The sacramental covenant to “always remember him”1 has become very meaningful for me. I have come to believe that the covenant to “remember him” is representative of everything he has asked us to do.
The Savior taught using principles, and there is no greater principle than living our lives in remembrance of Christ. If we will strive to live that covenant on a daily basis, the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion to help us with every aspect of our lives.
All things teach us of Christ
Jesus Christ is the focal point of our faith. The scriptures demonstrate that all things teach us of him.
After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, the Lord taught them the doctrine of Christ,2 and said that “all things are created and made to bear record of me.”3
The law of sacrifice given to Adam and Eve was designed to help them remember the Savior and his sacrifice: “This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.”4
When the children of Israel left Egypt, they “were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God,”5 and so God gave them the Law of Moses, which was “a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him.”6 Every aspect of the law of Moses was designed to teach of Christ: “[N]otwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled. For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments. And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”7
Nephi also taught, “my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.”8
Amulek taught that the whole meaning of the Law of Moses was to point to the great and last sacrifice which would be performed by the Savior: “it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away. And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.”9
In our dispensation, Joseph Smith taught, ““The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”10 Recently, President Russell M. Nelson encouraged members of the Church to “[p]ut Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement.”11
All things teach us of Christ, all prophets have testified of Christ, and if we want to receive the blessings of the Savior’s atonement, we must remember him in every aspect of our lives.
The Savior instituted the sacrament
President Dallin H. Oaks taught that “[t]he sacrament is the ordinance that replaced the blood sacrifices and burnt offerings of the Mosaic law.”12 The Savior instituted the sacrament on the last night of his mortal ministry. Luke records simply, “And he took bread, 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. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”13
“This do in rembrance of me.” That simple statement demonstrates the entire purpose and focus of the sacrament. The bread represents his body. The water represents his blood. As we partake of those emblems we should ponder the Savior and his atonement, and what it means for us to partake of those emblems.
When the Savior instituted the sacrament in the Americas, he emphasized that the very purpose of the sacrament was to help us remember him:
“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.”14
What is the commonality between the Savior’s instructions for the bread and wine?
- Bread: “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.”
- Wine: “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.”
“Always remember me.” This covenant is the essence and purpose of the sacrament.
What does it mean to remember?
As we ponder how we can “remember him,” we should think about what it means to remember. A dictionary definition says, “to bring to mind or think of again.”15 But “remember” has more meaning than just thinking about something.
One example of “remember” is shown in how we celebrate Memorial Day: “the true meaning of Memorial Day is to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifices while fighting in the U.S. Armed Forces. It’s a solemn holiday that pays tribute to the ordinary people who have been asked to do extraordinary things. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings, and participating in services or parades to honor those who have lost their lives in service to our country.”16
Memorial Day is intended to be much more than just “remembering.” We honor and celebrate the sacrifices of those who came before us. Can we learn something more about “remembering” by thinking about howe we celebrate Memorial Day? In the context of the sacrament covenant, when we “remember him,” it should mean so much more than just thinking about him. We should be filled with gratitude for his sacrifice. We should recognize the great gift he has given us. We should celebrate and honor him.
The scriptures are filled with the word “remember.” In the story of Jacob and Rachel, she must have grieved when she couldn’t bear children. The scriptures say briefly, “God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and [she] said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph.”17 When God “remembered” Rachel, he did so much more than just think about her. He knew her, he loved her, he blessed her, he comforted her. In this context, “remember” is an action of blessing and compassion.
In the Book of Mormon, Nephi criticized his brothers, saying they were “swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God.”18 In this context, remembering God is set in contrast to doing iniquity. “Remember” is an action word. It is not just thinking of God, but following him, obeying his commandments, doing righteousness.
In this dispensation, the Lord has told us to “remember the poor, and consecrate of thy properties for their support that which thou hast to impart unto them.”19 To “remember” the poor is obviously so much more than just thinking about them. It is being generous, giving, helping. “Remember” is an action word.
In these examples, “remember” means so much more than to think about something. In the hymn “Have I Done Any Good,” we are encouraged to “wake up and do something more than dream of your mansion above.”20 When we think of the word “remember,” it does not just mean filling our heads with thoughts. It is a word of action, requiring us to live consistent with what we are asked to remember.
