I started working on my Family History at the beginning of this year but I didn't really take it seriously until the end of March. It was at a combined 5th Sunday meeting that our Stake/Ward Family History consultants gave a presentation to our ward about what Family History is, why it is important and how to start. It was here that I received the 'My Family' booklet.
Whilst listening to the presentation I felt the Spirit strongly urging me to start on this immediately and whilst listening to the presentation I began to write in my booklet all of the family members I knew and memories I have associated with them. When I got home I logged into FamilySearch and starting transferring in everything I knew.
Since then the journey of discovering has been truly amazing and with the help of my family and FamilySearch I have found my family all around the world.
I'm lucky that my grandparents are still alive and funnily enough on two separate occasions I actually took over their birthdays and turned them into a day of family history and memory sharing. I have never felt so much joy in discovering and hearing about family members I never had the chance to meet and seeing and listening to the joy in my families voices as they remember and share their memories.
I have experienced many blessings throughout the journey; one was sharing with my paternal grandfather the history of his father who he never had the chance to meet. He in turn surprised me with an archive of photos and documents he had collected and lovingly stored away relating to his family. Another blessing was discovering my paternal grandmothers family line and a connection with NZ History and sharing it with my father who, until recently, had been estranged from his family for a number of years. I have never heard my father speak so openly about his family until I presented him with what I had found. I plan to take him to visit his ancestor’s burial site later on this year; he is very excited for that!
The biggest blessing for me so far was being able to enter the Holy Temple to do Baptisms for the Dead for the very first time and being able to take my own names. I can't even explain the feelings I felt completing their ordinances - it was simply overwhelmingly joyous.
I am excited to continue working on my Family History. I plan on turning all the information I collect into a book for my family to continue to add onto so that future generations may also reflect back on our memories and us and in turn add their own. There is still a lot of work for me to do but I go forward with renewed purpose and strengthened faith that Heavenly Father will guide me and help me bring my family together.
I have a testimony of Family History - I know that the Lords plan is for Eternal Families. I know that the Spirit of Elijah will continue to guide us in our Family History work and that completing essential ordinances at the Holy Temple is a crucial work in the Lords kingdom. I know that if we are diligent and faithful in these works that we will be united with our families and Jesus Christ again in the Celestial Kingdom. I am grateful for this Gospel and for the love that Heavenly Father and the Saviour have afforded me and I leave these things with you in the Sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment