They Did Remember His Words

We have several examples in the Book of Mormon of children remembering the words of their parents and the powerful effect that this had on them. When Enos recorded that when he was in the forests “the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart” (Enos 1:3). Jacob’s words caused him to hunger for a connection with His Maker and he kneeled in prayer and poured out his soul to God. When Alma the Younger was wracked with guilt from his sins, he also remembered what his father had taught him. He recounted to his own son Helaman, “And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world” (Alma 37:17). Alma remembered the teachings about Jesus Christ that his father had spoken, and he was able to catch hold of this and turn to the Savior in his extremity. When the stripling warriors were faced with a frightening battle in which their lives would be put on the line, they remembered the teachings of their mothers. Helaman related, “They had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:47-48). The teachings of their mothers helped them to face that battle with total faith in the Lord. Nephi and Lehi were taught in a powerful way by their father Helaman, and he urged them to remember. The word remember occurs thirteen times in the brief summary of his teachings to his sons in Helaman 5:6-12, including in this famous passage: “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.” Mormon recorded, “For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spake unto them…. And they did remember his words; and therefore they went forth, keeping the commandments of God, to teach the word of God among all the people of Nephi” (Helaman 5:5,14). It was because they remembered his words that they became such powerful missionaries to the Lamanites, helping in the conversion of thousands.

                All of these examples highlight the power that parents’ words can have on their children. In all of these stories the real effect of the parents’ teaching was seen only well after the words had been delivered. Those parents may have even wondered if their words had had any influence on their children. These stories should encourage mothers and fathers today to never give up teaching the principles of the gospel to their children, to never stop trying to give them a reservoir of knowledge about the Savior that they might be able to draw on later. Sometimes parents must plant the gospel seeds which will grow only much later when those children are led to seek after the Lord. I have often wondered at this phrase from the stripling warriors who said “We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” They may have meant, “We do not doubt that our mothers knew it,” meaning that they that knew their mothers knew. Or they may have been saying, “We do not doubt for our mothers knew it,” meaning that they knew personally because their mothers had helped them know. For them both statements were probably true, and perhaps these represent two phases of our own children’s spiritual progression. First we want them to know for certain that we know as their parents. Whether they have a testimony of the Savior or not we want them to know without a doubt that we as their parents do. Later we hope that this inspires them to come to know for themselves that because we knew it they are led to know and gain a personal witness. We cannot control the timing of their witness, but we can help them come to know now without a doubt that we truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. And like it did for Alma the Younger, that knowledge may come to their rescue when they are desperate for help.