The Holy Covenants is a 2022 book by Anthony Sweat, a religion professor at Brigham Young University, about the major covenants of the temple endowment in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a Latter-day Saint (LDS) devotional and educational book, not a Hindu scripture. This guide explains what the book covers, how its publisher and author describe it, and how it differs from the sacred texts and covenant ideas found in Hindu traditions. Readers looking for Hindu scripture should see the related links at the end of this article.
The short answer
The Holy Covenants explores what covenants made in LDS temples mean and how the author believes they can shape daily life. Its publisher description says the book helps readers understand “the major covenants of the temple endowment as a pattern of divine living.” The book is written for members of the LDS Church and for readers interested in LDS temple worship. It is a theological and devotional work, so its claims should be read as Latter-day Saint belief and interpretation rather than as neutral history or as teaching shared by Hindus or other religions.
What The Holy Covenants is, and what it is not
The book belongs to the genre of LDS devotional and instructional writing about the temple. According to the publisher’s description on Deseret Book, the author uses the temple presentation, clothing, garment ordinances, and covenants to explain how members can “become part of a holy order, patterned after the Son of God.” The same description says that understanding and living these covenants can help readers “gain spiritual capacity” and become “endowed with heavenly power.”
Those statements describe what the book intends to do. They are not independent evidence that any reader will experience a particular spiritual result. Readers should treat them as the author’s and publisher’s framing of a faith tradition.
The book is also not a manual for the temple ceremony itself. Latter-day Saint temple ordinances are considered sacred, and the book’s public descriptions focus on meaning, purpose, and daily application rather than step-by-step ritual detail. This article follows that approach and does not describe ceremonial content beyond what the publisher and author have made public.
About the author and the book’s place in a series
Anthony Sweat is listed on Goodreads as an Associate Professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University. He earned a BFA in painting and drawing from the University of Utah and an MEd and PhD in curriculum and instruction from Utah State University, according to the same author biography. Before joining the BYU religion faculty, he worked for thirteen years with Seminaries and Institutes of Religion. His research, as described there, focuses on factors that influence effective religious education. He is also a practicing artist whose paintings often treat religious themes, including events in Church history that receive less attention.
These biographical details help readers understand the book’s perspective. Sweat writes as a religion educator and a Latter-day Saint, drawing on LDS scripture and doctrine. His academic background in education also shapes the book’s goal of helping readers understand and apply temple teachings, not only describe them.
The Holy Covenants is the second volume in a companion series. The author’s website lists The Holy Invitation, which focuses on understanding the temple endowment, and The Holy Covenants as companion volumes. The site also lists a third companion book, The Holy Sealing, which the author and his wife, Cindy Sweat, describe as exploring the LDS temple sealing and its role in uniting families. The Deseret Book Anthony Sweat Temple Collection bundles three of these titles, which shows that the publisher markets the books as a set.
Reading order
The publisher descriptions present The Holy Invitation as the book that unpacks the “why, what, and how” of the temple endowment, while The Holy Covenants explores “the deeper meaning and daily power of covenants.” Readers who are new to the series may find it easier to begin with The Holy Invitation, although the publisher descriptions do not state a required order. Readers should verify current editions and descriptions on the publisher’s or author’s pages before purchasing.
How the book presents covenants
In LDS theology, a covenant is a sacred agreement between God and people, in which both parties make commitments. The publisher description frames the temple’s exterior carving of two people shaking hands as a symbol of “sacred covenants with God.” The book’s central question, as the description states, is what those “holy promises” are and what they have to do with “becoming endowed with spiritual power in our everyday lives.”
The book’s framing has three main threads, as described in the publisher materials:
- Covenants as a pattern of living. The book presents temple covenants as a model for how to live, shaped by the example of Jesus Christ, whom LDS teaching calls the Son of God.
- Covenants as a source of spiritual capacity. The publisher says the book explains how members can grow in their ability to live their covenants.
