Remembering

How are you at remembering? For some things I am GREAT at remembering. Football plays, stats, and formations come easy to me. Math formulas, and where I put my keys... not so easy.

Today we all can probably remember very easily where we were ten years ago, which doesn't always happen. Lives were changed that day. From the moments of crisis that enter our lives, what do we remember?


God, our families, anything that is important in our lives floods to our memories. There is a reason the mentioned things come into our minds. They aren't just important, they are eternally important. We have the opportunity to live with God forever, and also our families. Crisis in life brings these close to us because we remember how important they are, and that we can't afford to lose them.

I recently just had an addition to my family. Ashton Steve Nielson joined my Sister Michelle, and their awesome family. I still haven't met Ashton, and his older brother Ayden probably doesn't really remember who I am now, but I love these guys! I am grateful we are an eternal family. Who wouldn't? The fact that spending eternity with your family brings joy to your soul.

That fact also brings peace. There is another nephew I won't get the chance to meet for a long time. Though the sting of death pains our souls, the healing power of Jesus Christ can replace that fear with faith, as we continue through our lives. I know I will meet Maddox one day, and that he will not be a stranger in our family, but a gift and wonderful addition.

Why is it that it takes crisis and calamity to compel ourselves to remember the eternally important things in our lives? Look at the events of September 11, 2001. The world turned to God and to their families, but since then our attitudes have slackened and reverted to our natural tendencies and wants. President Thomas S. Monsen submitted an essay to a recent edition of the Washington Post concerning faith and the tragedy of 9/11. I encourage you to read it.

Another place that we are invited to remember, is the Book of Mormon. Time and time again the ancients plead with us to remember those before us, and to "consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it" (Mosiah 2:41 emphasis added).

As our minds are directed towards those things that are eternally important, let us strive to continue to remember these things each and every day. As we do so, our lives are enriched by the Spirit of God, and we, with our families, will stride into the eternities together.