A message from our Ward Family History Consultant, Bruce Holman:
I’ve found myself with a lot of down time during this pandemic which reminds me of a quote while in the Salt Lake mission home preparing for my mission. “What you do with your time when you have nothing else to do, is an indication of your priorities to the Lord”. With the extra time we have, I find myself doing indexing and family research. Below are some ideas for doing family history.
Indexing
If you haven’t done any indexing, it’s easy! Go to familysearch.org and click on Indexing, then web indexing to get started or Help Resources if you need some help. You can pick from a variety of documents to index, from Beginning through Intermediate to Advanced. I like to stick with the Beginner documents. Right now, the missionaries are using much of their down time to Index, so if you don’t find something you can do, keep checking back.
Digitize or Update Journals
Take time to check up on your journal, expressing your thoughts and impressions about General Conference and the messages of the speakers. We are living in the Last Days and your children’s children will love to hear how you felt during these trying times. I just finished typing my old high school journals and my mission journal onto my main journal on my computer. Only one more journal I kept during our early years of marriage and everything will be on my home computer. Don’t forget to make a backup! I wish my ancestors had written journals while they lived in Kirtland and Nauvoo. I would have loved to hear their insights about Joseph Smith and the trials they endured.
Organize Your Pictures
Organize your pictures and label them. Digitize your pictures to easily share with family members. I went to the Family History Library and copied all my pictures onto a USB drive, which they sell at the library. It took me a few visits, but I copied all eighteen of my parent’s albums and twenty-one of our family albums. I’m in the process of labeling all my pictures, names and dates. Keep in mind that these projects take years but doing a little bit each day means a lot over the years.
Gather Names for the Temple
The temples are closed but that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare for their opening. Go to churchofjesuschrist.org, Families & Individuals, under Eternal Families choose Family History and then click on Getting Started. Take the time or “give place that a seed may be planted in your heart” to get familiar with the sites. On my phone I can use the Family Search app to reserve names. Open the app and click on Temple, then click on the green Ordinance Ready bar. Choose which ordinance to reserve and click on it. Names will come up, which if you continue, you can reserve or just view. Try it, it’s. easy.
JustServe.org
For further ideas on what to do, try justserve.org. They have great projects to keep you busy. Whether we’re organizing our four-generation sheets, listing who our cousins are in order of birth, or even our parent’s cousins in order of birth, finding ways to link or serve our families is the spirit of Elijah. It’s a wonderful feeling. The Lord said, “he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse”. I bear witness of the strength this spirit can give you during these trying times. Remember, we’re preparing to do Temple and Family History work throughout the millennium. Be ready and prepared. If you need any assistance feel free to call me.
Ward Family History Consultant
Bruce Holman
801-201-4427
