"But behold, a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of temples, and of synagogues and their sanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work."
Helaman 3:14
The fact that the scriptures can't possibly contain all the history of the past makes you wonder sometimes what else happened to some of our favorite characters. I would love to read more about King Benjamin or Lamoni and his wife, not to mention Christ's childhood or insights from Mary and Martha and Lazarus about what it was like to be his friend, in person, and have him come by for dinner. :) It would be amazing to know the rest of the story.
I think that keeping records is really important, not only because some lessons from our lives could become scripture, but because sometimes we need to remember who we used to be... and our families and friends might benefit from those insights down the line as well. President Kimball said the following:
I was doing my taxes the other day, and a story from my grandfather's life popped into my head. He was audited by the IRS once, and after going through all of his records, they found that they actually owed *him* money. He was amazingly honest. And I want to be like that. Sometimes we aren't that honest, and maybe we don't want to write things down because people will learn the wrong things from our examples, thinking... well, if they did it, I can too. I understand that fear, and it is scary writing down things that you don't want remembered. But you know, the very facts that we don't want them remembered and that we are writing them down can be an impetus to us, to get our lives in order so that we have something good to say. :) And writing things down can help us see our progress later, when we have done the work and we *have* changed. We can see it and others can see it too... that change of heart, and that increase in happiness and joy. We don't have to just write the bad... we get to write it all, and give the rest of the story.
Today, let's write in our Journals, or if we haven't started one, let's start. Let'get a book, or even keep it online if we are technologically adventurous like that. :) Let's give our relatives and friends down the line some insight into who we were... and even if anyone else reading them is anathema to us, let's write them for our own benefit. God knows it already, but sometimes writing helps us ponder and discover ourselves a lot more than just rushing through everything. :)
Helaman 3:14
The fact that the scriptures can't possibly contain all the history of the past makes you wonder sometimes what else happened to some of our favorite characters. I would love to read more about King Benjamin or Lamoni and his wife, not to mention Christ's childhood or insights from Mary and Martha and Lazarus about what it was like to be his friend, in person, and have him come by for dinner. :) It would be amazing to know the rest of the story.
I think that keeping records is really important, not only because some lessons from our lives could become scripture, but because sometimes we need to remember who we used to be... and our families and friends might benefit from those insights down the line as well. President Kimball said the following:
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.
I was doing my taxes the other day, and a story from my grandfather's life popped into my head. He was audited by the IRS once, and after going through all of his records, they found that they actually owed *him* money. He was amazingly honest. And I want to be like that. Sometimes we aren't that honest, and maybe we don't want to write things down because people will learn the wrong things from our examples, thinking... well, if they did it, I can too. I understand that fear, and it is scary writing down things that you don't want remembered. But you know, the very facts that we don't want them remembered and that we are writing them down can be an impetus to us, to get our lives in order so that we have something good to say. :) And writing things down can help us see our progress later, when we have done the work and we *have* changed. We can see it and others can see it too... that change of heart, and that increase in happiness and joy. We don't have to just write the bad... we get to write it all, and give the rest of the story.
Today, let's write in our Journals, or if we haven't started one, let's start. Let'get a book, or even keep it online if we are technologically adventurous like that. :) Let's give our relatives and friends down the line some insight into who we were... and even if anyone else reading them is anathema to us, let's write them for our own benefit. God knows it already, but sometimes writing helps us ponder and discover ourselves a lot more than just rushing through everything. :)
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