Fether Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 I have developed a strong habit of journaling. I do it for record keeping, mental clarity, goals, and planning my day. I have also often heard from past church leaders that we should all keep a journal. I’ve been studying this lately and I can’t seem to find a “why” for this declaration. I see leaders comparing the scriptural records as being journals… but one can’t reasonably expect their personal journal to one day become canonized scripture. Everything else seems to revolve around how great and important it is… but no where do I see an explanation for “why”. The closest I seem to get is “your kids will want to know about your past.”… but why is that important? Seems more like a good cultural thing to pass on, but nothing really life changing or related to our salvation in any way The best “why” I could find is from Alma 37:8 where it says record keeping will expand our memory. Does anyone know of any scriptural basis or counsel from prophets that give a why to journaling? Im not asking for testimonies or experiences. As I said, I do this very religiously and have for many years… I am just trying to figure out the “why” so I can better teach about it.
bluebell Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 10 minutes ago, Fether said: I have developed a strong habit of journaling. I do it for record keeping, mental clarity, goals, and planning my day. I have also often heard from past church leaders that we should all keep a journal. I’ve been studying this lately and I can’t seem to find a “why” for this declaration. I see leaders comparing the scriptural records as being journals… but one can’t reasonably expect their personal journal to one day become canonized scripture. Everything else seems to revolve around how great and important it is… but no where do I see an explanation for “why”. The closest I seem to get is “your kids will want to know about your past.”… but why is that important? Seems more like a good cultural thing to pass on, but nothing really life changing or related to our salvation in any way The best “why” I could find is from Alma 37:8 where it says record keeping will expand our memory. Does anyone know of any scriptural basis or counsel from prophets that give a why to journaling? Im not asking for testimonies or experiences. As I said, I do this very religiously and have for many years… I am just trying to figure out the “why” so I can better teach about it. I believe it was Hank Smith that recently said in his weekly podcast that Pres. Eyring taught that we are to keep a journal so that we can record our interactions with God, and use those records to teach our children and strengthen our own testimonies. 3
Popular Post rchorse Posted January 20, 2022 Popular Post Posted January 20, 2022 Our memories are extremely malleable. Every time we access a memory, our brains rewrite the memory. It's very common years later to remember something completely differently than it happened. I think it's especially important to record spiritual experiences for exactly this reason. It's very easy to later explain away or misinterpret remembered spiritual experiences that were clear at the time, simply because we have changed and the lens we view things through is different. A record of it helps keep things clear. This is of course true with all sorts of memories, but I think is especially important with spiritual experiences. 6
Fether Posted January 20, 2022 Author Posted January 20, 2022 (edited) 22 minutes ago, bluebell said: I believe it was Hank Smith that recently said in his weekly podcast that Pres. Eyring taught that we are to keep a journal so that we can record our interactions with God, and use those records to teach our children and strengthen our own testimonies. So would you say the “why” falls under a parental duty to raise our children in the gospel? Edited January 20, 2022 by Fether
The Nehor Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 If you want to be studied some day write a daily journal chronicling interactions and activities. Then when you are old donate the whole thing to the Library of Congress. Assuming the journals survive you will be studied as an archetypical person of the period a few centuries later. 2
bluebell Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 9 minutes ago, Fether said: So would you say the “why” falls under a parental duty to raise our children in the gospel? Some yes. I remember being taught when I was a teenager that we would need to use our journals to teach the children born during the millenium about and temptation and all that, because they would not grow up in a world with satan, until he was released again and they would have to deal with him. (I have no idea where that idea came from though so don't ask for a reference.) But I also think one of the 'whys' is for us. When we record our interactions with God we are telling Him that they matter and that we find them sacred and important. I think that opens us up to receiving more. Plus, like rchorse said, we re-write our memories constantly. A journal is a second witness of God in our life. Having that second witness is very useful, especially during times of trial or struggles with faith. 2
