Weekly Family History Activities

Psalms 49–51; 61–66; 69–72; 77–78; 85–86

“I Will Declare What He Hath Done for My Soul” 

Psalms 49; 62:5–12

Redemption comes only through Jesus Christ.

From Come, Follow Me:

How is your life influenced by your testimony that “God will redeem [your] soul from the power of the grave”? (verse 15).

"Because we believe the accounts in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon about the literal Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we also believe the numerous scriptural teachings that a similar resurrection will come to all mortals who have ever lived upon this earth. That resurrection gives us what the Apostle Peter called "a lively hope" (1 Peter 1:3). Dallin H. Oaks, Easter Messages

"The facts of Jesus' death and Resurrection are hailed by those of Christian denominations as fundamental tenets. However, what Jesus' immortal spirit did after His death and before His Resurrection is a mystery to all but the Latter-day Saints. And the significance of what He did during those hours provides the doctrinal foundation for building temples across the earth." Spencer J. Condie, The Savior's Visit to the Spirit World. Read more here.

"By which also he [Jesus Christ] went and preached unto the spirits in prison." While the gospel may be accepted by spirits in the spirit world, the ordinances of salvation must be performed for them by those who are living here on Earth (1 Pet. 3:18-20). See also D&C 138:16–19.

In The Family History Guide, see Temple Opportunities for help with every aspect of finding and taking names to the temple. Learn how to use the FamilySearch fan chart to discover and research those in need of ordinances.

Learn more about Temple Baptism and Confirmation for the Dead, Temple Endowment, and Temple Sealings. See Find Ancestors in Need of Temple Work in the Family Tree using the fan chart. Check out Ordinances Ready and Ordinances Ready on the FamilySearch App.

See also Descendancy Research and Creating Family Groups to collaborate. 

Decide how you and your family will accomplish doing the temple work for those you find who need your help.

See My Ancestors's Temples. You will need to have a free FamilySearch account and four generations entered into the family tree.

Psalm 51:13–15; 66:16–17; 71:15–24

My testimony of Jesus Christ can help others come unto Him.

From Come, Follow Me:

Ponder how you gained your testimony of Jesus Christ and His atoning power. Then, as you study Psalms 51:13–15; 66:16–17; 71:15–24, think about how you can invite others to “come and see the works of God” (Psalm 66:5). What does it mean to you to “talk of [His] righteousness all the day long”? (Psalm 71:24). How will you tell others “what he hath done for [your] soul”? (Psalm 66:16).

Elder Christofferson states, "’And we write according to our prophecies' suggests the wisdom of making a permanent record of our testimony of Christ. We understand that the testimonies we bear are 'recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over [us]' (D&C 62:3). Our own descendants and others may look upon and rejoice over our witness of Christ written or recorded for their benefit." (Becoming a Witness of Christ)

Write your testimony down. You may want to help young children or older family members and friends write or record what they feel. Consider scanning or taking a photo of hand-written testimonies to preserve in Memories on FamilySearch. You can also type directly into a document in FamilySearch memories. See instructions in The Family History Guide here. Audio record using the FamilySearch Memories Audio App or the Record My Story feature. 

You can also share the document or audio recording with others via facebook, email, etc. by tapping the "Share" symbol. 

The Lord will help me in my time of urgent need.

From Come, Follow Me:

When you are distressed, how does it help you to “remember the works of the Lord” and His “wonders of old”? (Psalm 77:11). Some of those wonders are described in Psalm 78. As you read about them, ponder what helps you “set [your] hope in God” (verse 7). What experiences from your family history inspire you?

Ask questions, preserve and share the answers!

• Check out The 52 Stories Project for weekly questions.
• Explore the Memories App and this blog post.

Discover ancestor stories on the FamilySearch Fan Chart along with Family lines, birth country, sources, photos, research helps, and ordinances. You can print a chart and make a place mat or frame and hang a chart on the wall for fun! Play Fan Chart Bingo, or toss dice onto the chart and share a fact or story about the person’s name where it lands. 

Diaries, letters, postcards, scrapbooks, photos, baby books and other passed-down items from trunks, closets, and attics hold "everyday life" details and stories you won't find anywhere else. Go through your house (and your willing relatives' houses) for items. Consider creating a physical or on-line family history book with what you discover, and preserve and share on FamilySearch. Find ways to display these treasures in your home. Audio-record the related stories or create a video like the following:

Find the Memories tab on the FamilySearch Person Page for each ancestor. Check out the following sites for more options: Women of Faith, Military Records of Your Family's War Veterans, My Pioneer Ancestors, Missionaries.

The All The Stories site is a free way to synchronize with FamilySearch all the stories of your direct ancestors and their siblings back 9 generations. It has a searchable list of any story anyone has placed on your part of the tree, along with how you are related to that ancestor, and how long the story takes to tell.

The Family History Guide can help you with step-by-step instructions for the following categories in FamilySearch Project 2, Goal 1 

One idea is to make a collection of the conversion stories of the first converts in your ancestral lines, even if the first convert is you!

• Make a book of these stories for your family (bind, put in a notebook, or share digitally).
• Send this collection of stories with your missionaries, as they are asked to bring family history stories with them.
• Give them as gifts.
• Place in your memories on FamilySearch and attach them to your tree.See this FamilySearch article and Project 2: Memories.

See Week 2 for more ideas, including illustrating conversion stories.

“It’s wonderful to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers by telling important family history stories in ways that are accessible and memorable. Perhaps having family history documents, stories, photos, and memorabilia always before our eyes can strengthen our testimonies (see Mosiah 1:5). As we place them on our walls, our tables, our computers, our iPads, and even our cell phones, maybe we will be prompted to make better choices and draw closer to the Lord and to our families.” President and Sister Nelson, Open the Heavens through Temple and Family History Work 

Use the Countries Knowledgebase

As you do research in various countries around the world, you can pick up some great hints and tips in the Countries Knowledgebase. You’ll find it at the bottom of the Countries menu.