Happy Happy Birthday, Eliza Dear!

FamilySearch.org is not only vital in helping to complete the work of salvation for the dead, but is also a wonderful destination if you are looking to learn more about your ancestors. How they lived, what they enjoyed, their family photos, the ways in which they served the Lord - you can find all these and more on FamilySearch.

One feature shows the occupations of your ancestors in the year 1880, as recorded in the census from that year. I was casually browsing through that today when a name caught my eye. Or rather, the age, since it was so close to my own. Eliza Mauretta Thurston, age 14, occupation: at home. I clicked on her name, eager to learn more about Eliza's life and what kinds of things she had going on at my age.

The first thing I saw about her was that her birthday was January 14th!!! Happy birthday to my great-great-great-grandmother! :) I would like to pay her a small tribute and say thank-you for her example. I read her brief life story, as told by her daughter-in-law, and was amazed at what I learned. Eliza worked hard as a teenager and was frugal with the money she earned. At 18, she became the second wife to her older sister's husband at a time when polygamists were being hunted down and arrested by government officials. Immediately after her wedding, she became a refugee, moving from place to place. She lived on a ranch, in a granary, and several other less-than-ideal places in order to support and protect not only herself, but her husband. She sacrificed many things along the way, but never complained, for she knew she was doing what the Lord had asked. She was resourceful and persevering. From the time she was young, she dedicated most of her time to serving others - parents, neighbors, family, anyone. If there was someone who needed help, Eliza was there!

I am grateful for the examples of Eliza and others who went before me - who sacrificed for the Lord and the gospel and never lost faith. I am also grateful for the wonderful technology that enables us to learn these stories and find our kindred dead who need their ordinances done! I hope you will take advantage of these tools! There are so many incredible blessings promised to us when we are engaged in this work - read more here or here.

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If you aren't sure how to get started on family history work, or maybe need a little more motivation, check out Learning A Legacy! My cousin Lily is passionate about family history and about helping others work on theirs. She loves the stories of her ancestors and is an expert on the many different types of technology that are available to help us in our search for our family gone before. Happy searching!

I Love To See the Temple, I Went Inside Wednesday...

Newport Beach California        Salt Lake City Utah       Washington DC

Raise your hand if you're on Spring Break! Just kidding. But I am on Spring Break this week, and on Wednesday, I decided to go to the temple. So I asked one of my friends if she wanted to go, and she said, "Yes,"--like any good friend should. Our moms came along so that they could do an endowment session, and they drove us the two hours to our nearest temple. (You'll just have to wonder which one...☺) 

Also, let me mention that we both brought family names! I brought one of mine and three of another friend's, and my accompanying comrade brought five, which we found in the many hours we spent together before we left for the temple. This goes along nicely with Individual Worth #6:

When you participate in family history, you come to understand your identity and individual worth. Visit with your living relatives to learn as much information about your family history as possible. Then complete a pedigree chart of your family and list the temple ordinances that have been completed for each person.

Even if you currently do not have access to a temple or a temple recommend, you can still do this experience (which, BTW, I learned so much by doing!), and in the process find names of your own ancestors! And then, if you have a temple recommend, get there ASAP and perform proxy baptisms for them. If you don't have a temple recommend, then, in the words of the temple president when he spoke to us in the baptistry, "Accost your bishop," and get a time set with him to interview for your own temple recommend. 

We both had a wonderful, peaceful time at the temple. I know that part of that was that we brought family file names that we were baptized for. We each did our own family names, plus ten other names the temple had on file. The temple file names were great (what part of the temple isn't?!), but I could feel the difference when I was baptized and confirmed for someone who shares my blood. It gives you a thrill to know that even though, if that ancestor were on earth now, she'd probably be older and wiser and maybe more learned than you, but she does not currently have a body and is not capable of receiving her saving ordinances and getting out of spirit prison. 

In Obadiah 1:21, it says that "Saviors will come upon Mount Zion". When we think of the word 'Savior', who do we immediately think of? Well, a savior is someone who does something for someone that that person cannot do for themselves. Jesus saved all mankind from sin, something that they could not do for themselves. 'But wait', you might be thinking. 'There was only one Jesus, and this verse says "Saviors"--plural.' Exactly. Plural. So it is not specifically Jesus this verse is talking about. Any guesses?? Any at all??

Us.

You heard right. Us. We are the Saviors on Mount Zion. That is, if we choose to go to the temple and stand in proxy to receive ordinances for those gone before us, doing something for them that they cannot do for themselves. If we don't, then we can't fulfill prophecy written before Christ was born. And seriously, who wants to miss out on fulfilling prophecy?! 

