“Tell me a story” is a frequent request from children. While fictional stories and fairytales can be fun to share, consider instead telling your children stories that show faith in Jesus Christ and stories that connect them to their noble ancestors. Years ago, Kristen and I decided to create our own family storybook, filled with accounts from our extended families and ancestry. We love reading from it with our family.
“We invite you to create your own compilation of examples from your family history of those who acted on their faith in the Savior, in His leaders, and in the principles of His gospel. You might pull stories from talks or family histories, or even just stories you heard growing up. Document them and share them. Doing so can help you and your family turn your hearts to your ancestors.” (Dallin H. Oaks, Facebook Post onJanuary 14t, 2021)
What an exciting challenge! President Oaks invites us to teach the stories of our ancestors to our children. And how exciting it would be (for us – or you – as the “ancestor”) to teach our own children and grandchildren from our own personal journal writings. Wow! What a great opportunity. Such stories of our lives might remain with our posterity forever as we share of ourselves with them.
As you begin your quest or journaling mission it is hard to see that your work will build into something substantial. You start small and all you see are the meager few days of writing. But, over time, and it will happen before you realize it is happening, you will begin to have a sizeable collection of material. That can be a goal for the future but for now, just keep your mind focused on the here and now – today. Keep doing those daily entries.
When you do find that you have material collecting, you have some additional options and opportunities. You can utilize these options to further your work … to create and maintain your personal and family legacy – even a family treasure to be cherished now and forever.
I recorded earlier the joy of creating my 100th journal volume. On that occasion, several of my children wrote their congratulations and feelings of that milestone:
And after my initial entries (noted above … and more) several of the family members recorded their own messages into my journal.
FROM MY WIFE, LOU JULY 15, 2004
“Wow! Number #100. I don’t know anybody else with that many journals, maybe you are the world’s record journal writer. Thank you for keeping records of all our family activities. I am sure grandchildren and greats will enjoy reading about all the activities. You have been a good example to all of us. It is fun to go back and read about each of the children when they were born. They also love to hear all the details.
FROM DAUGHTER, JENAE
“Dad, Congratulations on your 100th journal. You are such a great example to all of us in all you do. …
FROM A SON-IN-LAW, PAUL
“Congrats! Wow, I can’t believe that you have been able to fill 100 of these. What an inspiration to the rest of us. This is such a great accomplishment. Thanks for all you do. You have raised a wonderful daughter to whom I am happily married. She is so wonderful. Good luck on your next 100 journals. With the kids at home and grandchildren on the way you should never have a lack of something to write.”
FROM DAUGHTER, KAYLEA
“Dad, congrats on making it to #100. I’ve written every day for the past year and a half. Sometimes I want to stop because it takes too long, but I keep it up because I’m trying to beat you – or keep up with you. Someday I hope to be on #100. You’ve inspired me. Thank you for always being a good example. You’re the best day. Thanks for all the sacrifices you’ve made for us kids over the years (like your teeth … ha, ha). You’re the best! I love you so much, Grandpa … lol! We’d better start calling you that so you’ll be used to it by the time my son is born.” [Her first child – and our first grandchild was born about three months later.]
FROM MY SON, RUSTY
“Dad – I can’t believe you reached #100. This is a tremendous accomplishment. You are an example to us all! Thanks for keeping such a detailed history of our lives. It is always fun to go back and read about our life’s events. Keep up the awesome work.”
FROM MY DAUGHER, MARINDA
“Dad – congratulations! This is so awesome! I can’t believe you are on your 100th volume. It is so awesome. Now you have to start working on your 200! Just kidding. Thanks for always writing and being the example. Love you lotz – Marinda”
FROM MY SON, KEITH
“Dad, everyone wrote something about the 100th – the first line … so I will too. Congratulations on making it to 100 volumes. I’m still working on #1 … only 99 more to go. You’re an awesome dad. Thanks for everything. I really like my remodeled room … Thanks again. I love you! Keith”
FROM SON-IN-LAW, MICHAEL
100TH Edition, huh! Wow! That is quite an accomplishment. Must make you feel old with all this history behind ya. These memories are preserved for future generations. Thanks! I am grateful to be in this family. It has been a wonderful experience. Love, Michael.”
FROM DAUGHTER, JACKIE
“Dad, that’s really cool that you’ve passed this mile marker. That’s quite the Hunt Bunch autobiography you’ve written. I’m very impressed with our ability to remember from days/months ago and still give a full account. I can barely remember what I did yesterday. Thanks for writing a history for my kids and their kids. You’re an awesome dad. Thanks for all you’ve done for me over the years. I love you so much – Love, Jackie”
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Start a collection of printed journals. Create a fun space for your printed books. There is just something unique and wonderful about a printed volume. It is exciting to see that I/you have developed into a real live author – with published books. Wow! That is such a great feeling!
I have noted that my first hundred journal volumes were hand-written. Then I started to type. I typed my entries into my computer. I would also print out each weekly package and then would collect them. And when I got about 300 pages collected, I would take them to a local printer/copy center where the folks would “bind” them into one hard-bound book. This cost was about $10 just for the binding of the sheets I had previously printed out. But it was so worth it!
