A Testimony of Family History Work

As is obvious, I am not very good at updating or adding to this blog, so I'm using a double duty to add to it today. I was asked to write a brief testimony about Family History Work for our ward newsletter. This is what I submitted. It may be too long for the ward news letter :-/

Over the 30+ years I have been a member of the Church, I have seen many changes in the accessibility to genealogical research materials. From the days when access to the Federal Census Records required “National Security Clearance” (Brother Bryan actually received that!) to today when we can research those records online, at home, for free, the call to search for our kindred dead remains a constant call to the sons and daughters of Adam. Looking ahead I have been blessed to have a glimpse of the new program that will help to coordinate the efforts of others seeking the same ancestor, eliminating useless duplication of efforts, correcting errors, perfecting our knowledge and increasing the ability to extend the blessings of the gospel to all of those in the post-mortal world. Through all of those amazing and exciting advances in technology it is still those singular spiritual moments that continue to motivate me to seek out those precious ancestors. I have felt such love from them, I have learned from them though they had long since passed through the veil. And one day I look forward to greeting them and embracing them and thanking them for their gentle influence in my life. I have learned about a mother’s love, I have learned about priorities, I have felt strength and courage by looking in the faces of ancestors whose names I had yet to know, but knew that somehow they were my family. Participating as a proxy for some of these ancestors has brought me closer to them as if I could better understand their joys and sorrows. Allowing another sister to be a proxy provided a profoundly joyful experience as I was able to assist her through a portion of the temple experience during my training period as a temple worker. Just as missionary work and reactivation efforts are about finding the One who is seeking the Truth, so is family history work about finding the One. Occasionally we find entire families, and other times it takes us a long time to find a single name. But in the searching we are blessed time and again with peaceful feelings of assurance that help us to press forward. I have come to feel that Love is a lot like Gravity: it flows down. Our ancestors look down to their posterity already knowing us, already loving us. We have the task of turning back to look to them and to look for them. It is then when we are filled with that wonderful Spirit of Elijah and we find that the love has multiplied in our individual lives and that even the tasks of today that had felt so burdensome are somehow a little lighter because we know we are more loved than we knew yesterday. I believe that time is measured or felt differently in the spirit world. Our ancestors are able to wait patiently for us to find them, or perhaps that is one of their greatest trials. Nevertheless they do wait for us. Let us each try a little harder to find those moments when we can search for those who love us.