Don't Forget Where You Belong by One Direction

Secular Music Related to Gospel Topics

Don't Forget Where You Belong is World Famous Boyband, One Direction’s 6th single on their 4th Award-winning Album, Midnight Memories. Niall Horan (Former member of One Direction) primarily wrote the song with members of the band McFly. Lyrically, the song describes what makes home special while traveling the world on tour. Horan has said many times that as the group has traveled the world, seeing new people and places, and being away for months on end while touring, it would be easy to get caught up in the Fame. Writing this song helped Horan and his former bandmates remember where they come from and helped keep them grounded.

Now let's take a look into the lyrics of the song and relate it to the Gospel Topics of Premortality and Retuning to our Heavenly Fathers' presence. 

Been a lot of places

I've been all around the world

Seen a lot of faces

Never knowing where I was

On the horizon

Hmm, well I know, I know, I know, I know

The sun will be rising back home

Living out of cases

And packing up and taking off

Made a lot of changes

But not forgetting who I was

On the horizon

Ooh, well I know, I know, I know, I know

The moon will be rising back home

Verses 1 and 2 talk about moving around, meeting people, and experiencing new things. In this life, that is what our Heavenly Father has asked of us. I love how in the second verse, it is highlighted that they never forget who they are. I think this is so important to not forget where you come from, but who you are, and that is a Son or Daughter of Loving Heavenly Parents. “Man, as a Spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal [physical] body” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 335). 

Don't forget where you belong, home

Don't forget where you belong, home

If you ever feel alone, don't

You were never on your own

And the proof is in this song

The chorus to this song talks about not forgetting where you come from, especially when you're alone. Many of today's Prophets have quoted Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Priest, saying, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience." This is so true. These feelings of loneliness and sadness are not normal for our heavenly spirits; it's why it is important to know where we come from and where we are going.

I've been away for ages

But I got everything I need

I'm flicking through the pages

I've written in my memory

I feel like I'm dreaming

Oh, so I know, I know, I know, I know

That I'm never leaving

No, I won't go

In this 3rd verse, we see that the individual has been away for some time but has everything they need. Our Heavenly Father and Brother Jesus Christ have provided us with everything we need in this mortal life to be able to return back to them. These things include Ordinances, Scriptures, Prophets, the Priesthood, Temples, and more. If we use all these things to the best of our abilities, we will remember where we came from and can again return back to our home. “Now, concerning the ​​​state​ of the soul between ​​​death​ and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are ​​​taken​ ​​​home​ to that God who gave them life.” (Alma 40:11)

In my own life, I have used this song as a comfort and reminder. When I was serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, I felt so alone and homesick. This song helped me to remember that I'm not alone. I have my whole family cheering for me in Utah, and I have heaven cheering for me, but most of all, my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ were cheering for me. They want me to know that I'm not alone and that I belong with them in heaven. As long as I do what I should be doing here on earth, serving others and keeping the commandments, I can return back home to live with them again.

I hope that through this post, you were able to see God’s hand in even the smallest and simple everyday things. Heavenly Father loves you, and is talking to you, in more ways than you know!

Have a safe and blessed week!