Tip of the Week: Record Your Stories

This week's tip is to record your stories!

Last week I posted about sharing your ancestors' stories. This week's post goes right along with that. You can find and share your ancestors' stories because they recorded them. Your descendants will only be able to find and share your stories if you write them down! You can do this by journaling, scrapbooking, making videos, making time capsules, etc.

My Family Booklet is a great way to make recording your history easier. On Family Search you can fill out an online booklet or order a hard copy of it. You can also help transfer information to other people's booklets. On the site it says, "The My Family: Stories That Bring Us Together booklet is an engaging way to capture and preserve your family story. We'll help you record family information, including adding photos, dates, and precious family stories." 
Click on the link and go try it out!  My Family Booklet 

There's also an awesome list of writing prompts to start writing your own history found here.

We can also keep a journal and write our family histories to turn the hearts of the living toward the living--as well as the hearts of the living toward their ancestors. It is all about linking our family, generation by generation, in eternal bonds. As we do so, we become “saviours … on mount Zion.” -Hugo E. Martinez, "Our Personal Ministries," Ensign, November 2014

They had often borne testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, which we can now read in their precious journals. -Mervyn B. Arnold, "What Have You Done With My Name?," Ensign, November 2010

I am grateful for a teacher who encouraged his students to keep a journal of the whisperings or promptings of the Spirit in their lives. He directed us to note what we felt and what resulted. Little things became evident. -Sydney S. Reynolds, "A God of Miracles," Ensign, May 2001

I personally believe that the writing of personal and family histories will do more to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and the fathers to children than almost anything we can do. I am sure you will never turn your own children’s hearts more to you than you will by keeping a journal and writing your personal history. They will ultimately love to find out about your successes and your failures and your peculiarities. It will tell them a lot about themselves, too. They will get a great desire to raise a family of their own when they see what a great blessing they were to you. -Hartman Rector Jr., "Turning the Hearts," Ensign, May 1981

I know that keeping records of our own lives will bless us and our descendants, and that our descendants will have the opportunity to learn from us just as we have learned from our ancestors. I know that through recording stories we will grow closer to our families and we will have a better understanding of the work we have been called to do.

Ezra 4:15
Exodus 24:4
Daniel 12:1
2 Nephi 5:29
Alma 37:2

Tip of the Week: Share Stories

This week's tip is to share stories!

One of the best ways to help you come to a full understanding of the purpose of family history is studying the stories you discover while doing family history work. Sharing those stories is also a wonderful way to include others in this great work! Families can bond, hearts can be touched, and minds can be opened through sharing the stories of your ancestors.

The lives led by our ancestors have determined in many different aspects how our lives are unfolding today. We are influenced by the actions and characteristics of our forebears. Blessings we receive in our lives today may be a direct result of the sacrifices and faith of those who lived before us." -Sharon G. Samuelson, "A Good Name – A Priceless Possession," BYU Speeches, September 2004

"Our young people are excited to learn about the lives of family members--where they came from and how they lived. Many have had their hearts turned to the fathers. They love the stories and photos, and they have the technological expertise to scan and upload these stories and photos to Family Tree and connect source documents with ancestors to preserve these for all time." -Quentin L. Cook, "Roots and Branches," Ensign, May 2014

"Because we face challenges every day, it is important that we work on our spiritual stamina every day. When we develop spiritual stamina, the false traditions of the world, as well as our personal daily challenges, will have little negative impact on our ability to endure in righteousness. Great examples of spiritual stamina come from our own family histories. Among the many stories from our ancestors, we will be able to find examples that demonstrate the positive characteristics of endurance." -Richard J. Maynes, "The Strength to Endure," Ensign, November 2013

There is a short list entitled, "4 Fun Ways to Make Your Family History Come to Life," by Hadley Duncan Howard. I've attached the link here. 

I know that finding and sharing personal stories from our ancestors will bring us closer to to them and our living family members. I know that learning from their life experiences will help us learn and grow. I am so grateful for my ancestors and their incredible stories. 

