About once a year, I have the opportunity of teaching a class for the Granite Family History Center about fitting Family History into our lives. Each time I review my presentation, I go online to acquaint myself with the latest in family history work. If you do an online search for family history, you will see over 5 billion results, Imagine! If you had all the time in the world, you would not be able to read and act on all that is available. It can be completely overwhelming. Sometimes when there is too much information or too much to do, it can have an almost paralyzing effect. It’s hard to know where to start and end. Often it is easier not to do anything about it.
In Come, Follow Me this year, the course of study is the Doctrine and Covenants. While studying the section written for Hyrum Smith, section 11, there were three things that absolutely laser-focused my family history efforts.
The first was in verse 9, “assist to bring forth my work.” We are asked to help not to do it all. That is an empowering thought. We need to evaluate our time and what we can do and “assist” in that way. If we only have 30 minutes a week to do family history, then search for 30-minute projects. You could index a batch of scanned records or interview a relative. Read or tell your family a story from your family history. Look to add a source to someone in your FamilySearch Tree. Add a memory. Remember we are assisting. It is not required of us to do it all!
The second thought comes from verse 10, “thou hast a gift.” Each of us has been given our own gift and talent, every last one of us! “To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.” (D&C 46:12) Use the gift that you have been given to do family history. Is it to write a story? Is it to research? Is it to find and organize photos, documents, histories? Are you computer savvy and could help with indexing or transcribing grave markers? And REMEMBER, it is always better to look up when seeking to know what our gift is and not compare ourselves with what others are doing. It doesn’t matter. Your gift will profit this work!
The last thought also comes from verse 10, having an “honest heart.” The Lord knows what our obligations, gifts, and desires are. We have all been called to do the work of family history. If we desire with an honest heart to engage in this work, we will find the best way it will fit into our lives without guilt or comparing ourselves to what others are doing or are not doing.
For me, these verses were not only empowering but liberating. I can help. I do have gifts that will profit the family history effort, and in my heart, I can feel content with what I can do. There are blessings awaiting your efforts in family history work! –Janet Helland, TFHC Sandy Granite Stake