“Irrespective of the form, whether it be a special feast day, sacred service, holiday, or work of art, a memorial calls to mind things of worth from the past. Remembering, our souls are stirred and, relating these to the present, they become factors in our own conduct. We find ourselves stimulated by loftier aspirations, strengthened by higher resolves, and imbued with a greater determination to live our own lives better.

“It is entirely right that memorials be created. It is befitting that we observe memorial days, considering well the reasons for their existence.”

– Belle Smith Spafford, general Relief Society president, 1950