Recently, my husband had a former missionary companion, his wife and daughter from Norway come to visit us. We were excited to spend a day with them. Since it was in the cold months of the year, many of the outdoor activities we normally would do were limited. As we searched for other options, we wondered how they would enjoy visiting the Family History Library in downtown Salt Lake. They had travelled to Utah before but had not been to the FH Library so we planned a visit with them.

When we entered the library, we were warmly greeted by the missionaries serving there. They were very eager to help us have our family history discovery experiences. We were each given a personal iPad to “dock” into the discovery ports. We signed into our FamilySearch accounts and took pictures of ourselves. And off we went…

The library provides several ways to discover your roots beginning with who you are related to including the people you are with, church leaders, and other well-known people in the world. Our friend, Stein, was pleased to discover he was related to Ole Evinrude from Norway who is known for the invention of the first outboard motor with practical commercial application. My husband and Stein were excited to find out after all these years that they are related as well! All of us were delighted to learn which of the early Latter-day Saints were part of our heritage. We also soon realized who needed to fill in their trees a bit for more discoveries!

Another activity provided us with a few laughs as we quizzed each other about how much gas cost the year we were born as well as a movie ticket, popular songs, movies, and what the politics were of the day. We saw how popular our names were and their origins. Not surprisingly the origins of their names were… Scandinavian!

These activities are also accessible online at FamilySearch under the “Activities” tab. You can have a wonderful discovery time right in your own home with your family and friends.

However, if you are looking for a very enjoyable 2-hour+ activity with your out-of-town visitors or just on your own, I would recommend a trip to a Family History Library Discovery Center. It is immediately engaging and enriching. We finished our experience with a historic photo together including a face mask to remember the 2022 visit! The photo is taken in front of a backdrop of your choice at the FH Library and texted or emailed directly to you. The best part, we all left feeling a little more motivated to discover, gather and connect with our families… a family history discovery day well spent with our friends!

Janet Hellend – Granite Family History Center – Patron Services/Training