“When you hear the words family history, do you go into a coma? Believe me, until a few years ago, I could have matched my coma with yours any day.
It used to be that if I wanted to have a really good sleep, all I needed to do was to think about doing family history work. Just the prospect of doing it was better than ether!”
That is a quote from Sister Wendy Watson Nelson as she shared excerpts from her book “The Heavens are Open” in a recent article in LDSLiving.
That quote caught my eye because I have heard many members say something similar to me when I talk to them about family history work. For those who share this same thought, the story of the wife of our dear prophet, Russell M. Nelson, may give you, or those you talk to, some inspiration.
She went on to say, “After years, even decades, of carting boxes of family history materials to one apartment or condo after another, in December 2012 I was finally ready to take the plunge into family history research in an entirely different way. The impetus for me was a message by Elder Richard G. Scott in his October 2012 general conference address, “The Joy of Redeeming the Dead.”
When Elder Scott spoke, it felt as though he was speaking directly to me and allowing 15 million others to listen in. At the end of his talk, when he said, “What about you? Have you prayed about your own ancestors’ work?” I heard it as, “What about you, Wendy? Have you prayed about your ancestors’ work?”
“No, I hadn’t. And I hadn’t even thought about doing so. The thing I had done the very most about my ancestors was to feel guilty. I had done a lot of that!”
She goes on to describe how praying about her ancestor’s work, and asking for their help has led her to some amazing discoveries about her family, changed her attitude and changed her heart.
She says that, “…now, for me, there is not a faster way to have the heavens open than to pray to be led to those who live on the other side of the veil who have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ and are eager to make covenants with God and receive their essential ordinances.”
“…Over and over again during the first few years, I was amazed to just “happen” to meet a person who could help me learn more about how to research names more productively. And I never take it for granted when, seemingly out of the blue, I find a piece of information I need.”
“There is no doubt in my mind that angels from both sides of the veil are assigned to help us with this work and that we are rarely, if ever, alone in our efforts to find family names and prepare them for sacred temple ordinances.”
“So, what do we need so we can do our part in family history work? What is it that we don’t understand?”
“The first step is to ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Pray. Pray. Pray. And then follow each and every prompting. I have learned that my family history research goes better when I kneel and begin with prayer.”
“…So, if you are wondering if your prayers are heard, if you are longing for the heavens to open for you, may I suggest that you commence your family history research efforts with a prayer to be led to those who are ready to make covenants and receive their ordinances? And then, in an exercise of faith, expect…spiritual adventures to follow. It is my experience that family history research will make any extreme sport or high adventure activity pale in comparison.”
–Shared by Duffy Pingree – Temple and Family History Consultant – GFHC
Photo from the Church News
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