Baptism
The Episcopal Baptism covenant is a very unique system from Mormon Baptism. Mormon baptism, according to Mosiah 18:8-10 involves promises made, without ever saying them directly as part of the ceremony, to
- be "desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people"
- "willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light"
- "Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort"
- "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death"
- "that ye will serve him and keep his commandments"
- "that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life"
- " that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you"
- "Will you be responsible for seeing that the child you present is brought up in the Christian faith and life?"
- "Will you by your prayers and witness help this child to grow into the full stature of Christ?"
- "Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?"
- "Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?"
- "Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?"
- "Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Saviour?"
- "Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?"
- "Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord?"
- (The next one is too long to quote directly, but essentially asks for agreement with one of the creeds)
- "Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?"
- "Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?"
- "Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?"
- "Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?"
- "Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?"
- "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?"
- "...you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own for ever."
- "that those who here are cleansed from sin and born again may continue for ever in the risen life of Jesus Christ our Savior."
- "...those who are sealed with it may share in the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ"
- " Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil?"
- "Do you renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?"
- "Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?"
A proper comparison of the LDS covenant of Baptism wouldn't be fair without also including the LDS sacrament covenants which are almost seen as an extension of the baptismal covenant even though the sacrament covenants are actually distinct from the covenants outlined in the Book of Mosiah. These promises as quoted from the D&C are to:
- "eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son"
- "willing to take upon them the name of thy Son"
- "always remember him"
- "keep his commandments which he has given them"
- "do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son"
- " always remember him"
Marriage
Though the LDS temple marriage covenant is not published by the church, those who want a refresher on what exactly is promised can find the text of the ceremony here. The Episcopal ceremony (quoting only one gender role each since they are repetitive), which again is available online for full context, includes promises to:
- "will you have this man to be your husband"
- "to live together in the covenant of marriage"
- "Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"
- "Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage? "
- "In the Name of God, I, [name], take you, [name], to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."
Conclusion
For some reason, many of the wards I have lived in since coming to Utah have included people who openly discussed their fear of the sinners they expected to encounter outside of the church or even just outside of Utah. In talks and lessons I've heard people talk about how afraid they were to visit the area where I grew up in Maryland because they thought all the bad people lived outside of the Wasatch Front, give their opinion that only in the LDS church were the basics of honesty and integrity taught, or explain how they felt that couldn't possibly have anything in common with a non LDS except experiencing the weather. If there is one thing that my past and present have in common, its a focus on covenants where the basics of honesty and integrity, marital fidelity, empathy, and Christian identity are held strongly as important qualities. While different religions and even atheists interpret and pursue their moral commitments differently from each other, it doesn't mean they don't still have them. And in the case of the Episcopal and LDS churches, both define them in covenants that help define a lifetime of devotion to God.