Rather than printing out the sheets weekly – and the having to store them, you could also just collect the pages on the computer and then print them out at once for binding. This could be done for a several months or a whole year’s worth of packages – depending on how much you write. (You could prepare books to include a whole year’s worth of journal entries and packages – even though the size could vary.)
I followed this plan for about twenty-six volumes. The plan worked well until the copy center quit doing the binding.
After I have accumulated a large number of weekly packages (months or a year), I have created a “super file” of the many weekly packages. I copy and paste them into a Microsoft Word “master document” – which I label and save appropriately. At this time, I also do the spell check and do a final edit of the master package. I scroll the document and make sure that all of the entries are there. I make page breaks as needed. I make sure that everything looks nice and uniform. I then save the “master document” into a PDF file for future reference and possible publishing. (And I be sure to save a back-up copy! Very important!)
One note … and if may be just a quirk of my own Microsoft settings. But there is a setting under “Review” on the middle of the “bar” at the top. My system does “Simple Mark-up” as the default. You need to click the arrow and select “No Markup”. I learned this the hard way. I made PDF files and then they came out looking really crazy when I tried to publish them. The “markup” selection adds a bar of about 3” wide to the right of your text. It took me forever to figure out what was going on. “No markup” removes the frustrating “review column”.
Over the years since my copy center quit doing the binding, I have wished for another binding option. Then as I published other books, I discovered LULU.com. This is a really great place for authors/writers to self-publish their own works. One can upload PDF files of their documents and then add a cover to them. The books can then be published “on demand” for you or anyone else. I recently did this for nine volumes of right at 500 pages each.
Using Microsoft Publisher, I created a nice cover for each book. I created first a standard look and design to be used universally on each book. And then you can select “Design” (as I did) and choose from a multitude of colors to make each cover unique from the others (yet they still have the look of being a part of a uniform series that go together). I titled each, “Kevin V. Hunt Personal Journal” as the title. And then down below, I added “Volume 127 (or whatever volume)” I added the dates that the book covered. And then the fun thing was that I made a collage – for both the front and the back of the book – using photos from the period that the book covered. This was wonderful.
I then saved the cover as a PDF file and uploaded it also into the Lulu.com system. (And another hint … use the “Save As” function – and not the print function when converting your file to a pdf format. And as you do this, on the print screen, select “other options”. Then click again on “Options”. Then select “PDF/A Compliant” and “Optimize for image quality”. Also, once you upload your book’s guts file, the Lulu system will tell you the needed size for your outside cover. Go back to your Publisher file where you created your cover and change your file size to reflect the Lulu specs. Save it as a PDF (as explained above) and then load it into Lulu.)
On Lulu, I selected the large book size (to hold 8.5×11” sheets). I selected the glossy cover (though Matte is nice also). I selected the black and white book – with pages to be in standard 60# white. With this selection, the cover still prints in color but the pages are black and white.
One limitation with this black and white option is that any photos that you may have included in your file will also print black and white. But, if they are nice clear photos, they will come out good even in the black and white. Note my cost for the printing of a 500 page book in black and white is about $26. You can also choose to print your book in full color – for the photos, if you so choose, and every page – including the photo pages – will print in color. But the cost for a full color book (even if there are only a few pages with colored photos) will cost about $115. So, you do have a choice.
And as I said, I created nine volumes and “published them” to the LULU system. I made these available to me and to others – at the printing cost. I did not elevate the cost as I would on a regular book to be sold. And then once published, the books just sit there on their system until I or someone else wants to order them. (My kids know the books are there and available to them – but at this moment, because I am alive and well, they do not feel the need to print them out. But, someday they will want to order their own printed copies.) And I have them ready for them. In the meantime, they can enjoy my own printed copies when they come to my house.
I admit that even for me – the author, and having an intense desire to print out the books, the total price for nine books at once was a little challenging. Then one day “when my ship came in”, (har, har!) I was finally able to order all nine volumes. It was a happy day when they arrived and I saw my own work in print. Such a great feeling! It was fun to add them to the shelf with my other journal volumes – the hand-written ones as well as the books with the plain-Jane basic covers of the bound volumes from my copy center. It was super exciting to note that I then had a full printed collection of every one of my journal volumes (thus far).
I should also add a note about the non Lulu books. I found a place on-line where I could purchase some gold labels. I got two kinds. One was a large rectangle which I affixed to the front of the books. On this label I printed the Volume Number and the dates covered in the book. I also found some long narrow labels on which I printed again the same information (Volume and date) and these fit on the “spine” or side of the books. These have looked nice but the spine labels don’t stick real well to the book. But, most of the time, they do their job. It makes it easy when I want to research in a specific book or time period.
