Always Remember Him

I gave a talk in the YSA 251st ward on Sunday,  May 27.  Why is it that we get so scared when we give a talk?   I wish I could give a talk and not be nervous.  I was amazed how emotional I got while giving it.  Anyway, here is the talk. . .

Tomorrow is Memorial Day.  I looked it up in Wikipedia and found out that Memorial Day began back after the civil war to pay honor to those who had died in the Civil War.  It later expanded to honoring anyone who died in any war.  In the early years of the 20^th century people began to place flowers on the graves of anyone who had passed away.  On the Today show Friday morning there was a story on Memorial Day and how it has become the day that marks the beginning of summer vacations.  The journalist telling the story said, “It’s more than a 3 day weekend, more then the beginning of summer.  It’s important to remember those who gave their lives for us.”   And I add to that, it’s important to remember family, friends and loved ones who have gone on before.

Every Sunday we come to Sacrament Meeting to partake of the sacrament and to remember Jesus Christ.  When the Church was first organized in 1830 the Lord commanded, It is expedient that the church meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus; (D & C 20: 75)

And almost 2000 years previously Luke said,  19 ¶And he took ^abread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk in 1988 entitled, Always Remember Him.  He said, “To remember means to keep in memory. In the scriptures, it often means to keep a person in memory, together with associated emotions like love, loyalty, or gratitude. The stronger the emotion, the more vivid and influential the memory.”

Here are some examples of strong emotions of love, loyalty and gratitude:

#1

My brother who lives in Vernal which is about 2 ½ hours away, is in town this weekend and staying with us.  Even though he doesn’t live that far we don’t get to see each other very often, probably on an average of 2-3 times a year.  This is the 3^rd time already this year so we are doing well.  We are only a year difference in age and have always been close.  When we get together it makes me remember our childhood.  I remember ice-skating on the tail of our pond on our farm in southern Missouri.  Or the time when he and I went out to the pasture to bring the cows in to be milked and a snake bit him.  In Southern Missouri there are lots of poisonous snakes.  At the time he didn’t know what kind bit him, he only saw it was a snake and took off running the half mile back to the house—a very poor decision he realized later when the doctor told my mom it obviously wasn’t a poisonous snake since he was doing fine—if it had been poisonous the running back to the house would have pumped the poison through his blood system and would have caused severe illness and probably tissue damage.  I remember when I got engaged.  My brother was on his mission and since I was his favorite sister Kim decided he would write to him and break the news to him.  He introduced himself as having 11 fingers, purple hair and was 4’ 11” and weighed 300 lbs.  We still laugh about that and how it was a great introduction because he wasn’t worried about me marrying him in the least and he has liked Kim ever since.  And more recently we remember our older sister who passed away 3 years ago.  We talk of her and remember her motherly tendencies and how she cared for us and how she loved us while at the same time she sometimes hated us.  How we can still hear her laugh and how blessed we are to know she hasn’t left us, she’s only gone on before us to do another work.  Even though there are many years between now and my childhood memories, I will always cherish and remember them.

 #2

Twenty-nine years ago this past April, Bishop Roper and I were expecting our third child.  At the time I was Primary President.  It was a Sunday just about 5 days before my due date, and I remember teaching sharing time in Primary that day, and in the back of my mind I was noticing that our baby wasn’t moving.  I tried not to think about it and figured that I was active and that it was just sleeping.  As the day went on, I continued to not feel any life.  I think that night I mentioned it to Kim and we thought that it was a little odd.   The next morning I still had not felt any life and so I talked to my sister-in-law who was a nurse and she told me that was normal at the end of the pregnancy and that I was probably going to go into labor soon.  Well, by evening, she had changed her tune and told me to call the doctor.  He immediately had me go to the hospital where they first listened for a heartbeat and couldn’t find one.   They then did an ultra-sound and determined that the baby was dead.  Heartbroken, they sent us home to “get a good nights rest.”  Yeah right! As if that was going to happen.  They told us to come back the next morning when they would induce me.  Our little Meggie was born the following day.  The next day while still in the hospital I awoke from a nap to find some flowers on my nightstand.  With it was a card with some money inside.  The card was not signed.  This was an anonymous gift of love that we were able to use to buy Meggie a headstone for her grave sight.  To this day, I do not know who was so generous but I will always remember that gift.

#3

This is a great time of year.  As a teacher it is the best time of year as we end another school year, although Bishop Roper may disagree—it’s an overwhelming busy time of year for him. But I’m sure he will agree that it’s a time of year when we reflect on great teaching moments.  I am a Reading Recovery Teacher.  I teach the very lowest readers in first grade.  I work with them one on one and try to get them up to grade level in their reading.  This year I have seen some amazing success.  I taught a little boy at the beginning of the year, who was reading on a level 0—which means he wasn’t reading.  I worked with him until the first of February at which time he tested out of the program.   When he was tested again this past week, he was reading on an end of the year 2^nd grade level.  His confidence and love for reading has taken off.  As a teacher, it is so satisfying to know that you have helped someone else learn something that will help him the rest of his life.  As an educator, I also am blessed to see teachers who have made a huge impact on the lives of others.

