With the 2017 history, and 2018 now begun, I can’t help but reflect on the tremendous blessing it is to have such a fine Family History Center facility right in our neighborhood. I also pause to review some of the wonderful accomplishments attained during the past year. We have the third busiest family history center in the valley and have experienced growing pains while some other centers have been closed. During 2017:
• 11,454 visitors came to the center
• 1,225 first time visitors
• 132 dedicated/trained volunteers/staff served faithfully each week
• 498 activities/classes/meetings held on a wide range of topics
• Individuals from 95 different stakes visited the center
• Thousands of names sought out and prepared for temple work; a large percentage of these by our faithful youth, consultants, and their friends
• Over 100,000 documents and photos scanned
• A monthly e-mail newsletter received by over 1000 individuals.
• The Granite, Granite View, and Alta View Stakes welcomed in the Willow Creek Stake as a participating stake.
• Increased network capabilities and number of computers to allow for two fully functioning classrooms for instruction, meetings, and research.
What a glorious year it has been and such a blessing to so many. May I give a tremendous “THANK YOU” to our dedicated volunteer Temple and Family History Consultants and staff members who have made all this possible, along with the sustaining support and encouragement of the stake leadership from the four participating stakes. President Boyd K. Packer stated:
Family History work has the power to do something for the dead. It has equal power to do something for the living. Family History work of church members has a refining, spiritualizing, tempering influence on those who are engaged in it. They understand that they are tying their family together, their living family here with those who have gone before.
I recognize my life has been changed for good as I have been privileged to be a part of the day-to-day operation of this amazing center. May 2018 be another year filled with spiritual blessings. –Glen Steenblik