1 Nephi 2:24 "ways of remembrance"

And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.

So last week the new Star Wars movie, "The Force Awakens" premiered. (No spoilers! I see it this coming Tuesday.) With Star Wars and "the ways of the Force" on my mind I noticed the phrase "the ways of remembrance" in the above scripture. To me this phrase implies that remembrance is a skill (or set of skills) that can be developed.

What are the lessons needed to hone the ways of remembrance? (I'm thinking one armed handstands may not be required.)

President Spencer W. Kimball taught,

"When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? It could be ‘remember.’ Because all of [us] have made covenants … our greatest need is to remember. That is why everyone goes to sacrament meeting every Sabbath day—to take the sacrament and listen to the priests pray that [we] ‘… may always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us].’… ‘Remember’ is the word" (Circles of Exaltation [address to religious educators, Brigham Young University, 28 June 1968], 8).

Clearly partaking of the sacrament each week is a critical "way of remembrance."

Scripture study and prayer are also likely "ways of remembrance."

I'll have to be on the look out for additional "ways of remembrance."


In honor of the quote above, a picture of President Kimball:

2 Nephi 25:16 "infinite atonement"

And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind

Tonight for scriptures we read from 2 Nephi 25. I stopped Caleb after this verse and asked "What does infinite mean?"

Caleb responded, "It means something that goes on and on."

That wasn't exactly the answer I had in mind, but seemed right so I asked, "So what is and infinite atonement?"

Nathaniel chimed in, clearly thinking about it on the fly, "An infinite atonement would be an atonement that never runs out. No matter how many times you sin, you can always repent. It's not like the Lord is ever, 'Sorry. We ran out of atonement.'"

I like that image. Christ, the righteous storekeeper, never says, "So sorry. Atonement is on backorder this week. Can I interest you in some Hell? Maybe a little eternal damnation."

Then we got to grace with this famous verse:
for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

I asked what grace was and getting some sub par definitions had Nathaniel read from the Bible Dictionary:
A word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by His atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

"Nathaniel, can you summarize?"

"Let's see. So grace is basically the magic love power of Jesus Christ."

[Pause]

"Yes. I think that about sums it up."

Enos 1:3-4 "the joy of the Saints"

Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
And my soul hungered

Something about the teachings of Enos's father (Jacob) sunk deep into his heart. We often hear people say that the word of God has a "more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else." When I hear this I often assume that it refers to doctrine, that true doctrine changes minds. But in fact this verse teaches that preaching "the joy of the saints" changes minds too.

The question is, how do we preach "the joy of the saints" with words (Jacob taught this with words)? In my mind joy is something seen not spoken. But perhaps I need to do a better job articulating the joy I find in Christ.