These 3 examples relate to why we always remember Jesus Christ—we should experience and attach emotions like love, loyalty and gratitude.

Every Sunday, we meet together to REMEMBER what the Savior did for us just as my brother and I remember our childhood.  The emotions we have, the love and the joy and even the sorrows and we feel gratitude keeps those memories alive.  Though the years are going by quickly, we will always hold tight to those memories and will always remember them. 

When Christ visited the Nephites he said, 7 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.

As we partake of the sacrament each week we not only remember Jesus Christ but we remember our own baptism.  We remember our commitment to follow Him, to take His name upon us and to keep His commandments.   That not only do we want to follow Him, but we strive to have our family members and others around us do the same.  And as we remember Him, we realize our responsibilities and duties to proclaim the gospel, perfect the Saints, and redeem the dead.  We feel the emotions of that special time in our life.

We also remember Jesus Christ for the Gifts that he gave us, just as an anonymous giver gave us a gift that we will always remember. Jesus gave us the atonement and eternal life.  He gave us the Gift of the Holy Ghost. 

In the hymn, “Reverently and Meekly Now” (#185) it says:

“Think of me, thou ransomed one;

Think what I for thee have done.

With my blood that dripped like rain,

Sweat in agony of pain,

With my body on the tree

I have ransomed even thee….

At the throne I intercede;

For thee ever do I plead.

I have loved thee as thy friend,

With a love that cannot end."

He has given us so very much!

Our Heavenly Father has many gifts that he wants to bestow upon us.  Many that are just waiting for us to acknowledge them and to use them.  In Doctrine & Covenants 46: 10-12 10 And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what the gifts are, that are given unto the church.

11 . . . .; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

 12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

It continues on and gives many examples of gifts that are given to man.  We need but only to search and find the gifts that have been given to each of us.  And remember them and use them to profit others.  

Oliver Cowdery was told of a gift that was given to him:

2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

 3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.

 4 Therefore this is thy gift; apply unto it, and blessed art thou, for it shall deliver you out of the hands of your enemies, when, if it were not so, they would slay you and bring your soul to destruction.

 5 Oh, remember these words, and keep my commandments. Remember, this is your gift.

As we remember the Savior each Sunday, we should also remember the gifts He has given us. 

Jesus Christ was a teacher among men.  Everywhere he went he taught.  He was a master teacher as he told parables and stories of how to live our lives.  He not only taught with words but he taught by his example.  In Matt 4: 23 we read, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. .”  vs. 25 “and there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee.” and continuing on into chap. 5:1-2 “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth and taught them.”  He taught them the beatitudes, which are the blessings available to us.  He taught about the light of the world and reminded them about the teachings of Moses.  And then He taught them a higher law, to love one another.  He taught them about prayer, repentance, forgiveness and obedience and many other things.  And when He finished speaking it says in Matt 7:28-29, “the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”  His words had made an impact on their lives. 

Helaman taught his sons to not only to remember our Savior, but also remember our beloved family members….Helaman 5:9

9 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; …

 Helaman 5:6

6 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; 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.

Tomorrow, our family will go to the Provo Cemetery and put flowers on the graves of beloved family members and as we do so we will remember Bishop Roper’s mother and father. And even though, I never knew his father, I will remember what he has done for my husband.  I will remember how his mother was like a second mother to me.   We will remember Kim’s brother who loved him as any little 6-year-old boy would love his 5-year-old brother.  We will remember our own Meggie, who needed only a body and then she was allowed to return to the other side.  We will remember grandparents who taught us and loved us and set great examples for us.  And we will remember that “they were good.”

We remember family and friends who gave so much for each of us.  Who taught us and loved us and gave us gifts of the heart.  We get to remember the good lives, which they lived.  Memorial day has become one of my favorite holidays.  We pay our respects and honor those we love by remembering them with flowers and stories of the past. And as we remember all the good that we have in our lives, let us strive to show and share and teach others of the good that they can have in their lives.

EVERY SUNDAY--We remember Jesus Christ as we partake of the sacrament.  Who loved us and taught us and showed us the way. 

Who set the perfect example of how to live. 

Who served others unselfishly. 

Who gave his life for us that we might live again with our Heavenly Father. 

Who atoned for our sins. 

Who took upon him all of our sorrows and pains so that our burdens would be bearable.

The gospel is a wonderful thing.  It’s all about families.  It’s all about remembering.  It’s all about our Savior Jesus Christ.  It’s all about love and charity.  We are a blessed people.  Let us always remember Him who gives us all things, even Jesus Christ.

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So Hollis and ALL his family came after church and we had a great visit.  We did reminisce about the "good ole days".   His memories and my memories and then we had memories with our children.  It was a great day.  Happy Memorial Day!   REMEMBER