Spiritual Journal
The past several days, my mind has been on this topic a lot. We talked about it first during institute. Wilford Woodruff kept quite a bit in his journals. 7000 pages worth. We talked of the differences between journals, spiritual and daily(small and large plates), ect. I thought a lot on the topic on Saturday, and then in church today, it was discussed during Sunday School while on the topic of receiving revelation and writing it down. This was while This Girl was writing down in her spiritual journal.
So I've decided to start keeping one based on the fact that the random sheets of papers scattered over my home and office aren't doing the greatest job of keeping my spiritual thoughts more organized, among other things. My only problem is what do I want to keep in this journal? What parts of my spiritual undertakings do I want to include in this? Do I want to include everything from my studies, notes from all my classes, revelation and inspiration that I receive while studying and while I'm praying? Questions that I need answers to?
I am hesitant to add everything in this journal. This was an issue addressed in class. We tend to take all of our notes down, and then we never read through those notes to every class again, so really, it probably didn't help you much more than if you just sat there and listened attentively. I know I could easily fall into this.
So I want to keep it to things that I know I will want to look back on. A great example of one I look back on is my thoughts that I wrote up on here last month. I've looked at that several times since I wrote it. Yet how can I differenciate between those that I will want to include in my spiritual journal from those that would be just note-taking and not as pertenant to what I want to keep?
So I want to keep revelation and inspiration from study, class, and prayer. The ones that I will look on and cherish. This is what I want. Yet I still wouldn't know at what moment I would want to write whatever the Lord has for me to learn. I would have to keep it with me almost 24/7, which isn't a big deal, my backpack does the same thing usually. I'm still a little confused as to when I will know when I should write something down or not. I guess trial and error will be the way to go, unless anyone else has some thoughts on the matter.
I guess my first step though is to buy a new journal...
posted by Trueblat @ 5:53 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I'm no expert at this, but I do keep a scripture journal that I sometimes take Conference or Fireside notes in. If you want to cut all the fluff that you're afraid might fill up your journal, maybe you could just write your thoughts on what is spoken about in a class you're in. I don't usually take notes in church meetings unless I think of something that leads me to another thought, doctrinal connection, or a question that doesn't fit in with the class discussion and I want to have it answered later. Generally, I'm a little more discriminating in my notes at church than I am at school where I try to write down everything I think might be on the test. In short: Good luck, listen to the Spirit, and have fun! These journals are a great way to get personal revelation- just ask Elder Richard G. Scott!
Great plan. I find if I don't write things down, I forget why the scripture was important to me or which one it was or what the inspiring thing was that the stake president said. Which is not to say that I'm organized by any means. I usually end up scribbling things onto receipts and napkins, which I toss into a box in my bedroom.
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