How can we remember him?
As I have mentioned, I have come to believe that the covenant to “always remember him” is an all-encompasing principle representing everything God has asked us to do. So as we contemplate how we can “always remember him,” we should think how that could implicate every other covenant we have made.
We should remember him during the sacrament
The first, and perhaps most obvious way to remember him, is to think about him during the sacrament: “With broken bread, you remember His body. You can be mindful of His physical suffering—especially His suffering on the cross. You can remember that through His mercy and grace, all people will be resurrected and given the opportunity for eternal life with God. With a small cup of water, you can remember that the Savior shed His blood in intense spiritual suffering and anguish, beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane. . . . You can remember that through the shedding of His blood, Jesus Christ saved you and all other people from what the scriptures call the ‘original guilt’ of Adam’s transgression (Moses 6:54). You can remember that He also suffered for the sins, sorrows, and pains of all Heavenly Father’s children, providing remission of sins for those who repent and live the gospel (see 2 Nephi 9:21–23).”21
We should study and learn about him and his teachings
If we want to “remember” him, we have to first learn about him. President Russell M. Nelson has said, “The more we know about the Savior’s ministry and mission—the more we understand His doctrine and what He did for us—the more we know that He can provide the power that we need for our lives.”22 How can we remember him if we don’t know anything about him? The covenant to “remember him” certainly means that we must study.
What should we study? As has been discussed in this post, all things testify of Christ. All scripture and the words of the prophets testify of Christ. To study about Christ means to study the scriptures and the words of the prophets. It could seem daunting, but all we can do is start. Day by day, we should study, even just a little bit at a time. And perhaps the best way to learn of Christ is to study the Book of Mormon. President Russel M. Nelson has said:
“The Book of Mormon provides the fullest and most authoritative understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere. It teaches what it really means to be born again. From the Book of Mormon we learn about the gathering of scattered Israel. We know why we are here on earth. These and other truths are more powerfully and persuasively taught in the Book of Mormon than in any other book. The full power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is contained in the Book of Mormon. Period.”23
If you want to learn about the Savior, and you don’t know where to start, read the Book of Mormon.
We should live his teachings
If the covenant to “remember him” means we should study his life and teachings, it certainly follows that we should live those teachings. Learning about the Savior’s life and mission without living his teachings would not do anything for us.
How different would our world be if everyone made an effort to live the teachings contained in the Sermon on the Mount, which comprises only three chapters of scripture? Some of these teachings that would change the world are very simple: “whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment;” “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him;” “resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also;” “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”24
Just imagine how different our world would be if day by day, people tried to live just these teachings? Can we truly “remember him” while failing to even try and apply these teachings?
One of the more amazing stories in all of scripture, at least to me, is Nephi lamenting his anger with his brothers. After everything that happened on their journey, all the trials he had been put through because of them, Nephi laments, “O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. . . . And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?”25
Nephi’s great lament was because of his anger with his brothers. Do we feel that way when we become angry? How would it change us if we would “remember him” in all of our interactions with others?
If we will “remember him,” we should not only study and learn about him, but we should do what he asks us to do. Said another way, if we will “remember him,” we will “keep his commandments which he has given us.” It seems clear to me that the covenant to “remember him” includes the covenant to keep his commandments.
We should follow him
In a prior post I wrote about the doctrine of Christ, which essentially teaches us that we should follow Christ. Nephi taught that the doctrine of Christ means to follow him: “And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?”26 The doctrine of Christ could be summarized in those two words “follow me.”
To many of his disciples, the Savior extended the invitation to “come, follow me.”27 To his disciples in the Americas, the Savior said, “what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”28 To truly follow Christ means to follow his example, to try and become like him.
As we work to follow Christ, we are trying to be like him. We try to emulate him. To “remember him” is not just to think of him, it’s not just to study about him, and it’s not even just to do what he asks. To truly “remember him,” we should try to emulate him. We should try and be like him.
To remember is emphasized in the sacrament prayers
I often wondered why the sacrament prayers for the water and bread were different (obviously in a way other than one being for the bread, and one being for the water). The following table compares the two prayers and demonstrates their differences.
