FAMILY HISTORY

BEING MORE DILIGENT

Jan 2018

I've been trying to be more diligent in my efforts - particularly within our own family. In the past, I've spent many hours Indexing names from past records (Census records, Obituaries, Birth Certificates, Probates, Draft Cards, etc...) I received an email this week from Family Search with some information that I thought was really neat! It stated that I had Indexed 1031 names from the 1940 US Federal Census. Of those 1031 names, 103 of them had been added to a Family Tree (how neat!! 103 family names were found and included to where they belonged!) And then of those 103 names, 59 of them have been reserved for Temple Ordinances! I thought it was pretty neat how Family Search reached out to the Indexers to let them know how their efforts have impacted real families!

CATHERINE HUMBLE

March 2018

have felt an increased responsibility over the past few months to be more diligent in Family History  (which has since turned into a desire vs a responsibility). Anyway, I had a really neat experience this past week with finding one of my ancestors. Last April I had downloaded an app called "Take a Name" which would search your family lineage to find names that needed their Temple work done and then all you had to do was print and go do the work -easy peasy! Well, one name that wasn't a direct ancestor (it was the wife of a 1st cousin 4 times removed) only had the last name (no one knew what her first name was) and I didn't really think anything of it at the time. So we did the baptism, confirmation and Initiatory work for her but every time I went to do an Endowment session at the Temple and looked at my pile of names to choose from, I never felt "right" taking her name... and so kept putting it off. Well, it started weighing on me and I was like "We need to find this ancestor and find out what her name is!" and so I started searching... with no luck. (note: In the 1880 US Census it had her husbands name and stated that he was a Widow, their 5 children listed - the youngest only being 8 months old - and had an Andrew Stephens as his brother in law, Andrews wife and their son also listed as living in the household. Apparently at some point it was deducted that if "Stephens" was the last name of the brother-in-law, that it was probably his wife's maiden name -- and that was the name listed in family search. So I was searching everything for the this Andrew Stephens family and was getting no where! oh also, they were married in 1871 so the 1870 Census was of no help either!)

 Friday morning, my alarm went off for me to take Ben to Seminary so I hopped up and went and woke him up and then realized that it was only 4:15am and the alarm hadn't really gone off (even though I totally thought it had!) so told Ben to go back to sleep. I crawled back into bed as well anticipating another hour and half of dreamy comfort only to find that I couldn't fall back to sleep but had thoughts of needing to find this persons name. So I got up and started searching for her again and came up empty handed.

Saturday (I love Saturdays as they are my day for sleeping in and I was so looking forward to it!) but I was again awoken very early (this time around 5:45am) and I had urgent thoughts of needing to find this person so I got up and started searching... and searching.. and I wasn't finding anything! I started to pray and ask for angels to help me find this person and then... I FOUND HER!!!! At first I didn't think it was her since the name was Catherine Humble (and I was anticipating a last name of Stephens). When I realized that it was indeed her (with the help of her Marriage certificate and Burial record) my body just filled with such joy, happiness and burning from the Spirit! I just sat at the computer and cried and kept thinking "We found her! We found her! She has a name!" I could feel her joy that she was no longer "lost" and I feel that she wanted to be found so badly that she kept waking me up in the early mornings to search for her!

The urgency didn't stop there and I knew I had to go the Temple right away and do her work that day! So I went upstairs to tell John all that had happened and to say that I was going to the Temple - he of course wanted to join me (as he's had a big problem at work and decided it would be wise to go and try to get some inspiration) and so we got ready and off we went to the Temple. As I was sitting in the Endowment Room, I had a big feeling of relief wash over me and the thoughts of "Finally, I am here! We made it!" come into my heart and mind.

11 PROMISES OF FAMILY HISTORY

April 2018

So many talks General Conference talks referenced Family History and I loved that! I especially loved what our Apostle, Dale G. Renlund said about it and then he shared 11 PROMISES that are given to us from Prophets and Apostles when we do our Family History. They are:

1.  Increased understanding of the Savior and His Atoning sacrifice
2.  Increased influence of the Holy Ghost to feel strength and direction for our own lives
3.  Increased Faith so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding
4.  Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from and a clear vision of where we're going
5.  Increased refining, sanctifying and moderating influences in our hearts
6.  Increased joy  through an increased ability to feel the love  of the Lord
7.  Increased family blessings - no matter our  current, past or future family situation
8.  Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives
9.  Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus with the Lords help serve others 
10. Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary
11. Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole
He finishes up with this thought: "If you have prayed for any of these blessings.. participate in Family History!"