How will keeping a personal journal bless

me and my family?
The Lord and His prophets have emphasized the importance of keeping records. Writing
in a personal journal gives us an opportunity to reflect on our lives and recognize the
many blessings God has given us. Our journals can also be a source of inspiration and
strength to future generations of our families.

Prepare yourself spiritually

What experiences have taught you the importance of keeping a journal? Are there any
entries in your journal or a journal of an ancestor that could be inspiring to the youth?

1 Nephi 1:13; (Examples of record keeping in the scriptures)

I, Nephi, wrote this record.

Chapter 1

Nephi begins the record of his peopleLehi sees in vision a pillar of fire and reads from a book of prophecy
He praises God, foretells the coming of the Messiah, and prophesies the destruction of JerusalemHe is
persecuted by the Jews. About 600 B.C.

1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my
father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored
of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God,
therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.

2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the
language of the Egyptians.

3 And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it
according to my knowledge.

Alma 37:89;

Chapter 37

TheplatesofbrassandotherscripturesarepreservedtobringsoulstosalvationTheJarediteswere
destroyedbecauseoftheirwickednessTheirsecretoathsandcovenantsmustbekeptfromthepeople
CounselwiththeLordinallyourdoingsAstheLiahonaguidedtheNephites,sothewordofChristleads
mentoeternallife.About74B.C.

8Andnow,ithashithertobeenwisdominGodthatthesethingsshouldbepreserved;forbehold,theyhave
enlargedthememoryofthispeople,yea,andconvincedmanyoftheerroroftheirways,andbroughtthem
totheknowledgeoftheirGoduntothesalvationoftheirsouls.

9Yea,Isayuntoyou,wereitnotforthesethingsthattheserecordsdocontain,whichareontheseplates,
AmmonandhisbrethrencouldnothaveconvincedsomanythousandsoftheLamanitesoftheincorrect
traditionoftheirfathers;yea,theserecordsandtheirwordsbroughtthemuntorepentance;thatis,they
broughtthemtotheknowledgeoftheLordtheirGod,andtorejoiceinJesusChristtheirRedeemer.

Moses 6:5, 4546

Adams seed keep a book of remembranceHis righteous posterity preach repentanceGod reveals
HimselftoEnochEnochpreachesthegospelTheplanofsalvationwasrevealedtoAdamHereceived
baptismandthepriesthood.
Chapter 6

Adams seed keep a book of remembranceHis righteous posterity preach repentanceGod reveals
HimselftoEnochEnochpreachesthegospelTheplanofsalvationwasrevealedtoAdamHereceived
baptismandthepriesthood.

5Andabookofremembrancewaskept,inthewhichwasrecorded,inthelanguageofAdam,foritwas
givenuntoasmanyascalleduponGodtowritebythespiritofinspiration;

45Anddeathhathcomeuponourfathers;neverthelessweknowthem,andcannotdeny,andeventhefirst
ofallweknow,evenAdam.

46Forabookofremembrancewehavewrittenamongus,accordingtothepatterngivenbythefingerof
God;anditisgiveninourownlanguage.

1 Nephi 6:36 (What to include in a personal record)

Chapter 6

NephiwritesofthethingsofGodNephispurposeistopersuadementocomeuntotheGodofAbraham
andbesaved.About600592B.C.

3AnditmatterethnottomethatIamparticulartogiveafullaccountofallthethingsofmyfather,for
theycannotbewrittenupontheseplates,forIdesiretheroomthatImaywriteofthethingsofGod.

4ForthefulnessofmineintentisthatImaypersuadementocomeuntotheGodofAbraham,andtheGod
ofIsaac,andtheGodofJacob,andbesaved.

5Wherefore,thethingswhicharepleasinguntotheworldIdonotwrite,butthethingswhicharepleasing
untoGodanduntothosewhoarenotoftheworld.

6Wherefore,Ishallgivecommandmentuntomyseed,thattheyshallnotoccupytheseplateswiththings
whicharenotofworthuntothechildrenofmen.

3 Nephi 23:613 (The Savior chastises ( Pinagalitan) the Nephites for the incompleteness of their records)

Chapter 23

Jesusapproves the wordsof IsaiahHe commandsthe peopletosearch theprophetsThewordsof

SamueltheLamaniteconcerningtheResurrectionareaddedtotheirrecords.AboutA.D.34.

