It’s Time to Keep a Journal

Millie T., Utah, USA

When my first nephew was born, I felt inspired to start writing in a journal. I’d never been very successful at it before, but seeing this new little person made me think about the fact that someday I would have children too, and I would want them to know what I was like when I was their age. I also wanted to be able to remind myself of my everyday life when I was a teen and of the people who helped shape who I’d become. I always knew that keeping a journal was an important thing to do, but I felt impressed that it was something I needed to do now.

To stay motivated, it helped me to think about how amazing it would be to find a journal of my grandparents or my great-grandparents, to get to know them from their real thoughts and feelings.

I also thought about the Bible and the Book of Mormon. These are records the Lord commanded His people to write. Maybe the writers didn’t always feel like engraving another chapter into the plates on a particular day, but I’m glad they did. God inspired them to write a record, and they chose to listen.

I’ve been steadily keeping journals since that day. I don’t think it matters how much or how often you write, as long as you write. Writing in a journal feels like being listened to when you’re desperate to be heard. It’s turned me into a better writer, and during some harder times, it’s made me a happier person.