Prophets, journals and blogs

I joined the church in 1974, at the ripe old age of 16. Harold B. Lee had just died and Spencer Kimball became the new prophet.

Kimball was quite a small man, I think 5'4" and plagued with such ills as throat cancer and heart problems. Due to the cancer, he'd had part of his vocal chords removed and, consequently, had a very gravelly voice. Despite his small frame, he also had a huge plan.

His regular motto was "Lengthen your stride". He would frequently be chastened by his doctors to slow down his pace, but he would always respond back: "If you knew what I knew, you would lengthen your stride as well."

He wasn't a particularly chummy prophet, that would have been Howard Hunter. Pres. Kimball was somewhat strict and stern. He didn't mince words. When he spoke, you understood exactly what it was that he wanted you to do. He had his calling and election, and when he spoke, you just pretty much wanted to listen, to find out what God wanted you to do.

Some of the things I remember from his talks were that "the dullest pencil is sharper than the sharpest memory." He always encouraged us to write down our goals, otherwise we were far more likely to forget them. He was big on setting goals. He was big on food storage and keeping gardens. He was the reason I planted my first garden some 35 years ago and the reason I've continued to plant one most years since. He suggested that we would need to know how to support our families from our gardens one day.

President Kimball was also big on cleaning up our properties. It irked him to drive down the highways and see barns in disrepair, sheds falling down and houses that needed paint. "Clean it up or tear it down!" was something he would frequently advise.

He also encouraged the women of the church to become "scriptorians". A lot of women listened, myself included, and began diligently studying all the books of the scriptures. When he encouraged the women of the church to become proficient in the arts, to become painters, writers, and musicians, a lot of women suddenly began moving into those fields. It was almost like he gave the women permission to go for their dreams, to stretch their wings and fly!

One of the many lessons that hit home for me were his oft repeated pleas to the members of the church to keep a daily journal. He told the story of walking into his library and how, lining the top shelf all around the walls, were his journals, one for every year of most of his life. In appealing to the church to keep a daily journal, he made the declaration that "perhaps, one day, the very angels of heaven will quote from it."

That last little tidbit always amused me. I never really expected it to be so out of my own journals, but it was a cool thought. While I may not be customarily traditional, I've always been obedient. When the prophet said to do something, then I did it, no questions asked. Journals were one of those things.

Over the years, I've reaped huge benefits from that activity. Other than the two times they kept me out of jail due to mistaken identities, they've helped me work out a myriad of situations. They've helped me to win petty arguments in my marriage or to remind people of important things they'd forgotten from the past, myself included. They've held just about every major answer to prayer I've ever received, every major struggle I've endured and the details of many, many joyous experiences. When I've felt friendless, my journal was always there. When there was no one to share a particular excitement with, I recorded it, often with pictures, for my posterity to read... some day.

Because of journals, I really don't have much need for a blog. In fact, I often ask myself why I even bother. It's kind of a time sink and it will surely never make any sort of long term difference to anyone. I don't know... perhaps one day, I will print them out and put them into my journal. :o) There, in that book, they would at least not fade into complete oblivion over time. There, I could leaf back through the pages and remember that I had a burning witness, one of my first, that Spencer Kimball was a true prophet.

It happened while I was a youth missionary. We had the dauntingly scary task of going by twos through neighborhoods and into an apartment complex, knocking on doors and testifying to anyone who would listen to us. When Carol and I got to one certain door, a girl answered. Her boyfriend was in the background, calling to her to send us away, but she wanted to hear our message.

I began to tell her about prophets in our day and out of my mouth popped the words "I know that Spencer W. Kimball is a true prophet of God". Ha ha. It was like listening to someone else speak! The Spirit was SO strong and she and I both had tears in our eyes from the experience. I had believed we had a prophet on earth before that day, but from that moment on, I knew it.

So, there is a story not recorded in any of my journals (the journal talk didn't come until a couple of years later). Maybe it makes this blog worthwhile. Probably not... but who knows? :o)