I very much enjoy my schedule.  I come awake at 4:30-5:00 in the morning, get up, fix the fire, get my writing and study materials, wrap up in my blankie, and pray.  I ask for the Holy Ghost to teach me.  Usually I already have a thought in my head upon which I’ve been working.  I begin writing.  Thoughts start pouring in.  I write as fast as I can, stopping only to consider the best choice and placing of words.

The Holy Ghost teaches me as I write.  Thoughts come that I’ve never had before.  I love these sensations.  When my article is finished, I go to the computer and type it, making corrections as I go.  I then reread and edit the article several times until I have it just right.  I’m usually so enchanted with what I’ve written that I read it over and over.

I find that if I fill both sides of lined notebook paper with longhand writing, it will yield one page of typewritten material.  Each typewritten page takes me an hour to produce.  I often write and type until about 11:00, and then go find other work to do.

Yesterday Dean Baxter called from St. George, Utah.  His home teacher had told them that they needed to read Louis L’Amour’s book, Last of the Breed.  He and Dawny did so.  They liked the book, but were disappointed with the ending.  They told Tia about their disappointment.  She said, “Well, James has written a sequel,” and sent them my book.

Dean was ecstatic about my writing.  “You’re every bit as good—or better—than Louis L’Amour,” he said.  Dean was insistent that I needed to be writing and selling what I produce.

I told Dean that I’m writing so that I can influence my great-great grandchildren.  That gave him pause.  “You don’t even have any great grandchildren,” he said.

“No,” I answered.  “I don’t expect to even see my great-great grandchildren, but this is the only way I can see to have any influence on them.  I want them all to stay close to the gospel, and to have testimonies of Jesus Christ.  If they’re exposed to their grandfather’s writings, I’m hopeful that they’ll stay close to the Lord.”

Since Dean was so complimentary of my writing ability, I invited him to go online and read my blog, “The Writings of James E. Kerns.”

I love to write.  It’s the highlight of my day.  I go through the day looking for a new thought and topic to work upon.  One always comes.  It’s like the Holy Ghost says, “Here’s a thought.  See what you can do with it.  I’ll help you.  When you’re done with it, I’ll give you another.”

This is so fun!  Why do I do it?  Why do I write?

I write because it’s fun and instructive, but I really am writing for my grandchildren many generations hence.  Every possession that every one of my ever-so-great grandfathers had has passed away and is no more.  Everything Nephi possessed has decayed and disappeared—everything but his writings.  Our writings are the only thing that endures.  I fully expect my descendants to be reading my writings 1000 years from now.  By the end of the Millennium everything that was ever identified with James E. Kerns will be gone, except for his writings.  My writings will be scripture to those millions of people who will be my descendants.

Nephi and Jacob had this figured out.

Jacob said, “We know that the things we write…must remain.

“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…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 children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them that they may learn with joy…”  (Jacob 4:1-3).

Nephi quoted the Lord as saying, “For I command all men, both in the east, and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them…”  (2 Ne. 29:11).

He further said, “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”  (2 Ne. 25:26).

“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children…to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God…  (2 Ne. 25:23).

He says, “I write the things of my soul…and (I write) them for the learning and the profit of my children.”  (2 Ne. 4:15).

In that line he was echoing what Abraham said:  “I shall endeavor to write some of these things upon this record, for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me.”  (Abraham 1:31).

This is why I’m writing.  I’m writing for the same reason that Nephi, Jacob, Abraham, and all the rest of the prophets wrote.

I have several advantages over those ancient prophets.  In the first place, because of modern technology, I expect my writings to endure.  I don’t have to laboriously engrave my words on metal plates.  I just have to type my words into a computer, and they can go to all the world, or be copied onto the flash drive that I carry in my pocket.  I think my words will still be around 1000 years from now.

Nephi was shown in vision that many of his children would be destroyed because of unbelief.  The vision was almost more than he could bear, and weighed him down with sorrow.  I can’t imagine anything worse.  The second great advantage that I have over Nephi is that I dare to think that every one of my descendants will be saved—that none will be lost.  We’re so close to the Millennium that if we can just keep the next three generations close to the Lord, the rest will live with Him in righteousness for 1000 years.

Therefore, I write.  I’m trying to write interestingly.  I don’t want my writing to be dry.  I want it to be captivating and compelling.  I want it to be convincing and motivational.

I want every one of my children, and grandchildren, and great grandchildren to stay close to the Church.  I pray about this every day.  Thus far every one of my descendants is on track.  I have the best children in the world.  I have 19 of them.  They’re all diligently teaching my grandchildren—all 42 of them.

This is a miracle, and I’m the recipient.  My heart is filled with joy because of my family.  I no longer have daily contact and influence over my children, but I’m hopeful that my writings will give them resources to bolster their own efforts to teach.