by Liz Kennington
October marks the observance of National Family History Month. What will you do to celebrate this month? Will you be able to create for your family the chance to learn about their heritage? What makes family history matter?
“Knowing, recording, and preserving your family history directly impacts you, your family, and even future generations of people you may never know,” shared Rachel Coleman in a recent FamilySearch blogpost. She said that family history is more than just census records, pedigree charts, and birthdates. It can be a powerful antidote for many of life’s experiences we face today.
Several areas are affected when we share family history with our families. One of these is core identity. Knowing about our cultural background and where we came from can help us develop a strong sense of who we really are. Having a strong core identity gives us direction and a sense of belonging.
As humans we desire to belong and connect to other human beings. Those relationships we form with others can be very durable, whether those people are in our present life or past family. When we record our history, we give an opportunity to our family to connect with us when we are gone. This past month I connected with my children and grandchildren.
My daughter Brooke and her family moved to St. George, Utah, two years ago. While it was hard to see them move that far away, it also gave us an opportunity to share with her family their heritage in that community. My 2nd great-grandfather, Robert Dockery Covington was part of the Cotton Mission and served as the bishop of Washington for many years. My son-in-law Kelly is an avid genealogist, and so he went forward finding information about Grandpa Covington in that area.
We now know where Covington lived in Washington (the house still stands as the oldest building in Washington) and the location of the stream where he first camped upon arriving in Washington. This past summer my grandson Jarom located his gravesite in the Washington cemetery. The exciting thing is that when he went there with his father, they had no idea where to find the grave. Jarom walked right to it! He was excited to show me what he had found.
Another benefit of family history is a greater understanding of the challenges our ancestors lived. Learning about their flaws and mistakes helps us develop compassion for others in our past which can translate to members of our family today. It can even help us to be better employees, spouses, parents, etc.
One of the great benefits of family history that has blessed my life is seeing the patterns of resiliency in my ancestors’ lives. This has helped me to remain faithful to the gospel principles, as well as meeting the challenges of life. I know that I can recover from failures and disappointments and find happiness despite hardships. Bruce Feller, in an article for the New York Times, summarized a study about the resiliency of children: “The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their own lives, the their self-esteem, and the more successfully they believed their families functioned. It turned out to be the best single predictor of children’s emotional health and happiness.”
Being part of family history also creates in us a selflessness that what we can contribute will be of value to others. The act of searching, recording, and preserving our family history blesses not just our related family, but the entire human family.
One of the things I enjoy in doing family history work is learning about the spiritual things that have taken place in the lives of my ancestors. I can witness the hand of God in their lives and how He knows their needs and concerns. This translates into my own life as I look more carefully at the evidence of His love for me. My self-worth is important to God because my ancestors’ worth was also important to Him.
This month don’t just “do” family history. Find a way to make it relevant in the lives of your family members. You aren’t just recording names. You are giving your family the gifts which can help them better endure life here on earth.