Journaling the Little Moments

“There is something about journal writing that causes us to meditate, to recommit, and to receive

spiritual impressions in the process of such pondering. Frequently, you will have cause to rejoice at

how the Lord has been sensitively involved in guiding and watching over you and those you love and

care about.” Elder L. Edward Brown

Keys to getting started

-Start with a brief description of yourself. Include things like your age, physical traits, family, and

feelings of beginning a journal. Don’t feel like you have to write a whole life history in order to

keep a journal. Start with where you are today.

-Keep it honest. “Your journal should contain your true self rather than a picture of you when you are

‘made up’ for a public performance. … The truth should be told, but we should not emphasize

the negative.” Spencer W. Kimball

-Set aside a specific time to do it. Figure out what works for you, whether it's daily, weekly, bimonthly,

or monthly. If you miss a day, don’t give up. Each day has a whole new set of experiences.

-Consider writing about non-events like personal or family thoughts, goals, and dreams. You may feel

like you have no events to record, but events are not the only thing that can go in a journal. Try

writing some of your goals, future plans, hopes and dreams. Some even write about their current

thoughts and use it for personal reflection.

“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were big things.”

-Robert Brault

Creative Journaling in the 21st Century

While a traditional notebook and pen is a great way to journal, there are many other options available

in our modern world that can keep journaling fresh and exciting. Listed below are some creative

journaling methods. These methods are meant to give you ideas and be adapted to fit your own life and

family situation.

Compilation. How do you already record your life? Print out copies of emails, conversations

and interactions on social media sites, print out cell phone pictures, and screenshot meaningful

text conversations. Collect all of these into a 3 ring binder and continue adding to it.

Scripture Journal. Have a journal open next to you while studying scriptures, conference talks,

etc. If something stands out to you, write down your thoughts, impressions, and promptings.

Don't forgot to cite where the inspiration initially came from (the specific scripture, talk, etc.)

Blogging. Create a blog. Use it to record thoughts, events, videos and photos. Share with your

family and friends or keep it private. There are even various companies where you can get

printed a hard copy of your blog (hardbound books on archival paper.) If you do decide to do a

blog, remember to be careful about the information you share online and be aware of your

privacy settings.

Audio Journaling. Record your thoughts and feelings vocally through podcasting or audio

recording. After you've done a few recordings, be sure to back them up to CDs. Be sure you

think through what you're saying and try to say what you mean.

Video Journaling. Record your stories and experiences on video. Few things will be more

precious to your posterity than being able to hear your voice and see the way you move and

talk, especially as you recount deeply personal thoughts and experiences.

Scrapbook. Create a special book, add memorabilia to the pages of a regular journal, or do

online scrapbooking. Photos, programs from various events, drawings, and other mementos are

what make these books special.

Weekly Journal or Scrapbook Page. Create a standard template on your computer (using

Photoshop or something similar.) Each week insert a few photos, and type a quick paragraph

with highlights from the week and save it (using the date as the image name to keep track.) At

the end of the year, print them all out and put them in a book.

Photo Journaling. Take pictures of ordinary things. Your house, your car, special items, your

children doing chores and jobs, music or dance lessons, favorite toys or pets, and family home

evenings. In addition to photos of big events, these photos will help remind your family about

happy memories and become a great treasure.

Moments Book. Using a specifically designated notebook or journal, take time each evening to

write down one or two moments from the day. These could include (but aren't limited to)

something funny a child said, a current favorite toy/activity/movie, a milestone that a family

member reached, a spontaneous 'I love you', etc.

Themed Journal. Keep a journal dedicated to one topic. These could include sketching,

relationship (a joint journal with your spouse), travel, dreams, recipes, your garden/nature,

planning for the future, memories, or inspiration.

Memory Journal. Pick a question (see handout 'Questions for the Memory Journal') and

journal about it.

Postcard Journal. Buy a postcard each time you travel (whether it be a small trip or a big one)

and write a short description or favorite memory from the trip. Store them in a simple 4x6 inch

photo book.

Online Journal. There are many free, easy-to-navigate online journal websites (like

ldsjournal.com.) Be sure to look into several and pay attention to features that might be valuable

to you (like to ability to upload photos, add footnotes, or email/text entries.)

Gratitude Wall. Using a poster board, white board, or chalk board, take time each night to

write down something you're grateful for. One word, a short sentence. This could be a great

family experience for each member to participate in. Take a picture of the wall at the end of

each week, then start again.

Treasure Box. Keep a box to hold mementos from significant life experiences. The contents

could include anything: tickets and programs, missionary name tags, old temple recommends,

post cards, foreign coins/bills, children's artwork, etc.

A journal is a continuing record of meaningful experiences that affect our lives. Through his prophets,

the Lord has commanded each of us to keep a journal. As we record our activities and feelings, we can

more clearly see the Lord’s influence in our lives. -lds.org

In the 2007 October General Conference, Elder Henry B. Eyring said “as we pause to recognize God's

blessings to us, our ability to see His hand in our lives will increase.” Acting on this simple promise

could dramatically effect your life and attitude. Journaling is a blessing, that's why the Lord has asked

us to do it!

If nothing else, write down your testimony. Nephi said, “We … write, to persuade our children … to

believe in Christ.” (2 Nephi 25:23)

References

http://blog.paperblanks.com/2011/08/top-10-creative-ways/

http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-

scrapbooking/ideas/showphoto.php?photo=152633&cat=all&limit=last7

www.lds.org

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2003/04/random-sampler/picture-this?lang=eng&query=journaling

http://www.lds.org/new-era/2003/09/qa-questions-and-answers?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/new-era/2012/11/thinking-outside-the-book?lang=eng&query=journaling

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=8e91a41f6cc20110Vgn

VCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=198bf4b13819d110VgnVCM10000003a94610aRCRD

http://www.robertbrault.com/

New Era, Oct. 1975, 5. President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985)