Weekly Family History Activities

Jonah; Micah

“He Delighteth in Mercy”

Jonah 3

From Come, Follow Me:

What did Jonah learn about sharing the gospel? Who do we know that would be blessed by hearing the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ?

“The time has come for us to capitalize more effectively on the potent combination of the mighty change of heart, made possible primarily by the spiritual power of the Book of Mormon, and the turning of hearts to the fathers, accomplished through the spirit of Elijah. A yearning for connection to our past can prepare an individual to receive the virtue of the word of God and fortify his or her faith. A heart turning to the fathers uniquely helps an individual withstand the influence of the adversary and strengthen conversion ... The artificial boundary line we so often place between missionary work and temple and family history work is being erased; this is one great work of salvation." David A. Bednar, Missionary, Family History, and Temple Work

Read more in Kathryn Grant's FamilySearch blog post.

People everywhere desire to know of their heritage. As they learn about those who went before them, they may become interested in knowing about eternal families and what the gospel of Jesus Christ teaches about sealing families together. Teaching about temple work and helping with family history can be a successful finding, teaching, and retention tool.

You might want to role-play missionary scenarios where family history can be a tool for helping people know more about their families, and then talking to them about some principles of the gospel. You could enlist the help of friends and neighbors for this activity.

Divide into companionships and practice door approaches with this guidance from Preach My Gospel: "Talk to people about their families. Help them see how the restored gospel can be a blessing to their families. Offer to help them find the names of grandparents, great-grandparents, or other ancestors. Enlist the help of ward temple and family history consultants." 

Plan ahead to be prepared to ask and answer questions and to be able to help people find information about their families. 

A fun question to ask is described in An Evening With Elder And Sister Bednar at 44:07. Elder Bednar suggests talking to people about the meaning of their surnames. Perhaps this question would lead to others and opportunities to share something about the gospel. Do a Surname Search on FamilySearch.org.

Click to enlarge.

Check out the following suggestions found in Help Friends Discover Their Family History:

With the FamilySearch Family Tree App and a conversation, you can help a friend begin to discover personal family history.

You might ask:

• Which of your ancestors do you feel most connected with? Why?
• Who’s the oldest relative you remember? What do you remember about him/her?
• What stories do you know about your ancestors?
• What traits do you have in common with your family? Who did those come from?
• Have you visited an ancestor’s homeland? What was it like?
• What do you want to know about your ancestors?

Studies show people are more resilient and self-assured when they know about their ancestors. In addition, they can feel closer to God because “family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).

As you share your experiences, people may want to know more. Here are two common questions:

1. Why is FamilySearch.org a free service?
   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsors this service through the generous donations of its members because families are an important part of God’s plan for all of His children. Through Jesus Christ, we can be reunited with our loved ones after we die. Because of this, FamilySearch is a free resource to help all people learn about their ancestors and feel a connection to them.
2. I feel something special when I participate in family history. Why?
   When we learn more about our family history, we are naturally drawn to our ancestors and feel a connection to them. This feeling of connection is a reminder from God through His Holy Spirit that families are meant to last beyond this life. Additional information about the importance of families is available here.

Note : Introducing others to The Family History Guide is giving them a lasting gift that will help them in their family history journey. 

Having your own experiences in family history will help you gain greater confidence in helping others with theirs. Check out this page in The Family History Guide for a myriad of ways to learn about and connect with your living family and those on the other side of the veil. 

Family Activities: 5-Minute Ideas for Latter-day Saints 

Micah 4:11–13; 5:8–15; 7:5–7

Jesus Christ quoted the writings of Micah.

From Come, Follow Me:

Micah 4:11–13 (see 3 Nephi 20:18–20). The Lord compared the latter-day gathering to a wheat harvest (see also Alma 26:5–7; Doctrine and Covenants 11:3–4). What does this comparison suggest to you about the gathering of Israel?

President Russell M. Nelson invites us all to "focus on things that matter," by being involved in the gathering of Israel. 

"My beloved brothers and sisters, thank you for your faith, your devotion, and your love. We share an enormous responsibility to be who the Lord wants us to be and to do what He wants us to do. We are part of a great movement—the gathering of scattered Israel. I speak of this doctrine today because of its unique importance in God's eternal plan...We are among the covenant people of the Lord. Ours is the privilege to participate personally in the fulfillment of these promises. What an exciting time to live!" President Russell M. Nelson, The Gathering of Scattered Israel

In October 2018 General Conference, President Nelson spoke during the women's session about their role in gathering Israel. 

In 2016 President Nelson invited millennials to help in the cause, and promised that as they consistently gave the Lord a generous portion of their time, He would "multiply the remainder." Becoming True Millennials (see also this article).

President Nelson also invited the youth to gather Israel on both sides of the veil to prepare for the second coming of the Lord. "Are you willing to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel?" See Latter-day Saint Youth: Gather Israel for ideas and activities.

"Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that." Hope of Israel, Worldwide Youth Devotional—June 3, 2018

• If you have a few names in your part of the tree, check out this flowchart for guidance, and use FamilySearch record hints.
• If you have many names, check out resources such as FamilySearch partner records and apps. You can also use descendancy methods to find cousins with the FamilySearch fan chart and descendancy view or with Puzzilla.

From Family Search: "The new Ordinances Ready feature in the FamilySearch Family Tree app and on FamilySearch.org helps you find ancestors awaiting ordinances. It can at the same time provide a discovery experience. The feature allows members to see their relationship to their ancestor, view available photos and stories, and even view their “person page” (with an overview of the information on FamilySearch). Read more in this FamilySearch blog post.

Find Use FamilySearch Research Tools

FamilySearch offers some great research tools on its site, such as Genealogies, the FamilySearch Catalog, Books, Historical Images, the Research Wiki, and Surname Lists. Learn more about these tools in Project 4: Discover, Goal 5.