Relief Society Lesson, "Remember"
Elder Henry B. Eyring, "O Remember, Remember", October 2007.
“...so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it. I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or now early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day.
"As that happened, and it
happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me
what He had done. More than gratitude
began to grow in my heart. Testimony
grew. I became ever more certain that
our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers.
I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because
of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ.
And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to
our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they
happened....
"My point is to urge you to
find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies. You may not keep a journal. You may not share whatever record you keep
with those you love and serve. But you
and they will be blessed as you remember what the Lord has done.” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/o-remember-remember?lang=eng
Elder
Dennis B. Neuenschwander, BYU Devotional, Nov. 12, 2002—“The word remember and its
derivatives appear hundreds of times in the scriptures...This repetitious
scriptural reminder to remember takes on added significance when we understand
that in Hebrew the word remember has a much broader meaning than does the
English connotation of “keeping something in mind.” In the Hebrew context, “doing” is an
essential part of the remembering process.
Thus, “to remember” is “to do,” whereas “forgetting” is failing to
do.” http://www.byutv.org/watch/41e5eb41-78de-49f2-bede-aa0b5f81fb50/byu-devotional-address-dennis-b-neuenschwander-11122002
Elder
Steven R. Snow, BYU-I Devotional, Sept. 12, 2006--“It was not the visitation of
the Angel. Alma recognized that it was
the Holy Ghost that made a difference in his spiritual progression. He taught us that the Holy Ghost can manifest
truth unto us as we study the scripture, pray to our Heavenly Father and strive
to live righteous lives, the Holy Ghost becomes our constant companion and
reinforces our faith through Spiritual manifestations.”
“Much
of what we do as members of the Church, forms and strengthens our testimonies
of the Gospel. It reinforces our faith
to remember Spiritual experiences that touched our lives. It also helps us to learn of the spiritual
strengths and sacrifices of others.
Scriptural accounts, stories of ancestors and faithful pioneers as well
as the testimonies of our own peers, reinforce and strengthen our own testimonies
of the Restored Gospel.
"Like the foolish virgins in
the New Testament however, we cannot light our lamps with the oil of
others. We must have our own spiritual
awakenings to firmly establish our own personal testimonies. For many this is a
gradual process confirmed by years of faithful living and punctuated by
spiritual experiences which burn into our souls. It might be the testimony shared in a
meeting. A burning confirmation of truth
while studying the scriptures. Faithful
service. The reassuring comfort of the
Holy ghost during times of difficulty.
All these things reinforce our belief and strengthen our
testimonies. Often we look back on such
experiences to reaffirm our faith.
Remembering such experiences gives us courage to carry on and to pursue
further paths of righteousness.”
“When it comes to our own Gospel
progression, we cannot rely only on our long term memory. That is why in all our remembering, we must
remember to renew. Our testimonies must
be fed with new Spiritual experiences.
These experiences comes when we remember to do the things we have been
commanded to do. Through praying,
studying the scriptures, living righteous lives and serving others, we invite
the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion.
It is only through the Holy Ghost that we will continue to renew our
Spiritual experiences.”
Brother
Curt Holman, BYU Devotional, July 30, 2013 --“Understanding life by looking backward invites
us to reflect upon our past. As we do
this with a proper spiritual perspective, we can more clearly see that perhaps
seemingly insignificant experiences from our past have set us on a specific
path. ...At some point you have felt the presence of God. Maybe it was through a small prompting to
make a particular decision, or maybe you felt a simple witness when someone
bore testimony. By recognizing these
experiences you are building your own monument.
If we do not reflect upon these moments, then we risk forgetting that
they ever happened—like the children of Israel did.”
"If
my testimony is based upon one spiritual experience I had...then my testimony
is at risk and my monument is in danger of eroding. We must actively seek opportunities and place
ourselves in environments where we can feel of the Spirit.... Choosing to attend your church meetings,
attend the Temple regularly, read the scriptures, and [listen to other Church
broadcasts] makes it more likely for you to have spiritual experiences.”
