Weekly Family History Activities

Genesis 24–27

The Covenant Is Renewed

Genesis 24

Marriage is essential to God’s eternal plan.

From Come, Follow Me:

Today many people make marriage a low priority or even consider it a burden. Abraham had a different perspective—to him, the marriage of his son Isaac was of highest importance. Why do you think it was so important to him? As you read Genesis 24, think about the importance of marriage in God’s plan of salvation. You might also read Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s message “Why Marriage, Why Family” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 50–53) and consider why “a family built on the marriage of a man and woman supplies the best setting for God’s plan to thrive” (page 52).

"Only those who are married in the temple and whose marriage is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise will continue as spouses after death (See D&C 76:53; 132:7) and receive the highest degree of celestial glory, or exaltation. A temple marriage is also called a celestial marriage. Within the celestial glory are three levels. To obtain the highest, a husband and wife must be sealed for time and all eternity and keep their covenants made in a holy temple" (see D&C 131:1–3). Russell M. Nelson, Celestial Marriage

Gather the family and share how you and your spouse met and and fell in love. Explain why marriage is important to you. If you have living grandparents or know their love stories, share those experiences also. You may want to write these down or audio-record them and upload them to FamilySearch Memories. You could also share the love stories of church leaders or others you admire.

Also review Share Marriage Memories and Celebrate Ancestor Marriages from Week 2 for additional ideas.

Does your fan chart show any ancestors missing a spouse? Pick one and search for the missing spouse so your ancestor can be sealed. One way to document a marriage is through marriage records. More information on marriage records can be found here in The Family History Guide.

Genesis 26:1–5

The Abrahamic covenant was renewed through Isaac.

From Come, Follow Me:

The covenant God made with Abraham was intended to continue through many generations, so Abraham and Sarah’s legacy of covenant keeping would need to be passed down to Isaac, Jacob, and other faithful women and men among their posterity. As you read Genesis 26:1–5, look for some of the blessings of the covenant that God mentioned. What do you learn about God from these verses?

You know that “when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:20-21) In his conference address titled Family History And Temple Work: Sealing And Healing, Elder Dale G. Renlund shares that family history and temple work is not only for the dead, but blesses the living as well. "[As] we participate in family history and temple work today, we also lay claim to 'healing' blessings promised by prophets and apostles."

Copy each of the blessings listed below on small pieces of paper and put them into a basket. Each blessing is a promise you have received as you participate in temple and family history work. In a group or as a family, take turns drawing them out one-by-one. Discuss the reasons why you would want that particular blessing in your life and write down the action(s) you might take to qualify for that blessing. 

• Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice
• Increased influence of the Holy Ghost to feel strength and direction for our own lives
• Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding
• Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going
• Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts
• Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord
• Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be
• Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel alone
• Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord's help, serve others
• Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary
• Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole

After this activity, review your list of actions you can take to receive these wonderful blessings. Make a goal to accomplish at least one or two of them this week.

As a family, think of and write down all the blessings you can receive by doing temple and family history work. Review Elder Renlund's address Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing and watch President Nelson’s video below to see if you can discover any additional blessings you did not write down. Discuss together the wonderful blessings that are available to you and how you can experience more of them in your individual lives.

Watch this video: Youth Connecting with Generations  and check out the following links in the blog article that goes with it:

• 4 Easy Ways to Discover Your Ancestors
• 2 Things to Add to Your Family History
• Family History Is as Easy as Pushing "Record"
• 3 Simple Ways to Honor Your Ancestors
• Simple Ways to Share What You've Learned
• Share Your Skills with Family and Friends

Genesis 24:15–28, 55–60.

From Come, Follow Me:

Your family could look in these verses for attributes that made Rebekah a worthy eternal companion for Isaac. Encourage family members to pick one of these attributes that they feel they should develop.

Are there attributes or characteristics that your ancestors possessed that you may want to emulate?

1. Review stories about your ancestors. (If you need help locating some stories, All the Stories is a website that syncs with FamilySearch to help you easily find the stories of your ancestors. You can also locate stories on your part of the FamilySearch tree using the "Stories" option in the fan chart view. Read more here.)
2. Identify some characteristics of your ancestors. What were their challenges? What were their strengths?
3. Is there a phrase or quote that typifies one of their strong characteristics? If so, consider posting it in a prominent place (such as mirror, refrigerator, or main door) as a reminder for all family members.

Each family member could select a character trait from a particular ancestor or someone they would like to emulate, and work on incorporating it into his or her life. Perhaps a certain time period for that focus could be selected. Share with each other the reasons you selected that trait. Place a photo or quote where it can be seen often as a reminder. Write about or audio record your experiences in FamilySearch memories (be sure to tag your ancestor). Note: As mentioned above, to find stories about your ancestors, see Week #22, 2020.

Quick Research Basics

Would you like a quick introduction to a variety of basic genealogy research topics? Check out the Quick Research Basics Playlist on YouTube. You can also find links to these topics in the individual goals within The Family History Guide.