Your Life History

These guidelines helped me, perhaps they will help you . . .

Gather and organize your personal records

Make an outline

• your full name
• birth info- where , when, etc.
• parents full names and names of their parents
• memories of your preschool period- get recollections from parents or older siblings
• childhood memories about friends, schools, teachers
• young adulthood- thoughts on growing up, what it was like at home and at school, college
• courtship and marriage- how you and your spouse met, special dates, the marriage proposal, the wedding, your first home
• children- incidents that took place during pregnancy, names of children, hopes and dreams you had for your children
• vocations- jobs held, what you did to prepare for your life's work, different successes you had at work
• civic and political activities, with a list of positions held, and services that you did performed in your community and church
• spiritual  and faith-promoting experiences , and the effect those had on you
• what you plan and hope for the future

If you haven't already started, I encourage you to start writing your history as soon as possible

• don't be worried about whether your grammar or language is good enough- use your own style and tell how you feel and how things happened
• be honest, don't embellish, and don't dwell on negative experiences
• stick with your outline

If you would rather record your history

• be sure to use a good quality tape and recorder, or digital recorder
• go to a quiet place so you won't have background noise interruptions
• speak in a natural voice and speak clearly
• follow your notes and outline
• record  you musical talents and other voices if they fit in the story

Keep your history up to date by keeping a journal

• choose a nice book to keep as your journal
• set a scheduled time for journal entries, and stick with your plan
• daily entries are best

Enjoy the opportunity to preserve your life for generations to come.

It is never too early or too late to start - just DO IT!

Why Keep a Journal?

Click this link for the article-from the October 1975 New Era
The Angels May Quote From It. 

President Spencer W. Kimball  said:

"Your story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are available.

"A journal is the literature of superiority. Each individual can become superior in his own humble life.

"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?

"Some of what you write may be humdrum dates and places, but there will also be rich passages that will be quoted by your posterity".

Launa Fowler Stout - My Own Story

One spiral notebook

Thinking about my ancestors has made me think about writing my own story. I should be journaling my  experiences but also need to go back and write my past.

In 1979 we moved to Ft. Riley, Kansas. I was taking a class where the teacher challenged us to write everyday in a journal.  I didn't feel that my life was special enough to go out a buy a nice journal. I was also worried that my handwriting was not going to be neat enough, so I just bought an orange spiral notebook. I filled up several orange spiral notebooks over the next year or so.

What did I learn from that experience?
My life as I was in the day-to-day of it didn't seem too spectacular, but when looking back on the experiences from the writings in my journal, it was pretty amazing.  I found that by reading those pages floods of memories came to my mind, and now, because it is in print and I can read it,  I remember the year we spend in Kansas as one of the best years.

I wish I had bought a nice journal when I started, because my life was worth it, and it didn't matter that my handwriting was not perfect.