel out of the Promised Land. We know who he might characterize – Satan. Satan would do anything to make us as miserable as he is and keep us out of the Promised Land or Celestial Kingdom. But what about Balaam? He appears to be, if not a member of the Church, at least familiar with it. Balaam wanted the honors and glory of men more than God, so even though he knew of the Lord, he sold out the Children of Israel. He got them to break their covenants. The Prophet Joseph Smith said of this, “But these men, like Balaam, being greedy for reward, sold us into the hands of those who loved them, for the world loves his own.“10
Sometimes people that should be our friends or even boy or girlfriends will try to get us to break the covenants that we have. When that happens, regardless of the hurt it may cause us, we need to find new companions.
Sister Rose Polvado of our ward tells the story of going crabbing as a little girl. Her job was to hold the bucket with the crabs. When crabs were caught and put in the bucket, she stated her concern that there was no lid, and the crabs would crawl out of the bucket and escape. However, her dad assured her that they would not because whenever one would start to climb out, another would climb on him and cause him to fall back. Sometimes people are like this. They do not want others to be “better than they are,” so they pull them back. A true friend would realize that the greatest blessing is eternal life and would never do anything but help you to get it. The minute you see someone trying to get you to break your covenants, you know they do not have your real interest at heart. Leave them and find someone else that does. This earth life is a test. It does not last too long, and then we live the rest of eternity with the results of our decisions here.
Elder Christofferson also said, “When we have entered into divine covenants, the Holy Ghost is our comforter, our guide, and our companion. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are ‘the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment.’ The gifts of the Holy Spirit are testimony, faith, knowledge, wisdom, revelations, miracles, healing, and charity, to name but a few.”11
President James E. Faust shared this: “The crowning blessings of life come through obedience to the covenants and honoring of the ordinances received in the holy temples, including the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, which is the capstone of the holy endowment.
“In our desire to be broad-minded, to be accepted, to be liked and admired, let us not trifle with the doctrines and the covenants which have been revealed to us, nor with the pronouncements of those who have been given the keys of the kingdom of God on earth. For all of us, the words of Joshua ring with increasing relevance. ‘Choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’" (Josh. 24:15).12
President Faust further helped us to understand our covenants by saying, "Ordinances and covenants help us to remember who we are and our duty to God. They are the vehicles the Lord has provided to conduct us into eternal life. If we honor them, He will give us added strength."13
Look out there. You can almost see the Promised Land. Keep your covenants, and all the promises of the Lord are yours. Do not let any Moabite or anyone else tempt you to stop short of your goal. Do not let any crab in the bucket pull you down. Move on to your reward in the Celestial Kingdom. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
1. Jeffrey R. Holland, “Keeping Covenants: A Message for Those Who Will Serve a Mission,”
New Era, Jan. 2012, 3; or
Liahona, Jan. 2012, 49.
2. D. Todd Christofferson, "The Power of Covenants," 2009 April General Conference,
Ensign.
3. Richard G. Scott, "Healing Your Damaged Life," 1992 October General Conference,
Ensign.
4. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Personal Purity," 1998 October General Conference,
Ensign.
5. Dallin H. Oaks, "Repentance and Change," 2003 October General Conference,
Ensign.
6. David O. McKay, "Message of the First Presidency to the Church,"
Improvement Era, November 1942, page 686.
7. Harold B. Lee,
The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, ed. Clyde J. Williams (1996), 105.
8. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Be Ye Clean," 1996 April General Conference, Ensign.
9. Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Best is Yet to Be," BYU Devotional, Jan. 13, 2009.
10. Joseph Smith,
The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, ed. Dean C. Jessee (1984), 285;
11. D. Todd Christofferson, "The Power of Covenants."
12. James E. Faust, "Keeping Covenants and Honoring the Priesthood," 1993 October General Conference,
Ensign.
13. James E. Faust, "Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart," 1998 April General Conference,
Ensign.