Robert F. Smith Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Fether said: I have developed a strong habit of journaling. I do it for record keeping, mental clarity, goals, and planning my day. I have also often heard from past church leaders that we should all keep a journal. I’ve been studying this lately and I can’t seem to find a “why” for this declaration. I see leaders comparing the scriptural records as being journals… but one can’t reasonably expect their personal journal to one day become canonized scripture. Everything else seems to revolve around how great and important it is… but no where do I see an explanation for “why”. The closest I seem to get is “your kids will want to know about your past.”… but why is that important? Seems more like a good cultural thing to pass on, but nothing really life changing or related to our salvation in any way The best “why” I could find is from Alma 37:8 where it says record keeping will expand our memory. Does anyone know of any scriptural basis or counsel from prophets that give a why to journaling? Im not asking for testimonies or experiences. As I said, I do this very religiously and have for many years… I am just trying to figure out the “why” so I can better teach about it. In the short term, journaling may seem of little value. Especially if you are in the habit of just going through the motions, instead of taking note of important events in your personal life. However, as the decades go by, you will forget a great deal, and your memory will include a lot of nonsense. The journal can make it accurate, and key moments can be recalled which may not have seemed so important at the time. My grandfather kept a journal for a couple of years, and I have found it very helpful in getting to know him. I too attempted to keep a journal from time to time, but had little success. What has been valuable are the letters I wrote to my mother for many years. They are in some ways as good as any journal, and tell me (to my amazement) what I was thinking in those years. Fortunately, she kept them for me long after I had forgotten about them. I once attended a lecture by Carol Lynn Pearson. She was an inveterate journal keeper, and said that she constantly found inspiration from her experiences as recorded in her journals, i.e., helped her find subject matter for her brilliant writing. Edited January 20, 2022 by Robert F. Smith 4
Fether Posted January 20, 2022 Author Posted January 20, 2022 18 minutes ago, bluebell said: But I also think one of the 'whys' is for us. When we record our interactions with God we are telling Him that they matter and that we find them sacred and important. I think that opens us up to receiving more. Do you know if this is written anywhere? I believe you 100% and will likely apply that thinking in my own life… but when it comes to teaching, I try extremely hard to find reliable source for these ideas.
bluebell Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 2 minutes ago, Fether said: Do you know if this is written anywhere? I believe you 100% and will likely apply that thinking in my own life… but when it comes to teaching, I try extremely hard to find reliable source for these ideas. I heard it in a John Bytheway type of fireside for the youth when I was the YW president, so I'm not sure what the reference is, but I'll try to find one.
Popular Post Stormin' Mormon Posted January 20, 2022 Popular Post Posted January 20, 2022 Teryl Givens wrote the following in his "Letter to a Doubter:" Quote I believe remembering can be the highest form of devotion. To remember is to rescue the sacred from the vacuum of oblivion. To remember Christ’s sacrifice every Sunday at the sacrament table is to say no to the ravages of time, to refuse to allow his supernal sacrifice to be just another datum in the catalogue of what is past. To remember past blessings is to give continuing recognition of the gift and to reconfirm the relationship to the Giver as one that persists in the here and now. Few—very few—are entirely bereft of at least one solace-giving memory: a childhood prayer answered, a testimony borne long ago, a fleeting moment of perfect peace. And for those few who despairingly insist they have never heard so much as a whisper, then know this: We don’t need to look for a burning bush when all we need is to be still and remember that we have known the goodness of love, the rightness of virtue, the nobility of kindness and faithfulness. And as we remember, we can ask if we perceive in such beauties merely the random effects of Darwinian products, or the handwriting of God on our hearts. When I passed through my faith crisis ten years ago (or so), my mission journals were a key instrument in bringing me safely through to the other side. I wrote every day in my journal, but they were short entries so I wouldn't burn out early. When I got home, I