The Value of My Journal

On my desk, I keep a very ugly gray notebook. The notebook is not in the best condition, and it is certainly not very admirable. But what is contained in the notebook is priceless for me: my own personal journal.

Ever since I was a small child, my mother encouraged me, as well as my brothers and sisters, to begin writing down our own histories. This "history" started out as a very simple form for me---I would draw a picture each Sunday of something that had happened during the week, and my mom would write a sentence about the picture. Journal entries of this kind date back to 1991, when I was just three years old.

Since then, journal writing has become an important aspect of my life. I now have many journals filled with the stories of my life. I am able to write what I would never communicate to anyone; my journals are sacred. They contain my desires, my dreams, my weaknesses, and the things I am most proud of. They contain my experiences: my trials, my best and worst moments, and my spiritual experiences. My journals are of great value to me.

As I was studying in The Book of Mormon this past week, I realized how important "journal writing" is to others. In chapter 19 of Nephi, Nephi gives seven specific reasons of why he writes his own history, including to record his history, spiritual experiences, the things that most concern him, and so others can learn from his experiences and apply them into their own lives. Essentially, The Book of Mormon is a journal, kept by several people, preserved over thousands of years.

Mormon Church leaders have always encouraged journal writing as a way to connect with our future posterity, as well as leaving our own legacy. President Spencer W. Kimball said, "People often use the excuse that their lives are uneventful and nobody would be interested in what they have done. But I promise you that if you will keep your journals and records, they will indeed be a source of great inspiration to your families, to your children, your grandchildren, and others, on through the generations. Each of us is important to those who are near and dear to us—and as our posterity read of our life’s experiences, they, too, will come to know and love us."

So whether it be an ugly notebook or a simple picture, I know that keeping a journal will be a blessing to us, as well as to the future.