A couple of weeks ago while chatting with our Director, Dave Castleton, he asked me a question that has caused me to reflect on my Family History journey. The question he asked was, “How did you gain your testimony of family history work?”
I thought back to the time when the full-time missionaries were allowed to come to the Family History Center to read and answer their emails. Laurie Beardall, former Assistant Director of Patron Services at the Granite Family History Center, asked if I would be willing to help her oversee the missionaries on Monday mornings. I agreed and soon realized that the blessing was to be mine. Not only did I feel the spirit of the missionaries but I had such an incredible and knowledgeable consultant available to me every Monday morning for months! My husband and I had been muddling our way through family history for a while but I grew leaps and bounds with Laurie by my side, one on one.
In this time of pandemic when the Center is necessarily closed for a time, we, as Temple and Family History Consultants, can continue the work of family history by consulting one by one! President Eyring taught in April General Conference, “The Lord saw [this] all coming. He planned for it, step by step. …The desire to serve our ancestors and the bonding of parents and children are growing” line by line, little by little, one by one. President Castleton has always been a huge advocate for consulting one on one. I can testify from my own experience that it is the most effective way for individuals and their family to gain a testimony of this work and make their own family discoveries.
Recently I have contacted some individuals in my ward and asked how I could help them with their family history. I have been permitted to go into their homes for about an hour at a time, wearing a mask and using sanitizer, to sit beside them and get them started with their family history. Using their own computer, we start at the very beginning. They learn how to log into FamilySearch and look at their family tree and ancestors. We evaluate what their abilities and interests are and go from there. I was even able to give a former school teacher an assignment! She said that it was scary to which I replied, “How do you think your students felt all those years?” We had a good chuckle over it and I look forward to her experience adding a story about her father on his “memories” tab.
Another consultant from the Family History Center, Christy Pugh, has had success using the Zoom program and consulting with families remotely. She teaches them by sharing their FamilySearch screen. And remember the very helpful “consultant planner” on FamilySearch to assist an individual with their work. Where there is a will, there is a way! We are resilient. When one door closes, another door opens. This work will go on! It is God’s plan.
“The spirit of Elijah is changing the hearts of young and old, children and parents, grandchildren and grandparents. Temples will soon again be happily scheduling baptismal opportunities and other sacred ordinances,” said President Eyring. “[The Lord] has raised up and prepared faithful people who choose to do hard things well.” Let us be found among those faithful people and take this unique opportunity to teach our friends and family about family history, one by one. This is how my testimony grew of this wonderful work and you too can be an instrument to help grow a testimony of family history work, one by one. — Janet Helland, Director of Patron Services, Granite Family History Center