transcribed the journals to Word, and added (in a distinctive font) any details I could remember that didn't make it into the journal at the time of writing it. Those mission journals are a record of my interaction with the divine, and helped me to recall that I had felt the hand of God in my life, that I had seen miracles, that I did have a witness to the truth. Against all the other secular evidence against the truth claims of the Church, I could place my mission journals as countervailing evidence. I wasn't a great journal keeper in the years after my mission. But having seen how powerful they were in my life during my faith crisis, I have been much better about keeping journals since I weathered the storm. In the years since, I have been a strong advocate in my seminary and Sunday school lessons for journal keeping for precisely this reason: as a tool to help us remember what God has done for us in the moments we find ourselves drowning in doubt and despair. 6
bluebell Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 4 minutes ago, Fether said: Do you know if this is written anywhere? I believe you 100% and will likely apply that thinking in my own life… but when it comes to teaching, I try extremely hard to find reliable source for these ideas. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/record-spiritual-insights-to-receive-more-revelation-in-your-life?lang=eng https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2016/05/write-it-down?lang=eng "My seminary teacher began my very first seminary class by passing out small booklets to all the students. I was ready to really dig into the gospel at seminary, so I was excited to find out what wisdom these little books held. When I received my book and flipped through it, however, I realized it was full of blank pages. My teacher explained that these blank books were for us to record our own spiritual impressions. He then shared a quote from Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Write down in a secure place the important things you learn from the Spirit. You will find that as you write down precious impressions, often more will come. Also, the knowledge you gain will be available throughout your life.”
Amulek Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 1 hour ago, Fether said: I see leaders comparing the scriptural records as being journals… but one can’t reasonably expect their personal journal to one day become canonized scripture. Speak for yourself. 2
The Nehor Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 36 minutes ago, The Nehor said: If you want to be studied some day write a daily journal chronicling interactions and activities. Then when you are old donate the whole thing to the Library of Congress. Assuming the journals survive you will be studied as an archetypical person of the period a few centuries later. I just realized I can use this. Just need to write an interesting enough journal: ”I returned home and ate my daily ration of raw horse heart. I was worried I would be late and an AIDS demon would be able to devour my soul.” ”I attended the City Council meeting this evening. The debate over zoning regulations was particularly heated and resulted in three duels. Two were to first blood and one was to the death. In then end permission was denied and Arthur Jackson will not be allowed to put up a second shed in his yard.” ”The communists were staging a street demonstration this morning. They were singing the glorious revolutionary songs of Lennon and called for the eradication of the bourgeois, more commonly known as squirrels. The little nut hoarders are definitely counterrevolutionary.” 3
The Nehor Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 7 minutes ago, bluebell said: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/record-spiritual-insights-to-receive-more-revelation-in-your-life?lang=eng https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2016/05/write-it-down?lang=eng "My seminary teacher began my very first seminary class by passing out small booklets to all the students. I was ready to really dig into the gospel at seminary, so I was excited to find out what wisdom these little books held. When I received my book and flipped through it, however, I realized it was full of blank pages. My teacher explained that these blank books were for us to record our own spiritual impressions. He then shared a quote from Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Write down in a secure place the important things you learn from the Spirit. You will find that as you write down precious impressions, often more will come. Also, the knowledge you gain will be available throughout your life.” Elder Scott also recorded some of his revelations in encrypted files on his computer to make sure they were secure.
bluebell Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 1 minute ago, The Nehor said: Elder Scott also recorded some of his revelations in encrypted files on his computer to make sure they were secure. Really? Or is this some kind of Nehor joke I haven't figured out yet??
