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The heads of sacred things

The plates of Nephi were small and the method of inscribing them on the plates was very cumbersome. Thus Nephi, in handing off the plates to Jacob, instructs him to touch lightly the history of the people but to engrave the heads of important things - like prophecies, preaching, or miracles - on the plates.

I wonder about my own journal writing. Am I too into my own history? Do I spend so much time on mundane matters of little consequence? Or do I more appropriately give reasonable background and context for my stories and personal testimonies? I hope I do the latter.

I want to be remembered as someone who loved the Lord. I want people to know that I had a testimony of the truthfulness of things. There are many things I have come to know are true. And I want people to know how and why I know they are true.

I want to be remembered as someone who loved the scriptures. I want my love for the scriptures to be passed down from me to my children and to future generations that may come. I hope people will know that the scriptures contain answers to life's questions and the very words of God Himself. But even more than that, the scriptures allow us to feel and be inspired by words that will speak to our souls in a revelatory manner - our experiences with the word of God may often transcend the written word and we'll find His finger inscribing marvelous and unspeakable things on the fleshy tables of our hearts.

I want to be remembered as someone who was devoted to the gospel. I love the Church and what it represents. I love our prophet and I love that we have a prophet. I am grateful for the efforts of those who are called to serve us and sustain them with all my heart. These are great men, as evidenced in the smallest degree by their devotion to the Lord and to each of us.

I want to be remembered as someone who knows the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, the mission of Joseph Smith, and the great work he began. I want it to be known that I believe in the power of the Priesthood of God. I know that there are miracles - healings, the gift of tongues, etc - that do in fact take place today. I also know that the greatest miracle wrought on this earth is the very personal changing of someone's heart from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh.

Above all, I want to be remembered as someone who loves the Lord. All of the fondest dreams of my heart and soul, all of the goals and desires that I have, are centered in Him and His atoning sacrifice. He makes it possible for my family and all families to be together forever. Knowing this and knowing Him are life eternal. He is my Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One, the great Author and Finisher of our faith. In Him and His greatness and glory I find my glory forever. Praised be His great Name!

I am humbled by all of this. The things that I am writing are in fact just so many strings of binary code stored somewhere in a blog database. Few may ever read them. But they are the very distillations of my soul and heart and the light of my life. I have come to know truth and I must therefore share it the best way I can.

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