My daughter is at home for a few weeks between terms at university. She now lives in another country so this time provides an opportunity to do something together that we both love, which is attending a variety of performing arts shows. In the last two weeks, between the two of us, we have seen my high school students at the performing arts school where I teach in a jaw-dropping semi-professional level production of HadesTown, an interpretative dance of the nativity, the classic Christmas ballet The Nutcracker, a voice ensemble Christmas and Hanukkah performance, a combination ballet and choir performance at the oldest Catholic cathedral where we live, the classic play A Christmas Carol, and the movie Wicked. It’s been delightful and lovely.
A few days ago after seeing A Christmas Carol, I wondered if it really is possible for someone to change so dramatically. In the book, Dickens’s powerful writing makes this possibility seem real. I wondered, though, about general authorities. With the exception of a few like Uchtdorf and Kearon, so many of them seem to have hearts of stone. Even Holland, who used to be one of the good guys, has lost his soul during his time in leadership.
The pulpit pounding of garment wearing and covenant path keeping is not leading to transformation as shown in works of performance and literature. As I write this, it occurs to me that transformation may not be what general authorities seek for members. For the purposes of this essay, I assume the goal is transformation. Checklists of how to behave — never miss sacrament meeting or any other meeting, read the scriptures prescribed by the CFM manual, wear garments exactly so, etc., etc., etc, — do not lead to personal transformation. In my observation, what they do lead to is toxic perfectionism, burnout, depression, anxiety, and general misery.
It is a stark contrast from my recent experiences attending performing arts productions.
Performing arts move people emotionally. They open us up emotionally, connect us with ourselves and others. Brené Brown explains, “To see and be seen. That is the truest nature of love.”
“To see and be seen. That is the truest nature of love.” Brené Brown
Love is better than the Covenant Path.
This is not to say that ritual does not have its place. It does. Ritual can be transformative. However, ritual as currently taught by general authorities does not provide a path to transformation. For more discussion of this, see Jody England Hansen’s illuminative post “Jesus is Coming. Look Busy.”
This past Sunday a friend of mine spoke in church. I knew this person for years in a professional capacity before we were in the same ward. He is truly a person who embodies love. In his talk, he described how in his study of Alma 7:12 he noticed that Jesus constantly takes people’s pain and metabolizes it into love. He shared a desire to be like Jesus in that way. Jesus saw other people. He saw their pain, their hopes, their fears, their wounds. He saw past people’s behavior and into their core as a human being. That is love. Jesus is love. Becoming like Jesus by developing an ability to truly see people and allow ourselves to be seen is better than checking off covenant path boxes.
11 Responses
This past Sunday my ward watched and discussed the Utah Area Presidency’s broadcast. Lots of emphasis on garments and covenants…..and those that make covenants having an extra measure of love and mercy from Jesus…. ugh! It feels so icky to me to be talking about underwear and telling people God will love them more if they make covenants in the temple…. doesn’t this sound like the pharisees of Christ’s day? They were so concerned about their rules, culture and traditions – and so upset that Christ extended love and forgiveness to people that didn’t match their definition of covenant keepers.
I really appreciate your thoughts. And I really don’t like the term “covenant path.” IMO marketing and faith make a sickening combination.
Loved this piece so much!! Thank you for writing and sharing!
The term, “covenant path,” reminds me of “the yellow brick road”… and we all know where that leads.. I don’t think Jesus is at the end of a strictly followed covenant path. I love the words from your friend’s talk about Alma. 7:12. Jesus is the embodiment of love. My hope is that Jesus truly sees us, and, if we look, we can truly see Him.
Whoa. This line took my breath away: “ Love is better than the Covenant Path.” So succinct and the truth of it shakes my bones. I’ve struggled so hard with this ridiculous phrase and you pointed out why. Thank you. I am reading The Law of Love by Steve Young for book group this month and your post ties in so nicely with his ideas about moving from a transactional mindset toward a non-transactional mindset in the LDS church.
Our ward listened to the area authority talking about the covenant path and garments last week as well. They skipped over the whole part about priesthood ordination. I have been studying these as I am trying to understand what do people actually MEAN when they say “Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood” and the “Covenant Path.” So many big, messy feelings as I try to make sense of it and understand because neither of those things hold up against the teachings and example of the Savior in the Gospels, or even when He came to the Americas. I feel the endgame of our Heavenly Parents is to truly learn how to love them, ourselves, and human kind. For the life of me, all of the to-do’s sure put my flame out more than increasing my love for God, self, and others. Thank you for saying what you did.
This is a great post, thanks! I resonate a lot with the longing for transformation and growth, and the recognition this can’t be found in stagnant, dependent relationships and obedient hoop jumping. And I love the idea the arts are a door for spiritual experience and transformation. A lot of the time, good literature is kind of like scripture for me. It leads to lots of insights, peace, and healing. Live performances can indeed be sacred events. I went to a Killers concert that was sacred to me, absurd as that would seen to some.
I want a church that actively cares about individuals and their spiritual growth and flourishing. In many ways the Church does work like a cold-hearted empire that is fixated on the growth of its power, importance, numbers, etc rather than care and love for individual lives and needs or the harm it inflicts. That is not Jesus’s way, he was all about spiritual expansion, turning conventional hierarchies on their heads, and ministering to the one.
Thank you for your insight. I have always been bothered by the concept of keeping on the “covenant path.” It has never inspired or motivated me the way it seems to for others around me. I haven’t ever been able to pinpoint why. My incredible daughter was married last May to an equally incredible man. He isn’t a member of any organized religion. Their wedding was a beautiful, spiritual experience for me. I just don’t believe that their marriage means less since it didn’t take place in an LDS temple. I also love the idea of finding transformative power through the arts. So many answers to specific prayers have come to me through unexpected music and literature. And, to the commenter above: I find great spirituality in The Killers music!
I had to laugh at anonymous’s comment (#4) about the covenant path and the yellow brick road. Let’s all sing, “follow, follow, follow the cov-en-nant path.”
But really, the covenant path/yellow brick road is a pretty good analogy because getting to the Emerald City didn’t get Dorthy home and the great Oz didn’t help. It was what Dorthy learned along the way and the people she loved, ever if those people were a scare crow, a tin man, and a lion that were important and she had with her the whole time the thing she needed to get home. The Ruby slippers represent love. The general authorities in this analogy are Oz and worshiping Oz doesn’t get you home. Doing what Oz tells you to may benefit Oz, but it doesn’t get you home.. It was only when Dorthy learned that the yellow brick covenant path wasn’t the way she should go and Oz was a fraud, that the good fairy (Heavenly Mother?) told her she had it within herself to get home.
OK, tangent over. I really like the message of the original post because the covenant path is all about church and Mormonism and performing. It isn’t transformation. Jesus requires transformation. He wants us to be born again. To be changed. To be transformed into a new person and to leave the old person behind. How does “covenant path” do any of that? It is all about doing tasks, not becoming Christlike.
This is so wonderful and timely. Thank you!
Thanks for the post and the comments! I agree that it is not the path (or yellow brick road!) but the journey of love that gets us closer to God, our home. I’m so done with the idea that only with covenants administered by men can we make it to God. Three of my kids have left the Church and I’m not worried about their eternal souls. I am hopeful they continue to have loving hearts. For Christmas, I got myself this shirt, which is very appropriate given the comments and Wizard of Oz references!
https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/6108032-you-had-the-power