Good morning. You are an amazing sight and an impressive group to be gathered together. I consider it a privilege and honor to be able to speak to you today.
I feel prompted to share a story from my mission that I don’t share often because it has deep personal meaning but can come across as lighthearted. Seven months after arriving in Chile, I was assigned to be the mission’s financial secretary. It wasn’t what I wanted. I just wanted to teach the gospel and was worried it would be a long assignment. I developed a bad attitude, feeling sorry for myself with a sense of righteous indignation.
About this time, then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks visited Chile to speak to two missions in Talca, about a 4.5-hour drive south of Santiago. My companion and I were responsible to drive the mission van and pick up the San Fernando zone on the way. This meant leaving by 4 a.m. Somehow, we slept through our three alarms. I rolled over and looked at the clock at 5:45 a.m. (about three hours before the conference started). I shouted, “Elder, we are late!” We sprang into action and threw on our clothes. I was driving within 10 minutes.
I felt terrible and appropriately chastised, thinking to myself, “Here I am, a missionary of the Lord in a country far from home, failing in my calling to do what the Lord needed me to do.” A whole zone of missionaries needed to hear the words of an Apostle of the Lord, and I was letting them down. In that moment, I said a silent prayer. From my journal: “I told God that it wasn’t logically possible to get there that fast but I knew there were people I was in charge of getting there that needed to be there.” I promised to change my attitude and asked for help to get the San Fernando zone to the meeting.
It was dark and the roads were empty. I was making good time. As I left the city and started the long countryside drive, where I knew I could drive faster, I ran into a thick wall of fog. I slowed to a crawl. I’d given it a good try, but there was no chance of arriving on time. In that moment, a small sports car raced past me. I sped up to follow. It felt like an angel from God … traveling at 80 mph. I followed that car for 45 minutes before emerging from the fog. We picked up the missionaries and arrived at the conference at 8:58 a.m.—two minutes to spare!
I am sure Elder Oaks’ talk was great; I don’t recall a word of it. However, I vividly remember to this day the talk by Elder Carlos E. Asay (the General Authority who was traveling with Elder Oaks). He spoke about being an instrument in the Lord’s hands. He told a story of a dream he had about being in a medieval horseback joust and, while charging toward an oncoming rider, he went to raise his lance only to realize that he had a dinky dagger instead. This message spoke to my soul. I didn’t want to be a dinky dagger when the Lord needed me to be a lance. I committed to doing God’s work, no matter what that meant, instead of doing it my own way. That was a turning point in my mission.
I’m not sure if the San Fernando zone needed to be at that conference, but I needed to be there. God was aware of me. He cared for me so much that He wanted me to be better. I learned an important lesson about being prepared to serve.
I have remembered that experience many times since. After graduating from college, I started a busy consulting career, working 60+ hours a week with frequent travel. A few months later, I was called to be an early-morning seminary teacher. The natural man inside of me thought I would be too busy. However, as I reflected on my experience as a missionary, I was reminded of a commitment I made to serve as God needed me to serve, not just as I wanted. I felt reassured that the Lord would provide a way. He did, and I was blessed for following that prompting and accepting a call to serve.
The “remembering” part of this experience is where I want to focus the rest of my remarks today.
For millennia, prophets have pleaded with us to remember. It is baked into Moroni’s promise in the Book of Mormon. Before asking God in prayer if the book is true, we are asked to “remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men.” [1] When we partake of the sacrament, we eat and drink “in remembrance of” the body and blood of Christ and “always remember him” as a pre-condition for having the spirit with us always. [2]
President Spencer W. Kimball once said: "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.” [3]
We are asked to “remember” hundreds of times throughout scripture. Why is “remember” such an important concept in our experience as disciples of Jesus Christ? And how might remembering help me be a better disciple of Him? For a few minutes today, I invite you to contemplate with me the importance of remembering as taught in the scriptures and by living prophets.
Let’s consider three different ways that the word remember is used in scriptures:
First, Remembering Personal Spiritual Experiences.
This is probably the type of “remembering” that first comes to mind. We remember experiences we have had. Enos remembered the teachings of his father before his famous all-day prayer with God. After the Exodus, Moses asked his people to remember all the ways that God helped them during the 40 years that they themselves actually spent wandering in the wilderness. [4]
When I am asked to give a priesthood blessing and wonder if it can really make a difference, I remember the miracle that occurred when I gave a blessing to a nonmember business-school classmate who had been diagnosed with lymphoma. She was faithfully willing to receive a priesthood blessing and learned at her next doctor’s appointment that there must have been a misdiagnosis because the cancer was completely gone.
Second, Remembering Spiritual Experiences of Others.
We might ask, “How can I remember something that I didn’t personally experience? What am I actually remembering?” We do this all the time. It’s an important way that disciples of Christ are asked to remember.
