The Genesis of "The Covenant Path"

[Fair Dinkum]

I have not been involved in the LDS Church for 20 years now, nor in this message board for nearly 7 months, but just prior to my departure, I had been active in church leadership and temple worship and I have no recollection of having been familiar with this now ubiquitous LDS catch phrase " The Covenant Path".  When I left, it was not in use.

Does anyone here know when it became popular and in wide use?  Perhaps it started with President Nelson and his emphasis on building Temples.  I don't follow him enough to know. In doing a search on LDS.org, it seems to come into wide use only recently.  But am I correct is noting that this euphemism is a recent catch phrase within the church?

PS:  I was a fan of the Hulu TV series The Path about a upstate New York cult movement staring Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad fame.  The cult called Myerism ascribes its adherents to a covenant path, a series of advancements within the movement that if followed will lead to eternal life.  It's unfortunate that the churches new emphasis with "The Covenant Path" is so similar to this TV Drama

The earliest use of this phrase is from a talk given by a woman in 2013. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/when-you-save-a-girl-you-save-generations?lang=eng

Edited April 19, 2022 by Fair Dinkum

[sunstoned]

I grew up in the church and never heard of this.  I believe this catch phrase was coined by Neilson.  Or at least emphasized by him.

Here is some info that defines the term.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2015/03/be-a-missionary-now/your-covenant-path?lang=eng

[rongo]

It has been heavily used, starting with President Nelson.

Another one he uses a lot (with people using it a lot, following his lead) is "gathering Israel on both sides of the veil."

[filovirus]

It's only gotten widespread use in the last couple of years. It is a lot catchier than the "Straight and Narrow" path that has been used for years and years, but that is all it is, a rebranding. There is a very well written book that is recently released that focuses a lot on this covenant path in the OT. It is "God Will Prevail" by Kerry Muhlestein (he knows his stuff). I highly recommend it.

[Scott Lloyd]

Just after the new First Presidency was set apart, President Nelson addressed the membership of the Church from the annex of the Salt Lake Temple. On that occasion, he admonished Latter-day Saints to “stay on the covenant path.” It at once became in effect a theme of his presidency and obviously has wide appeal among the members. 
 

The phrasing might be original with President Nelson, but it reflects long-held doctrine about the need to make and keep sacred covenants as the means to progress toward eternal life and exaltation. I very much like it. 
 

Incidentally, I’m not acquainted with the word “genisus,” but we have a similar word in English, genesis, that might be similar in meaning. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Scott Lloyd

[ksfisher]

1 hour ago, Fair Dinkum said:

The earliest use of this phrase is from a talk given by a woman in 2013. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/when-you-save-a-girl-you-save-generations?lang=eng

The Covenant Path

Rosemary M. Wixom

Primary General President

March 12, 2013

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/rosemary-m-wixom/the-covenant-path/

[smac97]

1 hour ago, Fair Dinkum said:

I have not been involved in the LDS Church for 20 years now, nor in this message board for nearly 7 months, but just prior to my departure, I had been active in church leadership and temple worship and I have no recollection of having been familiar with this now ubiquitous LDS catch phrase " The Covenant Path".  When I left, it was not in use.

Per this Reddit thread, the phrase "Covenant Path" goes back to at least 2007, an April 2007 General Conference talk by Sis. Elaine S. Dalton that was in turn quoting a 2006 Liahona article by Elder Holland, "What I Wish Every New Member Knew," which uses the phrase twice:

Quote

The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path.
...
If our covenant path has an earthly symbol of an eternal destination, it is the house of the Lord, the holy temple.

The underlying concept, however, goes back to the Bible.

1 hour ago, Fair Dinkum said:

Does anyone here know when it became popular and in wide use?  Perhaps it started with President Nelson and his emphasis on building Temples.  I don't follow him enough to know. In doing a search on LDS.org, it seems to come into wide use only recently.  But am I correct is noting that this euphemism is a recent catch phrase within the church?

It does seem to be a fairly new catchphrase intending to highlight an age-old concept.  Past iterations include things like "Endure to the End" (2 Ne. 31:20), "Hold to the Rod" (Hymn 274), "Strait and Narrow" (2 Nephi 31:17–18), "Born Again" (John 3, Mosiah 27:25, Alma 7:14, Alma 1:1), "Walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation" (D&C 46:7), "Fight the Good Fight, Finish your Course, Keep the Faith" (1 Tim. 4:7, D&C 63:50), and so on.