And so, now, the collection is all together on the shelves. And I refer to them very frequently. There seems to always be a desire or need to research something in the books. So, with the shelf volumes, do research in your journals – find specific entries or for a period of time in your life and re-live the good times. Again, I cannot tell you how enjoyable this is. It is the greatest experience to go in there to my office and pull out a journal (usually for a specific request or need) and then to read the journal entries. Generally, when this happens, it is a few years after the event was recorded and sufficient time has passed that many of the details of the occasion have dimmed in my mind (or I may have imagined up – or embellished them in my memory) the events of yesteryear. And then I go to the journal and it sets the record straight with the true scoop. And that means that I might have to revise the story I have been telling all of these years. (But maybe it sounds better how I have told it! Ha, ha.) And most of the time, the details that I want are recorded there. Occasionally however, I find that some of the details were not recorded as I now wish that they were. But, yet I relish in those details that WERE recorded.
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You can do other fun things now that you are in this “history mode”.
Create your own personal life history building upon your journal records. Journaling is a day-to-day activity and in keeping such, you are very definitely creating a very detailed history of your life. And you are to be commended for doing that. There is also much benefit to creating a more-concise summary of your life – to be called your “life history”. And, obviously, your journals can be referenced for life milestones to include in your personal history.
Earlier in this book, I included some journal records of some of my ancestors. Technically, most of these were “personal histories”. Terminology is not important. The important thing is that they wrote – and we have their records. Do you know how exciting it is for a future descendent to come across such a writing by a long-gone ancestor? I hope that you enjoyed the records (even as a non-family member). Imagine my joy to read those things as one of their “children”. I loved them. I hung onto every detail included in the accounts. Nothing was too mundane or routine. Their stories were amazing and wonderful. Being an avid historian, I begged for more. I wanted to read their full records.
Likewise, your own journal entries will have the same effect. But generally, only the most devout family members or historians will read every book, every word that you write (at this current moment, anyway). Most will appreciate a more concise “abbreviated” version of your life.
Your personal journal is the big picture … the full enchilada. Your personal life history is kind of like your “Reader’s Digest” condensed version of your total life story. They are two separate documents or collections but each one is needed and wonderful. Each has its own role in your life and the story that you are writing for your posterity.
As you write your life history, you will experience great joy and happiness. You will see that you really have lived a great life. You will feel proud of the life that you have lived. And imagine the joy that your posterity will feel as they read it and learn of you. And reading the life history will potentially draw them to your full journal packages. (Be sure to mention in your life history your journal writing habit and results.)
As you write your history, you can reference your journal for key events and milestones in your life. You can also include brief excerpts from the journals.
So, how do you prepare or create a history of your life? First, do not get overwhelmed with it. And don’t think that you have to create it all in one sitting. It can happen over time but set goals with dates – so that you will indeed make progress on it.
I have written my own life history (and have revised it and added to it through the years). And I hope that I have inspired other family and friends to do the same – as I have taught many classes on the subject. I have the perfect way to create your history … but I confess that it is not totally original to me. I have adopted the “how to” as taught by Boyd K. Packer. (Another LDS leader of great renown … but don’t let that connection deter you from what you want to do … His message will work for you and for everyone. (“Creating a Personal History”, Boyd K. Packer, General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, May 1977.)
“There is a way that it can be done. And there is a place to begin. You can begin with you, with whom you are and what you have right now. It is a matter of getting started. If you don’t know where to start, start with yourself. If you don’t know what records to get, and how to get them, start with what you have got. It really won’t take you long to write the account of your life, and it will have an accuracy because you have collected these records.
“Once you begin this project, very interesting and inspiring things will happen.
“Several years ago, Sister Packer and I determined that we should get our records in order. However, under the pressure of Church responsibilities with my travels about the world, and the obligations with our large family and a home to keep up both indoors and outdoors, there just was not enough time. We were restless and finally determined that we would have to make more time in the day.
“So, during the Christmas holidays, when we had a little extra time, we started. Then as we moved back to a regular schedule after the holidays, we adopted the practice of getting up an hour or two earlier each day.
“We gathered everything we had together and in the course of a few weeks, we were amazed at what we were able to accomplish. The thing that was most impressive, however, was the fact that we began to have experiences that told us somehow that we were being guided, that there were those beyond the veil who were interested in what we were doing. Everything that needed to happen began to happen.
… “We found pictures, records and stories we had wondered about for a long time. It seemed as though they came to us almost too easily. More than this, things that we never dreamed existed began to show up. We began to learn by personal experience that this research into our families is an inspired work. We came to know that an inspiration will follow those who move into it. It is just a matter of getting started.
“Once we started, we found the time. Somehow we were able to carry on all of the other responsibilities. There seemed to be an increased inspiration in our lives because of the work.”
The subject of personal and family histories was a frequent topic of teaching for Boyd K. Packer. I have since expanded on what I learned from him and I think it is an excellent plan.
To get started on your personal or family history, get a large box and put it in the middle of your living room floor – or on your dining table – somewhere where it is in your way – or where you are going to trip over it and be forced to think of it often. Then begin to collect newspaper clippings, photos, announcements, report cards, documents, certificates, and everything else that you have collected on yourself or family through the years.
