I keep two sets of journals: a set of “Large Plates” that I write in each day, and a set of “Small Plates”. Our journals, or rather our Small Plates, or those parts of our journals that contain “Small Plates” stuff, may be considered our personal scriptures, or scriptures just for us. That entry belongs in, or is actually a part of “The Book of Nate.”

I contemplated that, Ronan, before I ended up just throwing them out one day. To tell the truth, I believe I actually had some grand plan in mind, involving hiking up Provo Canyon, climbing Squaw Peak, and ritually burning them all as an act of purification. I was such an idiot.

I hope that every one of the missionaries I work with has at least a few entries like yours in his/her journal as the time of service ends, and can look back on these entries in moments of doubt or difficulty, and remember how hard and how precious it all was–and is.

This is very touching. My son will be home from his mission in 20 days (why, yes, I AM counting!). It has been a tougher than expected mission, with beatings, robberies, an arrest, and broken bones, and racism in a degree I’ve never seen, and mission politicking on a high degree, and a mission president who —well, he ranges from not-making-things-any-easier to why-hasn’t-he-been-recalled?! I have missed my boy very very much! I know he has had tough experiences. I also have seen astonishing growth in his tolerance and testimony, shrugging off turmoil with “stupid humans, they’re everywhere!” I have seen him have your experience, of knowing that right here right now, it’s all true. I so much want him to retain that…not slip back into his old life, old ways, as some of his newly-RM friends have done, as if it never happened. Also, last night, our daughter’s The Boyfriend received his endowments, leaves for a mission in Korea soon. Your post hit me on a couple of fronts. So much gunk around…to read a tender bit of upliftedness was sweet.