Thanks,

-Smac

ETA: Per this article, the phrase goes back to 1828 (a multi-volume work by Maria Stevens), and the first appearance of the phrase in a Latter-day Saint context was in 1993:

Quote

The first time “covenant path” was used in LDS discourse was 1993, in a book titled “Mothering” by Elaine Cannon, the eighth general president of the Young Women organization. Except for the following two snippets from page 32, I don’t have access to any of the other text:

… understand that in heaven parents are not single and that in order to reach the most glorious eternal place, man and woman must follow the same covenant path together. Though scriptures contain only hints of the nature of a Mother in …

… woman of many organized religions are searching after an understanding of female deity. They yearn after real equality—equality not legislated or bestowed as a token. As part of the search, some have insisted on being admitted to clergy positions. Some have engaged in the mental struggle of getting answers about their …

Even if coined by Ms. Stevens in 1828, "covenant path" seems like a fairly prosaic aphorism.  I don't mean to disparage it, but rather to suggest that it is not a particularly novel or unique or poetic turn of phrase. 

Thanks,

-Smac 

Edited April 19, 2022 by smac97

[Scott Lloyd]

1 hour ago, Fair Dinkum said:

But am I correct is noting that this euphemism is a recent catch phrase within the church?

I’m curious about why you call it a “euphemism,” which is a word or expression used in place of a term considered too harsh or vulgar to be used in polite company. 

[strappinglad]

I misread the title as " The Genius of the Covenant Path ". That actually works too. 

[ksfisher]

14 minutes ago, ksfisher said:

The Covenant Path

Rosemary M. Wixom

Primary General President

March 12, 2013

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/rosemary-m-wixom/the-covenant-path/

Also

"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path."

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2006/10/what-i-wish-every-new-member-knew-and-every-longtime-member-remembered?lang=eng

[CA Steve]

"Follow the Prophet"

"Families are Forever"

"Lengthen Your Stride"

"Raise The Bar"

"I Am A Mormon"

"Choose the Right"

 

 

[Robert F. Smith]

1 hour ago, Scott Lloyd said:

.......................

Incidentally, I’m not acquainted with the word “genisus,” but we have a similar word in English, genesis, that might be similar in meaning. 

Yes, and for a moment I wondered who President Neilson might be (sunstoned spelled it thus), and thought I might be getting a touch of dementia.

[Robert F. Smith]

13 minutes ago, CA Steve said:

"Follow the Prophet"

"Families are Forever"

"Lengthen Your Stride"

"Raise The Bar"

"I Am A Mormon"

"Choose the Right"

"Every member a missionary"

[Fair Dinkum]

1 hour ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Incidentally, I’m not acquainted with the word “genisus,” but we have a similar word in English, genesis, that might be similar in meaning. 

Some things never change.  My inability to spell correctly and Scott's need to be an obsessive orthographizer.

[MustardSeed]

All the corrections here were distracting to the topic for me, for what that’s worth.  I don’t even recall what the question was. 

[ksfisher]

3 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

All the corrections here were distracting to the topic for me, for what that’s worth.  I don’t even recall what the question was. 

Something about the genisus of President Neilson.

[Fether]

Abrahamic covenants, new and everlasting covenant, straight and narrow, covenant path… it all means the same thing. I feel “the covenant path” is the clearest  phrase

[Calm]

1 minute ago, Fether said:

Abrahamic covenants, new and everlasting covenant, straight and narrow, covenant path… it all means the same thing. I feel “the covenant path” is the clearest  phrase

I think it has become so popular because of that reason as well as more discussion about covenants.

[Stormin' Mormon]

The concept, if not the name, was current back in 2013 when I was serving as Ward Mission Leader.  We used this form to track the progress of new or returning members.  The copyright on the form is 2009, so it's been in use for at least 12 years.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/english/wwlt/hasten/PD50020824-member-progress-form-eng.pdf?lang=eng

When I first started noticing the increased use of the term "Covenant Path," it was this form that I immediately thought of. 

edited to add: It's because of this form, that I have always interpreted the phrase to mean more than a path OF covenants, but rather the path TO covenants. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Stormin' Mormon

[2BizE]

I think the words covenant path are a fad.  In a few years the term will be replaced by another fad term. This is what has seemed to happen with the terms “tender mercies” and “ponderize”.
When/ if Pres. Oaks becomes president, he will probably start his own trendy term like “non-consensual immorality” ….wait, that one was already used by E. Cook…

[Scott Lloyd]

19 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

All the corrections here were distracting to the topic for me, for what that’s worth.  I don’t even recall what the question was. 