6 AndnowitcametopassthatwhenJesushadsaidthesewordshesaiduntothemagain,afterhehad
expounded all the scriptures unto them which they had received, he said unto them: Behold, other
scripturesIwouldthatyeshouldwrite,thatyehavenot.

7AnditcametopassthathesaiduntoNephi:Bringforththerecordwhichyehavekept.

8AndwhenNephihadbroughtforththerecords,andlaidthembeforehim,hecasthiseyesuponthemand
said:

9VerilyIsayuntoyou,IcommandedmyservantSamuel,theLamanite,thatheshouldtestifyuntothis
people,thatatthedaythattheFathershouldglorifyhisnameinmethatthereweremanysaintswhoshould
arisefromthedead,andshouldappearuntomany,andshouldministeruntothem.Andhesaiduntothem:
Wasitnotso?

10Andhisdisciplesansweredhimandsaid:Yea,Lord,Samueldidprophesyaccordingtothywords,and
theywereallfulfilled.

11AndJesussaiduntothem:Howbeitthatyehavenotwrittenthisthing,thatmanysaintsdidariseand
appearuntomanyanddidministeruntothem?

12AnditcametopassthatNephirememberedthatthisthinghadnotbeenwritten.

13AnditcametopassthatJesuscommandedthatitshouldbewritten;thereforeitwaswrittenaccording
ashecommanded.
HenryB.Eyring,ORemember,Remember,

Whenourchildrenwereverysmall,Istartedtowritedownafewthingsaboutwhathappenedeveryday.
Letmetellyouhowthatgotstarted.IcamehomelatefromaChurchassignment.Itwasafterdark.My
fatherinlaw,wholivednearus,surprisedmeasIwalkedtowardthefrontdoorofmyhouse.Hewas
carryingaloadofpipesoverhisshoulder,walkingveryfastanddressedinhisworkclothes.Iknewthathe
hadbeenbuildingasystemtopumpwaterfromastreambelowusuptoourproperty.

Hesmiled,spokesoftly,andthenrushedpastmeintothedarknesstogoonwithhiswork.Itookafew
stepstowardthehouse,thinkingofwhathewasdoingforus,andjustasIgottothedoor,Iheardinmy
mindnotinmyownvoicethesewords:Imnotgivingyoutheseexperiencesforyourself.Writethem
down.

Iwentinside.Ididntgotobed.AlthoughIwastired,Itookoutsomepaperandbegantowrite.AndasI
did,IunderstoodthemessageIhadheardinmymind.Iwassupposedtorecordformychildrentoread,
somedayinthefuture,howIhadseenthehandofGodblessingourfamily.Grandpadidnthavetodowhat
hewasdoingforus.Hecouldhavehadsomeoneelsedoitornothavedoneitatall.Buthewasservingus,
hisfamily,inthewaycovenantdisciplesofJesusChristalwaysdo.Iknewthatwastrue.AndsoIwroteit
down,sothatmychildrencouldhavethememorysomedaywhentheywouldneedit.

Iwrotedownafewlineseverydayforyears.InevermissedadaynomatterhowtiredIwasorhow
earlyIwouldhavetostartthenextday.BeforeIwouldwrite,Iwouldponderthisquestion:HaveI
seenthehandofGodreachingouttotouchusorourchildrenorourfamilytoday?AsIkept atit,
somethingbegantohappen.AsIwouldcastmymindovertheday,IwouldseeevidenceofwhatGodhad
doneforoneofusthatIhadnotrecognizedinthebusymomentsoftheday.Asthathappened,andit
happenedoften,IrealizedthattryingtorememberhadallowedGodtoshowmewhatHehaddone.

Morethangratitudebegantogrowinmyheart.Testimonygrew.Ibecameevermorecertainthatour
HeavenlyFatherhearsandanswersprayers.Ifeltmoregratitudeforthesofteningandrefiningthatcome
becauseoftheAtonementoftheSaviorJesusChrist.AndIgrewmoreconfidentthattheHolyGhostcan
bring all things to our remembranceeven things we did not notice or pay attention to when they
happened.

