Renewing Our Covenants
Key Scripture
Exodus 31:13
“Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.”
In this verse, the Lord frames the Sabbath as a sign—a covenant marker—revealing who sanctifies us and to whom we belong. When we ask, “How do we renew our covenants?” Exodus 31:13 answers: we renew them by keeping the Sabbath holy, because the Sabbath is the weekly sign of our covenant identity.
Our guiding question is: “Renewing Our Covenants”. The cross‑reference word is sabbaths, so the supporting passages below are drawn from the Sabbath references taken from the Topical Guide provided.
Most poignant Sabbath scriptures for “Renewing Our Covenants”
Old Testament (2)Genesis 2:2–3
“On the seventh day God ended his work … and he rested… And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.”
Exodus 20:8
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”New Testament (2)
Mark 2:27–28
“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”
Luke 23:56
“And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.”The Book of Mormon (2)
Mosiah 13:16
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
Jarom 1:5
“And we … observe to keep the law of Moses and the sabbath day holy unto the Lord.”Doctrine & Covenants (2)
Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–13
“And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;
For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;
Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times;
But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.
And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food beI prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.
Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer.”
Doctrine and Covenants 68:29
“And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”
Why these scriptures individually
Genesis 2:2–3 — Sabbath begins with God, not us
This passage roots the Sabbath in creation, not merely in commandment. God Himself rests, blesses, and sanctifies the seventh day. We keep the Sabbath because God kept the Sabbath. It is a divine pattern, not a human tradition.
Exodus 20:8 — Sabbath as covenant memory
The word “Remember” is covenant language. The Sabbath becomes a weekly act of remembering who God is and who we are. By remembering the Sabbath, we remember our deliverance, our dependence, and our identity as His covenant people.
Mark 2:27–28 — Christ restores the Sabbath to its true purpose
Jesus reframes the Sabbath as a gift, not a burden: “The sabbath was made for man.” He also declares Himself “Lord also of the sabbath.” That means our Sabbath observance is ultimately about Him. The Sabbath becomes a Christ‑centered covenant renewal, not a checklist of restrictions.
Luke 23:56 — Covenant loyalty even in grief
The disciples, grieving the death of Christ, still “rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.” Their obedience in sorrow shows that Sabbath observance is a sign of covenant loyalty in all circumstances—joyful or painful. We do not keep the Sabbath only when it is convenient; we keep it because we belong to Him.
Mosiah 13:16 — The commandment reaffirmed in the New World
Abinadi re‑teaches the Ten Commandments, including “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” This shows that Sabbath holiness is a cross‑dispensational covenant requirement. The Lord’s expectations for His covenant people are consistent across time and place.
Jarom 1:5 — Sabbath as identity for a righteous people
Jarom notes that the people “observe to keep the law of Moses and the sabbath day holy unto the Lord.” Their spiritual preservation is tied to their Sabbath observance. The Sabbath becomes a marker of a covenant‑keeping community—a sign of who we are and whose we are.
D&C 59:9–13 — Restoration clarity on covenant renewal
Here the Lord defines the Sabbath as a day of sacraments, worship, rest, thanksgiving, and rejoicing. We “offer up [our] sacraments upon [His] holy day” and keep ourselves “unspotted from the world.” This is one of the clearest modern explanations of how Sabbath is a weekly covenant renewal: we come to His house, partake of His sacrament, confess our sins, and rejoice in Him.
D&C 68:29 — Zion is a Sabbath‑keeping people
The Lord declares that “the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Sabbath observance is not optional for Zion; it is a defining characteristic of a covenant society. If we want to be Zion, we must be a Sabbath‑keeping people.
Principle of the scriptures combined
Taken together, these passages teach a unified principle:
The Sabbath is the weekly covenant sign that we belong to God, that Christ sanctifies us, and that Zion is formed by a people who remember, rejoice, and return to Him.
Across all dispensations, the pattern is the same:
- God establishes the Sabbath as holy (Genesis 2; Exodus 20).
- We remember Him by keeping it (Exodus 20; Mosiah 13).
- Christ restores its purpose and centers it on Himself (Mark 2).
- Covenant communities are preserved by it (Jarom 1; Luke 23).
- Zion is identified through it (D&C 59; D&C 68).
The Sabbath is not merely a day of rest; it is the weekly renewal of our covenant relationship with God.
How we apply these scriptures into our lives (combined)
As a covenant people, we renew our covenants every Sabbath by living the combined principles of these scriptures:
-
We remember God’s works.
Like Genesis 2 and Exodus 20, we use the Sabbath to remember creation, redemption, and all the ways the Lord has delivered us. -
We center the day on Christ.
Mark 2 reminds us that the Sabbath belongs to the Lord of the Sabbath. We shape our Sabbath around Him—His word, His sacrament, His service, His peace. -
We rest from worldly labors and burdens.
Luke 23:56 and D&C 59:9–13 teach us to step away from our usual labors and distractions. We let the day be different, set apart, holy. -
We keep the day holy through worship and sacrament.
Mosiah 13, Jarom 1, and D&C 59 show that holiness is expressed in worship, sacrament, prayer, confession, gratitude, and rejoicing—not in idleness, but in devoted, joyful discipleship. -
We live as a Zion people.
D&C 68:29 teaches that Zion is a Sabbath‑keeping people. Our consistent, joyful Sabbath observance shapes our homes, our wards, and our communities into something more like Zion.
When we keep the Sabbath, we are quietly but powerfully declaring:
- We choose Christ.
- We choose holiness.
- We choose covenant belonging.
- We choose to be sanctified by the Lord.
In a world that pulls us constantly toward distraction and Babylon, the Sabbath becomes the weekly moment where we step out of Babylon and step back into covenant identity By honoring the Sabbath as our covenant sign, we let the Lord write His name upon us again and again, “that [we] may know that [He is] the Lord that doth sanctify [us].”
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