Zion is built upon three covenants or pillars. The first of these pillars is the New and Everlasting Covenant. No doctrine has ever been revealed that is more glorious than is this covenant. When we abide in it, we remain absolutely safe. Here is an example of a faithful couple, who found safety in the Covenant.

Dear Larry,

My husband finished his Masters degree a year ago, but because the economy is in a free fall, we have not been able to find a permanent job. We sacrificed everything for this education. Our assets consist of a little furniture and one very old car. We depend on that car. We can't imagine not having our car. Over the years that we have been in school, I have prayed daily that Heavenly Father would keep our car going and keep us safe when we drive around in it.

We make a little money doing contract work and teaching a dance class. We call it survival money: enough, but nothing extra. Nevertheless, we pay our tithing and attend to our callings. I have gained a great testimony of tithing and remaining true to our covenants. At times, when we have compared our budget to our bank balance, we have looked at each other and said, “If we go down, we will go down being square with the Lord.” Then we have swallowed hard and paid our tithing.

A couple of weeks ago our car broke down. For ten days it sat in our driveway while my husband and I struggled to find a solution. We prayed for help. We desperately needed a way to pay for the repairs, and we had nothing in the bank. The first week passed and then the second. We continued to pray. Then one day I walked out to the mailbox. Our tax refund had arrived in the amount of $400. We rejoiced, but it was short-lived. Our car was old and tired, and although we had tried to take good care of it, we had a feeling that the $400 would be a drop in the bucket.

On the second week, we decided to act on faith and take the car in for a diagnosis. We took advantage of our insurance policy's free towing benefit. We took the car towed to a trusted mechanic.

Two days went by without word from the mechanic shop. We began to fear the worst, but our prayers continued. We tried to summon faith that the Lord would somehow present a solution, but we couldn't image what that solution might be. We knew that our car was too old to pour a lot of money into repairs, but that we didn't have the means to buy another car. We were stuck and didn't know how to get out.

The third day came. I took a deep breath and called the mechanic. He knew our situation was difficult. He was as nice as anyone could be when they bare bad news. As he began to read the long list of repairs, my heart sank. He started with the front left side of the brake system and explained that the rotors must be fixed simultaneously. That would require repairing both the left and the right side. Then he paused as if to ascertain my reaction. When I asked if there was anything more, he said that the back brakes were shot too. He explained that his shop has a state licensing obligation to not leave certain repairs undone so that the car would be unsafe. He listed more problems with the car, and finally, when he was finished, the total ranged between $1200.00 and $1300.00!

I suppose by my silence he knew he had just delivered news like a doctor's telling someone that he/she had terminal cancer. He gently asked if I wanted him to keep the car up on the hoists or take it down. I told him that I would call my husband, but I was pretty sure he would say take it down.

After I talked with my husband, I knelt down to offer a prayer. I said, “Heavenly Father, apparently you don't feel we need a car.” That was an interesting idea, I thought. Then I told Him that I trusted Him. If we didn't need a car, although it would be hard, we would somehow get by—but we would not abandon our trust in Him. And we would keep paying our tithing. If a solution existed, that solution would be found in keeping our covenants.

Within 30 minutes, the owner of the mechanic's shop called back. He sounded baffled and embarrassed. The first thing he did was to reassure me that he and his employees were honest and careful. Now, I was baffled. I wondered why he was saying these things. Then he told me that the notes he had read to me were from one of his mechanics. Apparently, after he had spoken with me, he began to feel uneasy about the mechanic's notes. He started to wonder if the notes were correct. He approached the mechanic, and together they poured over the notes. Then the mechanic took him to our car and showed him the car. At that point, they noticed all kinds of debris in the braking system. When they cleared it away they were astonished with what they discovered. There was nothing wrong with the back end of the car at all. In fact, the debris was causing the back breaks to malfunction.

Then they followed the brake line under the car and found that the brake fluid was empty. Strangely, they found no leak in the line. The shop owner explained to me that there was no way the fluid could leak out, but he had no explanation. Of course, that meant that there was no need to make that repair. Then when he and his mechanic examined the front right of the car, they discovered that what they had thought was a major problem was really only a minor one. The total bill would come to only $400, the exact amount that we had received from our tax return.

The shop owner was totally baffled. He told me that he didn't understand how this could happen. It never had. I wanted to tell him that it was a miracle, but I resisted and just thanked him. When I hung up the phone, I knelt down and expressed my gratitude. I told Heavenly Father that He must feel that we really do need a car after all! And by the way, the next week we received a full-time job!

I can attest that staying true to our covenants and paying tithing keeps us safe in the Lord's hands. I can also testify that there is no risk in trusting Heavenly Father.

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President George Q. Cannon said:

One of the monumental discoveries of our entering into and abiding in the New and Everlasting Covenant is God will take care of us. The Lord's intention is to build our faith in him, not to confuse or injure that faith. Therefore, despite our misgivings, we are absolutely safe if we abide in the Covenant.

One of the greatest demonstrations of the safety of the Covenant is that of the ancient Israelites.

The Lord never forsook them, although they were often weak and rebellious. He was with them both day and night. He constantly instructed them. He provided manna and water to sustain them. For four decades of wandering, they lacked nothing! Amazingly, neither their clothing nor their shoes wore out!

At the end of Jesus' life, just before he entered Gethsemane , he reminded his apostles of their early missions when he had purposely placed them in a condition of lack to teach them of their safety in the Covenant. He accomplished this lesson by sending them out with neither purse nor scrip. Now looking back he asked them: “When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said, Nothing.” ³ As much as the apostles needed firsthand experience with the Covenant's safety, so do we. When we lack, we can go to the Lord, and because we are one with him in the Covenant, he will take care of us. We are safe.

Invitation

This article was adapted from my soon-to-be-released series The Three Pillars of Zion. You may receive a free Sampler of this series at www.PillarsOfZion.com. Or visit my website: www.LarryBarkdull.com.

1 George Q. Cannon, “Freedom of the Saints,” Collected Discourses, vol. 2:185, emphasis added.

2 Nehemiah 9:18-21, emphasis added

3 Luke 22:35