One of my best friends has encouraged me for years to keep a spiritual journal. She urged that I make note of spiritual promptings and blessings. This is a little different from your regular journal in that it is solely comprised of things of the spirit, rather than including the more mundane items on the list. The theory is that, when you are feeling down, you can go to your spiritual journal and be reminded of the many ways Heavenly Father has had a hand in your life. While the big things – prayers about whether or not to marry your spouse, feelings that emerge when your children are blessed, moments when the Spirit confirmed your need to be baptized in or remain a part of the church – may easily stand out, many of the smaller, everyday promptings can easily slip by.
I’m not quite to the point where I am keeping a journal specifically for spiritual promptings; however, I have created a separate-from-my-regular-journal notebook specifically for my scripture study. I have found that taking notes helps me better process the information. Also, when I struggle with a spiritual problem, such as a bad habit I am specifically working on overcoming, it is nice to have a repository for my study habits, giving me a chance to review what I have considered over previous nights. Finally, I’ve found that as I worked to prepare for each week’s lesson, a journal helps me to explore various tangents more fully.
I simply use a regular notebook, although pretty much any book would work fine. Like my regular journal, I date the top, and I will also make a note of what scriptures or topics I am studying. For instance, when I study the Relief Society lesson, I label it “TOTPOTC: SWK” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball), and then put what chapter I am studying. Occasionally, when I am studying a long passage of scripture, I will make a note of individual verses in the margins, helping me to go back and locate specific areas. This is especially helpful when I am exploring various scriptures in the topical guide and sometimes forget where I am at.
Finally, when I am preparing for a talk or a class, I can use my spiritual journal as a resource. After reading over whatever relevant portion of the scriptures I need to study, I can open my scriptural journal and see what promptings I might have had in the past that might relate. In this way, I can find some of those fleeting spiritual promptings that I might otherwise have missed.
Interestingly, in our Teacher Development class last Sunday, we were asked about study habits. When I mentioned my journal, the teacher noted that such a thing would be of far greater interest to our posterity than one that noted the trip we took to the mall. I hadn’t actually considered that, but I suppose it would be a nice way for my children and grandchildren to feel my testimony after I am gone.
On the other hand, I pity anyone who has to struggle to read my handwriting at any point, since it is highly illegible!
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