I was recently released as the Lead Consultant in my ward. It has been a marvelous experience for me and I continue to serve as a consultant in the Granite Family History Center. I guess I will always be involved in family history and helping out in this way for the rest of my life. This year for Christmas I gave a printed copy of my own personal history to my children and a flash drive copy to my older grandchildren. I also love serving in the temple as an ordinance worker.

I had not done much in the way of family history in the first part of my life. My grandfather, Thomas Baggaley, wrote his own life’s history and did much work in the Baggaley line. There are two big volumes of family history that he wrote. 

One day I was looking at one of these volumes and found several letters from his brother, John Henry Baggaley. He and Thomas never met in this life. John Henry was born after Thomas left England. They communicated through letters. I was reading one of the letters from John Henry and it stated that although they had never met in this life, through the grace of God, they would be together in the life hereafter.  

I also found John Henry’s picture:

I was touched by such caring between them. I looked at my grandfather’s work and did not find any temple work that had been done for John Henry. I discovered that the reason for this was that John Henry outlived my grandfather. No one had done his work. This was how I got started doing family history. 

I went to the Salt Lake Family History Library downtown and searched the records to find information about John Henry. I found him and both of his wives and one daughter. They had all passed away (the daughter at age 10). No one in my grandfather’s family including his other brother, William, had any children. This is why Thomas, my grandfather, said he was the sole heir. He was the only family member to have posterity.  

I was blessed to take John Henry’s name and do his work in the Jordan River Temple. I will never forget the day I did his baptism. My mother was there with me and did the baptisms for his wives and daughter. As I was coming out of the font there was a mirror there and the expression on my face was much like my departed father. I felt close to John Henry that day. 

On another occasion we did his endowment and sealings. I know he has accepted this work. What great joy we have in serving persons on both sides of the veil. This is truly a work of love over many centuries. Our ancestors are waiting for us to do their work and our hearts are filled with joy to know that they accept this work.

-Mark Baggaley, Consultant, Granite Family History Center