In This Thing We Do Rejoice

  Jacob 4:2-3   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.

It was with much difficulty that the Book of Mormon prophets kept the records, engraving them upon metal plates.  That wouldn't exactly contribute to a flow of consciousness.  But they felt it was important and were willing to pay the price.  Why?  "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 many hundred years before his coming . . ."  They wanted to testify of Christ to their children and all those who came after.  They hoped that their descendents would receive their words with thankful hearts and not think of their first parents with sorrow or contempt, but with joy.

What kind of a legacy are we leaving?  When our children and great-grandchildren look at our lives after we are gone, what will they have from us to judge us by?  There may be a few mementos passed on to them, maybe some stories of our lives, but unless we find a way to leave our testimonies, the rest is only fool's gold.  I hope my children can receive my words with "thankful hearts" and look upon them with joy.  For I know of Christ and have a hope of His glory many thousand years after His coming.  I know that my Redeemer lives.  

And I rejoice that it is so easy to pass on that testimony.  I don't have to beat gold into flat plates, or carve and engraven letters onto it.  I just have to take a paper and pen, or a laptop and record my thoughts and feelings.  A little time; very little effort.  So easy.  In this thing I do rejoice.