Words of Mormon 1:10-11

"Wherefore, it came to pass that after Amaleki had delivered up these plates into the hands of king Benjamin, he took them and put them with the other plates, which contained records which had been handed down by the kings, from generation to generation until the days of king Benjamin.
And they were handed down from king Benjamin, from generation to generation until they have fallen into my hands. And I, Mormon, pray to God that they may be preserved from this time henceforth. And I know that they will be preserved; for there are great things written upon them, out of which my people and their brethren shall be judged at the great and last day, according to the word of God which is written."
Words of Mormon 1:10-11


I wonder how different the world would be if we didn't keep records.  Certainly the absence of the Bible, Book of Mormon and other similar records would be significant.  The whole story of Nephi going back for the Brass Plates shows us that, to God, records matter.  We even see later in the Book of Mormon a people that came over without records, and how different things were for them.  Even non-religious things though... can you imagine if we didn't learn about history?  If there were no dictionaries nailing down spellings and language in a certain form?  Everything would be so, so different... and we might be doomed to repeat mistakes from the past, rather than learning from them.
I think it is interesting that part of the judgment will be records... things that we write.  And it says also "according to the word of God which is written."  ... God's word is also written.  In a sense, then, isn't writing eternal on some level?  I think that is amazing... and something that we can tap into.  Many of the prophets have counseled us to keep a journal.  This is a good idea, not only for our posterity, but also for ourselves.  If we are going to be judged according to the things that are written, then let's tell our side of the story. :)  (Not that writing down lies is going to do us any good... not suggesting that.) :)  Only that we write sincerely about what we think and choose, and write about our relationship with God and his hand in our lives.  Half of the gospel is practice anyway... practice with our relationship with God, remembering spiritual experiences, becoming more familiar with the spirit.  And records enlarge and lengthen that memory.  They help us to remember what we've known and felt before, and help us retain the lessons that we learn so that we can build on them and continue to grow.
Today, let's renew our dedication to God by keeping records.  Let's write down our thoughts and feelings, especially about spiritual experiences that we've had... let's tap into the eternal part of writing, and remind ourselves who we are, and what we want in the long run.