You know where these things are … but they are probably not to be found in just one spot where you can go to them easily. Admit it … they are all over. Go to each of these spots and collect what you have and then put the items into your box. Go to the drawer in the kitchen desk, the cardboard boxes everywhere in your closet, the boxes out in the garage or up in the attic or in your basement, the stuff in your nightstand, in a scrapbook or photo album, or wherever.
As you have a few minutes … and make time every day for a while – systematically go to each of these spots and pull out the material. Even five or ten minutes a day will give you great progress. Take one spot at a time and then move on to the next when you have another five minutes (but keep your box there in the middle of your life so you will keep thinking about it. Otherwise, “Out of sight, out of mind …”)
Keep focused on your mission until you have been to all of your hidden spots where historical items can be found. You will then be totally amazed at just how much material you really do have – and that you didn’t realize that you did have. Always before, you have just seen a few pages or items at a time. And now, for the first time you will see it all together. You will Wow yourself.
Then when you have your “stuff” collected, it is time to go through it. Find a Sunday afternoon, or on Thanksgiving afternoon when it is raining outside … Anyway, sit on the floor with the box in front of you. Pull out each item and kind of sort if “for me” and “my parents and siblings” and “me and my spouse and our generations”. It is sometimes hard to separate you from your family – they kind of go together. But you’ll figure it out. And maybe there will be more than one history in the box! Use all of the floor around you to help you organize the material. And then put like things together.
Then once you have sorted the material, put each stack kind of in chronological order. You could organize by subject … my life as a child, my courtship and marriage, my school, etc. Put the material into folders to match your organizational scheme. Put the folders in order and put them back in the box (but again, keeping the box visible and “in the way”)
Around this same time, you should take a half hour and sit down and write some “chapters”- some headings of your life. You can write this out or put it on your computer. This is dream time. You are not going to write at this moment. You are just going to brainstorm with yourself. Write down some key things that happened to you in your life. Do not write any details. Just write “headings’ or milestones. This will become the skeleton of your personal or family history. Anything goes … write it down as the thoughts come to you. (And you can change it later.) You can have anything you want on your list. Start a list that is you. Here is a list to get you started. Add to take from it as you desire, to fit you:
Events surrounding my birth
My parents
My grandparents and other ancestors
Grandparent memories
How my parents met and got together
Where we lived when I was born, my parents’ occupations
My siblings … list each one and where they and you fit in the family
Early childhood memories
My first day of school
My first-grade teacher
My sixth-grade teacher
Early church memories and lessons
My baptism, christening etc.
Childhood friends
Childhood neighbors
Cub Scout memories
Boy or Girl Scout memories
My first job
Holidays of my childhood
My early Christmas memories
My first job
Paying my own way
Childhood and teen hobbies and interests
Sports and other activities
My first date
Dates of my youth
Memories of junior high
High school memories
Graduations
Military and other missions
College memories
Service opportunities
College major and minor
Paying for college
How I met my spouse
Our courtship
Our engagement
Our marriage
Our first job
Our first apartment
Our first Christmas
Early married life
Places we have lived
Our children (you may want a separate category for each child)
Adult sibling associations
Adult hobbies and interests
Vacations and trips
Volunteering activities
Church positions and activities
First time I read …
How I feel about …
Death of my grandfather
My experiences as a journalist
My vocations and employment
Life as a father/mother
Retirement
Hopes and dreams
Dreams and goals achieved
My philosophy of life, my testimony
The Lord working in my life
Life accomplishments
Creative works
Advise for future generations
… and anything else you want to include
Now plan some time and space where you can get going … set aside some blocks of time. Get some lined paper in a notebook. You may wish to get a notebook with several sets of tabs. Now, with your completed list, you can make a tab for each of your life chapters or milestones. After you have finalized your list, you can type your list and then put it all together with a book title and show it as “Table of Contents”. Make a nice cover page: “My Life and Times … By ….” Or whatever. Be creative! You can add page numbers later. If you use a notebook with a plastic see-through cover, you can add a title about Personal History and your name. (The book cover and your title page can be the same.) Then you will have a real book going. And at this point, you will get real excited about the possibilities of what you are creating. You will feel and see success as you begin to catch the vision of your project.
Get in your “writing place” where you can concentrate and go for it. …
At this point, you can have two projects. You can work on them simultaneously or separate as you wish.
The first project is to start on your materials from your box (or your file folders). Take out each item one at a time. Get a blank sheet of lined paper. Pick up an item from your box – going through just one folder at a time. Read the item. Record any thoughts or memories that you have about the item. The item will include many details. Record the 5 W’s and the H of what you see and read. And again, be your own reporter. Write what you remember of the event or program or news. You could ask other family members about their memories of that event. There is no set amount of what to write. Each document will jog memories that you have probably long forgotten. Write a few sentences, two or three paragraphs or a page or two. Be in tune to the things that come into your mind. Then file the completed page in your book under one of your chapters (or create a new chapter).
Proceed in this manner until you have examined each document and file in your box. And you may wish to take a photo of the document and save it under one of your chapter names so you can find it again – to insert into your history. You could also create an audio file about the document – which also can be included with your history later. Interview a family member about one of the documents and record it (or transcribe it as they say it).
As you do this, you will have some really great experiences. And you will be totally amazed at the amount of material that you have gathered. And after analyzing two or three documents and writing about them, you will begin to get excited.
A note about photos … be sure to take time now to write the names of people in the photos (on the back of them). And as you make notes on the back, remember your 5 W’s and the H. If you do not know who the people are, go back a generation. Ask your siblings, your parents, or your grandmother who they are … and record what they say about them.
See how easy this is? You find a document. You write a small bit about it and you file it in your personal history notebook. Within a short amount of time, you will have many single sheets of written memories – and the photos to go along with them.
Take a day or a week or whatever to think about each chapter. Take your notebook with you – with plenty of blank sheets of lined paper. Or get yourself some of my 3×5” cards and keep several of them in your pocket or purse.
Try to write some things each day. As you begin a day, pick a chapter. Say to yourself, “Okay, today I am going to think and write about my father …” Or “today I will think about my first job …” It doesn’t matter which you choose and you do not have to write about them in any special order. Focus upon your selected topic of the day. Now start thinking about your chosen topic. Think about it at the stoplight, as you wait for the train, as you are in the carline at school, while you are waiting for the dinner to cook, or whenever you have even a minute or two. Jot down just key points about what comes to your mind. Do not try to write details now. Maintain your focus. Keep thinking about your chosen subject of the day. Write these bullet points on a blank sheet in your notebook, on your phone, on your “Keep” Application, or on your 3×5” cards (one card for each idea). Then move forward in traffic, go in for your appointment, pick up your child, and be on your way. But be ready always for the next interruption or unplanned moment of delay. When the delay comes, or as you are going down the road and the thought comes, pull over and write it down.
(Another suggestion is to put a stack of your cards on your nightstand with a pen. With your focus through the day, the ideas might just keep coming as you sleep. Awaken yourself enough to write down the idea and then go back to bed. Then tomorrow, as you have time to write, you can bring out that chicken scratch and try to read it and write about it.)
Then tonight, you take out card or tickler. Get a blank sheet of lined paper – or a blank page in a computer document. This is the time to expound upon the few words or headline that you wrote earlier. Think about what you wrote and let your mind expand about the person, activity, or event. (Remember the 5W’s and the H as you write.) Now you can write a few lines or a paragraph or two of what comes to your mind. Do this EVERY DAY for the things on your card. And when you are done, file the paper away in your notebook under the right tab/heading. And you don’t really have to put the accumulating sheets in any special order under the notebook tab. You can do that later.
Tomorrow, you may be so into it, that you want to continue to think about yesterday’s subject. Or you might want to go on to the next subject. Keep on a subject for as long as ideas continue to come. This may all sound somewhat strange, but I promise you that it will work.
You do not need to rush this process. You really do not have a deadline (unless you impose one on yourself … ) and if you made the deadline, you can also change the deadline and the remove the pressure.
Now if you will systematically do this for the next month or two, you will be absolutely amazed at how the memories come back to you. You will remember great things that happened to you years ago. You will record a paragraph or two (or more) about each chapter and soon your book will begin to fill up.
You can also research your journal for the time periods referenced – if you have such. Take journal memories as you find them and insert them into your document. And if you don’t have something in your journal for this subject, then wait to insert a journal memory as is available and as it fits into your document. (And maybe your research will be motivation to include some notes into the journal. It works both ways.)
Following this plan, your notebook will fill up with great stuff. You will be so excited as your personal history begins to come together.
When you have a page or two – or many – under all of the tabs, you can then sort through what you have collected. Take one chapter at a time. Re-read the collected material – both from your daily writing and from your box exercise. Move the sheets around under your tab to put the items in chronological order. And this is the good thing about the 3-ring notebook. You can remove a page and put it back in easily as you find a better fit or order for it. The system really will work slick for you.
The next step is to begin to compile a single chapter (and then go on to others). You have accumulated several items in each chapter or file. Begin to put the chapter items together into a logical format. Add more, write more about the items in the chapter. Pull it together as a true chapter in a book. Refine it as you wish. Again, this can be easy. It does not need to be complicated. But, do not just sit down and think that you are going to write about each chapter all in one sitting – from front to back. That is not the way that this works.
Share a chapter with a family member and they will probably also get excited and be willing to share some new memories with you (which you may or may not want to include in your history … but document and keep what they say). And by sharing, you will have some great experiences with your family member(s). This will be so fun for all of you!
When you have totally exhausted every chapter and feel that you “have written it all”, then you can begin typing. Revise your Table of Contents as needed. (You can still add to the Table, delete, change it, etc. at this point. And you still don’t need page numbers.) Begin typing your material into a chapter. You might want a separate file or document for each chapter – labeled appropriately and placed in your “personal history” directory. Later you can open each chapter file or document and pump it (copy and paste) into a master file document.
Once you have all of the writing done, get it into your master file. (“select all”, go to master document, right click and select “keep source formatting”) Then add any documents that you photographed in the earlier processes. Then do your spell check or run Editor on it. Correct any errors that you find. Then read through your whole document. Check for pagination and formatting to make sure that it is uniform throughout. And when you have everything in order, add the page numbers to the document – inserted as a “footer” at the bottom (or top) of the page. Then print out your Table of Contents. Now go through your document and note the page numbers on the appropriate column in your Table of Contents. Go again to your Table of Contents and type in the page numbers for each chapter or other heading.
Well, what do you think? Are you ready to tackle it? Again, the process is pretty simple. It is actually as easy as eating an elephant. And do you know how to do that? You do it one bite at a time. So, bite off a bite at a time, chew it around a bit, and then swallow it. Then as you can, go to the next bite. You will soon (and very quickly) see profound progress. You will surprise yourself and you will be so happy.
Well, there you have it! That is a simple way to create your own personal history … and I know that it will work for you, as it has for me. Again, don’t try to do it all in one afternoon. Be patient, but keep at it. Do it over a month or two and it will come together for you.
And now that you have a completed life history, what should you do with it? You could just quietly send it as an attachment to a communication to your children. In such case, it may just get lost with their barrage of daily material. You have worked hard to create this. So, make an extra effort to make it special for your family and others.
A simple suggestion might be to print out copies and put them into a notebook with a clear plastic cover and insert a creative title page. Then give copies of this book to your family members. It could be given to them on your birthday, or as a Christmas gift. And this will be a true gift that they will cherish forever … so much better than the scarf, socks or tie!
Another option would be to actually publish it in a nice book – as described above for publishing your journal – on Lulu.com. Lulu will allow you to publish a hard-cover book if you have more than 25-30 pages. And my guess is that if you have followed the chapter process above, you might easily have that many pages or more. And on your cover, include photos from many of your life chapters. And when you are done, you can simply make the book available for purchase by others – or again, you can gift it to your family members on Christmas or other special occasion. This is an enduring gift that your family will love forever.
And now that you have conquered the writing and publishing process for yourself, you could even expand the same process to prepare a history for your spouse or for your family. You could be the manager of the process. And if you cannot get the person to write, you could get them to talk and you record (audio) or transcribe (in writing as you interview) them.
Another option for you would be to create a bigger volume of family history and include your own history as a part of the bigger package.
I have recently had the opportunity to create such family books. I have created ten different “Family Heritage” book volumes. In these books, I included many histories, biographies, autobiographies, photos, documents and more for various ancestral lines. I published each of these books (again on Lulu.com) and made them available for family members to purchase if they so choose. Not every family member placed orders for the various books but many folks did get them and enjoyed them greatly. And many others bought multiple copies and gifted them to their own posterity. (More on this later …)
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After you have been creating journals and personal and family histories for some time – or perhaps as you begin to “age”, you may wish to consider donating your creative works or records to a historical society or library. There are hundreds of organizations in the country that would welcome your contributions. Do some research and select an organization (and maybe more than one) that is close to your heart. Select an organization that can help you create your living legacy that will endure even long after your mortal departure. Imagine the joy that you can create for your family and future descendants as they discover the records that you created and left for them to enjoy.
I could donate my books anywhere, but in my case, I attended and graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. I have known of their large Harold B. Lee Library and more specifically their L. Tom Perry Special Collections Library.
Their website states:
“Founded in 1957, Special Collections at Brigham Young University began with 1,000 books, 50 manuscript collections, and one curator. Today the department is run by a staff of 20 assisted by 70 students working with the Harold B. Lee Library’s unique treasures. From cuneiform tablets to the latest publications by contemporary … authors, the holdings include more than 300,000 volumes of history’s rarest and most interesting books. We are also home to over 11,000 rich manuscript collections and 2.5 million photographs that allow you to experience the recent and distant past.”
As I created my ten “Family Heritage” volumes, I contacted the BYU Library about the books. They were all about the books and wanted copies of them. They were very interested in the actual printed volumes but also wanted my digital copies. So, I sent them both. They said that these would be used in their large family history library.
And for my journals, they said that if I submitted my hard copies to them, they would actually have their workers physically type each book and page. They said that copies of their transcriptions would be available for my descendants. I am not quite ready to part with the physical copies of my journal collection – but my personal trust documents ask my executors (designated family members) to get the books to the BYU library.
I have mentioned my mother’s 70+ journal volume collection. She is now age 88 and is still writing. I have already inherited her collections – as she went into an assisted living facility (and she continues to give me her newly completed volumes) and I have the books in my possession. I used her journals extensively as I created a 600-page Family Heritage biography book just about her and her life. I included many journal excerpts in the book. Many family members ordered copies of the book and have really enjoyed it. And mother, still in the assisted living center, has a copy of her own book and has read it multiple times. She absolutely loves the book. I am happy that we were able to create that book together – combining her journal writing and my book generating skills for multiple generations to enjoy.
At some future point – after Mom passes on (and I am not rushing the event), I will donate her full journal collection to the BYU library. (They already have a copy of her book that I generated for her.) It would be nice to type those journals for her, but the reality of that happening is pretty slim. But, if the BYU personnel will type them and then make them available (as printed copies or digital files that I can research), that will be fabulous. I look forward to that opportunity.
Another option that I wish to pursue as a collection or storage “place” is the Sons of Utah Pioneers, a historical legacy organization. I belong to this organization so it is a natural for me to want to donate to them. They prefer the digital files.
Do some research and find the perfect place to “receive” and store your precious documents.
The sky is the limit relative to what you can do. You could read and re-live a different chapter of your history each month with your family. Bring them over for Sunday dessert, a hot dog roast and storytelling, have a dramatic reading … write a skit about something fun in your life and let the young’uns act it out … or whatever … Be creative and think of some fun things to do. Bring your life – and the life of others “to life again”. You will build and share such great memories as together you relive those “good ol’ days”. And you will love it! All of your work and efforts will then “be worth it”. (And as President Kimball said, “The angels may quote from it.” (You never know …
Well, hopefully, this chapter has given you some vision – and reason for starting, doing and keep going with your journal (and other historical records). Just realize and remember that you don’t need to think that you have to do all of these things all at once. (I have been working toward these goals for many years and they are just now coming together for me.) Remember the elephant … take it in small bites and work at it little at a time. You have a lot of options – and they are all fun and great. Pick one thing that interests you and start working toward it – NOW. Create and share your personal and family legacy … for after all, the “angels (and your own family) may forever quote from it!”
Remember where this chapter started. Think of the words of Dallin H. Oaks and think of fun ways to share your life and records with your current family and generations.
I have mentioned my creation of the ten “Family Heritage” books. For many years it was my goal and plan to create a composite collection of stories of our ancestors and to make this collection available and accessible to all members of the family. While a student at BYU almost 45 years ago, I wrote of my goal to create such a book. On that occasion, I wrote in my journal:
1976 – SUNDAY, AUGUST 15TH
“This has been a glorious Sabbath. I wish they could all be as pleasant. I was an hour or so early for Priesthood meeting. On the southwest corner of campus, I found a quiet little path. Located conveniently was a little bench. Nearby the water in the ditch gurgled by. The rain softly sprinkled on the trees overhead. I listened to the birds sing and looked at the beauties of nature. In this quiet peaceful setting, I was able to read in the Doctrine and Covenants. …
“Upon arrival home, I spent time reading in the August “Ensign” magazine. In it is an explanation of the newly accepted scripture in “The Pearl of Great Price”. I was also strongly motivated by an article on family records. I had the great desire to create such a history to be used as a reference by all family members. I wrote:
“Goal: “Prepare a book of pictures and life stories about our ancestors. This could include full page photos and biographies, autobiographies, copies of birth and marriage certificates, family group sheets, etc. This should include faith promoting stories to be used as a reference by all cousins and family members.” I will make this a long-term goal. This has truly been a spiritual peaceful day of rest.”
And since that time, this has been on my mind in a major way. In the year 2020, I felt that I could no longer postpone action on this project. This was the year to act. I felt compelled to do it – to get it done! (After all, it had been on my mind for 45 years!)
I have spent considerable time through the years collecting family histories and biographies of ancestors. These came from family sources, the internet – using various programs – and whatever sources where I could find histories and biographical information. I had collected material including histories written by various people about the ancestors. And there are some very valuable autobiographies written in the first-person by the pioneers themselves. I also found more great material on Ancestry.com as well as FamilySearch.org. It was amazing what there was out there for me to grab and hold on to. Wow!
With this material gathered from so many sources, I began to put it into books. Each one turned out to be 600 or more pages. On each book, I created a fun cover of various ancestor photos (as I did for the journal – which I have already shown …).
I started with a book specifically about my mother, Alura. I then wrote one just about my Dad, Russel. I then created a book about my Grandpa Ray Hunt’s Hunt and Alger family lines. Then I created a book about Grandma Augusta and her Wilcox and Clark Lines. Next came a book for my mother and her Larsen and Pritchett lines.
I could have stopped there, but I didn’t. I compiled two books for my father-in-law, Everett H. Belcher and then one on Lou’s mother and family – the Betteridge family. A brother-in-law saw these previous books and wanted me to do a book on his family. That turned into two full volumes.
I created all of these books on Lulu.com. They are there for any family member (or other interested parties) to buy and share with their children and posterity. Lulu prints “on demand” as they receive specific orders. They print a good product. It is so exciting to have the books published and available to my family and their generations to read, share and enjoy together.
2020 – JULY 16TH – THURSDAY
”… I was so happy when I got the last book to publish. It was truly exciting and wonderful.
“This means that with the Russel and Alura books, I have now published eight family heritage books. … I can now declare the comprehensive project as complete. And this also concludes a 44-year dream or goal to create my “family history book”.
“Mission accomplished! It took a while, but I got it done!”
There is so much of strength and power in these family histories. Through them, we today – many generations down the line – can relive the pioneer days with our ancestors. We can read of their trials, their daily challenges (often just to survive) and their sacrifices for us. Through them we can discover who we are – since we are very much a part of each one of them – even if they lived a hundred or two years ago. We can learn of their commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and their testimonies of the Restored Gospel. We can learn of families who lived many years before the Restoration – but who lived in such a way that they or their descendants could hear and accept the Restored Gospel of Christ when it came to them. Many of the families joined the LDS Church in the early days and many experienced the early history of the Church and many even knew the Prophet Joseph Smith and other early church leaders.
Robert C. Folkman, President of the Sons of Utah Pioneers wrote,
“Happy is the man who recalls his ancestors with pride, who treasures the store of their greatness, tells the tales of their heroic lives, and with joy to full for speech, realizes that fate has linked him with a race of goodly men. We are blessed in this modern time to have the resources to learn about the lives of our ancestors, and understand that we are not isolated individuals, alone in our place. The hopes and values and failures and successes of our ancestors have led us to be who are and often where we are. They have given us the roots that we need to grow our own families and future generations. That’s what pioneers do, and for them we can be grateful.” (“Pioneer” Magazine, 2014, Volume 61, Number 1)
We can be drawn to these ancestors and we can draw them unto us – and thus fulfill the promises of the Prophet Elijah as our hearts are knit together with them. We can get to know these people so that we will want to be an eternal family with them through the eternities. And we can help our family – our posterity – get to know us – so that they will forever want to be with us!
In each of these Family Heritage books, I included the journal entry from 1976. And after an introduction to each book, I wrote, “It is, therefore, my hope, that each family member might be drawn to these, our people. I challenge each of us to find ways to introduce these stories of faith and hope to our children and subsequent generations. Be creative and find ways to share these stories through a variety of means. Use them in family home evenings, in monthly family nights, in family communications and other ways. Again, you will experience great blessings as you learn of these great people and their lives. I would also welcome your comments about how you are able to make these people live and the impact of their stories upon your lives.”
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I hope that reading in this book has helped to draw you to your ancestors – to learn about them and what made them what they were. But, I hope too, that the book has given you a great vision of what you might be able to create for your own posterity. In coming years and generations, your progenitors will sincerely be interested in you and your life. Through your journals – your “Annals”, their hearts can be turned to you “their father” (or mother).
I have quoted Spencer W. Kimball several times in this book, as he repeatedly talked of the heritage that we can leave to our families. Even if it is a repeat, I think it is worth hearing again.
Spencer W. Kimball … gave us this insight:
“Each of us is important to those who are near and dear to us—and as our posterity read of our life’s experiences, they, too, will come to know and love us. And in that glorious day when our families are together in the eternities, we will already be acquainted”
“As we look back at our lives and see what has been happening in our lifetime, the challenges and fears that face us, the Marvels that we see on a daily basis, … how social media, technology, personal and family health, or economies are affecting all of us, no one could understand that unless someone writes about it.
“Among the important historical records of mankind are the diaries and other personal writings of individuals from all walks of life. Such records are an invaluable resource for the preservation of a family’s heritage, and they open an important window through which posterity and future historians view the past.” (“President Kimball Speaks Put on Personal Journals,” New Era, Dec. 1980, 26).
We live in a marvelous age with many options for making a personal journal. We have an ample supply of paper and printing processes. We have the computer with its unlimited capabilities with so many programs and software options. It has not always been this easy. Pioneer ancestors had only limited paper and pens. It is amazing that they were able to write anything.
And going back even further, people had to inscribe records on rocks, on walls, on parchment. And much that we have in the way of scripture was originally written on metal plates. In the Book of Mormon, an ancient prophet/writer inscribed these words onto metal plates.
“But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words upon plates, which will give our children, and also our beloved brethren, a small degree of knowledge concerning us, or concerning their fathers – Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently to engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren and our children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them that they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with contempt, concerning their first parents. For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory … “(Jacob 4:2-4)
We can be grateful and rejoice in the fact that these records have come down to us.
In our modern world, we really have no excuse. Making a record for our posterity is so easy. The only thing that holds us back is our own commitment to making or creating the records – any kind of records – for our posterity. That is the challenge for each of us. Record your life and stories and let your hearts be turned to your future generations and they to you. Your lives will be blessed as you do so.
So, what are you going to do about the future? Are you writing your history so that two or three hundred years from now, your posterity will remember you, your life and times, your struggles, and your triumphs? If you do not write it, who is going to?
To journal or not to journal … that is the question! And really only YOU can make that decision. Make a decision: go for it, do it, and enjoy every minute of it! Your progeny will love and praise you for your journaling efforts. And I promise you that your journaling will be worth your every effort – now and for eternity! Your legacy … a continuing family treasure!
KevintheScout 
