Weekly Family History Activities

“The Battle Is the Lord’s”

1 Samuel 16:7

From Come, Follow Me:

What are some ways people judge others “on the outward appearance”? What does it mean to look “on the heart,” as the Lord does? (1 Samuel 16:7). Consider how you can apply this principle to the way you see others—and yourself. How might doing so affect your interactions or relationships with others? ...

1 Samuel 9:15–21; 16:7

Reading these verses along with the following words from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf could inspire a discussion about why the Lord chose Saul and David: “If we look at ourselves only through our mortal eyes, we may not see ourselves as good enough. But our Heavenly Father sees us as who we truly are and who we can become” (“It Works Wonderfully!” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 23). Perhaps family members could take turns talking about what good qualities they see in each other’s hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7).

Discuss as a family: 

• When the Lord “looketh on the heart", what qualities do you think He hopes to see? What qualities would He see looking into the hearts of your family? 
• What are Christlike Attributes? (See How Do I Develop Christlike Attributes?) 
• Sit in a family circle (extended family can join). Take turns going around the circle saying something good about the person to your right. Try to focus more on “qualities of the heart” rather than obvious talents. Then reverse and go to the left.
• Discuss how hearing positive comments made you feel. How did it differ when you were receiving rather than sharing? How does this activity strengthen each individual? How does this strengthen you as a family?
• Consider writing a note of gratitude to family members. Write about an experience with that person or a positive characteristic that has helped you. Tell them how and why they are an important part of your life.
• Another idea is to audio-record and preserve a tribute to a deceased loved one using the FamilySearch Audio app. See instructions in The Family History Guide here.

One way to “look upon the heart” of your ancestors is to learn more about them. It’s fun to see pictures of them, but do you wonder what they were really like? Find some of the greatest generation characteristics of ancestors born in the 1900s to the 1920s in the blog The Greatest Generation: Birth Years, Characteristics, and History. Characteristics such as: 

• Personal Responsibility
• Humility
• Work Ethic
• Frugality
• Commitment
• Integrity
• Self-Sacrifice

Find and share some stories of your ancestors by using All the Stories,or your FamilySearch fan chart. Read Ten Ways to Discover, Gather and Share Family History Stories for other ideas.

“Family Stories directly impact how we see ourselves because they give us an idea of where we come from and how we fit into our family...Sharing family stories helps us to evaluate the actions of others and create meaning from the past. When facing challenges, we can draw strength from stories of relatives who also struggled with similar challenges and obstacles and were then able to overcome them.” (How Family Stories Shape Our Identities) Watch David Isay’s RootsTech presentation to see how family stories help make up our family history.

Share from memory, interview others, read from a family history book or letters, or find stories on your family tree on a safe Internet site. With The Family History Guide, you can easily learn how to add memories in FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Findmypast. Check out the ideas under the "Documenting the Past" link on all of the Activity pages. See this blog post, and learn how to use the FamilySearch Audio App to record and upload stories.

1 Samuel 17

With the help of the Lord, I can overcome any challenge.

From Come, Follow Me:

As you read 1 Samuel 17, ponder the words of various people in this chapter (see the list below). What do their words reveal about them? How do David’s words show his courage and faith in the Lord?

• Goliath: verses 8–10, 43–44

• Eliab: verse 28

• Saul: verse 33

• David: verses 26, 32, 34–37, 39, 45–47

Ponder the personal battles you are facing. What can you find in 1 Samuel 17 that strengthens your faith that the Lord can help you?

“There are Goliaths all around you, hulking giants with evil intent to destroy you. These are not nine-foot-tall men, but they are men and institutions that control attractive but evil things that may challenge and weaken and destroy you. Included in these are beer and other liquors and tobacco. Those who market these products would like to enslave you into their use. There are drugs of various kinds…There is pornography, seductive and interesting and inviting….The giants who are behind these efforts are formidable and skillful. They have gained vast experience in the war they are carrying on. They would like to ensnare you….But you need not fear if you have the slingshot of truth in your hands. You have been counseled and taught and advised. You have the stones of virtue and honor and integrity to use against these enemies who would like to conquer you. Insofar as you are concerned, you can hit them “between the eyes,” to use a figurative expression. You can triumph over them by disciplining yourselves to avoid them.” (Overpowering the Goliaths in Our Lives) 

See how Steven Jezek overcomes his addition and begins to feel the spirit by indexing.

“Victory will be yours…You have His power within you to sustain you. You have the right to ministering angels about you to protect you. Do not let Goliath frighten you. Stand your ground and hold your place, and you will be triumphant. As the years pass, you will look back with satisfaction upon the battles you have won in your individual lives.” (Overpowering the Goliaths in Our Lives) 

Start or continue indexing as a family or individual. You will be helping yourself and others. To learn how to begin, see Get Started at FamilySearch. If you prefer, find a specific project by looking at Indexing Overview on FamilySearch or help ensure that the 1950 United States Census is complete and accurate.

You may also review FamilySearch Project 5 in The Family History Guide to find out how to get started, manage batches, and set goals. Need some additional help? How to Get Started with Indexing Online gives you five simple steps to get started with indexing.

Elder Dale G. Renlund stated that “Through our covenants and ordinances, we have access to the power of godliness in our lives--no matter our circumstances.

That power of godliness comes because we’ve entered into a covenant that’s been part of an ordinance. And as we keep that covenant, then the power of godliness can be in our lives...Our ability to access the power of godliness depends on us keeping the covenants we’ve made with Him.” (How We Can Access the Power of the Temple during COVID-19) 

As you watch the video above, ponder how holding a temple recommend can give you strength to keep your temple covenants and help you in your daily life. Discuss as a family how you receive power from the temple to face the challenges of life. Set goals as a family to make temple and family history more a part of your lives.

Bits of Research Knowledge

Sometimes it’s good to learn about research topics in small bits and pieces. The Knowledgebase in The Family History Guide can help you do just that, with lots of short bullet points on just about any topic of interest in research. Check out the Knowledgebase to add to your research IQ.