Weekly Family History Activities

From Come, Follow Me :

Nephi could speak persuasively of the need to "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ," of following the "strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:20, 18) because that is the path he followed. He knew by experience that this path, though demanding at times, is also joyful, and that "there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God" (2 Nephi 31:21).

Those who walked the covenant path before us and kept records of their journeys must have hoped and prayed that their words would positively influence anyone who read them in the future - just as Nephi hoped and prayed that "the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal (2 Nephi 33:4).

In addition to being influenced by Nephi's words, here are some activity ideas to help discover, gather, preserve, and share the words of our living relatives, our ancestors, and others so they can also continually influence those we love as Nephi hoped and prayed his words would influence "his people" (2 Nephi 33:3).




Discover, Gather, Preserve, and Share Stories

Interview living family members. Ask questions and preserve the answers! Check out The 52 Stories Project for weekly ideas for questions. Watch this video for inspiration. Record as you interview! Use your phone to record stories and upload documents and photos. Explore the Memories App For IoS and Android. Find instructions here.

The Memories Gallery is a place where all of the photos, stories, documents, and audio recordings that you add to FamilySearch are collected. With the FamilySearch Family Tree app and FamilySearch Memories app, gathering, recording, sharing, and preserving oral histories has never been easier. Read more here and in The Family History Guide here. A new feature allows you to add audio to individual photos.



The Family History Guide provides step-by-step help for FamilySearch Memories:

1: Gather Your Records   2: Gather Records from Others   3: Interview Relatives   4: Browse Memories   5: Prepare Uploads   6: Add and Tag Photos   7: Add Documents   8: Add Stories   9: Write a Life Sketch   10: Add Audio Files   11: Use the Gallery   12: Solutions Gallery






Story-Telling Marathon

Plan a story-telling marathon complete with pillows, blankets, grandparents and yummy goodies! In preparation, you may want to read this article from The Family Locket site: Strengthening Children Through Family History: Bruce Feiler's Tips from RootsTech 2016. Don't forget that you can include others remotely; see ideas here.

Think "story-time" as you make plans for family events, and as you go about your daily life using the "add-on" principle to fit in a story here and there - especially at bed-time, meal-time, home church, and while traveling. Share stories on social media.

You could consider audio or video recording your family members as they tell or read stories and also add these to FamilySearch!

Having stories whenever you need them has never been easier for more fun! Check out the All The Stories to enjoy a free, easy way to synchronize with FamilySearch and download the stories of your direct ancestors and their siblings back 9 generations, and includes a searchable list of any story placed on the tree along with how you are related to that person, and how long the story takes to tell! Glen N. Greener writes: "Caution: Do not open the All the Stories app if you have anything else to do ... After two hours of sitting in a chair I didn't like, my back hurt so much I finally stopped ... I couldn't possibly spend the time necessary to find all the stories from my family history that were instantly listed by using this app (Read more here).



Another way to find family history stories is to go to the FamilySearch fan chart where you can view stories along with family lines, countries of origin, research help, photos, and temple information.

See more ideas to Discover, Gather, Preserve, and Share Stories here.

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2 Nephi 31

Jesus Christ and His doctrine are the only way to eternal life.

From Come, Follow Me :

As you read 2 Nephi 31:18–20, evaluate your own efforts to “press forward” along the gospel path.

The Plan Of Salvation

See this activity to help your family understand that Heavenly Father prepared a plan of salvation that teaches us where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going after mortality. Understanding our place in the plan of salvation helps us develop faith and find joy in a world with many inequities. We can use our knowledge of the plan of salvation to help us in our earthly challenges.” Read more here. 

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2 Nephi 31:4–13

Jesus Christ set the perfect example of obedience when He was baptized.

From Come, Follow Me :

Whether your baptism happened yesterday or a long time ago, it was an important moment. You entered an eternal covenant to follow Jesus Christ. Think about your baptism as you read about the Savior’s baptism in 2 Nephi 31:4–13.

Baptism and Confirmation Memories

Take turns telling about your baptismal day. Where were you baptized and by whom? Who was there to share your baptism? What do you remember about that day? How did you feel when you were baptized? Help younger children and others who have not yet been baptized express their feelings about looking forward to that day. What does baptism mean to you?

Video Baptism

Share what it felt like to be confirmed. Capture these stories as they are being told, using the FamilySearch Memories App, or use Record My Story (see this blog post). You might want to create a folder, book, or digital file of baptism memories of family members. Upload the photos to FamilySearch Memories. This would be a beautiful gift for anyone of any age preparing for baptism or just a wonderful way to share memories with those you love.

Finding Ancestors Who Need Ordinance Work Done

"What a marvelous thing that is that you ... can stand in the place of some great man or woman who at one time lived upon the earth but who is now powerless to move forward without the blessing that you can give to him or her. … There is no greater blessing. ... And it will be your privilege and your opportunity and your responsibility to live worthy to go to the temple of the Lord and there be baptized in behalf of someone else." (Gordon B. Hinckley, Baptism for the Dead)

You and your family may enjoy reading a printed baptismal program or searching for other documents about an ancestor's baptism. Where was he or she baptized? At what age? Who performed the baptism and confirmation? How is your child related to this person? If related, can you find him or her on the family tree?

To find those persons in your family tree without the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, find step-by-step instructions in the Church of Jesus Christ section of The Family History Guide. Here you will find links to the following and more:

• FamilySearch Icons and Policies
• Temple Opportunities
• Descendancy Lines
• Printing Temple Names
• Reserved Ordinances

Also check out Youth: Latter-day Saints and FamilySearch In-Home Activities.

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Your Personal History



Write one brief story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson. By the end of the year, you will have compiled 50 stories to add to your personal history. Save as a story (also consider audio-recording it) and add it to your FamilySearch memories to preserve it. Use your own questions or those from (or inspired by) the #52 Stories Project below. Here are some ideas:

• What inspires you as you read accounts that your ancestors have recorded?
• How would it have felt like to live before the gospel was restored?
• How have the words of Nephi found in 2 Nephi 31–33 influenced you personally?
• How have you worked to maintain a "perfect brightness of hope? What obstacles have you overcome? (see 2 Nephi 31:20).
• What does the restoration teach you about God's love?