So I gave my first real lesson at a Relief Society activity tonight... I have been planning this activity for months and finally it came around... I was really hoping to take some pictures of the event but things didn't quite go how I thought they would... The activity was supposed to start at 6:30 but ended up not starting until after 7... I know... standard mormon time... Dinner went really well. We provided ham and rolls and then asked the sisters to bring family favorites, either a side dish or dessert. We ended up with all kinds of good food. The plan was to go something like this... (we were told to make it no more than an hour) Dinner was to begin at 6:30 and then once the sisters were getting done with dinner they were to compare their 4 generation pedigree charts (this came at the insistence of the Relief Society President, even though it had very little to do with the topic)... We would then begin the program by having a guest speaker talk about her experiences with writing her own personal history along with writing family members. She was to talk for about 15 minutes. After she got done we were going to have an activity that was going to be a getting to know you activity as well as answering questions about your life and then to close I was supposed to get up and talk for about 10-15 minutes about writing family histories...
From the beginning, keeping and using sacred records have been important to the people of God. In Adam's time, God commanded men to keep a “book of remembrance”. The prophets since the time of Adam have kept records as commanded by God.
This history of the dealings of God with his people and the experiences they had constitutes our present scripture. It is nothing more or less than sacred family history.
While most of us are not asked to record the history of God's dealings with the people of our time, we have been encouraged to record our own history. It is especially important that we record God's dealings with us personally. The records we keep in our families can help build the faith and testimony of our descendants.
In a message that President Kimball gave to the youth it states, “ On a number of occasions I have encouraged the Saints to keep personal journals and family records. I renew that admonition. We may think there is little of interest or importance in what we personally say or do- but it is remarkable how many of our families, as we pass on down the line, are interested in all that we do and all that we say.
Any Latter day Saint family that has searched genealogical and historical records has fervently wished its ancestors had kept better and more complete records. On the other hand, some families possess some spiritual treasures because ancestors have recorded the events surrounding their conversion to the gospel and other happenings of interest, including many miraculous blessings and spiritual experiences. People often use the excuse that their lives are uneventful and nobody would be interested in what they have done. But I promise you that if you will keep your journal and records, they will indeed be a source of great inspiration to your families, to your children, your grandchildren and others, on through the generations. Each of us is important to those who are near and dear to us- and as our posterity read of our life's experiences, they, too, will come to know and love us. And in that glorious day when our families are together in the eternities, we will already be acquainted.”
Your story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are available. Your journal should contain your true self rather than a picture of you when you are “made up” for a public performance. Your journal is your autobiography. You are unique and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in any other life.
What could you do better for your children and your children's children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved? Some of what you write may be humdrum dates and places but there will also be rich passages that will be quoted by your posterity.
I know that this may seem like a lot of work to do. I know that personally I have a really hard time sitting down and actually writing in a journal. However I have found other ways to get my story written down.
A few examples are:
Scrapbooking
Blogging
Life Histories
Oral Histories
Using data bases to create more than just data.
I will start will the data. Since starting my genealogy I have been using PAF to enter all my data in. I have found many different views that you can print your stuff out in. Recently I bought a MAC and PAF isn't compatible with it. I bought a new program and have been playing around with it. Some of the things I can print off are:
marriage lists
lists of persons
Birthdays
Events
Places
Narrative
Kinship Reports
fan charts
Relationship Charts
Ancestor charts
Genograms
family group sheets
person report
Scrapbooking is an excellent way to tell your life story. Pictures do an amazing job at recording events that have happened in your life.
Another way to preserve your family's history is by either writing or finding life histories. I have a couple binders full of histories that I have found that relatives have written. I love being able to go to the binders and read about my ancestor's lives.
Another way to preserve your history is through oral histories. This semester I am taking a family history class on campus. Our main assignment for the class is to conduct an oral history on a family member. I am really excited to do this! I have chosen to do one on my mom so that I can ask her questions about her life and record her answers.
One night for family home evening my siblings decided to interview my dad. My dad was always a big storyteller and we wanted to always remember his stories. This interview was soon forgotten. A few years later my dad unexpectedly passed away... this interview was found and it has meant the world to my family. We are able to watch my dad and listen to his stories when ever we want. I have a list of questions I have gotten from a past family history class I took if anyone is interested.
The final way I want to talk about is blogging. Back in 2007 I found out all about the world of blogging. I instantly fell in love with it and love writing about the events that occur in my life. Recently I found a way to get my blog published into a book. I now have a goal that at the very end of every year to publish each year's entries. This way my future family will have “my journal”.
I am so grateful for all the many ways we have been given to record the events in our lives. I am also extremely grateful for those who have gone before me that have listened to the counsel given by prophets to keep a record of their lives. Through this I am able to get to know my ancestor's on a whole new level.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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