pogi Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 1 hour ago, Fether said: I have developed a strong habit of journaling. I do it for record keeping, mental clarity, goals, and planning my day. I have also often heard from past church leaders that we should all keep a journal. I’ve been studying this lately and I can’t seem to find a “why” for this declaration. I see leaders comparing the scriptural records as being journals… but one can’t reasonably expect their personal journal to one day become canonized scripture. Everything else seems to revolve around how great and important it is… but no where do I see an explanation for “why”. The closest I seem to get is “your kids will want to know about your past.”… but why is that important? Seems more like a good cultural thing to pass on, but nothing really life changing or related to our salvation in any way The best “why” I could find is from Alma 37:8 where it says record keeping will expand our memory. Does anyone know of any scriptural basis or counsel from prophets that give a why to journaling? Im not asking for testimonies or experiences. As I said, I do this very religiously and have for many years… I am just trying to figure out the “why” so I can better teach about it. The early church heavily emphasized record keeping and called historians to every mission etc. I believe it was originally intended as a testimony for future generations. For me personally, journaling has become much more than that. My journals are by far my most prized possessions and the most sacred writ that I own. I don't journal to keep record of my daily happenings though, I keep journals dedicated to prayer and personal revelation. I try and maintain a practice of daily prayer/meditation for 20 minutes, twice daily. During this practice I often have inspiration, profoundly impactful revelation, visions, and impression. I began recording these things in a journal. After a 20 minute prayer/meditation, I would then take 10-15 minutes to reflect on my experience and record it in my journal. Writing it down helped me to process the experience and gain further insight, it would sometimes raise new questions for me to search answers to in my future prayers. I began calling them the first, second, third...Book of Ryan's as they started pilling up. They have become my own private and personal scripture as inspired by the Holy Ghost. While they will never be canonized, they are more personal and sacred to me than any spiritual experience recorded by another man in the canonized works (not to downplay their importance). It is a record of the deeply personal and intimate experiences I have in relating with God. After I record them by hand in a journal, I later transcribe them on a private blog for digital preservation. That allows me to later review what I wrote and relive the experience. Often further insight is given in that process. In challenging times, I often open my journals and am quickly brought to tears. They are priceless. I often marvel how delicate they are and how quickly they can be forgotten as we are bombarded with worldly stimulation demanding our attention on a never-ending basis. Often difficult questions may arise that challenge my faith God, and without my journals as a reminder, I don't know if I would have survived. My journals have saved me - but of course they are only as valuable as the work that goes into prayer/meditation. I think people are too often careless with their personal revelations - which we are all entitled to through thoughts, impressions, ineffable experiences that we do our best to interpret into words, communications of the spirit, dreams, visions, visitations, etc. Think of all that you have learned from scripture by revisiting it over and over. It is the same with personal revelations. The more we mull over them, the more attention we give them, the more space we give them to thrive, the more we can gain from them and it fosters new revelations that emerge as impressions from studying previous ones. Line upon line, precept upon precept. When we show God how we value those lines and cherish them, the more freely he gives us new lines to add upon previous ones. Over time, your spiritual perception is expanded to horizons never previously considered or experienced. Journals (to me) in conjunction with meditative prayer, is by far the most important principle we have to commune with and experience God. Canonized scriptures are really just public journals. Quote Whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, D&C 68:4. I would add to that, whatsoever they shall write... What a pity it would be to not record scripture personalized just for you. 1
The Nehor Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 3 minutes ago, bluebell said: Really? Or is this some kind of Nehor joke I haven't figured out yet?? Yeah, he told me that. And by me I mean the congregation I was sitting in. It was a collection of written revelation for him that no one else should ever see. He talked about getting to the point of being able to record revelation like that.
Fether Posted January 20, 2022 Author Posted January 20, 2022 22 minutes ago, bluebell said: I heard it in a John Bytheway type of fireside for the youth when I was the YW president, so I'm not sure what the reference is, but I'll try to find one. “Knowledge carefully recorded is knowledge available in time of need. Spiritually sensitive information should be kept in a sacred place that communicates to the Lord how you treasure it. This practice enhances the likelihood of your receiving further light” - Richard G Scott found this 2
JLHPROF Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1980/12/president-kimball-speaks-out-on-personal-journals?lang=eng
bluebell Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 28 minutes ago, The Nehor said: Yeah, he told me that. And by me I mean the congregation I was sitting in. It was a collection of written revelation for him that no one else should ever see. He talked about getting to the point of being able to record revelation like that. That makes sense. And I love that he pointed out that some revelation is just for us. It's not meant to be shared with or binding on others. A lot of members forget that. 1
Recommended Posts