taking an ancestor on trek & my temple trip

Youth in Mongolia reenact trek (Image Source here)

This year for the annual youth conference my church has, we are (all 285+ of us in this area) going on the pioneer handcart trek reenactment. Keeping in mind the 2016 Youth theme from 2 Nephi 31:20, we will be PRESSING FORWARD with a steadfast faith in Christ.

Pressing forward all 22 miles. In pioneer clothing. Pulling/pushing heavy handcarts. Maybe with a few Port-A-Potties scattered here and there.

Think we're crazy? Okay, maybe just a little ;)

I am beyond excited for this opportunity, though. I've only camped twice prior to this, the first time being two years ago for my first youth conference, so it'll be a lot different than what I'm used to. However, I can't wait! I love the atmosphere of church activities and having a great time with friends, but also being able to strengthen my faith and testimony of Jesus Christ at the same time! It will also give me a chance to better undestand what my ancestors went through.

In preparation for this event, all of the youth were encouraged to find an ancestor's name to be baptized for, and in a sense, "take them" on trek. Last night was the designated time to go to the temple, so I went with the rest of my church.

It's been a while since I've been to the temple. I'd say three or four months, maybe. But oh, how I've missed it. The Houston Texas temple is my refuge. It is so beautiful, so peaceful, and so wonderful. I loved seeing all my friends going inside, because I knew we were all there for the same reason; to do the work of the Lord.

I was able to find my third great-grandmother (direct ancestor which is a miracle because it seemed like I couldn't find anyone) and be baptized for her. I really felt like I was being guided to find her while doing family history. It was such a great experience, and as we left the temple last night, I couldn't help but take a picture of it. It was so beautiful the way it was illuminated against the dark of the night.

I always want to keep it in my sights.

"The temple is a point of intersection between heaven and earth. In this sacred place, holy work will be performed through selfless service and love. The temple reminds me of all that is good and beautiful in the world."

—David A. Bednar

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fuel the find!

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Since this past Friday, thousands of volunteers from around the world have contributed to the "Fuel the Find", a week-long, Worldwide Indexing event that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints started. What are we striving for? Reaching a new record of 100,000 volunteers indexing in just ONE week. This is such an amazing opportunity, because the more records that are indexed, the easier it is for more people around the world to do family history for their ancestors!

The challenge doesn't end until this Friday, the 14th. Indexing would be an awesome Family Home Evening idea for tonight, too! And it only takes ONE batch indexed to help fuel the find. 

The Young Men and Young Women in my ward actually took this challenge above and beyond. The YW challenged the YM to see who could index the most overall by the end of the challenge. Also, the young woman who indexes the most in YW gets a prize (can anyone say CHOCOLATE?!) 

I had a late start and only started yesterday after church, but I set a goal for myself to index 2,000 records by the 14th. Right now I'm at 667 records. Not bad! But I'm basically competing with my brother who started earlier and is currently at 850.

This means war. 

The YM knew about the challenge BEFORE the YW, even though (apparently) we challenged them. 

Anyways, if you haven't taken the time to index a batch of records yet, I highly suggest it! It's sooooo easy (especially obituaries) and it will help towards the goal! I haven't even been doing it that long but I already feel better knowing that I'm helping someone find their ancestors. Indexing is considered doing family history work, too, so yay for blessings!

Now let's go out there and beat that record!!!

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** UPDATE ** I totally won first place out of all the YW!!!

the power of family history

At the beginning of this year, I was called to be a Family History Consultant in my ward. This was a rare occasion, because they almost never give this calling to the youth. I was nervous and scared. Would I be able to help anyone? What if I'm a crappy teacher and they get agitated with me?

It felt like such a huge responsibility, and I didn't know if I was ready for it.

Thankfully, after taking a six-week introductory class and a few seminars on it, I felt more confident. I understood my calling better, and the importance of temple work. This calling and the blessings promised from it are never-ending.

And the cool thing?

You don't need to have the calling to reap the blessings. Doing Family History is so rewarding and powerful. I can't even begin to explain.

Here is a short video I found that sums up the many promised blessings of participating in family history, given by General Authorities.

Elder David A. Bednar promises this of our protection:

"As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives."

I know that these promises promised to us are true. I know that it is by doing family history that we hasten the work of salvation. I know that families can be together for all eternity, and I want nothing more than to help others find their ancestors so they can come together as an eternal family.

Learn how to get started today.

If you have an LDS FamilySearch account, you can actually get an Ancestry account for FREE!

If you'd like an introduction into family history, and some tips on becoming familiar with Ancestry.com or FamilySearch, send me an email! I would love to help you out :)