Repent!

Q: Why are Latter-day Saints encouraged to attend General Conference every six months?
A: Because we forget.

Last night reminded me of something I'd not thought about for a long time. The choir performing at last night's Priesthood session was composed of new missionaries from the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo. As I watched the closing hymn, I began thinking about my days in the MTC, short and very long ago though they were. I remember my MTC companion: an eager, light-hearted young man from Eden, Utah who had seen the movie Fletch fifty-seven times. When asked to share a favorite scripture on one occasion, he chose Isaiah 4:1 and said he was really looking forward to that day.^‡ He had an odd, quirky sense of humor, but I never doubted that he'd be a great missionary.

Two years later, as we were getting ready to return home from missionary service, I got to see him again. He had become a great missionary—still quirky, but wise and dedicated and faithful. He told me on that occasion that he'd watched me in the MTC and learned two things from me. First, he had learned to make a good salad. He'd never been much good at a salad bar, he said, but he'd learned how to combine ingredients to make a tasty salad by watching me.

Second, he had learned the importance of keeping a journal. He'd been impressed that I had taken time to write at least something every day that we were in the MTC. He'd decided to start doing the same. The end of his mission had come, and he had written something in his journal every day of it.

I . . . well, I hadn't.

Journal writing has been rather cyclical for me. There are times when I've done a great job and been very consistent. There have been other, more frequent times when my dedication has been lax or when I've forgotten about it altogether. Last night reminded me that I'm in the latter part of the cycle now.

I guess it's been about a year and a half since I was really writing regularly. I've been so busy that I just haven't made the time for it. The really ironic thing is that the last year and a half has been the most memorable of my life. Between getting my dream job and welcoming Sophia into our family, life has been hectic. And it's been memorable. There have been unforeseen challenges and moments of sweet relief, milestones and moments of quiet reflection, feelings of frustration and helplessness and anticipation and worry and joy, deadlines and celebrations of success. It's been quite a time these eighteen months or so.

Sadly, I've recorded almost none of it.

So it's time to start again. While I know that I won't write every day, I will make the effort to write more regularly. I will take a few moments to record the important events and the unique feelings and impressions when they come. I'll share what wisdom and insights I might obtain. I'll get back to leaving a legacy of my life.

After all, with Sophia here, I have an audience now.

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^‡AND in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. (Isaiah 4:1)