Fundamental to the gospel of Jesus Christ is the doctrine of incremental investiture of truth: “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have” (2 Nephi 28:30; compare Isaiah 28:10, 13; D&C 98:12; 128:21). Alma made clear that the Lord endows us with truth to the extent we have the faith to receive it: “And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full” (Alma 12:10). The Savior corrected Nephi and his comrades for failing to include in their records references to the fulfilled prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite concerning the resurrection of the Saints following the atoning sacrifice (see 3 Nephi 23:6–13). These were important truths that had been overlooked—and thus lost from the record. Later, the Savior restrained Mormon from including His entire proceedings with the Saints in America as part of the future Book of Mormon, saying: “I will try the faith of my people” (3 Nephi 26:11). Faith opens the channels of truth; obedience in record-keeping preserves the truth.
Years ago I came across a striking passage from the Prophet Joseph Smith that suggests this doctrine applies not only to our acquisition of scriptural truth but also to the inspiration that comes to us personally, especially in the course of our service in building the kingdom of God. The Prophet was explaining one of the key reasons for keeping careful records: “If you assemble from time to time, and proceed to discuss important questions, and pass decisions upon the same, and fail to note them down, by and by you will be driven to straits from which you will not be able to extricate yourselves, because you may be in a situation not to bring your faith to bear with sufficient perfection or power to obtain the desired information; or, perhaps, for neglecting to write these things when God had revealed them, not esteeming them of sufficient worth, the Spirit may withdraw and God may be angry; and there is, or was, a vast knowledge, of infinite importance, which is now lost” (HC 2:199).
Should we not ask ourselves how many times the Almighty has bestowed upon us personal inspiration in support of a worthy cause or goal, only to have this insight or revelation lost because of our neglect at record keeping? Conversely, can we not confirm that keeping careful and detailed records of how the Lord is guiding our lives can literally open the channels of truth and allow a compounding of inspiration for higher purposes? Again, from the Prophet Joseph: “Since I have been engaged in laying the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I have been prevented in various ways from continuing my journal and history in a manner satisfactory to myself or in justice to the cause. Long imprisonments, vexatious and long-continued law-suits, the treachery of some of my clerks, the death of others, and the poverty of myself and brethren from continued plunder and driving, have prevented my handing down to posterity a connected memorandum of events desirable to all lovers of truth; yet I have continued to keep up a journal in the best manner my circumstances would allow, and dictate for my history from time to time, as I have had opportunity so that the labors and suffering of the first Elders and Saints of this last kingdom might not wholly be lost to the world” (HC 4:470; Dec. 11, 1841). “There are but few subjects,” he wrote some two years later, “ that I have felt a greater anxiety about than my history” (HC 6:66). Should not we, who have far fewer impediments to overcome than the Prophet, be equally anxious to “put all inquirers after truth in possession of the facts” (Joseph Smith—History 1:1) in relation to our own contributions to the building up of Zion? After all, the history of the Church continues, and we are each a part of it. (Richard J. Allen)
“It is Vital to Keep Accurate and Complete Records”
It is wisdom in God that His word be declared in spoken form and preserved in written form to be handed down to His children, including all that is “expedient” for them to know (2 Nephi 3:19; 3 Nephi 26:9; D&C 75:10; 88:127). The reason is clear, as Alma explains to his son Helaman: “And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls” (Alma 37:8). It is ultimately from the written records that the people will be judged: “For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written” (2 Nephi 29:11; compare 3 Nephi 27:25–26; D&C 128:7–8; Moses 6:5; Revelation 20:12).
From the early days of the Church, the Lord has taught the importance of keeping complete and accurate records so far as the Church is concerned. Also, in recent times the prophets and other leaders have stressed the importance of keeping family and personal records. Good records serve several useful functions. Not only do they provide reference to past decisions and actions, but they also provide valuable information for later generations. Here are some selected quotations concerning the importance of record keeping:
• Wilford Woodruff: “I have never spent any of my time more profitably for the benefit of mankind than in my journal writing, for a great portion of the Church history has been compiled from my journals and some of the most glorious gospel sermons, truths, and revelations that were given from God to this people through the mouth of the Prophets Joseph and Brigham, Heber and the Twelve could not be found upon the earth on record only in my journals and they are compiled in the Church history and transmitted to the saints of God in all future generations. Does not this pay me for my troubles? It does.” (Diary, Mar. 17, 1857.)
• Joseph Fielding Smith: “The matter of record keeping is one of the most important duties devolving on the Church. In the early days of the Church, because of lack of experience, this duty was neglected, therefore many important historical events were not recorded. Even today it is difficult to impress upon clerks in stakes, wards and missions the importance of proper record keeping. There has, however, been a vast improvement in recent years. The Church today endeavors to keep a record of each individual member and file that record in the archives where it may be preserved. On the day of the organization of the Church the Lord impressed the small body of members with the importance of record keeping, and this duty the Church has endeavored to perform truthfully ever since.” (CHMR 1:96–97.)
• Spencer W. Kimball: “We urge our young people to begin today to write and keep records of all the important things in their own lives and also the lives of their antecedents in the event that their parents should fail to record all the important incidents in their own lives. Your own private journal should record the way you face up to challenges that beset you. Do not suppose life changes so much that your experiences will not be interesting to your posterity. Experiences of work, relations with people and an awareness of the rightness and wrongness of actions will always be relevant… .
“What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved?
“Get a notebook, … a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events.” (New Era, Oct. 1975, 4ff.)