For the past couple of weeks the world’s attention has been turned to Tokyo, Japan where athletes from all over the world are competing. It is inspiring to watch these athletes and to learn about their experiences in preparing for and participating in the Olympics. It is also interesting to watch how they respond to both winning and defeat. As I was viewing the Olympics, I realized there are many parallels between the Olympics and family history, including the following:
| Olympics | Family History |
| There are many events in a wide variety of sports | There are many ways to participate in family history depending on your time, talents, interests, family situation, and needs |
| Each Olympics there are new faces, new events, and new skills | Opportunities in family history are continually expanding with new resources, new consultants, and new discoveries |
| Participants engage in years of dedicated training | Just like the athletes, we get better at family history when we set goals and spend time actually doing it |
| Attitude of hope, optimism | Staying positive no matter what the outcome lifts us above the hurdles that sometimes hinder our progress |
| Physical facilities provide venue for training and performing | Facilities such as the Granite Family History Center, and programs like FamilySearch, the Family History Guide and other software provide the tools we need to be better skilled at family history |
| Each participant has a coach that helps guide them to success | Each of us have temple and family history consultants to help find success |
| In the Olympics there are those that are young or not as experienced, or have other strikes against them, who exceed expectations and find success | No matter how new you are to family history, you can quickly become experienced in a particular aspect of family history and sometimes surprise those with years of experience |
If you want to improve your family history game, don’ t hesitate to come to the Granite Family History Center where you will find the equipment, coaches, materials and spiritual food that will help you be successful.
Dave Castleton- Director, Granite Family History Center