So log onto Family Search and find a name. It's as easy as looking for those little green temple icons. These links have some videos and tutorials that can explain further Link 1 Link 2 Link 3. If you need more help, go to my cousin Lily's blog. It's all about family history.

Thanks for making it all the way to this line. I appreciate it. ☺

Also, don't think that you can only go to the temple when your ward goes. That is a myth. Call your closest temple and ask if they have a time when you can come. For example, at my temple, they have an 'Open Baptistry' every Friday evening where you can come do baptisms with priesthood already there to baptize and confirm you. Every second Saturday of the month, our temple baptistry is open, with no youth groups scheduled, so that you can come and do baptisms. Youth temple trips are great, but it can be easier to feel the Spirit in smaller groups. 

Do your family history and go to the temple!!!

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Special Edition!!!

I know, I posted only yesterday, but I wanted to share something really neat. My cousin, Lily, who is a family history guru, has started a blog on the Spirit of Elijah and how youth can get involved, their purpose in being here on earth in the last days, etc. Anyway, I was very impressed by her thorough knowledge and explanation. You can read her blog here.

Well, I am very excited for this new resource to help youth in their quest to find their ancestors, but I also noticed that this correlates closely with some Personal Progress Experiences. And, of course, I am always looking for fun ways to get involved with Personal Progress. ;)

Individual Worth Elective Experience #6 says:

When you participate in family history, you come to understand your identity and individual worth. Visit with your living relatives to learn as much information about your family history as possible. Then complete a pedigree chart of your family and list the temple ordinances that have been completed for each person.

Well, this is pretty self-explanatory, at least to me, but if you have questions, please ask in the comments!

Knowledge Elective Experience #4 says:

Select a gospel principle you would like to understand better (for example, faith, repentance, charity, eternal families, or baptismal covenants). Read scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets that relate to the principle. Prepare a five-minute talk on the subject and give the talk in a sacrament meeting, in a Young Women meeting, to your family, or to your class. Record in your journal how you can apply this gospel principle in your life.

If you are curious about genealogy (the fancy-schmancy word for family history), you can research that using the resources they have suggested and prepare your talk on what you have learned!

Good Works Elective Experience #6 says:

Spend at least three hours giving service outside your family. Ask your ward or branch Relief Society president or a community leader for suggestions for service. For example, you might take care of children while parents attend the temple; collect, make, or recondition toys or games for a nursery; accept an assignment to clean the meetinghouse; or perform errands for or read to a homebound person or others in need. Record in your journal the reactions of the person you served and possible goals for future service opportunities.

Family history is SERVICE!!!! Finding names, taking them to the temple, and doing their ordinances may be the one of the biggest, most important services you will ever do for other people. I mean, it's their SALVATION we're talking about here, people! Who KNOWS how long people have been waiting to cross from Spirit Prison into Spirit Paradise?! 

You can also do family history and temple work for a project in many of the values. Be creative!

If you want to get more involved in the work of salvation for the dead (who are NOT actually dead!), familysearch.org is a wonderful resource! Create an account (or log in with your LDS account) and start searching! I promise that you will experience the Spirit of Elijah for yourself and feel your ancestors smiling down on you. 

Here are some great recent conference talks on family history. You don't have to read them all in their entirety, but skim over them and if something catches your eye, read it!

Elder Bednar's "The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn" from the October 2011 General Conference is probably my favorite: The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn. If you don't read the whole of this one, please read these:

I now invite the attention of the young women, young men, and children of the rising generation as I emphasize the importance of the Spirit of Elijah in your lives today. My message is intended for the entire Church in general—but for you in particular.

Many of you may think family history work is to be performed primarily by older people. But I know of no age limit described in the scriptures or guidelines announced by Church leaders restricting this important service to mature adults. You are sons and daughters of God, children of the covenant, and builders of the kingdom. You need not wait until you reach an arbitrary age to fulfill your responsibility to assist in the work of salvation for the human family.

The Lord has made available in our day remarkable resources that enable you to learn about and love this work that is sparked by the Spirit of Elijah. For example,FamilySearch is a collection of records, resources, and services easily accessible with personal computers and a variety of handheld devices, designed to help people discover and document their family history. These resources also are available in the family history centers located in many of our Church buildings throughout the world.

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.

I invite the young people of the Church to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah. I encourage you to study, to search out your ancestors, and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy baptisms in the house of the Lord for your kindred dead (see D&C 124:28–36).And I urge you to help other people identify their family histories.

As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding.And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives. 

Elder Cook's talk, "Roots and Branches" from the April 2014 conference is a popular one: Roots and Branches.

And Elder Richard G. Scott's "The Joy of Redeeming the Dead" from the October 2012 conference--The Joy of Redeeming the Dead.

Thanks for reading my rambling!