For the year 2022, our ward has the Temple and Family History Plan called, “Past, Present and Future.” Our Elders Quorum counselor asked a few of us in the ward, who serve as Temple and Family History consultants, to help. Each of us has been assigned one of the topics for four months during the year. With… Read More Stand as a Witness
Are you looking for a new vacation destination with exciting adventures and meaningful experiences? Have you ever thought about visiting the lands of your ancestors? Today there are many resources to help you learn about and prepare for a visit to the lands where your ancestors were born. A little preparation before can add meaningful… Read More VISITING THE LANDS OF OUR ANCESTORS
I have been a Temple and Family History Consultant since 2015 and have been doing my own family history research for over 15 years. But recently I stumbled on a well-kept (though I don’t believe an intentionally-kept) secret! While helping a friend to begin his family research I had the challenge of diving into the… Read More My Secret Sauce: FamilySearch Community Groups
Being called to be a Relief Society Family History and Temple Rep led me to work as a consultant at the Family History Center, not quite a year ago. What a blessing this journey has been! I would encourage anyone that experiences the prompting to begin this important work for their ancestors. I would like to share… Read More Preserving What Was Lost
One of the great benefits of serving a shift at a Family History Center is learning from our fellow consultants. A few weeks ago, one of the consultants on our shift introduced us to a feature on BYU Record Linking Lab. “The mission of the BYU Record Linking Lab is to develop tools that link families… Read More Sharing New Found Tools
Most of us have attended a few family reunions. Through the years, I have enjoyed gathering together, having a picnic with extended family, hearing stories of ancestors, and playing games to learn about the descendants of my great grandfather, Breneman Barr Bitner. In 2008, it was an extra special family reunion I will always cherish… Read More A Family Reunion on Both Sides of the Veil
In the Spring of 2002, I was sitting in the Draper Temple looking at the endowment card for the lady whose work I was doing. She was listed without her parents, so no Sealing to Parents could be done. I wondered about that because I knew from my Family History training that she was from… Read More Doing the Work for Mr. and Mrs. Wells
In the past decade we often hear our church leaders quote D&C 88:73 – “Behold I will hasten my work in its time.” To hasten means to be quick to do something, to act or move quickly, or to cause something to happen sooner than it otherwise would. I don’t know any work that is… Read More THE “HASTENING” OF TEMPLE AND FAMILY HISTORY
For years I have served as a family history consultant at the Granite Family History Center. During slow times when there are not patrons needing help, I have engaged in indexing. I have found it to be a rewarding experience and have indexed over 12,500 records. On July 5, 2019, I had a unique experience while engaged… Read More The Record Spoke to Me
A few years ago, my family was struggling as we dealt with two of our children having a genetic mental illness that left our family so vulnerable. The illness was like a light switch. When the lights were on, everything was good. Suddenly and unexpectedly, the light would be switched off and my children would attempt… Read More Help from the Other Side