Remember the Signs

In the book The Silver Chair, the 6^th in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, Jill was given a mission by Aslan at the beginning of the story. She and her friend Eustace were to rescue the lost prince Rilian, and Aslan gave her four signs that she was to follow. He made sure that she remembered the signs, making her repeat them over and over until she had them. As Aslan then sent Jill off to Narnia, he said this: “Stand still. In a moment I will blow. But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.” Despite this counsel, she struggled somewhat to remember the signs, and the difficulties of the journey caused her to forget and lose focus. And when the second and third signs were right in front of her—the “ruined city of the ancient giants” and the “writing on a stone in that ruined city”—she and Eustace at first failed to see them because of their focus on finding rest and ease in the nearby city. Part of the reason that they didn’t see the signs for what they were at first was because they were in the writing and on top of the ruins without the perspective to see them clearly. Indeed, they did “not look at all as [they] expect[ed] them to look.” The fourth and most important sign—a request spoken in the name of Aslan—was also given at a moment when they least expected it, right after they had vowed not to do under any circumstance what was demanded of them in the name of Aslan. But this time they set aside their fears and stuck with the sign, despite the danger of the moment, and they succeeded in saving the prince. By trusting the sign more than their own instincts, they were successful.

                I have been thinking about what lessons this story has for us. Aslan of course is a symbol of the Savior, and near the end of His mortal ministry He also gave signs unto His disciples. He told them of what would happen to them leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem (around 70 AD) and in the latter days (our time). He spoke unto them of persecution, of false prophets, of iniquity, and of desolation. But He also said this, “But he that remaineth steadfast and is not overcome, the same shall be saved” (JSM 1:11). We must remain steadfast in our commitment to Him and His commandments even amidst challenging times that may not look quite like we expect. He also said, “Behold, I speak these things unto you for the elect’s sake; and you also shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass; but the end is not yet. Behold, I have told you before” (JSM 1:23-24). In others words, He has warned us of difficulties, of signs that would come to pass, so that we would remember that He warned us when they took place. And He does not want us to be troubled but to trust in Him and to know by these signs that He is coming: “So likewise, mine elect, when they shall see all these things, they shall know that he is near, even at the doors” (JSM 1:39). He might say to us, like Aslan, “Remember, remember, remember the signs” as we see difficulties in the world so that we can know that He is with us and will come again.

                Perhaps there is also another way to apply this message from Aslan to Jill. Even more important than remembering the signs of the Second Coming, we should remember Him. In the story as they remembered the signs from Aslan, they remembered Aslan himself which gave them confidence in his words. For those of us who have made covenants with Him, He wants us to remember Him. The most important promise we make when we partake of the sacrament is to “always remember Him.” To the Nephites He said, “And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you…. And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you” (3 Nephi 18:7, 11). That seems clear as we meet together, but like Jill as we go into the world where the air figuratively thickens it can be harder to remember Him and our covenants with Him. But surely Aslan’s advice is applicable as if it came from the Savior: “Remember, remember, remember [Me]…. when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following [Me].” That is our best way to navigate the mists of darkness that we face each day—we must remember Him so that His Spirit will be with us to guide us.