Eight hundred years after the time of Moses, Nephi was building a boat to take his family to the promised land. Laman and Lemuel were predictably mocking and murmuring. Nephi asked them to remember Moses, saying, “Do ye believe that our fathers, who were the children of Israel, would have been led away out of the hands of the Egyptians if they had not hearkened unto the words of the Lord? Yea, do ye suppose that they would have been led out of bondage, if the Lord had not commanded Moses that he should lead them out of bondage?” [5]
In the next 23 verses, Nephi recounted stories of others, reminding Laman and Lemuel of their spiritual heritage contrasted with their own personal rebellion. After their angry response and being powerfully rebuked by Nephi, Laman and Lemuel were changed (at least momentarily). Speaking to Nephi, they said, “We know of a surety that the Lord is with thee, for we know that it is the power of the Lord that has shaken us.” [6]
The Spirit confirmed truth as they remembered other people’s lived experiences. The Spirit will do the same for each of us. When I ponder President Russell M. Nelson’s story about pioneering heart surgery, I am reminded that prayers can be answered and that God is ready to assist us in our daily work. [7] Similarly, we can be strengthened as we remember the experiences of family members and ancestors. When I was young, my father’s childhood story of breaking his arm while skipping church one Sunday reinforced to me the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy.
Third, Remembering Christ.
Christ is the central part of the plan of salvation. Without Him, we cannot overcome the sting of death nor the chains of sin. Without our Savior, we quickly lose hope. No matter how many “good” principles or values we learn from the philosophies of men, without the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the hope of eternal life, our lives lose meaning.
The world can be distracting. Whether it is the allure of the things of the world or the daily challenges that we encounter, the natural man is inclined to forget what is most important—our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Helaman used a double “remember” to teach his sons this principle when he said: “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” [8]
When our children were in high school, it became a tradition to give them the same three pieces of advice whenever they went out with friends. We would tell them: “Remember who you are,” “Keep the Christ in Christensen,” and “return with honor.” We would start the first phrase, and they would complete the rest for us. In essence, this was a plea to our children to remember their relationship with their Savior each time they left our house. I know some of you are trying to figure out what the equivalent of “Keep the Christ in Christensen” might be for you. I know many of your last names, and it simply won’t work! But you can find your own reminders to remember.
Some of you may feel that you don’t yet have your own personal spiritual experiences to remember. That’s OK. Your Heavenly Father loves you and has given you scriptures and general conference talks full of other people’s experiences that can strengthen you as you remember them, with the aid of the Holy Ghost.
As part of the BYU-Idaho community, you are blessed with many friends who can be sources of strength. I invite you to ask your roommates, friends, parents, and teachers to recount the stories that strengthen their faith. These experiences will edify and can become sources of personal strength as you work to build your own relationship with God.
Now I’d like us to consider why we are asked to remember:
- Remembering prepares us to receive revelation. Joseph Smith remembered the words of James before receiving inspiration to pray to know which church was true. [9] We are commanded to remember before praying to know if the Book of Mormon is true. [10] The temple is filled with symbols that help us remember before receiving revelation in the house of the Lord.
- Remembering helps us put decisions in the context of the plan of salvation. Simply put, we make better decisions when we “think celestial.” [11] Often, we lean too much on our own intellect or are overly persuaded by the teachings of the world. This happens for seemingly small and inconsequential decisions where a series of “good” or “OK” decisions instead of “best” decisions put us on a path beneath our privilege. This can also happen with significant consequences in the bigger decisions of our lives. If we take time to remember, we will much more consistently choose the right.
- Remembering helps us in moments of doubt or even in situations of full-blown faith crisis. We have been wisely taught to doubt our doubts before we doubt our faith. [12] We live in a world where temptation and questions of doubt take center stage. Our social media feeds are filled with messages from the adversary. When we are unsteady in our faith, remembering is a perfect way to reground ourselves in what is most important. Remembering personal spiritual experiences, remembering the spiritual experiences of others, and remembering Christ can be great antidotes for the spiritually poisonous ideas that we are bombarded with.
- Remembering helps us when we need extra strength. Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by life. Maybe we have received a calling we feel unqualified for. Maybe we are having a particularly hard semester. Maybe we are adjusting to the demands of being a new parent or having a new job. Maybe health or financial challenges have become heavy. Remembering is one way to access the Atonement and find the strength to continue forward.
We have a long tradition in the Church of remembering pioneer stories to strengthen our faith. I currently serve as the trek coordinator for a youth trek this summer. In preparation, I have systematically learned the stories of my pioneer ancestors. Twenty-eight of my thirty-two great-great-great-grandparents were pioneers who went west with the Saints. It has been fun learning about them and their stories. I learned of a fearless bear hunter, a midwife with no formal education who delivered 1,600 babies, and a soldier in the War of 1812 who escaped the British by jumping into the river below Niagara Falls and floating to safety. I learned of an ancestor who founded Layton, Utah, a young married couple who decided to free slaves that had been gifted to them as a dowry, a bodyguard of Joseph Smith who fought in the Haun’s Mill massacre, and a young mom who boiled water to free her daughter’s hair from the frozen ground after an uncomfortable night of sleep on their journey to Utah.
