From the time that the Prophet Lehi and his family left Jerusalem, to the final Battle at Cumorah, which marked the formal end of the Nephite people, records were kept. These records were passed down, to be read and then continued, from prophet to prophet, and from ruler to ruler. Of these records one Nephite prophet Helaman said,
“But behold, a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of temples, and of synagogues and their sanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work.” Helaman 3:4
There was so much that could not be recorded because of the difficulties of doing so, and yet enough was recorded (that which was considered most precious) that, later at the end of their civilization, the Prophet/Historians Mormon and his son Moroni, had to compile and condense the record even further. All this was done in the wisdom of God that we in these last days would be blessed with another testament of Jesus Christ.(The Book of Mormon)
Likewise, in our day, as in the days of the Ancient Nephites, we too have been commanded to keep records. I have been taught this since I was a child. And because of this, I have created such an eclectic assortment of journal entries, which span from my childhood to the present. For, even though I do not have to deal with the difficulty of engraving my record like those ancient Nephites, it is still not easy for me to keep a consistent record. I cannot count the number of times that I have started a journal and been faithful for a few days, only to stop. Often I tell myself that I am just too busy. The life of a single adult often is. It is true that often I just don’t’ have the time in the morning, and by evening I am ready to drop in exhaustion.
Yet, where I think that chaos of life and tiredness may have a part to play in my not keeping a consistent journal, I think that there is a deeper reason. I think that the reason we, (or at least I) do not try harder to keep a consistent journal, is because we think that is it of no use. No one could ever want to read what is written, and even if someone did, what good would it do them?
When I think of how much The Book of Mormon, has influenced my life I am humbled. For me this record is more than a history. It is more then a bunch of really cool stories. The Book of Mormon is filled with wisdom, guidance, and warning that is totally applicable in my life. It is also full of comfort, strength, and understanding. Most importantly I know my Heavenly Father, and Savior Jesus Christ so much more because of it. I understand who I am, why I am here, where I am going, and how to get there.
I see the value in the ancient record known as The Book of Mormon, yet that record was made by Prophets and great leaders. Of course their record would be influential. I, however, am not a Prophet. I am not a great leader. I am not even married yet. How could anything I write be of any influence to future generations?
The Lord knew that we would have these fears, and difficulties, and so He spoke to us through his Prophet, President Spencer W. Kimball, the Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, saying,
“You should continue on in this important work of recording the things you do, the things you say, the things you think, to be in accordance with the instructions of the Lord. Your story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are available.
Your 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. Your journal, like most others, will tell of problems as old as the world and how you dealt with 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.
What could you do better for your children and your children’s 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.” New Era, December 1980 President Kimball Speaks Out on Personal Journals
Here is a promise that if I keep working at writing in my journal that no matter how insignificant the entries may seem to me that they will be of great worth to my future posterity. There will be rich passages which will be counted as of great worth to them. With this in mind how can I not do my best, even though it is difficult to write even a hundredth part of my story, to record what I can.