Alma 37:2
Abraham 1:31
Mosiah 24:6
Moses 6:5

Stuck? Don't Give Up!

Have you gotten to a point in your family history work where you just feel too stuck? Does it seem like there's too much to do? Not enough you can do? Don't give up!! 

It's super easy to get to a point where you feel like you're stuck and can't do anything else. Family history work can be overwhelming! However, you must remember that you are doing the work of the Lord. He will always provide a way. Pray about what you should do next! Ask for help! You will receive the help and answers you righteously desire. I know that we are in the hand hands of God and He will provide a way for us to accomplish His work. Happy Sunday!

Tip of the Week: Prepare for the Temple

This week's tip is to prepare for the temple!

Attending the temple is the last step in doing family history work for an ancestor. Being worthy of and making time for the temple is necessary! Past and present prophets and apostles continually counsel us on the importance of the temple. 

"Temple work is an act of service. The temple is a place where we have an opportunity to do something for others...President Hinckley has suggested we not focus so much on the personal benefits of attending the temple but rather focus on temple work as “work.” While the personal blessings resulting from temple attendance are numerous, we must not lose sight of the fact that it is work and requires commitment and duty." -"The Doctrine of Temple Work," David E. Sorenson, Ensign, October 2003

"What a remarkable and wonderful thing it is that those who are living may administer the blessings of earthly ordinances in behalf of those who have gone beyond and who lived without an opportunity to hear the gospel or accept it. There is no compulsion on the other side to accept on the part of him or her for whom the ordinance is performed. But there is a compulsion laid upon us by Him who provided the plan, to extend the opportunity to those who have left this life. The work so performed is both remarkable and singular. It is a great work of love, freely performed and freely offered." -"Temples and Temple Work," Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, February 1982

"Genealogy and temple work—you can’t have one without the other. They are two inseparable parts of one divine decree the Lord has given us to aid in the redemption of the dead. The process of identifying one’sfamily should be much more than a hobby to a Latter-day Saint. From an eternal perspective, to consider the word genealogy and not its partner temple work—or to think of temple work and disregard its twin, genealogy—makes no more sense than to try to play a game with only half a ball."-"Genealogy and Temple Work," George D. Durrant, Liahona, April 1984

"Most of our temples could be much busier than they are. In this noisy, bustling, competitive world, what a privilege it is to have a sacred house where we may experience the sanctifying influence of the Spirit of the Lord. The element of selfishness crowds in upon us constantly. We need to overcome it, and there is no better way than to go to the house of the Lord and there serve in a vicarious relationship in behalf of those who are beyond the veil of death. What a remarkable thing this is. In most cases, we do not know those for whom we work. We expect no thanks. We have no assurance that they will accept that which we offer. But we go, and in that process we attain to a state that comes of no other effort. We literally become saviors on Mount Zion. What does this mean? Just as our Redeemer gave His life as a vicarious sacrifice for all men, and in so doing became our Savior, even so we, in a small measure, when we engage in proxy work in the temple, become as saviors to those on the other side who have no means of advancing unless something is done in their behalf by those on earth." -"Closing Remarks," Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, November 2003

Here's the link to a fantastic little piece answering the question, "How can the temple bless you?"

I know that temple work is so important! I'm so grateful for the opportunity we all have to attend the temple for ourselves and our ancestors. I have a testimony of the blessings that come to you and those around you when you are worthy for the temple and make time for the temple.

John 11:25-26
1 Corinthians 15:22
1 Corinthians 2:11-16
D&C 93:20

Tip of the Week: Become Converted

This week's tip is to become converted!

As I was prayerfully considering what I should blog about today, my mind kept returning to one specific phrase I heard at a Family History Training I attended this morning:

"Testimony is to know and feel. Conversion is to do and become." 