I would like to share a few details of one of these stories to illustrate how remembering the experiences of others can strengthen us.
When the Saints arrived in Utah, there was a need for doctors. Brigham Young called many women to be midwives or nurses. At least two of my ancestors received this call—talk about an intimidating calling! One of them, Ellen Clegg, recounted feeling she was not capable when she was first called. However, after Brigham Young told her she had been called of God in a vision, she accepted the calling and served admirably. A biographical sketch of Grandma Clegg provides these details:
“Sometimes she would go to the sick bed of a mother on horseback or on a mule or sleigh. Other times she had to walk and hold to the horse’s tail as she plowed through the deep snow and blizzards, many times arriving at the home of the sick, her shoes and stockings frozen to her, but these were minor troubles and her greatest desire was to help those who were suffering and in need. One time she was sick and was called to take care of a confinement case. A man came for her on a mule and grandma, although very sick, got behind the man on the mule and, on the way to the sick bed of the woman, the mule threw them off, breaking grandma’s arm, but she attended her patient in this condition and brought happiness to them.”
I get emotional thinking about the army of good women who accepted callings as nurses and midwives despite limited training. They dedicated their lives to quietly serving and caring for their fellow Saints. For any of us who feel unprepared or not good enough to accept a calling, this story can give us confidence that the calling is from God and He will qualify us for the work.
My life has been blessed beyond measure because of the faith and sacrifice of my ancestors. I become stronger as I remember them. Some of you are equally blessed with a wonderful pioneer heritage. Many of you do not have direct pioneer ancestors. Just as we share the blessings of Abraham through adopted lineage, all members of the restored Church can find shared strength in the faith of early pioneers who sacrificed so much for the gospel. Elder Quentin L. Cook said, “The pioneer experience provides Latter-day Saints with a unique historical tradition and a powerful collective spiritual legacy.” [13] Additionally, stories from parents or grandparents who joined the Church more recently can be sources of spiritual strength. Many of you have your own personal conversion stories that will bless the lives of future generations.
When we remember, as taught by prophets, it is not to be nostalgic. We remember as a source of future blessings. We remember to strengthen us in the present and bless us in the future. In the most recent general conference, Sister Amy A. Wright warned us that “if we become casual in our discipleship of Jesus Christ, it could be catastrophic for our children.” [14] I might add that “forgetting” is a surefire way to start down the path of casual discipleship. If our discipleship becomes too casual, we could become a weak link in the faith chain of our ancestors. Instead, let us remember and strive to become a welding link of faith for future generations.
In 2018, our prophet President Nelson said, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost … Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.” [15] Remembering is an important part of the spiritual work that our prophet urged us to undertake.
In 1 Nephi 17:45, Nephi reprimands Laman and Lemuel, saying, “Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God.” [16] I urge us to make the opposite true. Let us be quick to remember the Lord, which will help us be slow to do iniquity.
You are an amazing group of people. The Lord has plans for you. You have been blessed in too many ways to forget and stray. It is my prayer that we may all see blessings pour into our lives as we remember Christ and remember the goodness of God in our own lived experiences and the experiences of others. I will conclude with the words of King Benjamin, “And now, O man [or woman], remember, and perish not.” [17]
Notes
[1] Moroni 10:3.
[2] Sacrament Prayers, Gospel Library.
[3] Spencer W. Kimball, “Circles of Exaltation,” BYU address to religious educators, June 1968.
[4] Deuteronomy 8:2.
[5] 1 Nephi 17:23–24.
[6] 1 Nephi 17:55.
[7] Russell M. Nelson, “Sweet Power of Prayer,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2003.
[8] Helaman 5:12.
[9] Joseph Smith History 1:10.
[10] Moroni 10:3.
[11] Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!” Liahona, Nov. 2023.
[12] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Come, Join with Us,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013.
[13] Quentin L. Cook, “The Atonement of Jesus Christ Provides the Ultimate Rescue,” Liahona, May 2025.
[14] Amy A. Wright, “Thou Art the Christ,” Liahona, May 2025.
[15] Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018.
[16] 1 Nephi 17:45.
[17] Mosiah 4:30.
About Brian Christensen
Brian Christensen is the oldest of nine children and served as a missionary in the Chile Santiago South mission. He has lived in various parts of the U.S., including Utah, Maine, Maryland, Colorado, Massachusetts, Texas, California, Wisconsin, and Idaho. He graduated with a degree in economics from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Brian worked for the Boston Consulting Group and held leadership roles at Kimberly-Clark and Acosta before coming to teach at BYU-Idaho in the marketing department in 2019.
Brian is married to Rachelle Herbst Christensen. They have five children and two grandchildren. Brian enjoys basketball, skiing, hiking, traveling, following sports, and jogging—slowly.