Hello everyone! And good afternoon. My name is Sister Barret
and I’ve been serving here in the Oakville ward for about 2 months now.
As a missionary, you’re invited to speak fairly frequently,
and I can attest that it doesn’t get much easier with practice. I did a lot of
pondering about what to share today. As I considered it, my thoughts keep
turning to the word “remember.”
One of my companions, very firmly believed in the power of
positive thinking and speaking. One of her quirks was that she never said “forget”
–it was always “remember.” So, instead of saying “We can’t forget to go to that
appointment!” We would say, “We have to remember to go to that appointment!”
Or, instead of saying, “I don’t want to forget my planner,” it was, “I want to
remember my planner.”
Her reasoning was based on the scriptures. As she explained
to me, whenever people in the scriptures are sharing something important, they
almost always say “remember” not “forget.”
So ever since that companion, I haven’t been able to read
the scriptures without noticing how often we are told to remember. And today, I
wanted to share just a few of the things we are counseled to remember in the
scriptures.
First, we are told to remember the commandments of God. In
the law of Moses, they had to wear certain things, that they might “remember
all the commandments and do them.” (Numbers 15:39). Alma speaking to his son
Helaman in Alma 37:13 says, “O remember, remember my son Helaman, how strict
are the commandments of God. And he said, if ye will keep my commandments, ye
shall prosper in the land.” And Helaman, speaking to his two sons, says it
plainly: “Ye should remember to keep the commandments of God.”
Heavenly Father has given us commandments so that we can
have peace in this life, and eternal life in the world to come. When we remember
the commandments, we are remembering how to travel the path that God has
revealed, and we can receive His blessings.
Next in Doctrine & Covenants 18:10, we are told to “remember
the worth of souls is great in the sight of God,” and to “remember them that
are in bonds.” We have many blessings, and one of those blessings is the
opportunity we have to share the peace and direction we have with our brothers
and sisters. On the first page of Preach My Gospel, it says, “You are
surrounded by people. You pass them on the street, visit them in their homes,
and travel among them. All of them are children of God, your brothers and
sisters…Many of these people are searching for purpose in life…They want ‘peace
in this world and eternal life in the world to come,’ but they are ‘kept from
the truth because they know not where to find it.’” For me, this helps take
away a lot of my fears about missionary work! When I remember that each person
I talk to is my brother or sister, I can feel an increase in love. Missionary
work changes from scary to a lot more natural.
The scriptures also counsel us to remember those who went
before us. In Deuteronomy 32:7, it says, “Remember the days of old, consider the
years.” Alma asks each of us, “Have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance the
captivity of your fathers?” (Alma 5:6) Over and over again in the scriptures,
prophets remind us to remember our fathers—those who were righteous and relied
on God, and gave us our heritage. I was studying a while ago, and I came across
a scripture where Nephi was rebuking his brothers for not remembering the
miracles the Lord performed in behalf of the Israelites, their ancestors. And I
was wondering why? Why is it so important that we remember the things our
ancestors went through? Now, that’s probably a question with many answers, but
the conclusion I came to is that our heritage is our foundation. When we
remember our ancestors’ strength in the face of trials, we are strengthened.
Our faith grows when we know and understand their examples of faith. Their acts
of courage give us the courage we need to press on.
This is Memorial Day weekend. It’s a time when it is natural
for us to remember those who have sacrificed for us, and who have passed on. I
am sure that today, as you’ve sat here, many of you have had someone come to
your mind—someone who you remember, whose memory inspires you to be a better
person.
I remember my grandfather. We never had the opportunity to
talk much, and so it was at his funeral that I learned that he had served in
the military. I honor his example of quiet service.
I also remember my dad, who died four years ago this August.
When I remember my dad, I remember how he served faithfully and magnified his
church callings. I remember that he was the only faithful convert in his
family, but he never gave up hope. I remember his courage and perseverance
through a long, difficult battle with cancer. And whenever I remember these
things, I feel inspired to rise to a new level of courage, perseverance, hope
and service.
Most importantly, today and every day, we are commanded to
remember our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. “O remember, remember that there is no
other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of
Jesus Christ; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world…Remember that it
is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of god, that ye must
build your foundation.” (Helaman 5:9-12)
Each Sunday, we gather to partake of the sacrament, in
remembrance of the Savior. He commanded us to do so, to remember His flesh and
blood, that we will be “built upon His rock,” and that we may always “have His
spirit to be with us.” (3 Nephi 18:11-12)
Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. We must
remember Him, because He must be at the center of our lives. His gospel
provides us with the answers each of us needs. In a priesthood session of
General Conference a few years ago, President Henry B. Eyring, shared his
personal testimony of why it is so important to remember Christ. He says that
at his most difficult times, when he feels the most weary, he gives himself “this
rallying cry: Remember Him. The Lord is our perfect example of diligence in
service. He is our Captain. He called us. He goes before us. He chose us to follow
Him and to bring others with us. This evening, I remember Him, and it stirs my
heart. This is the Saturday night before Easter Sunday. When you remember His
resurrection, I remember His example in the days before. From the cross on
Calvary, the Savior announced, ‘It is finished.’ Then His Spirit left His body,
and His mortal remains were placed lovingly in a tomb. He taught us a lesson by
what he did in three days in the Spirit world before His resurrection, which I
remember whenever I am tempted to feel that I have finished some hard task in
His service, and deserve a rest. The Savior’s example gives me courage to press
on. His labors in mortality were finished, but He entered the Spirit World
determined to continue His glorious work to save souls.”
I love this quote from President Eyring. Christ truly is our
perfect Example. By remembering Him, and remembering His great Atonement, we can
become the disciples He needs us to be. We can become more like Him. I am so
grateful for our Savior, and the great plan of salvation that makes it possible
for each of us to return to live with our Heavenly Father again.
I testify that as you remember these things, your life will
be blessed. Jesus Christ is our living Savior. Keeping his commandments brings
us peace and joy.
Sister Devynne Barret
Saint Louis Missouri Mission, May 25, 2014
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