Anyone can know or feel something. I'm sure most people have strong testimonies of parts, or even all, of the gospel. This being said, not all have been converted to what they have a testimony of. For example, many people have a testimony of the Word of Wisdom; however, they may not follow it entirely. They know of the blessings they may receive from following it, but they choose not to act on that knowledge.

In regards to family history, someone can understand its importance and have a sure testimony of it, but will not be fully converted to it until they choose to participate in family history work and become a servant of the Lord. Doing family history work for your ancestors is serving them and in serving them, you are serving God (Mosiah 2:17).

"Conversion includes a change in behavior, but it goes beyond behavior; it is a change in our very nature...Conversion is a process, not an event." -lds.org, Topics: Conversion.

"The Lord taught us that when we are truly converted to His gospel, our hearts will be turned from selfish concerns and turned toward service to lift others as they move upward to eternal life. To obtain that conversion, we can pray and work in faith to become the new creature made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ." -"Testimony and Conversion," Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, February 2015

"Would any of us truly do any less than our very best in keeping a covenant or commandment, fulfilling an assignment, or in following Christ if we were truly converted in our hearts? ...Truly converted Latter-day Saints do not go to the temple because of a quota they are expected to fulfill, but out of a sincere desire to perform sacred and saving ordinances in behalf of deceased ancestors—or even complete strangers—who cannot do the work for themselves." -"Conversion and Commitment," W. Mack Lawrence, Ensign, May 1996

I know that when we each strive to have a testimony of and become converted to family history, we will be blessed with opportunities to do so and to help others do the same. 

Alma 5:7-14
Luke 22:32

Tip of the Week: Ask For Help

This week's tip is to ask for help!

When it comes to family history there are so many new things to learn and understand how to do. It can be really hard to try to figure everything out on your own. There are so many people you can ask for help -Family members, friends, ward members, family history consultants, etc. In addition to all the people you may know, FamilySearch's website has a little "Get Help" tab in the top right corner. Here you have the option to call, Live Chat, message, or find local help. You can also find plenty of blogs and articles on Family History. 

"This work is a spiritual work, a monumental effort of cooperation on both sides of the veil, where help is given in both directions. Anywhere you are in the world, with prayer, faith, determination, diligence, and some sacrifice, you can make a powerful contribution. Begin now. I promise you that the Lord will help you find a way." -"The Joy of Redeeming the Dead," Richard G. Scott, Ensign, October 2012


"Brothers and sisters, we need each other! As covenant-keeping women and men, we need to lift each other and help each other become the people the Lord would have us become. And we need to work together to lift the rising generation and help them reach their divine potential as heirs of eternal life." -"We'll Ascend Together," Linda K. Burton, Ensign, May 2015

"It has been said that no one is so rich that he does not need another’s help, no one so poor as not to be useful in some way to his fellowman. The disposition to ask assistance from others with confidence, and to grant it with kindness, should be part of our very nature." -"We Can't Do It Alone," Robert D. Hales, Ensign, November 1975

I know that when we offer what help we can to others and seek out help from others we will be given the help we need. I know that the people put in our lives can help us accomplish the tasks we need to. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who will always answer our prayers and offer us blessings and guidance. 

Isaiah 41:10

Family History Talks

This is a list of some of my favorite talks on family history!

• The Promise of Hearts Turning
• By Henry B. Eyring, Liahona, July 2014

• Generations Linked in Love
• By Russell M. Nelson, Ensign, May 2010

• Your Family History: Getting Started 
• By Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, August 2003

• Our Hearts Knit as One 
• By Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, November 2008

• Family History Together 
• Ensign, April 2000

• Hearts Bound Together
• By Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, May 2005

• The Joy of Redeeming the Dead 
• By Richard G. Scott, Ensign, October 2012

• The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn 
• By David A. Bednar, Ensign, October 2011

• Putting the Puzzle Together
•  By Sally Johnson Odekirk, New Era, November 2006

• Roots and Branches 
• By Quentin L. Cook, Ensign, May 2014

• See Yourself in the Temple
• By Quentin L. Cook, Ensign, May 2016