If we stray from that path, we will not become who we should be in order to receive salvation.[2] The path is to follow the example of Jesus Christ and do the works that He did.[3] In other words, we should be the kind of man that He is.[4] The best way not to stray from the path and to continue forward along that road is to remember. We can understand why we are told that it is the best word for Latter-day Saints.
What is it that we remember? We remember the path that we have taken in our lives and the lessons received in many ways.[5] We remember the commandments and ordinances of salvation that we have received.[6] We remember the trials that we have experienced, which, even though accompanied by affliction, in the end will be for our good.[7] In short, we focus on listening to His voice and on doing His will.[8]
We have the great promise that God will never forget us.[9] That great promise fills us with faith and with hope in Him. It inspires us to continue forward along the road of obedience and attention to his will, which is communicated to us through the Holy Ghost. That companion, which can become constant, encourages and edifies us on principles of truth, which testify that we can achieve the promised blessings of God if we don’t forget, if we don’t separate ourselves.
In my office I have some objects that remind me of the important aspects of the gospel in my life:
- A small wood carving of the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. It reminds me of Jesus Christ in his role as our Savior, who grants the gift of God, that is, eternal life, to those who follow Him and live His gospel. He also offers us living water, a symbol of Jesus Christ himself and his teachings. All this comes through his atonement.
- A picture that my daughter Lyvia made me, which represents a story about a disastrous builder who lacked foresight and delegation. It reminds me of my relationship with leaders of auxiliary organizations and of the priesthood, with whom I serve, and that it should be in the Lord’s way.
- A statue of Jesus Christ full of tenderness, with the lost sheep protected in his arms. It instructs me about the Savior’s love for each individual and the inexhaustible efforts that should be employed in the rescue of souls.
- A small handcart model. It reminds me of the sacrifices that were required of the pioneers and also of the fact that they walked with great faith in following the will of Jesus Christ, manifested through living prophets. It is also a reminder of the work involved in preparing the way for those who will walk where one has already walked.
- A small statue of two missionaries. It reminds me of the devotion and the love required to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost. It is the Savior’s call to go out to preach and to bless the families of those who are ready for His message.
- Multiple photographs of my family. They remind me of the reason for our efforts to merit the greatest blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ: to be able to enjoy my family, generation after generation, for time and for eternity in celestial glory.
May everything with which we surround ourselves be able to help us remember the words of life, so that we can remember to do them and so be able to achieve exaltation.[10]