It may be considered by some not important to write or keep a record of our work or the work of God, but I believe it is. Otherwise the prophets would not have been moved upon to exhort us to faithfulness upon this subject. The Lord has told us that what we seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven and what we record on earth shall be recorded in heaven, and what is not sealed or recorded on earth is not sealed or recorded in heaven [see D&C 128:7–8]. Therefore it appears to be very important that we do keep a true and faithful record in all things…Keep an account of the dealings of God with you daily. I have written all the blessings I have received, and I would not take gold for them. (President Wilford Woodruff)
President Wilford Woodruff, (fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church) kept a journal faithfully for 63 years. In his journal he wrote about his personal life, his ministry and Church events. President Woodruff also taught that even if we had no other motive for keeping a record of our days other than reading over our journals ourselves or for our children to read them, it still would be time very well spent.
Record keeping is indeed important to members of the Church. Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy, current Church historian and recorder, reiterated the sacred nature of keeping records:
The scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, make clear that “remembering” is a fundamental and saving principle of the gospel. We keep records to help us remember. Remembering the past gives us needed perspective as God’s children to have faith in our future destiny and thus to live more faithfully in the present…On April 6, 1830, the day the Church was organized, the Lord commanded the Prophet Joseph Smith, “Behold, there shall be a record kept among you” (D&C 21:1)…Record keeping began with a commandment from God and continues to the present day.
Mormons are taught that we need to keep journals or records of our days even from a very early age. Sometimes these diaries and journals are nothing more than day to day accounts of our lives; what we did, where we went, who we talked to that day, etc. Often times, they are so much more. They are records of trials that we endured and overcame. They are heartwarming accounts of love and friendships. They are inspiring accounts of lessons learned. They record the tears we shed over a loss or the pain of a mistake we made.
Those who’ve been part of the Mormon Religion for some time have heard the counsel to keep a journal on more than a few occasions. President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, spoke on this subject during the October 2007 Semiannual General Conference of the Church. President Eyring said that his journal came about with a desire to record an experience for his children so that they “could have the memory someday when they would need it.”
The Internet has made it easier for many of us to keep online journals. After all, a blog is considered by many to be a personal online journal that is updated frequently and usually accessible by the public. Of course, blogs have evolved but many people still consider a blog first and foremost an online personal journal. Modern technology has also made it possible for us to preserve and access treasured journals and records from our collective past. The Mormon Missionary Diaries is a perfect example of such an endeavor.
Brigham Young University announced in late November of 2007 that part of its large collection of Mormon Missionary Diaries is now available online. The online collection contains diaries from 114 diarists who served missions from the 1830s to the 1860s. The collection is arranged geographically. It includes the Pacific, Asia, North America, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Western Europe. Hyrum Smith’s (the brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith) diary is the oldest diary in the collection. Biographical information on each of the diarists is included. The actual diaries are housed in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections of BYU’s Harold B. Lee Library.
I spent the good part of two days scanning a handful of diaries. Even such a brief study of these diaries left me with deep gratitude in my heart for the faith of these missionaries. I paid special attention to the diaries of those who served in the Pacific. Knowing what I know of this region, I can well imagine the hardships they must have faced in the 1800s. Still the message that came through quite clearly to me from these diaries was the testimonies of Christ and of the Restored Gospel. I am so thankful for this amazing resource.
As I perused the missionary diaries, I couldn’t help but realize that the families of these missionaries are so fortunate to have such a record for their posterity. It also made me even more determined to keep a record of my days so that my posterity will know who I was and what I believed.
