Sabbath Devotional :: Remember

Alma delivered a stirring sermon to the people of Zarahemla, consisting of dozens of questions: Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? If ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? (Alma 5)

The questions have a single purpose that is summarized in verse 33. “Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.”

This discourse — a personal examination — is designed to invite us, question by introspective question, to come to Christ.

In my experience, the first questions that Alma asks are often overlooked in church lessons. I have spent a lot of time pondering these first questions: Have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and longsuffering towards them? Have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?

“Have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance?”

Alma, like so many other prophets, reviews the history of the people and their interactions with the Lord as part of his sermon.

My question is what do these calls to remember and the subsequent historical overview have to do with the rest of the sermon, which is more introspective? How does remembering help fulfill the purpose of bringing me to Christ?

It is Memorial Day weekend. My family has a multi-generational tradition of gathering with extended family to visit cemeteries and place flowers at the graves of our loved ones. Food is, of course, part of the reunion. But so are stories. For many years, my idea of engaging in family history has been to corner my uncle (a professional genealogist) and make him tell me stories.

This year, for the first time, we will visit that uncle’s grave.

Learning my family’s stories has helped shape who I am and helped me understand both my natural strengths and weaknesses.

In 2013, the New York Times published an article called “The Family Stories That Bind Us.” The author, Bruce Feiler reported on research that shows that children who know a lot about their family stories have higher self-esteem and less anxiety. They are more resilient and have a stronger sense of control over their lives.

In other words, they have developed a sense of identity. Part of that identity is the feeling that they belong to something larger than themselves.

I believe one of the reasons we are commanded to remember is because it helps us understand who we are. It helps us prioritize and balance the details of our lives. And remembering connects us to our ancestors.

When the phrase “social distancing” was new to all of us, I began to type and digitize family histories, journals, old letters, books of poetry, and even my great-grandpa’s autobiography. I have shared the things I’ve typed with my cousins and siblings.

I started this project because I wanted a particular blessing promised by Elder Renlund: “As you . . . discover, gather, and connect your family . . . you will find healing for that which needs healing.” Because I’m sharing it with my cousins and siblings, we are drawing closer. We are remembering our grandparents and great-grandma whom we knew well. We are learning about those who died a long time ago. I have especially enjoyed the closeness I have felt to my grandparents. Their presence in my life, even through the veil, has been more apparent.

Because my family tradition is telling stories at Memorial Day, I will now tell you about my grandma. For a high school assignment, I had to interview someone who had lived through the Great Depression. I chose my grandma, Mae Rawlins. Grandma was born in 1910. She earned a scholarship to Brigham Young Academy, where she studied secretarial skills. She worked for the gas company and was the only member of her family who was employed through the 1930s. She was able to support her parents and four sisters. She told me that she would take the money she needed and give the rest to her mom. Her mom (Granny Sutton) would pay tithing on the money and then use the rest to provide for the family. At that time my grandma was not active in the Church and found it frustrating that her mother would waste precious money on tithing. But as she grew older and developed her own faith, she came to believe that her mother’s faithfulness in paying tithing was the reason she was able to keep a job all those years. I always admired my grandma’s intelligence, independence, and genuine interest in my life. She died while I was on my mission in Australia.

I remember several times being at the cemetery with Grandma, visiting her husband’s and her parents’ graves, when she would express concern that we would forget her. She made it very clear she expected us to visit her grave and bring her flowers.

Remembering those who have gone before is part of turning the hearts of the children to their fathers. The angel told Zacharias that his son John would “go before [Christ] in the spirit and power of [Elijah], . . . to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17)

I love that phrase: “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Remembering who we are, remembering where we belong, remembering our mortal and spiritual ancestry is one way to accept the invitation to come unto Christ and make ourselves — individually and as a people — prepared for the Lord’s return. As an added bonus, remembering helps us become resilient and confident, able to endure unexpected challenges.