One of a million lies I have told myself.
Anyone else relate?!
We think we’ve experienced something unforgettable, or learned an interesting new fact, or felt the Spirit stronger than we’ve ever felt before…
And then memory fades.
I’m not going to lie, the idea of writing down my life experiences in a journal for the benefit of some future great-great-grandchild has always seemed far out of reach to me.
I’m not sure if my posterity will ever really read what I write.
But I do know that writing things down enlarges my memory.
Anytime I write an experience down, it cements my feelings down on paper.
It breaks the memory free from Satan’s grasp. He can’t convince me that I made it up, or that I really felt that way, or that I over-exaggerated.
I have the truth, straight from my mouth.
I learn to trust my past feelings and experiences.
I grow my collection of “spiritually defining moments” as Elder Andersen taught.
When the Brother of Jared left the mountain where he saw the Savior, the Lord commanded him to, “write the things which he had seen.” (Ether 4:1)
The Brother of Jared had just been shown marvelous prophecies and visions.
And the Lord wanted him to write them down right away.
Directly after coming “down out of the mount”.
And that’s great counsel for us, too!
But the coolest part is that writing down powerful or important memories doesn’t have to mean pulling out the old notebook for 20 minutes at the end of the day anymore.
I write things down in the “notes” app on my phone all the time. I post on social media. I type. I do voice-to-text. I record videos of special moments. I use a journaling app.
We’ve got a whole modern world of “writing things down” available to us!
So how can you improve just a bit more today in the way that is most sustainable to your lifestyle? Share any ideas below!
And as Elder Andersen taught:
“When personal difficulties or world conditions beyond our control darken our path, the spiritually defining memories from our book of life are like luminous stones that help brighten the road ahead.”
8 Responses
You wrote, “And the Lord wanted him to write them down write away.” Did you do that on purpose (2nd write should be right, right?) Even if you didn’t mean to do that it makes sense to “write away” anyway we can, right? I loved this message. Your influence is appreciated even “unimaginable” as Elder Uchtdorf recently said.
Oh, nice catch on the write vs. right. I fixed it so it makes sense now. Thank you!
I use to feel that way when my children were young mostly because I was busy raising my family. I would write the spiritual big things but not much else. I wish now that I had written more of the day to day because now my children ask me what I did in a situation that they are now experiencing and I don’t remember much. I also wish I had more of my own mother’s feelings and stories. She passed when I my first child was 11 months old. So yes I totally agree with you about recording the special spiritual times but the day to day is so helpful to those after you.
I love your post. You have such great insight into the scriptures for being so young. Thanks you have helped this old woman through some difficult times. Keep giving in this very beautiful way.
You must be so thankful to have the big spiritual things written down. Your children will appreciate being able to read about them some day. I think it’s good you now recognize the value of writing about the day to day experiences. You’ll appreciate that in years to come, and it’s never too late to start.
Wow! This has been a great day. I read with delight an incredible post from the son of a former colleague (http://www.amyreesanderson.com/blog/you-need-to-get-thick-skin-bud) and now this! Cali has put into words what has been in my heart for so long. I have followed this principle for years and have written more than my family or posterity will ever read. Some wonder why we write these things down. Cali summed it up beautifully in this article. “Anytime I write an experience down, it cements my feelings down on paper.” That is just one more reason I love to write. Yes. We want to write things down before good memories fade. We want to capture stories and sentiments for posterity. But we also write to cement our feelings, empower our minds, and testify of truth. And if somehow our words help others through hardship and difficulty, we are extra lucky to have had the opportunity. 3 Nephi 23:13
Thank you for your delightful posts.
Thank you so much for your kindness. It sounds like you’ve already caught the vision of writing experiences down, and it will benefit both you and your posterity for years to come.
What journaling app do you use if you don’t mind me asking? Thanks for your awesome post to really make me think!!!
I use Day One. I like it because it’s super easy to add pictures in with the text, and it’s not too complicated or fancy.