Theyearshavegoneby.Myboysaregrownmen.Andnowandthenoneofthemwillsurprisemeby
saying,Dad,Iwasreadinginmycopyofthejournalaboutwhenandthenhewilltellmeabout
howreadingofwhathappenedlongagohelpedhimnoticesomethingGodhaddoneinhisday.

My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember Gods kindness. It will build our
testimonies.Youmaynotkeepajournal.Youmaynotsharewhateverrecordyoukeepwiththoseyoulove
andserve.ButyouandtheywillbeblessedasyourememberwhattheLordhasdone.Yourememberthat
songwesometimessing:Countyourmanyblessings;namethemonebyone,Anditwillsurpriseyou
whattheLordhasdone.2

Tonight,andtomorrownight,youmightprayandponder,askingthequestions:DidGodsendamessage
thatwasjustforme?DidIseeHishandinmylifeorthelivesofmychildren?Iwilldothat.AndthenI
willfindawaytopreservethatmemoryforthedaythatI,andthosethatIlove,willneedtorememberhow
muchGodlovesusandhowmuchweneedHim.ItestifythatHelovesusandblessesus,morethanmostof
ushaveyetrecognized.Iknowthatistrue,anditbringsmejoytorememberHim.InthenameofJesus
Christ,amen.

Your personal record Spencer W. Kimballs

Accordingly, we urge our young people to begin today to write and keep records of
all the important things in their own lives and also the lives of their antecedents in
the event that their parents should fail to record all the important incidents in their
own lives. Your own private journal should record the way you face up to challenges
that beset you. Do not suppose life changes so much that your experiences will not
be interesting to your posterity.

Experiences of work, relations with people, and an awareness of the rightness and
wrongness of actions will always be relevant. The Royal Bank of Canada Monthly
Letter made this point when it reported, One famed bookman divided his big
library into two partsbiography and all the rest.
No one is commonplace, and I doubt if you can ever read a biography from which
you cannot learn something from the difficulties overcome and the struggles made
to succeed. These are the measuring rods for the progress of humanity.

As we read the stories of great men, we discover that they did not become famous
overnight nor were they born professionals or skilled craftsmen. The story of how
they became what they are may be helpful to us all.

Your own journal, like most others, will tell of problems as old as the world and how
you dealt with them.

Your journal should contain your true self rather than a picture of you when
you are made up for a public performance. There is a temptation to paint ones
virtues in rich color and whitewash the vices, but there is also the opposite pitfall of
accentuating the negative. Personally I have little respect for anyone who delves into
the ugly phases of the life he is portraying, whether it be his own or anothers. The
truth should be told, but we should not emphasize the negative. Even a long life full
of inspiring experiences can be brought to the dust by one ugly story. Why dwell on
that one ugly truth about someone whose life has been largely circumspect?

The good biographer will not depend on passion but on good sense. He will weed
out the irrelevant and seek the strong, novel, and interesting. Perhaps we might gain
some help from reading Plutarchs Lives, where he grouped 46 lives in pairs, a Greek
and a Roman in each pair. He tried to epitomize the most celebrated parts of their
stories rather than to insist upon every slightest detail of them.

Your journal is your autobiography, so it should be kept carefully. You are unique,
and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and
praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in any other life. There may be a flash
of illumination here and a story of faithfulness there; you should truthfully record
your real self and not what other people may see in you.

Your story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are
available.

A journal is the literature of superiority. Each individual can become superior in

his own humble life.

What could you do better for your children and your childrens children than to
record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall,
your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved?

Some of what you write may be humdrum dates and places, but there will also be
rich passages that will be quoted by your posterity.

Get a notebook, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may
quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your
deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your
triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. Remember, the Savior chastised
those who failed to record important events.

Ajournalisarecordthatcanbeusedtodetaileverythingfromyourfeelingsaboutaparticularsituation
inyoursociallifetoyourthoughtsonacurrenteventinthepoliticalworld.Hence,journalsservearange
ofpurposes.Ajournalismeantcollectyourideasandobservationsonanynumberofthingsandputthe
happeningsofeachdayintowriting.Inthisway,youareabletobetterrememberwhatyoudid,whatyou
thought,andwhatwashappeningwhenyouwereyounger.

Adailyjournal,whichcanbeusedtorecordmemorablemomentsfromyourlife.