.record keeping

my Grandpa, Robert Ellis, sitting on the floor to the left playing with toys

The other day my lesson in seminary was on record keeping.
{Record keeping sounds like a really boring subject, doesn't it? And I'm sorry to blog about seminary again. Can't help myself.}

I brought to class a few of my old journals and set them out on the table in front of me for the kids to see. This made me a little nervous since there is a lot of really personal stuff in those books... I asked them if they kept their own journals. Only two of them raised their hands! That's two out of 18 kids!!!! I was totally surprised that more kids don't keep journals.
Just like Nephi, Joseph Smith, et al, we are commanded to keep a record of our own lives.

"Get a notebook, my young folks, 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."
-Spencer W. Kimball


That's big right?


One of my students asked me if all of my old journals were full...... they aren't. I have about ten old journals that are all about half full. How the heck did that happen!? I'll tell you- whenever someone would give me a new journal I would simply ditch the old one and start fresh in the new one (which goes back to my love of new things). Pretty crazy, I wonder if a lot of people have the same problem... do you? I need Mormon to come and combine all of my writings into one book for me. That would be great, thanks. (and by Mormon I mean the prophet himself, not a member of the church. I know that can get confusing)


My extended family has done a great job of recording our family history. We have multiple family history and genealogy books floating around.... (hmm, just writing that makes me feel exhausted!). I'm just so grateful to them for doing it so that I don't have to. They are wonderful people.
I just love writing in journals, not so much because I really like to sit and write, but because I love to go back through them and read what I wrote back then.
I know that we have a lot to learn from what others have written in scriptures, books, Ensigns etc. But, I also think that we have a lot to learn from ourselves! Our past selves!
When I was single I went through my journals from when I was in Young Womens all the time. I could find some really great quotes and thoughts in my journals that I would remember writing. When I remembered those feelings I'd had back then, I knew that I did feel the Spirit, and that I could feel it again. (though, most of what I wrote in my journals back then was just incredibly silly and non-spiritual) It gave me a totally different experience than I would get reading anything else that was written by someone else. I love that!

And now I write in this blog/journal, and I'm especially glad that I can share it with you guys who read it (because I was really starting to lack in the journal writing department since I've been married). This works much better for me, so long as I don't ditch this blog and start a new one? I really love reading all of your blogs too.... We have a lot to learn from/about each other!



So, thanks to all of those who have blogs and even to you who just read them!
Keep sharing with me, I love it!
And I love you! .....blog friends forever? Sweet!


.