Too many were sinners. Some were monsters, and most were probably the same mix of virtue and clay we find in ourselves. We know today that imposing the truth on people through violence or any other kind of intimidation betrays God's love and violates the dignity of His children. Actually a lot, especially when it comes to building a culture of life. Memory is powerful.
Purified memory is the voice of learned truth.
Personal renewal comes from remembering the past honestly, turning away from the sins we find there, and beginning again in humility. The same applies to nations. God inscribes on the heart of Israel, His presence. God imprints on the memory of Israel, His commands. We are fast losing the sense of historical continuity, the sense of belonging to a succession of generations originating in the past and stretching into the future.