What a blessing it is to work at the Granite Family History Center. No one can deny that there is truly a beautiful spirit that is felt there. What is it that makes coming to the center so special? It’s the patrons! Those who come, either seeking help with their family history or working independently, all bring the Spirit of Elijah to our family history center. I have witnessed that this Spirit has the power to connect us all – both living and dead.

The patrons who come to the center have a deep love for their ancestors and a desire to provide them the opportunity to receive temple blessings. This love and desire go beyond just helping their own ancestors, though. I’ve seen patrons often step away from their research to help others with theirs. When this happens, something remarkable occurs – an instant bond is formed between the patrons as well as with their ancestors.

Sometimes patrons at the center will even find that they are connected to each other on their family tree. One day I was speaking with a patron about my mother’s ancestors from Bolivia. He said that he, too, had some ancestors from there, so we looked at his tree to see if we were related. We were amazed to find out that we weren’t actually related, but connected in a very peculiar way. My ancestor had led a revolt against Bolivia’s regime in the 1950s and his ancestor was the political leader who had my ancestor killed. We were astonished by what we found, but joyful in the miracle of the discovery. I felt a deeper connection to this side of my family and was inspired to do more research. I also felt a new connection to this patron of whom we shared this historical event. We have since crossed paths at the center and continue to express our amazement of having made this discovery.

Patrons will often celebrate their successes with each other. They understand the feeling of excitement when a new ancestor is found or a record with new information is discovered. They are truly happy for one another and for the ancestor who was found. This is what the Spirit of Elijah is – a love for all, both living and dead.

This Christmas, we want to take the opportunity to thank all the patrons who come and bring this wonderful Spirit of Elijah to the Granite Family History Center. We know that, in this day and age, most family history research can be done independently in the comfort of one’s own home. Without our patrons, though, we wouldn’t experience the kinship, miracles and blessings that come when they bring their research and expertise to the center. This blesses all who are present, as well as their deceased ancestors. The connections that are formed amongst the living and the dead are what make coming to the center so special.

– Christy Pugh, Assistant Director of Innovation and Communications, Granite Family History Center