It was pretty much asked and answered in the first half-dozen or so posts on the thread. Just scroll to the top and you’ll be fine. 

[teddyaware]

On 4/19/2022 at 7:47 AM, Fair Dinkum said:

I have not been involved in the LDS Church for 20 years now, nor in this message board for nearly 7 months, but just prior to my departure, I had been active in church leadership and temple worship and I have no recollection of having been familiar with this now ubiquitous LDS catch phrase " The Covenant Path".  When I left, it was not in use.

Does anyone here know when it became popular and in wide use?  Perhaps it started with President Nelson and his emphasis on building Temples.  I don't follow him enough to know. In doing a search on LDS.org, it seems to come into wide use only recently.  But am I correct is noting that this euphemism is a recent catch phrase within the church?

PS:  I was a fan of the Hulu TV series The Path about a upstate New York cult movement staring Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad fame.  The cult called Myerism ascribes its adherents to a covenant path, a series of advancements within the movement that if followed will lead to eternal life.  It's unfortunate that the churches new emphasis with "The Covenant Path" is so similar to this TV Drama

The earliest use of this phrase is from a talk given by a woman in 2013. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/when-you-save-a-girl-you-save-generations?lang=eng

The ‘covenant path’ is simply another way of speaking of the ‘strait and narrow path,’ only it’s more clear, specific and descriptive of what one is expected to do while traversing the strait path that leads to eternal life. And since the expression refers to the duties one has solemnly promised he will strive to perform while traveling forward on the straight and narrow path, the term says and means a lot while only having to use two simple words. Can you think of a better expression that reminds believers of both their most sacred promises and duties, while also reiterating God’s sure promise of the gift of eternal life? Personally, I can’t think of a better expression.

Edited April 20, 2022 by teddyaware

[The Nehor]

20 hours ago, 2BizE said:

I think the words covenant path are a fad.  In a few years the term will be replaced by another fad term. This is what has seemed to happen with the terms “tender mercies” and “ponderize”.
When/ if Pres. Oaks becomes president, he will probably start his own trendy term like “non-consensual immorality” ….wait, that one was already used by E. Cook…

“Ponderize” was mostly a stillbirth when it was revealed to be a marketing gimmick.

[Calm]

19 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

“Ponderize” was mostly a stillbirth when it was revealed to be a marketing gimmick.

A few non conference talks articles, maybe a lesson are using “ponderize” on the church’s website, referring to Brother Durrant mostly, but it is a handful only.   And it has been 7 years already, so I don’t see it ever getting picked up…anyone thinking about using would likely consider it never caught on and assume it is too awkward sounding or something to ever be useful as a memory or whatever device.

Nothing now close to common catch phrase. It certainly looked like he wanted it to be though. It was a massive turn off to me even before I found out what his son had done, apparently with his knowledge.  If you don’t know that history and just read the talk, I can see why someone might assume it is an accepted catchphrase because it was presented as such. 

[Navidad]

I don't know anything about the origin of the term "the covenant path." But I can say with some assurance that the idea of covenants and a covenantal relationship with God and with each other go way back in time in church history. Certain reformed groups picked up the idea of covenants from the Bible and early church fathers and coined the term "covenant theology" based on their understanding of the covenant theme from the Old Testament through the New Testament and into the early church. I spoke at both Covenant College (probably the most beautiful college campus I have ever been on) and Covenant Theological Seminary. They are both affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), one of my very favorite denominations. I find my self appreciating the LDS emphasis on covenants. That is one reason I take the sacrament without the slightest concern about "pretending." I am unaware of any LDS covenants with which I wouldn't be in full accord. 

I also appreciate the Evangelical Covenant Church. It started officially in the late 1800s and was based on the desire of Swedish immigrants to worship together. They stress pietism, which has a great appeal to me as well.

Edited April 21, 2022 by Navidad