--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The object is not so much to get you to…" description: "\"The object is not so much to get you to keep a journal while you are young, as it is to get you to continue it after you become men and women, even thr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/821/wilford-woodruff-13197_children_the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to_1339598.png" --- # The object is not so much to get you to keep a journal… ![“The object is not so much to get you to keep a journal while you are young, as it is to get you to continue it after you become men and women, even through your whole lives. This is especially needed in the generation in which you live, for you live in as important a generation as the children of…” quote by Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/821/wilford-woodruff-13197_children_the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to_1339598.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/821/wilford-woodruff-13197_children_the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to_1339598.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/821/wilford-woodruff-13197_children_the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to_1339598.png) > “The object is not so much to get you to keep a journal while you are young, as it is to get you to continue it after you become men and women, even through your whole lives. This is especially needed in the generation in which you live, for you live in as important a generation as the children of men ever saw, and it is far more important that you should begin early to keep a journal and follow the practice while you live, than that other generations should do so.” [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages lifelong journaling, emphasizing early habit formation and continuity throughout adulthood. **In simple terms:** Start and keep a journal for life. Key Takeaway Make journaling a lifelong habit. Themes self‑reflection legacy habit formation Mood reflective inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - college students - mid‑career professionals - retirees - family historians Key Concepts personal growth memory preservation intergenerational wisdom Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate journaling into daily routines? - What lasting insights might you gain? A Different Perspective May become burdensome if not balanced with other duties. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children of men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-of-men/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I say to Israel, the Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/i-say-to-israel-the-lord-will-never-permit-me-or-any-other-man-who/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [I think knowing you're not alone is important. This generation is already better at standing up for themselves, saying, "No! You're not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-graham/i-think-knowing-you-re-not-alone-is-important-this-generation-is/) [Ashley Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-graham/) > [The youth are very important to me, they're the next generation, but I want to instill in kids, even in playing, that it's never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-e/the-youth-are-very-important-to-me-they-re-the-next-generation-but-i/) [Sheila E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-e/) > [Obama has acted aggressively on the issue most important to my generation: climate change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-schlossberg/obama-has-acted-aggressively-on-the-issue-most-important-to-my/) [Jack Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-schlossberg/) > [As the father of a young daughter, it is important that the next generation of leaders in New Hampshire feel empowered to lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sununu/as-the-father-of-a-young-daughter-it-is-important-that-the-next/) [Chris Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sununu/) > [We look so many different ways and come from so many different places, and I love that about us. That's so important for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zegler/we-look-so-many-different-ways-and-come-from-so-many-different-places/) [Rachel Zegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zegler/) > [I would say that something important for me and for my generation in Northern Ireland was the 1947 Education Act, which allowed students who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/i-would-say-that-something-important-for-me-and-for-my-generation-in/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [We are not apt to think of the importance of events as they transpire with us, but we feel the importance of them afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/we-are-not-apt-to-think-of-the-importance-of-events-as-they-transpire/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [ If there was no other motive in view \[except\] to have the privilege of reading over our journals and for our children to read,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/if-there-was-no-other-motive-in-view-except-to-have-the-privilege-of/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [ Some may say \[journal keeping\] is a great deal of trouble. But we should not call anything trouble which brings to pass good. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/some-may-say-journal-keeping-is-a-great-deal-of-trouble-but-we-should/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/avoiding-danger-is-no-safer-in-the-long-run-than-exposure/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Angels are unsatisfiable in their longing to do by all means all manner of good unto all the creatures, ...especially the children of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hooker/angels-are-unsatisfiable-in-their-longing-to-do-by-all-means-all/) [Richard Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hooker/) > [America, in the eyes of the world, typifies above all else this quality of initiative. The greatest successes are nearly all the fruit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/america-in-the-eyes-of-the-world-typifies-above-all-else-this-quality/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch/come-let-us-choose-us-wives-from-among-the-children-of-men-and-beget/) [Enoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch/) > [By starving our children of men, we have made them more vulnerable to the very abuse we are trying to prevent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/by-starving-our-children-of-men-we-have-made-them-more-vulnerable-to/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) ## More by Wilford Woodruff > [It takes just as much to save a dead man as a living man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/it-takes-just-as-much-to-save-a-dead-man-as-a-living-man/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [Do not be discouraged because you cannot learn all at once; learn one thing at a time, learn it well, and treasure it up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/do-not-be-discouraged-because-you-cannot-learn-all-at-once-learn-one/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [It should be our chief study to treasure up the words of life that we may grow in grace and advance in the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/it-should-be-our-chief-study-to-treasure-up-the-words-of-life-that-we/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [“Ours is no ordinary calling. Great opportunities and privileges have been bestowed upon us. To us, as a people, has been entrusted the grand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/ours-is-no-ordinary-calling-great-opportunities-and-privileges-have/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [“Those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/those-men-who-laid-the-foundation-of-this-american-government-and/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [I want to live as long as I can do good; but not an hour longer than I can live in fellowship with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/i-want-to-live-as-long-as-i-can-do-good-but-not-an-hour-longer-than-i/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [If we are going to do away with polygamy, it would only be one feather in the bird, one ordinance in the Church and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/if-we-are-going-to-do-away-with-polygamy-it-would-only-be-one-feather/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [I would advise you to get all of your blessings written and preserve them...I do feel to enjoin it upon you to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/i-would-advise-you-to-get-all-of-your-blessings-written-and-preserve/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [I have always looked upon the life of our Savior who descended beneath all things that He might rise above all things as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/i-have-always-looked-upon-the-life-of-our-savior-who-descended/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [The Lord never had - and never will have to the end of time - a church on the earth without prophets, apostles, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/the-lord-never-had-and-never-will-have-to-the-end-of-time-a-church-on/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [I went before the Lord, and I wrote what the Lord told me to write . . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/i-went-before-the-lord-and-i-wrote-what-the-lord-told-me-to-write/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [When brother Brigham and brother Joseph Young went up to see the Prophet, they found him chopping wood; for he was a labouring man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/when-brother-brigham-and-brother-joseph-young-went-up-to-see-the/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [I was in Nauvoo on the 26th of May, 1846, for the last time, and left the city of the Saints feeling that most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/i-was-in-nauvoo-on-the-26th-of-may-1846-for-the-last-time-and-left/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [I say to Israel, the Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/i-say-to-israel-the-lord-will-never-permit-me-or-any-other-man-who/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [Our children should be indoctrinated in the principles of the Gospel from their earliest childhood. They should be made familiar with the contents of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/our-children-should-be-indoctrinated-in-the-principles-of-the-gospel/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) [Explore all 51 Wilford Woodruff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The object is not so much to get you to keep a journal while you are young, as it is to get you to continue it after you become men and women, even through your whole lives. This is especially needed in the generation in which you live, for you live in as important a generation as the children of men ever saw, and it is far more important that you should begin early to keep a journal and follow the practice while you live, than that other generations should do so.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wilford Woodruff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to-keep-a-journal-while-you-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to-keep-a-journal-while-you-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/821/wilford-woodruff-13197_children_the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to_1339598.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/821/wilford-woodruff-13197_children_the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to_1339598.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/821/wilford-woodruff-13197_children_the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to_1339598.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The object is not so much to get you to keep a journal while you are young, as it is to get you to continue…” — Wilford Woodruff", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Wilford Woodruff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The object is not so much...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to-keep-a-journal-while-you-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/the-object-is-not-so-much-to-get-you-to-keep-a-journal-while-you-are/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```