How do we always remember Christ?

King Benjamin, the magnificent prophet-king of the Nephites, concluded his life-changing sermon to his people from the tower with these thundering words, “And now, O man, remember and perish not” (Mosiah 4:30). He exhorted the Nephites, and he is exhorting us, to watch our thoughts, words and deeds, and to keep the commandments and be faithful in watching for the Lord to the end of our lives.

Each Sunday during the administration of the Sacrament we renew our covenant to “always remember him,” referring to the Son (see D&C 20:77). So how do we always remember Christ?

First, we can train our minds to think of him. We can try to see others through the Savior’s eyes. We can set our prejudices and judgments aside and look upon our neighbors as weak beings who stumble every day and need the Savior’s Atonement as much as we do. We can recognize that Jesus yearns for each of us to come unto him and accept his help and his comfort. Jesus does not expect us to come to him already perfected. He wants us to bring our imperfections with us and come to him in humility and sincerity. When we see others in the same pitiful conditions as ourselves, we remember Christ.

Second, we can make him our purpose. As we bring out actions in alignment with his will, then we are remembering him. Remembering Christ is as much about what we do as what we think. King Benjamin warned us to watch our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Our actions are a reflection of our thoughts. To act according to Christ’s will requires that we first think according to his thoughts. If we ask for it, the Holy Ghost can inspire us with Christ-like thoughts. Indeed, through the Holy Ghost we can “feast on the words of Christ, for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (see 2 Nephi 32:3). When the Holy Ghost reveals to us the will of Christ and we act according to his will, we are remembering him in the most active, meaningful way.

Third, we remember Christ when we notice his hand in our lives. When we are grateful for the blessings of God and his tender mercies, we remember Christ. It takes practice to sensitize our awareness to the Lord’s hand. President Henry B. Eyring suggests that we keep a daily journal to record the mercies and grace that we see in each day’s events (see “O, Remember, Remember”, October 2007 General Conference). When we make it a habit to pause at the end of each day and ask the Lord to show us how he has touched our lives, he will show us things that we may have missed or overlooked in the hustle and bustle of our busy day. As we are reminded of the blessings that we have received, we will feel our gratitude grow. In gratitude, we remember Christ.

Fourth, we can learn to see the signs of Christ that are all around us. Alma taught, “All things denote there is a God” (Alma 30:44). We can practice being conscious of the symbols that God has given us to remind us of his Son. When we see the sun, we can be reminded that Christ is the Light of the World. We see a flowing stream or take a drink of water and we remember that Christ is the Living Water. We smell the aroma of freshly baked bread and recall that Christ is the Bread of Life. We make our way through a dark storm on our evening commute and remind ourselves that Christ stilled the storm. We view the majestic, immovable mountains and remember that Christ is the immoveable Rock of our salvation. We note the perfect arrangement of the earth and sun to sustain life and see the organization of the universe from the largest galaxy to the tiniest sub-atomic particle in all their perfection, and we see the hand of God. All things testify that there is a God and that his hand is in our lives. And thus, we remember Christ.

There are blessings inherent in always remembering Christ. In the same sermon in which King Benjamin commanded the Nephites to “remember and perish not”, he also gave them counsel about what to remember:
“And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God” (Moaish 4:11). He then listed the following blessings that come to us if we follow his admonition to remember:

• Always rejoice
• Be filled with a love of God
• Retain a remission of our sins
• Grow in the knowledge of God
• Grow in the knowledge of the truth
• Live peaceably  (See Mosiah 4:12-13)

King Mosiah also promises that we will be able to teach our children to live righteously, “walk in the ways of truth and soberness,” and “love one another,” and “serve one another.” (See Mosiah 4:15) These are marvelous blessings indeed that accrue to us and to our families when we remember Christ always.

Jesus has promised never to forget us. We covenant to always remember him. He will keep his promise. Will we keep our covenant?