1 Nephi 4:14--The Words of the Lord

And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.

Here Nephi is going back into Jerusalem after a couple of failed attempts at getting the brass plates from Laban. He has been commanded to do it, but he doesn't know how, so he goes forth led by the Spirit and not knowing beforehand what he will do. He comes upon Laban and is constrained by the Spirit to kill him so that the entire nation of Nephites and Lamanites doesn't dwindle in unbelief for centuries to come (not to mention the millions of people in modern times who, thanks to the Book of Mormon, have come to know Christ--the very existence of the Book of Mormon hinging on this crucial decision by Nephi). Yet Nephi shrinks at the thought. Never had he shed blood. This was likely the most difficult thing Nephi had ever faced. And just at the moment of decision, when the Spirit was speaking to him, he remembered words the Lord had spoken to him in the wilderness. His ability to remember those words, whether he had to make a conscious effort to remember them or whether they just popped into his head, helped him make the right decision.

It's imperative, then, that anytime the Lord speaks to us, we remember it. The Lord has spoken to me, and I find it helpful to write his words down so I can remember them in the future. I think it's significant that the words Nephi remembered were spoken to him in the wilderness. My wilderness has not been a place without buildings and people, but rather times that I have felt I had either lost or given up those things that made life easy and comfortable, and I was facing a difficult journey ahead. The words of the Lord to me in those times have been especially important to my progress. It’s in our wilderness that we most need guidance and are the most ready to receive it.

So to remember the words of the Lord, I will write them down. Some I will write to myself in my own journal, and some I will write to my kids in their journals, as the Spirit dictates. We are commanded to remember the words of the Lord, and I will do all I can to obey that command and to help my kids obey it.