I am not one to do a lot of genealogy myself. Although, I do understand the importance of it. My patriarchal blessing talks about it, and I write a lot about it here. But, I do not do a lot of things to research names, and progress the work. I always think that is something I will have time to do when I’m a little older. But, what if that time never comes?
Elder Bednar’s talk in General Conference was about just that. He spoke of not putting off our genealogy by saying it is something we will do when we are in our senior years. In fact, he encouraged the youth of the church to get involved in doing their own genealogy when he said, “It is no coincidence that FamilySearch and other tools have come forth at a time when young people are so familiar with a wide range of information and communication technologies. Your fingers have been trained to text and tweet to accelerate and advance the work of the Lord—not just to communicate quickly with your friends. The skills and aptitude evident among many young people today are a preparation to contribute to the work of salvation.”
What a cool thing to encourage our youth to do!! They spend so much time in front of computers and their phones as it is, and a wealth of information is right at their fingertips waiting for them to discover it. But, I liked how he suggested that we don’t force it upon our kids, but just invite them to learn about it. The spirit of Elijah will take hold on its own and help the youth of today get excited about their own family history.
I know in recent months I’ve been thinking more about my own ancestors. There is one side of my family that we know little about because my Grandfather was estranged from that side. That’s all I’ve been told. I don’t know anymore beyond that, and it has peaked my curiosity. I want to know who these people are, and why my Grandfather felt the need to ostracize himself from them. Maybe there is not a good story to be told there, but it is a story that I want to hear anyway.
That is one thing I have learned about watching my Father-in-law do his family history. He loves the stories. He knows them, and in turn, he feels like they were real people. Because, they were. If we could all catch that same spirit like Elder Bednar is talking about, no matter how young or old, then we will surely get excited about family history.
Related Articles:
October 2011 General Conference-
Elaine S. Dalton Address