- Covenants as a path toward divine potential. The Goodreads description cites Doctrine and Covenants 76:56, which speaks of “priests and kings [and queens and priestesses], who have received of his fulness,” to introduce the idea of divine potential.
The quoted phrase comes from the Goodreads description, not from the book itself, and this article has not independently checked the verse text against an LDS scripture edition. Readers who want to study the verse should consult the Doctrine and Covenants in an official LDS edition.
Belief, text, and interpretation
It helps to separate three layers when reading the book. The first is scripture: the Doctrine and Covenants and other LDS scriptures that the author quotes. The second is LDS tradition and doctrine: the Church’s teachings about temples and covenants. The third is the author’s interpretation: how Sweat connects those texts to daily life. The book is primarily the third layer, drawing on the first two. Readers from other traditions, or readers who want historical analysis of temple practice, should consult other sources as well.
Why the temple setting matters
The book’s opening image, as described in the publisher materials, is the carving on the outside of the Salt Lake Temple showing two people shaking hands. In LDS teaching, the temple is a place for sacred ordinances and covenants. The publisher description calls it “a place where we make sacred covenants with God.” For readers outside the LDS Church, this setting is one of the main concepts to understand before reading the book.
The book also includes temple clothing and garment ordinances in its scope, as the publisher description notes. In LDS practice, these are part of temple worship and are discussed in Church materials. The book’s descriptions treat them as aspects of covenant life, not as stand-alone practices. Readers should note that details about garments and temple clothing are sensitive in LDS practice, and that the book’s public descriptions present them at a general level.
Covenants in everyday life: examples from the book’s framing
The publisher descriptions emphasize everyday application, although they do not list specific chapter titles or detailed examples. A reader can understand the book’s approach through the questions it asks:
- What promise am I making? The book asks readers to understand the specific commitments associated with temple covenants.
- How does the promise shape my choices? The author’s framing connects covenants to a “pattern of divine living” in ordinary decisions.
- What spiritual resources does the covenant offer? The publisher says the book explains how covenant living can increase spiritual capacity.
A reader who uses the book in a study group might apply these three questions to one covenant at a time. This approach fits the book’s stated goal and does not require any claim beyond what the publisher describes.
How readers have received the book
Reader ratings on Goodreads show a strong average. At the time of inspection, the page listed an average of 4.75 from 108 ratings and 15 reviews, with 76 percent of ratings at five stars and 21 percent at four stars. Several reviewers described it as a useful companion to The Holy Invitation and as helpful for understanding the covenants made in the temple.
Reader ratings show enthusiasm within a particular audience, but they are not an independent assessment of doctrine or scholarship. Goodreads ratings come from users, many of whom are likely LDS readers already interested in the subject. Readers who want critical or academic reviews should look for reviews in LDS scholarly journals, religious studies publications, or other independent outlets, which this article has not located or verified.
Comparing covenant language across traditions
Covenant language appears in many religious traditions, but its meaning differs widely. In LDS teaching, a covenant is a formal agreement between God and people, tied to specific ordinances and to the temple. Other traditions use similar language in different ways, and even within a single tradition, understandings vary by community and period.
Hindu traditions do not share one scripture, one ritual system, or one concept of covenant. Hindu readers encounter sacred texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, often called the Gita, which is one of the most widely read Hindu scriptures. HindusGod.com already has content on several related topics that readers may find useful for comparison:
- The Holy Invitation by Anthony Sweat covers the companion volume that explains the temple endowment.
- Holy Book introduces the general idea of a sacred book across traditions.
- Holy Book Meaning explains the term in more detail.
- Holy Scriptures discusses scripture as a category.
- Holy Gita and Holy Geeta address the Gita, a central Hindu scripture.
- Holy Qur’an and Holy Injil address scriptures of Islam and Christianity respectively.
These internal pages were verified only as WordPress draft targets from the content inventory. They may not yet be public, so readers may not be able to open them until the owner publishes them.
