Thursday, January 12, 2012

When God remembers His covenant

Recently I was reading an article by Steven L. Olsen called “The Death of Laban” from the Maxwell Institute, and I ran across a paragraph about the term "remember" that I thought was particularly enlightening, so I wanted to share it with you.

Throughout the Book of Mormon text, the term remember has a different connotation when applied to God. On several occasions God declares that he will remember his covenants or his people (e.g., 1 Nephi 19:15–18; 2 Nephi 29:1–14; 3 Nephi 20:29; Mormon 5:20–21; 8:21–23). Given God’s omniscience, the meaning of remember as “call to mind” may seem absurd. More appropriate in this context might be the synonyms renew or restore, as in the Lord “remembers” (i.e., restores) his covenants with Israel when Israel “remembers” (i.e., recalls and commits to live) her divine covenants. In short, not only does the term remember frequently refer to keeping or preserving covenants, but it has covenantal implications in general usage throughout Nephi’s record.29

How does this help us find meaning when we hear the sacrament prayer phrase where we promise to “always remember him”?

1 comments:

Ramona Gordy said...

I love the sacarament prayer. I love the words and each Sunday, I try to listen to them more with my heart.

Psalm 118:28-29
28Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever
and this:
Psalm 16:7-9
7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope