In May 2024, my wife Joy and I travelled to England to search for and meet our ancestors, both living and deceased. My great-great grandparents on my mother’s side, Lucy Clayton and Thomas Bullock, were early converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Preston area of Manchester, England. In May… Read More Pathway to Meeting My English Ancestors
Years ago, Elder Wilford W. Anderson gave a talk asking if when we danced, could we hear the music? He recited the story of an elderly Native American visiting an emergency room and a young doctor asked, “How can I help you?” The elderly gentleman looked straight ahead and said nothing. The doctor tried again, explaining that… Read More Can You Hear the Music?
In May 2024, my wife Joy and I traveled to England to search for and meet our ancestors, both living and deceased. My great-great grandfather Thomas Bullock was an early convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Preston area of Manchester. As I have reviewed my family history, I’ve always… Read More Meeting My English Relative Charles Hall
Speaking at a Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf quoted Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple saying, “It is impossible to connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” Elder Uchtdorf went on to say, “What… Read More The Dots Will Connect
By FamilySearch May 2025 Recently, FamilySearch expanded its free online archives with over 118 million new records from 37 countries. Some exciting additions include 33 million civil registrations from Italy, 7 million general archive and church records from Colombia, and almost 5 million civil registrations from Guatemala. Other countries with significant record additions include the… Read More New Free Historical Records from 37 Countries | May 2025 Update
In honor of Mother’s Day celebrations around the world, several Apostles and General Officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have shared social media messages celebrating women and their divine roles and contributions. President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, recounted the legacies of his mother, Mildred, and wife,… Read More Leaving a Legacy – “Charity Never Faileth”
In 1941, my mother Irene Hawke Burnett Benson lived in Plymouth, England with her husband Charles Reginal Henry Burnett and my 6-month-old brother Robert Charles Burnett. When World War II broke out, Reginald went into the military service with the British Navy and served on the ship HMS Raleigh. Soon after, he sustained a back… Read More The Genealogy Paper Fell Out of The Book
I recently read a talk by Elder Marvin J. Ashton in 1987 (See Link). After reading it, I couldn’t help but reflect on what I have heard from so many in recent months. It seems so many of us wish we were more knowledgeable when it comes to researching our own family history. And yet, what… Read More Journey Your Learning with Patience
A successful football coach once said: But what if we don’t want our happiness to be temporary? How can we achieve lasting happiness? Elder Patrick Kearon said in his October 2024 General Conference address “Because of the loving plan of our Heavenly Father for each of His children, and because of the redeeming life and… Read More If You Want to Be Happy. . .
February is American Heart Month and a time to catch the vision of where your heart lies. As stated in D&C 2:2 “And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.” In President Russell M. Nelson’s… Read More Heart to Heart