Avoiding false equivalence
Comparing traditions can be helpful, but it can also flatten real differences. A vow in one tradition is not automatically the same as a covenant in another. Readers should avoid assuming that a shared word means a shared theology, practice, or result. The most accurate comparison begins by describing each tradition on its own terms, using its own scriptures and recognized teachers as sources.
Editions, formats, and where to find the book
The publisher listings show several formats. Deseret Book lists The Holy Covenants with a paperback price in the range shown at the time of inspection, along with an eBook and an audiobook (digital) edition. The publisher notes that digital goods are delivered through its app and are subject to a digital goods license. The Brigham Young University Store also lists the book as The Holy Covenants: Living Our Sacred Temple Promises. The book’s subtitle, Living Our Sacred Temple Promises, appears in both retailer listings and the Google Books record.
Prices and availability change. This article reports the listings as they were inspected and does not guarantee current prices or stock. Readers should check the retailer pages before buying.
Choosing a format
- Paperback suits readers who want to highlight, take notes, or study in a group.
- eBook is convenient for reading on a device that supports the publisher’s app.
- Audiobook works for readers who prefer listening. The author narrates his own books, according to the author’s website.
Who this book is for
The Holy Covenants is most useful for Latter-day Saints who want to understand temple covenants more deeply, for families and study groups preparing for temple attendance, and for readers who already know the temple endowment. It may also interest non-LDS readers who want to understand LDS temple theology, especially if they are comparing covenant concepts across religions. Readers who want a neutral historical account of temple practice, or a comparative study of covenant theology, should look for additional sources.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Holy Covenants a Hindu book?
No. It is written by a Latter-day Saint author for an LDS audience and is published by a retailer and publisher connected to LDS products. It discusses LDS temple covenants and LDS scripture. Hindu readers who want Hindu scripture should begin with sources on the Gita, the Vedas, the Upanishads, or other texts recognized in their tradition.
Do I need to be a Latter-day Saint to read the book?
The book’s publisher descriptions do not state a membership requirement. However, it assumes familiarity with LDS temple concepts and scripture. Non-members may find it easier to read after reviewing a general introduction to LDS beliefs.
Which book should I read first, The Holy Invitation or The Holy Covenants?
The publisher descriptions present The Holy Invitation as the volume about the temple endowment in general, and The Holy Covenants as the volume about covenants in more depth. Readers new to the series may find it helpful to begin with The Holy Invitation, but no required order is stated.
Does the book promise specific spiritual or material results?
The publisher descriptions say the book can help readers gain “spiritual capacity” and live with “spiritual power,” but these are religious claims within LDS belief. They do not guarantee any specific outcome, and this article does not treat them as such.
Sources and further reading
- The Holy Covenants, Deseret Book product page. Supports the book’s publisher description, format and price listings at the time of inspection, and the description of the Salt Lake Temple carving.
- Books, Anthony Sweat Productions. Supports the author’s description of The Holy Covenants, The Holy Invitation, and The Holy Sealing as companion books, and notes the audiobook narration by the author.
- Anthony Sweat Temple Collection, Deseret Book. Supports the publisher’s description of the three-book bundle and the purpose of each title.
- The Holy Covenants: Living Our Sacred Temple Promises, BYU Store. Supports the retailer listing and subtitle.
- The Holy Covenants, Goodreads. Supports the author biography, the page count and publication date listed, the cited Doctrine and Covenants 76:56 phrase, and reader rating statistics.
- The Holy Covenants, Google Books. Supports a short publisher-style description. This page was listed but its content was not fully inspected.
Scripture reference: Doctrine and Covenants 76:56, as cited in the Goodreads description. Readers should check the verse text in an official LDS edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Takeaway
The Holy Covenants is a Latter-day Saint devotional book that explains temple covenants as a pattern for daily living. Its strength for its intended readers is its clear framing of covenant as a practical commitment. For Hindu readers and others comparing traditions, the most useful approach is to read it as one tradition’s view, check claims against primary sources, and keep the differences between covenant and other religious vows clear.