Sister Harkness’ talk

Sister Harkness began her address by talking about how excited parents-to-be choose the names of their new child.

Is there a particular story about how your name was chosen for you? Were you, perhaps, named in honour of a family member or friend?

‘As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “we first pledge[d] our willingness to take upon us the name of Christ … by the ordinance of baptism.” Through this covenant, we promised to always remember Him, keep His commandments, and serve others. Our willingness to keep this covenant is renewed each Sabbath day when we partake of the sacrament and rejoice once again in the blessing of “walk[ing] in newness of life.”‘

We covenant each time we take the sacrament to remember Jesus Christ. But, in an average day, how many times do we remember teh Saviour and think of him?

A description of how the Zoramites worshipped is given in Alma 31. The people said their hollow prayers on Rameumptom, then ‘they returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks after their manner.’ The Zoramites didn’t have the time to remember the Lord. They, like us, must have been a very busy people.

Are we good Zoramites? Do we remember the Saviour only from sacrament meeting to sacrament meeting or just a few times throughout the week?

‘As we all have a tendency to forget, the Lord has provided some gentle reminders to help us remember important things in the gospel. For those who are endowed, frequent visits to the temple remind us of holy covenants and promises. Frequent reading of the scriptures keeps important things in our remembrance. Perhaps the most pervasive reminder of all is the sacrament. All members of the Church can participate weekly in this important ordinance. By so doing we are regularly reminded of our willingness to take His name upon us, to keep His commandments, and to always remember Him. If we remember and do these things, the Lord promises that His Spirit will be with us, which Spirit brings “all things to [our] remembrance” (John 14:26). The Lord can also jog our memory in some not so gentle ways. Mormon observed, “Except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him” (Helaman 12:3).’ (Dennis B Neuenschwander)

‘Our promise to always remember the Savior gives us strength to stand for truth and righteousness—whether we are in a large crowd or in our solitary places, where no one knows our actions except for God. When we remember Him and His name we bear, we have no place for self-degrading comparisons or overbearing judgments. With our eyes on the Savior, we see ourselves for who we really are—a cherished child of God.’

‘I noticed an artist at the side of the road. She was painting the magnificent mountain scene. I had some time to observe her technique. As a nonartist I was impressed at how much time the artist spent looking up at the vista as opposed to the time she actually spent painting on the canvas. In order to get it right, she spent a tremendous amount of time studying, contemplating, and mentally processing the scene she was painting.There is an analogy here. Too often you and I have our noses and brushes to the canvas of life—busily painting away but never looking up and getting that inspiration as to what our lives are supposed to look like when we are all finished. If we want to get it right in this life, it is imperative that we lift our thoughts from the canvas of daily life and frequently remember and think about Jesus Christ. If we do so, when our life is finished His image indeed will be painted in our countenance.’ (Gordon Lindsay)

What do you do to lift your eyes from the canvas of daily life and see the Saviour?

Our covenant remembering quiets worldly worries, turns self-doubt into courage, and gives hope in times of trial.

How has remembering your covenants helped you in times of trial?

‘Our willingness to take upon us the name of Christ is more than a formal exchange of words. It is not a passive promise or a cultural contrivance. It is not a rite of passage or a name tag that we wear. It is not a saying that we simply place on a shelf or hang on a wall. His is a name that is “put on,” written in our hearts, and “engraven upon [our] countenances.” ‘

What do you think it means to take upon us the name of Christ? How should it change how we act and how we see ourselves?

‘And when we stumble and fall in our progression along the covenant path, we have only to remember His name and His loving-kindness toward us. “For he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being … to those who will repent and believe on his name.” Surely there is no sweeter sound than the name of Jesus to all those who, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, seek to “do better and be better.” ‘

How does remembering Christ’s name help us when we stumble and fall?

‘The Savior’s atoning sacrifice should be remembered, always, through our thoughts, actions, and interactions with others. Not only does He remember our names, but He remembers us always. ‘

What does it mean when Sister Harkness says that ‘He remembers us always’? How does that make you feel?

‘Like the carefully chosen names of Nephi and Lehi, can it be said and written of us that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we honor the name of Jesus Christ that we have willingly taken upon ourselves? Are we both “a minister and a witness” of His loving-kindness and His redeeming power? ‘

See Phillipians 2:9-11

How can we honour the name of Jesus Christ?

NB: Passages in italics are excerpts from Sister Harkness’ talk