A Book of Remembrance

One phrase that we find in all of our standard works is “book of remembrance.”  We read in the Pearl of Great Price that “a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration.”  It was from this book apparently that Adam and Eve’s “children were taught to read and write.”  And Enoch referred to the book’s continuation when he taught the people: “For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God” (Moses 6:5-6, 46).  This book of remembrance appears to be the first scriptures, for Enoch implied that it was from this book that he learned truths about God and his fathers.  The book was kept to pass along to the children—to help them remember—the eternal truths given to Adam and subsequent prophets.  So we might, as we read our scriptures, say that we are reading a book of remembrance, remembering the sacred writings the Lord has revealed.   

               Malachi also referred to a “book of remembrance” that was kept about the people of the Lord.  He said, “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name” (Malachi 3:16).  The Savior quoted this same verse to the Nephites in 3 Nephi 24:16, clearly highlighting its importance for us.  In this case it appears that the book of remembrance contains the names of those who fear the Lord and are faithful to him—it is a book that we want to find ourselves in.  The use of this phrase in the Doctrine and Covenants has a similar connotation: “And all they who are not found written in the book of remembrance shall find none inheritance in that day” (85:9).  It is the righteous who will be found in the book and we want the Lord to include us in it.  This is perhaps the  same book as the “book of life” spoken of in many other passages, such as this one: “For the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand” (Alma 5:58).  John wrote frequently about this book of life in Revelation and how we want to have our names written there.  We should seek to live our lives so that the Lord does “not blot out [our] name out of the book of life” (Revelation 3:5).

            Of course, we can in our families also have book of remembrance/book of life to record the story of our lives.  As I look back at some of my own ancestors on FamilyTree, for many of them I know so little because they left no written record—how I wish they had left a journal with their experiences and feelings and testimonies!  So, we should not be the same; to paraphrase Jacob, what we don’t write down in a permanent medium “must perish and vanish away” (Jacob 4:2).  So we should keep our book of remembrance for the generations to follow.