On September 9, 2024, President Russell M. Nelson will celebrate his 100th birthday. In June, 100 days before his birthday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ newsroom shared President Nelson’s invitation for people around the world to extend a gift of love for his 100th birthday. (See link)
In a message posted to social media channels, President Nelson stated, “Though 99 of his flock were safely by his side, the shepherd went in search of the 1 who was lost. At age 99, I have no need of physical gifts. But one spiritual offering that would brighten my life is for each of us to reach out to ‘the one’ in our lives who may be feeling lost or alone.”
President Nelson submitted the invitation that, “Over the coming months I invite you to consider prayerfully: who do you know who may be discouraged? Who might you need to reconcile with or ask for forgiveness? Has one name been on your mind lately, though you haven’t quite known why? As you bring these questions to the Lord, He will inspire you to know how you can reach out and lift one who needs help.”
By following the Savior’s example of service and love, President Nelson continued, “What a beautiful example the Savior has shown us – that through each of us ministering to just one within our reach, we can spread the love of Jesus Christ throughout the world.”
There are many ‘ones’ out there for us to find and minister unto, even by connecting with our ancestors through family history. I am blessed to be an instrument in sharing the tender mercies of the Savior by accomplishing Gods’ purpose through ministering to “the one” at the Granite FamilySearch Center. However, my journey to reach out to “the one” in the FamilySearch center can only be attributed to “the one” that reached out to me.
Not long after my mother passed away, I felt as I had lost my purpose, and my time was whittling away to unfulfilling tasks. Desiring more direction in my life, I knelt upon my knees and heartfully asked my Heavenly Father to guide me in identifying my purpose. After offering a fervent prayer, I arose from my knees and at that moment my cell phone alerted me with an incoming call from Janet Helland, a former consultant and patron services assistant director at Granite FamilySearch Center. Despite my prayerful pleadings, I hesitated to answer the call as I realized the idiom of “be careful what your pray for” could be a reality. With a hesitation in my voice, Janet was filled with joy as she related Bob Taylor of The Family History Guide Association was in need of an outreach coordinator and my name immediately entered her mind. In much awe of God’s delivery, I explained to her I had just completed my prayer with Heavenly Father for direction in my life, and she was “the one” to answer the call.
Subsequently, Janet’s call to be “the one” extended to a healing process in my life as well as my introduction as a consultant at the Granite FamilySearch Center. As a consultant, I have been able to witness that family history goes beyond the names and dates we find in our tree. It is the people and relationships, both past and present, that makes us who we are and allowing moments of healing. I have been blessed to be “the one” to hear stories of others who have shared the struggles of family members who have gone before them. It is through these stories they often discover healing by identifying the struggles they are experiencing in their lives today are in many ways mirrored by the struggles that their ancestors faced.
Overall, the tender mercy of our Savior continues to bless me while demonstrating the connections found within the walls of the FamilySearch center confirm that sometimes we are the 99, and sometimes we are the 1.
– Barbara Tubbs, Communications, Granite FamilySearch Center