Family History: Discovering Strength

Now, Family History... has never felt very important to me. I only knew that family history involved looking through old records and finding names and dates, using these to perform temple ordinances. I did not really take to the idea of interpreting old cursive writing and sometimes illegible characters, digging through the distant past and finding names of people I don't know at all. I tried FamilySearch Indexing a few times and let it slip down the list of priorities (this was during my second year of college, I think). FamilySearch Indexing simply involves going through old records and translating the photocopies into text that the Church (for the sake of simplicity, I'll usually refer to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as "the Church". And I do it because it's a habit) can categorize for anyone to reference. Anyway, I knew of this primarily data-focused part of the family history work and it did not excite me much.

Over the week around Christmas where I got to celebrate the season with my grandparents in Idaho, I discovered a new element to family history. First I will explain that my parents have a great desire to do this work, to research their ancestors. The Bishopric of the Ward called my Mom recently to be a Family History Consultant, so she will have even more inclination and opportunity to do this work and teach others about it.

This vacation to Idaho provided my parents with the opportunity to work on what we can call "current" family history. With an mp3 recorder, my Dad interviewed his mother, recording her life history and experiences as she related them. He then transcribed the recording and made a text version of the whole thing, which we now have as her official life history. I just started listening to the recording. I was present when they started recording, but I did not listen to the whole thing.

The recording has proved very interesting to listen to, to think about. I will listen to the whole recording (just under an hour) by the time I finish this post, but I have gotten distracted a few times. Skipping to an entirely different time period, during Thanksgiving of this last year, my ex-girlfriend asked my grandma some great questions about the farm house that we were all staying in (she came along with my family and I. I always enjoy going to McCammon, but this time was even better). All this information was there for the hearing, but I had never thought to ask. I learned that this farm house in McCammon, Idaho, had been built off the grid. No running water or electricity. It cost a huge amount of money to get the power up there. I think my grandpa built that house. Because of a bad business deal that he had (a fascinating detail in itself), he was unable to finish the basement as he wanted; didn't have the money. They moved from California, probably a comfortable little place, to a big, somewhat-unfinished, farm house without electricity or running water. That would make for a tough adjustment.

Back to the present!-(Or closer to it, at least) My grandpa did not do the same thing, did not talk while my Dad recorded. He had started to work on his life history in the way he liked and would finish it later. My parents tried to swing him over to talking on the recording, but he let his wife handle that part. On the drive back to Utah, though, my parents talked about him and several of the challenges that they have heard about, several of his experiences.

The experiences of my grandparents, the knowledge of their lives, has made my own life clearer. Family history work gives me perspective beyond the day-to-day view that I have used most of my life. It gives me a sense of the foundation behind me, of the lives lived before me that. Has anyone else felt that sense of foundation, from family history or simply getting to know their parents? In the middle of typing this blog post, one of my family asked what I was busy with. My Mom was happy that I had taken some more interest in Family History. I then asked her and my Dad to share more of their life experiences and opinions, because I am growing to want those more. Right then she started in on her younger years, and how she used to be boy-crazy and swing across a ditch hanging onto strands of a willow tree. It was excellent! We even moved on to the part where she was in labor with me for 30+ hours. That part I had heard about before (no way she would let me remain ignorant of all that work she did). (Edit: I just finished reading my grandma's life history. My grandparents' life goals are already a source of inspiration to build my life well. Family History is awesome)

• D&C 138 This whole section of the Doctrine and Covenants gives us great knowledge of those waiting for the work to be done, and those doing the work on the other side.

Give Family History a shot if you have not already, in some form. Try FamilySearch Indexing out, for example! You can easily become involved in a huge project that helps people all over to research their ancestors and find their own earthly foundations. Most importantly, this can help the progress of performing the temple ordinances for those who did not have the chance to do so in life. Here is the link to the main page: FamilySearch Indexing. There are a couple of items you need before you can start (primarily your membership record number, if you are a member of the LDS church, but you can easily overcome that challenge. Just talk to the Ward secretary about getting the number.) But any form of Family History can bless your life (taking names of ancestors to the temple, in particular). I am starting FamilySearch Indexing again, and I will get more involved with my parents' research. So, comment if you have felt the blessing of Family History in any way. I would love to hear about it.