The People Began To Forget

After the miraculous sign of the Savior’s birth given to the Nephites, it appears that most of the people repented and were converted. Mormon recorded that when the sign was given, “All the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth. For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things.” Though Satan tried to discount the signs, “The more part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord” (3 Nephi 1:17-22). And yet despite that, the people began to fall into disbelief and wickedness again in only a few years. In 3 Nephi 2:1 Mormon recorded this about the people: “And it came to pass that thus passed away the ninety and fifth year also, and the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen.” I believe that this progression described from conversion to unbelief is a warning for all of us how we could likewise fall into unbelief if we are not careful.

The first step described by Mormon into unbelief is that “the people began to forget.” They let themselves forget the miracles that they had seen and the spiritual experiences they had had. So much of what we do in the gospel is to help us combat this kind of so spiritual forgetfulness-instead we must remember. Each week we partake of the Sacrament and covenant to “always remember Him.” We pray each day in an effort to do just that. We read the scriptures daily and are likewise reminded there to remember. Alma implored his son, “O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God” (Alma 37:13). And later Helaman’s son exhorted his own children, “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation” (Helaman 5:12). Jacob taught, “O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal. O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel.... O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous” (2 Nephi 9:39-41). These and many other passages show how the scriptures frequently admonish us to remember.

Once the Nephites let themselves forget their spiritual experiences, they then “began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven.” In other words, they began to be filled with pride, not letting themselves be humbled or impressed but the great works of God. They simply discounted those events and feelings and experiences which point to God and instead turned their hearts away. This led them to be “hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds.” They closed themselves off to the impressions of the Spirit and to the things of God and hardened their hearts against Him. Ultimately this led to their complete loss of faith: They “began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen.” Once they reached that point, the adversary had full control of them and they turned their lives to sin: “Satan did go about, leading away the hearts of the people, tempting them and causing them that they should do great wickedness in the land” (3 Nephi 2:3).

Thus the spiritual decline of the people was marked by forgetting, pride, hardening their hearts, disbelief, and finally wickedness. Their story warns us that we must not even make that first step: we must not forget. If every day and every week we can remember the Savior and our covenants with Him, we will stay true on His firm foundation.