Bread: D&C 20:77 | Water: D&C 20:79 |
O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread | O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this [water] |
to the souls of all those who partake of it, | to the souls of all those who drink of it, |
that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, | that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, |
which was shed for them; | |
and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, | that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, |
that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, | |
and always remember him and | that they do always remember him, |
keep his commandments which he has given them; | |
that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. | that they may have his Spirit to be with them. |
As I undertook a study of the sacrament, I wondered why the prayer for the bread had all three covenants, but the prayer on the water only had the covenant to remember him. Why did the prayer on the water not qualify the covenants with our “willingness,” as it does in the prayer on the bread? Why does the prayer on the bread emphasize that we may “always” have his Spirit to be with us, but the prayer on the water omits the word “always”?
These questions might not be that significant, but the more I studied the sacrament, the more I wondered about these things. One thought I had was that the covenant to “always remember him” is the focal point of the sacrament. Omitting the other two covenants in the prayer on the water is not by accident, and I don’t believe it’s just to shorten that prayer. Instead, I believe it emphasizes the covenant to “remember him,” and that perhaps this covenant is all-encompasing. It is a principle and representative of everything God would like us to do.
The Savior has asked us to follow him. He has asked us to be even as he is. The way to do that is to “remember him.”
If we will remember him, we will always have his Spirit with us
It may seem a simple thing, but those two words, “remember him,” can help us to always have the Spirit with us. “Remember him.” Day by day, hour by hour, even minute by minute, we can “remember him.” As we do that, the Spirit will be with us. The Savior’s words and teachings will come to our mind. We will be inspired to know how God wants us to live.
“Remember him.” It can be a filter through which pass all thoughts, all words, all emotions, and all desires. “Remember him.” It can be the measure for us to judge our actions, and know whether and how we need to repent. If we will “remember him,” sincerely, with real intent, the Lord will correct us, guide us, and help us to truly follow Christ.
References
- Doctrine and Covenants 20:77. ↩︎
- Moses 6:51-68. ↩︎
- Moses 6:63. ↩︎
- Moses 5:7-8. ↩︎
- Mosiah 13:29. ↩︎
- Mosiah 13:30. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 25:24-26. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 11:4. ↩︎
- Alma 34:13-14. ↩︎
- Teachings of the Presidents: Joseph Smith, “Jesus Christ, the Divine Redeemer of the World,” 59, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-3?lang=eng&id=p18#p18. ↩︎
- President Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!”, Liahona, November 2023, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2023/11/51nelson?lang=eng&id=p13#p13. ↩︎
- Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament,” Ensign, November 2008, 19, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2008/11/sacrament-meeting-and-the-sacrament?lang=eng&id=p24#p24. ↩︎
- Luke 22:19-20. ↩︎
- 3 Nephi 18:5-11. ↩︎
- Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “remember,” accessed January 3, 2024, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/remember. ↩︎
- Naette Lee, “Honoring and Remembering Our Fallen Veterans on Memorial Day,” United Way Website, May 28, 2023, https://www.unitedway.org/blog/honoring-and-remembering-our-fallen-veterans-on-memorial-day#. ↩︎
- Genesis 30:22-24. ↩︎
- 1 Nephi 17:45. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 42:30. ↩︎
- Hymns, “Have I Done Any Good,” 1985, #223, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/hymns/have-i-done-any-good?lang=eng. ↩︎
- True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference, “Sacrament,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2004, 147-148, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/true-to-the-faith/sacrament?lang=eng&id=p4-p5#p4. ↩︎
- President Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2017, 39, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2017/05/saturday-morning-session/drawing-the-power-of-jesus-christ-into-our-lives?lang=eng&id=p5#p5. ↩︎
- President Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Liek without It?”, Ensign, November 2017, 62, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2017/11/saturday-afternoon-session/the-book-of-mormon-what-would-your-life-be-like-without-it?lang=eng&id=p36#p36. ↩︎
- Matthew 5:22 (footnote b of this verse states, “JST Matt. 5:24 and 3 Ne. 12:22 omit the words “without a cause”; Matthew 5:25; Matthew 5:39; Matthew 5:44. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 4:17-27. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 31:10. ↩︎
- Luke 18:22; ↩︎
- 3 Nephi 27:27. ↩︎