Blog – Page 58 – Family Locket

The Search for William Henry Kelsey’s Journal

Do you know of a diary or journal of a pioneer ancestor that used to be in the family and no one knows what happened to it? Would you like to hold the original and see your ancestor's actual handwriting? If you suspect you might have an ancestor who left a diary or journal you can follow the same steps I did to locate, view, and share it. My ancestor, William Henry Kelsey, joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1843 in England. During the 1850's he traveled the area as a missionary. He kept a detailed journal...

By Diana Elder October 8, 2015 Creating and Sharing Family History, FamilySearch FamilyTree, FamilySearch Memories, Sharing Stories No Comments

Mothering through Generations

Elder Holland's beautiful talk about mothers today made me think of all the generations of mothers that have gone before me. It is staggering to think about the lifelong carrying that all of them have done throughout time to make my existence possible. It is not only the prenatal carrying but the lifelong carrying that makes mothering such a staggering feat. Speaking directly to mothers, Elder Holland said: Thank you to all mothers everywhere for giving birth, shaping souls, forming character, demonstrating the pure love of Christ. Thank you for your crucial role in fulfilling the purposes of eternity. Be peaceful, believe...

By Nicole Dyer October 3, 2015 General Conference, LDS Family History No Comments

Going the Second Mile

Elder Hugo Montoya spoke during the afternoon session of General Conference today about bearing one anothers' burdens. One way to do that is to go the second mile. "The Savior said, 'Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.' As an example, we are asked to attend the temple regularly, as our individual circumstances allow. Attending the temple requires a sacrifice of time and resources especially for those who have to travel a great distance. "Nevertheless, this sacrifice could be considered part of the first mile. We will be walking the second mile when we...

By Nicole Dyer October 3, 2015 General Conference, LDS Family History No Comments

FINDING FRANKLIN: Helping Youth Use Census Records

Need a fun activity to help your youth learn to research census records? "Finding Franklin" gives them the opportunity to discover the wealth of information that can be found in a census. Questions about Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States lead the youth to find specifics about his family and occupation over a span of 48 years. They can then use the skills they've developed to find their own family in the census records. I created this to use with FamilySearch.org, but you could try it with Ancestry.com or MyHeritage.com also. Each website has different search boxes and filters, so...

By Diana Elder October 2, 2015 Activities, Research Tips, Youth and Primary No Comments

Review of “My Mother’s Pearls” by Catherine Fruisen

I've been gathering up all the children's books about family history that I can find. There are lots about family trees, and some about family heirlooms! My Mother's Pearls Story and art by Catherine Myler Fruisen My Mother’s Pearls was originally published in 1999. It’s out of print now but you can still find used copies on amazon. I got a copy from the library. The inside flap reads, “A young girl’s love of an heirloom opens a door of discovery to her rich and wonderful heritage. … My Mother’s Pearls beautifully evokes the special bond between mothers and daughters,...

By Nicole Dyer September 25, 2015 Creating and Sharing Family History, Families and Children, Sharing Stories No Comments

Ten Steps to Success: Visiting the Family History Library

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah is the largest of its kind in the world. Chances are, if you love searching for your family, you'll want to pay a visit to this amazing library. For information on location, parking, classes, hours, and tips, here is your one stop web page: Family History Library The missing piece of your family's puzzle is probably somewhere in one of the books or microfilm available in this fabulous library. If only you knew where and how to find it! Novices in the genealogy world may hope that just by walking through...

By Diana Elder September 23, 2015 Research Tips 8 Comments

Lehi’s Genealogy Discovery

I read 1 Nephi 5 this week and was struck by the story of Lehi searching the brass plates and what he found in them. Hugh Nibley, in his lectures on the Book of Mormon, said that Lehi didn’t have the genealogy of his fathers because the records on the brass plates were rare and secret. The law was read publicly once a year by the scribes and pharisees, and that was all the access the people had to what we now call the Old Testament. So, when Lehi and his family fled from Jerusalem, the Lord commanded Lehi to send...

By Nicole Dyer September 18, 2015 LDS Family History No Comments

MISSION POSSIBLE Youth Activity

Do you need a fun activity to help the youth in your ward get interested in family history? How about a Family Home Evening or Sunday activity for the whole family? Try MISSION POSSIBLE and see that it is possible to do family history! I created the MISSION POSSIBLE youth activity in response to Elder Anderson's Find, Take, Teach Challenge. Purpose We wanted to give the youth in our ward an opportunity to teach their families about family history. After discussing this in our family history committee, we decided to train the youth with FamilySearch.org and some of the great apps associated with...

By Diana Elder September 13, 2015 Activities, Families and Children, FamilySearch Apps, LDS Family History, Youth and Primary 10 Comments

Make a Photo Pendant

For Christmas last year, I hosted a craft night for my friends. We made these easy, quick photo pendants! I first saw these at a family reunion, where some of the adult granddaughters had created them for the girl cousins. I thought they were so pretty and so symbolic of keeping memories of family close to our heart. These photo pendants make unique, affordable gifts. For the girls in my husband's family, I made six of the same pendant with a photo of their grandmother. I made one for each of my grandmas with pictures of their mothers. Later, my ward asked me to...