Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Ulisses Soares on "Remembrance"

  

The word remember appears hundreds of times in the scriptures. In ancient Israel, remember was used in many instances to help the Lord’s people to remember what He had done for them in times past. It was even more commonly used in the context of covenants the Lord made with His people.

 

The children of Israel, like many today, had a difficult time remembering the Lord and His commandments, and because of their forgetfulness, they often suffered painful consequences. That is one of the reasons the Lord used the word remember. For example, the journey to Israel from Egypt began with a commandment to “remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place” (Exodus 13:3).

 

The English word remember comes from the Latin word memor and means “to be mindful of.” In this context, the word remember means to have in mind or to be able to bring to one’s mind an awareness of someone or something that one has been, known, or experienced in the past. There is a strong correlation between the motion felt and the resulting memory. In the Hebrew context, the word remember involves a knowledge that is accompanied by appropriate action. Thus, doing is an essential part of remembering.

 

The more we remember the Lord, the more power we will have to say on the correct path, doing what He expects of us. In this sense, when we partake of the sacrament, we witness unto God, the Eternal Father, that we will remember the Savior in our minds and in our hearts at all times and in all places. We promise that we will keep in our hearts vivid emotions and feelings of gratitude for His sacrifice, his love, and His gifts for us. We also promise that we will act upon these memories, feelings, and emotions. (Ulisses Soares, “Always Remember Him,” Liahona [April 2022])

 

Further Reading

 

""Remembrance" and the Eucharist: Does the use of αναμνησις (“remembrance”) mean that the Eucharist itself is a "memorial sacrifice"?," in “Do This in Memory of Me”: A Biblical and Historical Analysis of Roman Catholic Dogmatic Teachings Concerning the Eucharist and Sacrifice of the Mass, pp. 55-70 (for those who want a PDF, drop me an email at ScripturalMormonismATgmailDOTcom)