Saturday, December 17, 2011

Allow Remembrance

Helaman 5:5 For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spake unto them. And these are the words which he spake:
 Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem [Lehi and Nephi]; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.
What does remember mean in this context? Helaman went so far as to give his sons specific names to help them remember who they stood for and what they had been taught.  What did Helaman want them to remember?
 O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.
12 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; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
Helaman wanted them to remember the teachings of Christ.  He wanted them to have that with them When the hard times come; When the storms hit.  Why did Helaman want it?
14 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, beginning at the city Bountiful;
Because they did what their father had asked.  They built their own testimony and went out to teach.  So what happened?  
18 And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did preach unto the Lamanites with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them—
 19 Therefore they did speak unto the great astonishment of the Lamanites, to the convincing them, insomuch that there were eight thousand of the Lamanites who were in the land of Zarahemla and round about baptized unto repentance, and were convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers.
All because they remembered what they were taught!
So how can we remember?  
I love the example that Nephi and Lehi set for us all to follow.  I love seeing their efforts and results from them.  I think the way to help us do the same is to allow ourselves to remember
We allow ourselves to do many things in a day.  Maybe it's allow one more snooze of the alarm, or allow one more piece of candy, or one more missed opportunity.  Why not allow one more chapter of reading for the night, one more phone call to a friend, one more kind word, one more smile.  I know we have it within us to do what is right, and we have the desire and promptings to be an instrument in God's hand.  Just Allow It!  If we all allowed one more gift at Christmas, one more kind word, one more......  how much of a change could we make?  I know the Holy Spirit guides us and we have the choice to act upon it or shrug it off.  Allow yourself one more today.  Make the world happier for one more person, and make one more moment brighter. 
(All verses from Helaman chapter 5 http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/5?lang=engitalics added)

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