LET IT BE WRITTEN

One of the first things I notice when I turn to the books of Jarom and Omni is that in five pages of our current edition of the Book of Mormon six different authors cover 290 years of Nephite history. To be fair we don’t know how much of this is due to Mormon’s abridging and the Lord’s editing, but it still seems like the authors gave but little effort in fulfilling their calling to make a record of their days.

In their own words they offer the following excuses; the plates are small, I write only to preserve my genealogy, I write whatsoever words I write which are few, I wrote on the last day I had the plates, there is another record of the people, I am about to lie down in the grave.

If I were a judgmental person I might be prone to ask; why didn’t you prepare more plates, why didn’t you get started sooner, the other record doesn’t cover the spiritual happenings in your life and I agree it is a bit difficult to write once you are dead.

My personal journey of writing a daily account in my journal started when I was motivated by my Stake President, Darrell Foote, who had been inspired to give such instruction by the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Spencer W. Kimball. Going right to the original source the words following are some excerpts from an article written by President Kimball in December of 1980.

On a number of occasions I have encouraged the Saints to keep personal journals and family records. I renew that admonition. We may think there is little of interest or importance in what we personally say or do—but it is remarkable how many of our families, as we pass on down the line, are interested in all that we do and all that we say…

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. And in that glorious day when our families are together in the eternities, we will already be acquainted…

From time immemorial the Lord has counseled us to be a record-keeping people. Abraham had a book of remembrance, and Adam had one. You may think of them as not being as highly educated as we are, but they were well-trained people. Adam spent much effort being the school teacher for his children. He and Eve taught their sons and daughters. He taught them the gospel in their home evenings, and he taught them reading and writing and arithmetic. And they kept their books of remembrance. How else do you think Moses, many hundreds of years later, got the information? These records had been kept, and he referred to them and got the history of the world, which wasn’t in any library other than that. Can you see your responsibility?...

When the Savior visited this continent following his resurrection, he commanded the Nephites and Lamanites to bring their records up to date. He said to them: “Behold, other scriptures I would that ye should write, that ye have not. “And it came to pass that he said unto Nephi: Bring forth the record which ye have kept. “And when Nephi had brought forth the records, and laid them before him, he cast his eyes upon them and said:

“Verily I say unto you, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me that there were many saints who should arise from the dead, and should appear unto many, and should minister unto them. And he said unto them: Was it not so? “And his disciples answered him and said: Yea, Lord,

“And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?

“And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not been written; therefore it was written according as he commanded.” (3 Ne. 23:6–13.) …

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 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.

We hope you will begin as of this date. If you have not already commenced this important duty in your lives, get a good notebook, a good book that will last through time and into eternity for the angels to look upon. Begin today and write in it your goings and your comings, your deeper thoughts, your achievements, and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. We hope you will do this, our brothers and sisters, for this is what the Lord has commanded, and those who keep a personal journal are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives.

His journal was 33 black binders on the shelves of his personal study when President Spencer W. Kimball was called to be President of the Church in 1973. Since then, he has counseled members of the Church to keep personal journals.

As my progeny have wandered through my autobiography entitled To The Best of My Memory with a subtitle (Guessoirs by William L. Riley),
I have been amused and impressed by the things they take note of about which I have written.

Skipping a golf ball across a lake and having it land safely on the other side of the water.

Pretending to be a singing cowboy just like Gene Autry when I was young.

Describing traits which they see in themselves.

Having chills run through my body when missionaries gave their home coming reports.

The James Hobbs’, Pop Edelson’s, Paul H. Dunn’s, Hugh Nibley’s, Sherrie Dew’s, Neil A. Maxwell’s and countless others who have mentored
and inspired me.

The deep and everlasting love I have for Kathleen and our progeny.

The weaknesses I have struggled to subdue.

The opportunities the Lord has given me to serve and minister.

The witness I bear concerning the things I have come to know to be true.

My acknowledgement of how little we really know in comparison to Heavenly Father’s Omniscience.
Etc., Etc., Etc.

We live in a day when we will never run out of ways and means to record our goings and comings – we live in a day when discretionary time is more abundant than ever before. When we diligently desire to be aware of the spiritual happenings in our lives they become more apparent; therefore it would be well for us to let it be written, so that the rebuke the Lord gave to the Nephite writers about neglecting to write about the prophet Samuel won’t be part of our greeting upon returning to His presence.

Oh my, look at the date of the publishing of this Thought. Two days from now we will be making a lot of resolutions and setting a lot of goals for the new year. Maybe resolving to and setting a goal to keep a record which will indicate we were here and our lives were important might be a good one with which to start.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY