I have been pouring over recorded history lately. It is fascinating. There is so much to learn from the experiences of others. I love to hear stories from friends, acquaintances, and strangers. I can almost always see God’s hand in their story.

I was never good at journaling when I was younger. I’m still not the best at it now. While my husband was away from home for two years serving a mission to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ, he journaled almost daily. We have all of those journals. His mother kept his letters that he wrote to them and gave them to him as a gift. She had preserved his written testimony of that time of his life.

I’m so grateful that my children have access to these journals and letters so that they can see how their father struggled to learn a difficult language. How he had faith and trusted God that he would be able to understand the language. How he worked hard to grow his testimony and share it with others.

When I had started coming back to church as a young adult, I would email my sister-in-law frequently sharing my growing testimony with her. One Christmas she gave me the gift of a folder with all of my emails to her printed out. What an amazing gift to see my testimony grow on each page. I’m so thankful for her loving heart. She knew how special each email was.

During the Pandemic, President Russell M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, gave a message hope, healing and unity to help eradicate other plagues such as hatred and incivility. He invited everyone to start a gratitude journal and to use social media as a gratitude journal for seven days. There is healing power in gratitude.

I immediately bought each member of my family a gratitude journal. My mother-in-law also got journals for each child and brought them over. In each journal, she had a message to her grandchildren. It says:

Dear ____, On November 20, 2020, our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson spoke about the healing power of gratitude. He encouraged us to regularly write about who or what we are grateful for and why. We encourage you to use this personal journal to do this and when impressed to do so, write about how the Lord has inspired or blessed you, or how you have served someone.

I love that my mother-in-law and I were on the same page as far as how important this guidance from the prophet is. I was recently reviewing my grateful journal. I love how when I first started writing it, my passages were short and to the point. Gradually they became longer and longer, and there are some journal entries that take up several pages.

When things get difficult, or when Heaven seems a little quiet, I can go back to this journal, and I can remember all of these blessings that are so easily forgotten when we focus on the difficulties in life. It is the most amazing and spiritually lifting thing to go back and read all of these experiences. I’m so grateful that I listened to the Prophet’s counsel. I always am.

I am going to link his message here for you. I know that we are no longer in the Pandemic, but I hope that you reflect on his words. On how quickly they were able to make the vaccine to help us be able to leave our homes safely. Remember the hatred and vitriol that was abound during that time. I know that if we can each change our hearts to be more grateful, we will see God daily in our lives. If we can do that, everyone can. Be a light to the world.

Our light will drive out the darkness. We need to spread it. It needs to touch those that have no light in their lives. God will help you do this. Start a journal. Read it frequently. Trick the algorithm. Become a light.

President Nelson’s Prayer of Gratitude, Message of Hope and Healing (churchofjesuschrist.org)