Remembering in the Book of Mormon

The word, remember, has been discussed on this blog before. I think this is the latest one, with references to previous posts. It is worth bringing up because the connotation in the scriptures is slightly different from our modern understanding of it. This is especially seen when the scriptures talk about God remembering something. With our modern understanding of the term, the all-knowing God should never have to remember anything, so this whole concept may seem strange.

Bibliical scholar, Matthew R. Schlimm explains

We usually talk about remembering impersonal objects: concepts, ideas, facts, where we put something, where we heard something, or how a joke goes. In the Bible, the verb zakhar is linked more to people than objects. God remembers people, as well as relationship concepts, like covenants. As we will see, people are also called to remember God. Finally, while the basic meaning of zakhar is “remember,” we’re not talking about momentarily recalling a fact. The verb relates to reflection that usually leads to action. As one scholar puts it, “God’s remembering has to do with his attention and intervention, whether in grace or judgment.” Another scholar goes even further, saying, “When God is challenged to ‘remember’ the meaning is better taken as ‘pay attention to.’” So, while “remember” often works to translate zakhar, there are times when it means “reflectively call to mind and act accordingly.”

Out of curiosity, I searched through the Book of Mormon to find examples of God remembering someone or something. I found many, but to my surprise, every single time God is remembering in the Book of Mormon, it is his covenants or his covenant people. No exceptions. I will not quote all the scriptures here but they are found in

• 2 Nephi 29 (several times)
• 1 Nephi 19 (several times)
• Mormon 8:21-23
• 3 Nephi 16:11-12
• Mormon 5:20-21
• 2 Nephi 3 (several times)
• 3 Nephi 29:3
• 3 Nephi 20:29
• Ether 4:15
• 1 Nephi 17:40
• Mormon 9:37

For instance, 3 Nephi 29:3 states

And ye need not imagine in your hearts that the words which have been spoken are vain, for behold, the Lord will remember his covenant which he hath made unto his people of the house of Israel.

Every time God remembers in the Book of Mormon, the wording is similar: It is always about covenants and his covenants people. Consider this example in 1 Nephi 19

15 Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers.

16 Yea, then will he remember the isles of the sea; yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the four quarters of the earth.

17 Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed.

18 And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer.

Notice that the Holy One of Israel remembers the covenants and his people in verses 15 and 16 and that Nephi writes this to persuade his people to remember Him in return. When people remember or are admonished to remember something in the Book of Mormon, there is more variation. Often they remember God, but it can also be certain words for instance. Helaman 5 contains a good illustration of the point made in the quote from Schlimm, that "the verb (remember) relates to reflection that usually leads to action". 

5 For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spake unto them. And these are the words which he spake:

6 Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God;

In the verses that follow until verse 12, the word "remember" is used 13 more times. The sons of Helaman are urged to remember their forefathers, the words of King Benjamin, the words of Amulek and to build their foundation on the rock of their redeemer. After all this, we read about the effect on the sons of Helaman

And they did remember his words; and therefore they went forth, keeping the commandments of God (Helaman 5:14)

Because they remembered, they went forth and kept the commandments. When God remembers his covenants, he offers his gospel, restores his church brings forth the Book of Mormon, enables the blessings of the temple, etc. When we remember Him or the things we have been taught, it should also lead to action on our part. We should go forth keeping the commandments like the sons of Helaman.

"Wo/woe" and "alas" in the Book of Mormon

I came across an interesting quote in the book 70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know by Matthew Schlimm (p. 79) regarding the Hebrew word "hoy" (often translated "woe/alas"):

My primary point is that when those to whom the prophets preached the initial exclamation, 'hoy!", they would have immediately associated this mentally and emotionally with mourning for the dead. The association of hoy with lamentation would have been especially striking to the listeners, for it would have brought into vivid relief the pronouncement of Israel's death." - James Williams

I've been studying about the "way of death" a lot lately, so this detail caught my attention. Hoy (and the closely related word oy) is meant to signal spiritual peril.

There are two details about the biblical use of the words "woe" and "alas" that I wanted to compare to the Book of Mormon usage:

1. "Woe" is used in association with lamentation, specifically related to death.
2. 68 of 77 uses of "woe" and "alas" are spoken by prophets

How does this compare to the Book of Mormon?

First of all, "alas" is not found in the Book of Mormon, so that takes care of that.  As it relates to "woe/wo," we find that the vast majority of uses of the word are found in the form of a warning voice from a prophet.  Here is a sampling:

Nephi: 

15 O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell! 16 Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth! For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish. ... 24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion! 25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well! 26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost! 27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more! 28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall. 29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough! (2 Nephi 28)

Jacob: 

27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state! (2 Nephi 9; see also vv. 30-38)

Isaiah: 

20 Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (2 Nephi 15)

Mormon: 

5 Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works! 6 Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost! 7 Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ! (3 Nephi 29)

Samuel the Lamanite: 

11 But if ye will repent and return unto the Lord your God I will turn away mine anger, saith the Lord; yea, thus saith the Lord, blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me, but wo unto him that repenteth not. ... 24 Yea, wo unto this people, because of this time which has arrived, that ye do cast out the prophets, and do mock them, and cast stones at them, and do slay them, and do all manner of iniquity unto them, even as they did of old time. (Helaman 13)

Moroni: 

24 And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth—that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief. 25 And wo be unto the children of men if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God. 26 And wo unto them who shall do these things away and die, for they die in their sins, and they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God; and I speak it according to the words of Christ; and I lie not. (Moroni 10)

I can't say that I'm surprised by any of this, but it was a good reminder that when we read the word "wo" in the Book of Mormon, we should associate that with a prophetic warning about how to avoid the way of death.