Exhortations to Remember

In his final chapter in the Book of Mormon, Moroni wrote “by way of exhortation” to us. He subsequently gave us eight invitations in which he said “I would exhort you” or “I exhort you.” What I noticed today was that four of these exhortations tell us to remember something. We are to “remember how merciful the Lord hath been” and “remember that every good gift cometh of Christ” and “remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” After teaching us about faith, hope, and charity and how the gifts of God can come to us because of our faith in Christ, quoting the very words of the Savior, he said, “And I exhort you to remember these things.” These invitations focus on the Savior and remembering His mercy, gifts, and unchanging nature. Most importantly we must remember to have faith in Him to have His “power and gifts” to do good and “be saved in the kingdom of God” (Moroni 10:2-3, 18-27). So one of the final invitations of the Book of Mormon is the same covenant we make every week in partaking of the Sacrament: Remember Him.

                So how do we remember Him as Moroni exhorted us and as we promise to do in our covenants with Him? Surely everything we do in the gospel is meant to help us better remember Him, from reading scriptures to attending church, from worshiping in the temple to singing the hymns. As we participate in these various forms of devotion with full purpose of heart, they each turn our minds to Him and His great atoning sacrifice. Perhaps one of the most important of these repeated and simple gospel activities is prayer, as President Ballard taught us about in the most recent general conference. He exhorted us, "Today I expand my call for prayer to all people from every country around the world.... This is about peace and the healing that can come to individual souls as well as to the soul of countries—their cities, towns, and villages—through the Prince of Peace and the source of all healing, the Lord Jesus Christ." As he encouraged us to pray, President Ballard focused on the example and teachings of the Savior who prayed often and even prayed on the cross in the depths of agony. He likewise exhorted us: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always.” Surely as we learn to pray always, turning our hearts to the Father in the name of the Son, we will be more completely fulfilling our commitment to always remember the Savior. As we follow Moroni’s invitation to “love God with all your might, mind and strength,” turning to Him often in prayer, we will indeed remember Him (Moroni 10:32). President Ballard gave us this invitation worthy of our reflection as we seek to think more often and more deeply about the Savior: “Brothers and sisters, I urge you to redouble your commitment to prayer. I urge you to pray in your closets, in your daily walk, in your homes, in your wards, and always in your hearts.”