Lessons of 2025
Lesson No. Sixteen

The New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage - A Father’s Day Message

Hierarchical organizations dominate the world we live in – Our world is mostly governed and organized in hierarchical ways that are ranked and tiered. In our political world we have presidents, governors, and mayors. In our business world we have chief executive officers (CEO), presidents, and managers. Churches also have a hierarchical aspect. There is the Pope, the Grand Imam, the Grand Ayatollah, and the Chief Rabbi. In the Military we have the commander-in-chief, generals, colonels, master sergeants, etc. In this world hierarchical organizations, with effective management and accountability, can make success more likely.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized by revelation in two ways:

- It has a divinely appointed hierarchal order. The traditional administrative channel of authority, both ecclesiastical and temporal, is of necessity, hierarchical in nature. It begins with the president of the Church who we sustain as Prophet, and who holds all the priesthood keys. Priesthood keys are delegated by revelation and inspiration, as necessary, to bishops, stake presidents, mission presidents, temple presidents, and others throughout the earth.

- “The genius of Church government is government through councils. The Council of the Presidency, the Council of the Twelve, the Council of the Stake Presidency … the Council of the Bishopric. … I have had enough experience to know the value of councils. … I see the wisdom, God’s wisdom, in creating councils: to govern his Kingdom. In the spirit under which we labor, men can get together with seemingly divergent views and far different backgrounds, and under the operation of that spirit, by counseling together, they can arrive at an accord” (President Stephen L. Richards, Conference Report, October 1953, p. 86).

The celestial world, comprised of eternal families, is governed by family councils – In the celestial glory our Heavenly Parents council together in love and righteousness in all the affairs of Their eternal family. This must have been the way it was in the Grand Council of Heaven. The Prophet Joseph Smith described this great council: “At the first organization in heaven we were all present and saw the Savior chosen and appointed and the plan of salvation made, and we sanctioned it” (Teachings of Joseph Smith, Chapter 17: The Great Plan of Salvation).

The patriarchal order is another name of the new and everlasting covenant of marriage –

- “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man (or a woman) must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase” (D&C 131:1-4).

- The gospel of Jesus Christ is called “the new and everlasting covenant,” which includes many specific covenants, one being called “the new and everlasting covenant of marriage” which the scriptures often refer to as the patriarchal order of the priesthood.

- The patriarchal order of the priesthood or the new and everlasting covenant of marriage refers to priesthood government in the family. In this world it began with Adam and Eve. It was an essential part the city of Enoch, which because of their righteousness they were taken into heaven. It extended down to the days of Moses when it was withdrawn because of unrighteousness. It is central to the Restored Church of Jesus Christ in our day.

- The new and everlasting covenant of marriage includes the responsibility of worthy priesthood-holding fathers to preside over their family in righteousness. To do this he must lovingly council with his wife.

In any successful organization there must be order, and to have order someone must preside – In the eternal family organization it is the father who has that responsibility. But he must preside in his family in the Lord’s way which is: “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned” (D&C 121:41)

Testimony – The greatest most important thing a father can do for his family, especially his children, is to love their mother with all his heart and to council with her in righteousness.

Father and mother counseling together in righteousness and love brings unity and oneness. Unity and oneness is an essential part of the celestial kingdom. In this life if there is unity and oneness in marriage and in the family, we can truly have heaven on earth.

Released on June 15th. 2025.