Why Family History is Important to Mormons

Have you ever wondered why "Mormons" research their family history? Why do members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints take the time and effort needed to research their family history lines? The most important reason is to create eternal families that do not perish at the end of this mortal life.  Here is a great article about the importance that family history has to members of the LDS faith, the roles that our temples and the ordinances performed therein play and the promise of the Old Testament prophet, Elijah.

Mormons and Family History

Overcome Bad Habits By Doing Family History

Although I do not need to overcome addictions and sufferings like this man, his experience helped me see how doing family history can help me use my time more wisely--for good and productive things. It can also bring me joy and peace and closer to the Lord. Definitely worth the effort!

Because of Him

I am so grateful for the knowledge of Christ's resurrection. How incredible it is that because Jesus was resurrected I will be too! And so will my family and friends! What a beautiful gift our Savior has given every one of us! I love Him. He is my best, Eternal Friend. Happy Easter!

Baptism for the dead?

Have you ever wondered why we are commanded to get baptized in order to be saved in the Kingdom of God? (Acts 10:48; 2 Nephi 9:23). What about all those people who haven't had or won't have a chance to get baptized? Will they be damned? As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we can answer the latter question. Here it is: OF COURSE NOT! God is merciful; and we believe He would never condemn someone because of a lack of opportunity or knowledge. However, we DO believe that baptism is a necessary ordinance to be saved in the Kingdom of God. But, you might say, how can the two be possible?

Well, it's quite simple, really. We, as Latter-Day Saints, perform baptisms for the dead, just as they did in New Testament times. The apostle, Paul said, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Corinthians 15:29). Paul was testifying of the resurrection, saying if there wasn't a resurrection, they wouldn't be baptizing for the dead. But, they WERE baptizing for the dead and there IS a resurrection.

We, likewise, perform this same ordinance in our days in LDS temples. Now some might say, 'you mean, you actually baptize dead bodies?' Of course not! Those who have passed on are baptized by proxy through us. 

Now others might say this, 'why would you force that upon someone else if you don't know he/she really wants that?' Well, nothing is forced upon them. The individual may CHOOSE to accept or reject the ordinance performed for him or her. Our Heavenly Father would never force anyone into anything. He has given us all the precious gift of agency. But, we pray that all WILL accept this saving ordinance.

This is a major reason Latter-Day Saints are interested in family history. We want to find all of our ancestors who didn't have a chance to hear and learn the restored gospel on earth—the true and full gospel that Jesus brought to the world. 

I went to the temple just a few days ago with a dear friend of mine. The moment I stepped inside, the most refreshing peace washed over me. I knew I was in the house of the Lord. This dear friend shared with me an old Christian poem that is engraved on the outside of an old English church door. It stands as a perfect reminder for the frame of mind we need to be in to enter the Lord's house. President Spencer W. Kimball quotes the following poem in a Conference talk that you can find here:

Enter this door as if the floor within were gold;

And every wall of jewels all of wealth untold;

As if a choir in robes of fire were singing here;

Nor shout nor rush but hush … for God is here.

Is that not beautiful? The temple is the one place on earth that is closest to heaven. How grateful I am for the power it brings to my life!

Not-So-Distant Cousins

Check it out! I found a new program to help find my distant cousins! 

It has been SO hard for me to find missing ancestors because so much of my family history work has been done on my direct lines. But now Puzzilla.org has the answer to help me find more of my family! I am so excited! 

Watch this video to see how easy it is!

Mommy, I'm worried.

"Mommy, I'm worried." 

Those words from my 5-year-old child tugged at my heart one evening while snuggling with her at bedtime. How it pained me to see her worries bend and tear her tender heart! How I wished I could have fixed it. This is what I wrote in my journal from our conversation:

[I mentioned] to her how much I loved her, and how much Heavenly Father and Jesus loved her, and that we were proud of her for being such a good girl; and that knowing this might be the most important thing to know. And my dear, sweet girl cried and cried and cried. At first I was confused by this, but then I asked her if they were happy tears and she said, "yes." 

I love that my sweetheart has such a tender spirit! I hope she always stays this way! She is so beautiful! I told her that she is probably feeling the Holy Spirit and that is why she was so happy. I shared with her that that is how I feel when I feel the Spirit. I feel loved and happy. Oh, I pray that my sweet girl will always be sensitive to the Spirit!

This is definitely a moment I want to preserve, to remember throughout the years. I want my daughter to read it when she is older and recognize that her spiritual talents were evident to me even in her toddler years. Every time I read what I have written about my children my love grows deeper and deeper for them and I want all my descendants to know how much I loved my children!

Whenever I reread a journal entry, my testimony of the importance of record-keeping grows all the more. The scripture, "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6 in the Book of Mormon) really rings true! 

Family History, a gentle reminder to keep records

I never knew my Great-Grandmother but I have been told she was a strong, wonderful woman. I was recently reading her 3-page autobiography and the words made her more "real" to me. As I read to the third page of her autobiography a few things occurred to me:

1. I was sad when the story ended...I wanted to know more about her and her life. What did she enjoy, dislike, was she funny, what heartaches happened to her, and what kept her awake at night or on her knees praying?

2. Will my great-grandchildren know any of those answers from my life? I am pretty bad at keeping a journal going but I know I want to share with them, teach them and hopefully help them to feel that they know me.

3. My Great-Grandmother closes by saying that she wishes she knew more about her parents early lives, I do too. If I know little of her, I know even less about my great-great grandparents. I wish she had shared what she did know. Maybe a few stories of her childhood remembrances. Am I telling my great grandchildren about my parents, my childhood?

4. My Great-Grandmother promises that my grandfather, Charles, will tell us, as Paul Harvey would say, "the rest of the story". My grandfather did not. He was an amazing man, captain in the Navy at Pearl Harbor on the day the Japanese bombed us. Father of 8 children and married to my grandmother for over 50 years (I don't know the exact number of years because I was 15 when he died). He was busy, as we all are and did not finish the story. How I wish he had!

5. Lastly, I'm thankful for Ruby Adele Davis Ide, my Great-Grandmother. I'm thankful for the three pages she did leave me. I'm thankful for the time she took to do it. She has inspired and motivated me. I look forward to meeting her someday in the life to come.


While I may not have kept a daily journal I realize that I do keep my own records of sorts. I have paper scrap-booked and digitally scrap-booked many events of my life. I have years of Facebook entries that tell of my day-to-day life and I even have some real sob-story paper journals, when life has been especially rough. I think our digital photo age has also helped me keep a photo journal of my life. I'm definitely not tied down to 24 photos to a roll of film anymore. If I ever doubt that my excessive amount of digital photos are actually a real "journal" may I just consider how much I wish I had a photo record of my great-grandmother's life. Our digital photos are family history gold.

I'd be interested in your thoughts and stories on how family history has reminded you of the need to be a better historian of your life. In what ways are we using modern methods and inventions to record history in ways that were not available in the past? Please share your stories and advice in the comments section. Thanks!