Tag: benefits of family history

Getting Back on Track

I feel like I have been living at high speed. Racing around and around life’s race course trying to stay in my lane and ger to the finish line. Except, that the ‘finish line’ keeps changing, moving farther away and I seem to end the daily rush focused on all the things I have to do, didn’t do and wasted my time doing.

In stairwell at work

I am feeling challenged..very challenged. I am wondering if I am changing in the way that helps me be a better disciple of Jesus Christ or am just challenged and not changed?

I started this post on August 14. Today is August 29. I went back to work on Monday after 6 days of vacation. Work is stressful, no way around that but, how I manage my time outside of work is where I am feeling the most challenge/stress.

I don’t feel like I am keeping up with any of my responsibilities, my hobbies, my Gospel study, my family relationships. I feel like I am doing what absolutely has to be done 75% of the time and 25% of the time, I am not doing what I could/should be doing or I am doing it so poorly that I might as well not be doing it.

I think a big part of my problem has been that I am getting up just in time to go to the gym, on a walk or hustle to water the garden before rushing to work. I haven’t been getting up and having 30 minutes of prayer, meditation, journaling or scripture study. I am realizing that I need that time to feel recharged, grateful and focused.

The Lord has been telling me in multiple ways for years that in addition to that time spent in worship and reverence, I need to be doing 30 minutes of Family History work. “His promises are sure,” just as the song says.

Today, I did get up and went to the 5 o’clock endowment session at the Jordan River Temple. It was wonderful to be there and helped my day get off to a great start.

I listened to Elders Renlund and Cook’s April 2023 conference talks this morning.  Elder Renlund said: At that time, I learned that Belém is the gateway to the region that includes the most powerful river in the world, the Amazon River. Despite the river’s strength, twice a year something seemingly unnatural happens. When the sun, moon, and earth are aligned just so, a powerful tidal wave flows up the river, against the natural flow of the water. Waves up to 6 meters high traveling as far as 50 kilometers upstream have been documented. This phenomenon, known generally as a tidal bore, is referred to locally as pororoca, or “great roar,” because of the loud noise it makes. We can correctly conclude that even the mighty Amazon must yield to heavenly powers. Like the Amazon, we have a natural flow to our lives; we tend to do what comes naturally. Like the Amazon, with heavenly help we can do seemingly unnatural things. After all, it is not natural for us to be humble, meek, or willing to submit our wills to God. Yet only by doing so can we be transformed, return to live in the presence of God, and achieve our eternal destiny. Unlike the Amazon, we can choose whether we yield to heavenly powers or “go with the flow.” Going against the flow may be difficult. But when we yield “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” and put off the selfish tendencies of the natural man or woman, we can receive the Savior’s transforming power in our lives, the power to do difficult things. President Russell M. Nelson taught us how to do this. He promised, “Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ … [to lift] us above the pull of this fallen world.” In other words, we can access the power of God, but only when we connect with Him through sacred covenants.

Elder Cook reminded me that I helped with the gathering of Israel today by attending the temple for Margaret McCullough born 1885 in Philadelphia.

After morning session at Oquirrh Mountain
Temple

I have much to be grateful for especially my challenges.

RootsTech 2023 “Uniting” Kickoff Video • RootsTech • FamilySearch

https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/session/rootstech-2023-uniting-kickoff-video

Rootstech 2023 was a very inspiring experience for me. I have not been focused on Family History for past year. I keep getting distracted with all that goes on in life. This video and wonderful sessions and speakers have helped re-ignite my desire to do Family History on a daily basis.

Yesterday I took my mother-in-law, Brenda Parkin, to the Riverton Family History library.  I only recently learned it is open on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 6. We sat in the Family Story room for an hour and talked about her childhood  stories.  This was recorded as we talked. Brenda doesn’t like being on camera but she loves to talk about her life and so it was a good experience. She is willing to go back and keep talking.

Day #3 RootsTech in the Expo Hall

Research is showing that doing Family History and  making connections is good for one’s mental health. Here is a link to a class from 2021 RootsTech that goes into the science.

https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/session/the-science-of-family-connection

I know it has been good for my mental health the last few days and in the past, when I have been focused it has helped me in ways I don’t know exactly how to quantify.

Elder Renlund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints listed these blessings in an April 2018 talk: Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice; Increased influence of the Holy Ghost to feel strength and direction for our own lives; faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going; Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts; Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord; Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be; Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel alone; Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord’s help, serve others; Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary; Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole.

I am excited to start this journey again and grateful for the Lord’s patience with all my stops and starts.

Roots Tech 2022 Opening Day

I watched the Opening Session and then the evening session. WONDERFUL!! Theme this year is Choose Connection.

Talk about connecting..Relatives at Rootstech is an amazing app.

Over 50,000 relatives

The app will sort relatives by location and ancestor.

Technology is truly a blessing

Over 50,000 relatives and my mother whom I know is watching isn’t one of them. I need to call her tomorrow and get her to sign in along with my siblings. I choose connection!!

Day #7 Family History Journey

Today, I had clinical for BYU N342 at University of Utah Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Hospital and Craig Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital in Salt Lake City. I started the day at 3:30 am and clinical ends around 4:15 pm. I love working with my nursing students. They are truly remarkable in their consistent efforts to learn the Healer’s Art.

I spoke with family member while driving home today and it was very good conversation. At the end of the conversation I felt prompted to talk about receiving help from the other side of the veil. My comment was well received and acknowledged as valid by my family member. She agreed to read an article I told her I would send on that topic.

As I drove home tonight from Gil’s parents home, I listened to one of my favorite talks on the power of Family History by Elder Dale G. Renlund. He gave this talk in April 2018 General Conference. It was entitled: Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing. I encourage you to watch/listen to this talk and then read it over and over again. He shares the following list of blessings that come from doing Family History:

  • Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice;
  • Increased influence of the Holy Ghost7 to feel strength and direction for our own lives;
  • Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding;
  • Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent8 because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going;
  • Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts;
  • Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord;
  • Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be;
  • Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel alone;
  • Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord’s help, serve others;
  • Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary; and
  • Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole.

Which of these blessings have you been praying for in your life?

The talk that got me truly started on my Family History Journey happened in April 2015 at BYU Women’s Conference. It was the keynote address of the conference given by Sis. Wendy Watson Nelson, the wife of President Nelson. Listening to her speak that day in the Marriott Center, it was like hearing about Family History and covenants in a completely different language that spoke directly to my heart, mind and spirit. At that time of my life, I really tried to do the 21-day challenge but I think I ended up doing it for a couple of weeks, not 21 days. However, that desire to do Family History, has not left and I have tried multiple times to consistently do Family History on a daily basis.

As I wrote on Day #1 of my journey, I very committed to succeed this time. I feel like I need and the Lord needs me to do this because there are things my Heavenly Father wants me to do that will require my faith and sincere effort in keeping my covenant to gather Israel and consecrate my time, talents and everything I am to Him.

Pres. Nelson has said, “Anytime we do anything that helps anyone … make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.”4 Well, I am going to propose to a couple of my family members that they do a version of Sis. Nelson’s 21-day Family History experiment because they need several of the blessings Elder Renlund shared in his talk.