Nephi gladly reports that his people "lived after the manner of happiness" (5:27), and he was told by the Lord to begin keeping a second set of records "for the profit of thy people" (5:30). Nephi’s obedience to this commandment distinctively guaranteed that his people would always be a record-keeping people. In modern times, the first instruction given to the Church upon its organization on April 6, 1830, only ten days after the Book of Mormon had come off the press, was that "there shall be a record kept among you" (D&C 21:1). And thus it has always been among the faithful. In addition to its religious purposes (1 Ne. 6:4–5; 9:5), sincere records also enhance our memory, provide wisdom in addressing social and political challenges, and will be one of the bases on which we will be judged according to our knowledge and accountability (see, for example, Mosiah 3:24).
Book of Mormon Central, "Why Is It Important to Keep Records? (1 Nephi 9:5)," KnoWhy 345 (July 28, 2017).