Sep 1, 2024

Throughout the Book of Mormon, the word remember is repeated multiple times. The stress of this word helps me understand just how important it is to always remember the Lord and His teachings. In the book of Helaman, Nephi so deeply wanted his people to remember the Lord and His gospel that he pleaded for a famine to be sent to the people “to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God.” Nephi hoped that if they remembered the Lord and His teachings, “perhaps they [would] repent and turn unto [Him]” (Helaman 11:4). The scriptures help me to remember the Lord and live according to His teachings. 

Attending youth conferences as I grew up also helped me to remember Him. These conferences were held to help youth of the Church build a testimony and develop habits that would help them prioritize the Lord. I remember feeling so spiritually uplifted and edified after these conferences, and all I wanted to do was live for my Savior and remember His teachings and the blessings that were in store for me. These experiences still stand as a reminder to me to prioritize the Lord even years later.

In 1887, Wilford Woodruff shared this counsel with a group of young men who attended maybe a similar conference to the ones I went to: “On returning home from this conference, we trust that you will carry with you the Spirit thereof and renewed determination to labor diligently and earnestly for improvement in the interest of purity and holiness. Remembering always the reason for the hope within you, make the love of God and of your fellows the foundation of your work; and moving forward steadily and prayerfully and earnestly, you cannot fail in accomplishing that which brings peace, happiness, and salvation.”

As an Apostle of the Lord at the time, Wilford urged the youth to remember the hope and the peace that can be felt as we build our foundation on Jesus Christ. Remembering the Lord requires intentional thought and action, and peace, joy, and strength are promised to follow.

Bekah Marriott is currently attending Brigham Young University and enjoying the cold contrast from her hometown in Mesa, Arizona. She has a passion for creativity and vision, which she hopes to use as an Interior Designer one day. She spent eighteen months serving a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kansas and appreciates the opportunity to work with the Wilford Woodruff Papers team to continue her mission in bringing others closer to Jesus Christ. 

The Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation’s mission is to digitally preserve and publish Wilford Woodruff’s eyewitness account of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and make his records universally accessible in order to inspire all people, especially the rising generation, to study and to increase their faith in Jesus Christ. For more information, please explore wilfordwoodruffpapers.org.