I am a big believer in writing personal histories based on stories and experiences. Many lessons and testimonies have been born through a simple story.

Let’s be honest, your grandchildren aren’t going to be interested in your detailed daily diary; not when we see journalism reports being cut shorter and shorter on the Internet. News has to be quick, short, and to the point if you want to keep your audience. But that philosophy benefits everyone. Our histories don’t have to take a year, or so, to gather, organize, pour over, and write in intrinsic detail. Writing up our stories, however, is very important. Attaching what we learned, what we want others to learn, and the testimonies we gained is what will be read and cherished by our children and our children’s children.

Elder W. Craig Zwick, and his wife, Jan, recently wrote a book called More To Your Story. In this book, they inspire us using their own stories, to draw out our own conclusions from our own personal experiences. It isn’t enough to just tell stories. The scriptures show us how to use stories to teach and testify.

After reading the dramatic stories, shared by the Zwicks, about their experiences in the mission field, and about their children, I was kind of left feeling like my life was pretty boring in comparison. But, as I continued reading, the clear message from each chapter was urging us to find the stories in our own lives. They focused on teaching us how to ask ourselves these three questions:

1. What did I learn?
2. Why was it significant to me?
3. Therefore, what?

Granted, not every experience ends up a story of worth, however, many minor experiences have been overlooked, because we didn’t recognize them for what they were. How often have we looked back and realized that a simple event was really a significant tender mercy from the Lord? The lesson I learned, from reading this book, was to look back and find those moments. It’s often the little hills that have given us our sure footing. It benefits our children, as well as ourselves, to remember those moments of pure witness.

Many of the Zwicks’ stories were told from the perspective of looking back, gathering all of the pieces, and recognizing how the pieces fit together. We don’t always give our stories the chance to develop, or see a future outcome from its growth. The true significance of a story often happens after the fact.

Ultimately, a meaningful story is a story that strengthens our testimony and brings us closer to our Heavenly Father. This is what we want our children to know about us. This is the most important legacy we want to leave behind.

Their definition of—Therefore, What?—is to make those stories important to your family. Ponder all of those memorable moments in your life that have special meaning to you. Identify the principles and spiritual significance of these stories. Then begin sharing them with your family. Verbally telling these stories to grandchildren is important, because they will always remember how “Grandpa told this one part”, or “Grandma always cried when she got to this part of the story”. But the real treasure will be writing these stories down, so generations can enjoy the same spiritual message that gives the family strength of heritage and testimony.

Along with the Zwicks, I add my testimony that writing the stories of your life will bring an added dimension of witness, testimony, and bonding as you share all that you have learned in your lifetime. In a world such as ours our children need to feel your strength. They need to know how you felt during the hard times and happy times. They need to see faith in action, so they will know how to act out their faith. Good examples are hard to come by, in this age, but families can be there to set forth the proper path.

I’ve written a series of lessons on how to write the stories of your life here.