Mormons are instructed they must only submit names of direct ancestors and their immediate family (parents, siblings, etc.) unless they have permission from the family. Not every Mormon knows the rule, however, although it is written in the places where submissions are made, and many feel they are helping people they consider special by submitting their names. Therefore, when a name is inappropriately submitted, it is due to a misunderstanding of the rules by the member who submitted it. Since they can be submitted online, there is generally not a worker who can ask them about the names they’ve submitted. The church itself does not submit these names and does not give permission for the practice. Of course, as you go further back into a famous person’s genealogy, there are LDS church members who can legitimately submit the names because they are also descendants of the ancestors.

A church member who finds she shares ancestors with President Obama can submit those ancestors, but cannot continue forward through the line to President Obama’s mother. So, for instance, if a member shares her sixth great grandmother with President Obama, she can submit that grandparent and the grandparents’ immediate families. She can continue further into the past, because those are her direct family, but cannot move forward, all the way to the present.

When a name is sent to a temple, the work is done by a living proxy. This person may be a descendent, or it may be someone using a randomly assigned name that was submitted by another church member. It’s important to understand what Mormons teach about that deceased person.

The Bible teaches that baptism is necessary for eternal life. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (See Acts 2:38.) Even Jesus Christ, who had no sins to repent of, insisted on being baptized, because it was a required action. Baptism is not an optional commandment.

Many religions struggle with this particular issue, because they realize there are those who had no opportunity to choose baptism, and to deny them eternal salvation due to something beyond their control conflicts with their understanding of a loving God. The Bible gives us the answer to this problem. Paul asked the Corinthians: “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). It is easy to understand the meaning of this question. He asked the people why they were doing baptisms for the dead if the dead didn’t rise. Well, of course, the dead do rise. He was not explaining baptisms for the dead; he was teaching that the dead do rise and that this was the purpose of these proxy baptisms. Baptisms for the dead were something they obviously already knew about, since he didn’t take any time to explain them. It was in practice at the time and lost in the apostasy. Paul knew, as did Jesus’ other followers, that baptism was necessary for salvation, and that a loving God provided for the challenge of having people die prior to receiving the gospel.

However, God also gives us agency. No one is forced to become a member of God’s church, even if he knows it is true. This gift of agency does not end with death. A baptism by proxy only gives the deceased person the opportunity to accept baptism on his behalf. He is first taught the gospel, just as he would have on earth. Even though at this point, he clearly knows what is true, he is free to reject it if he chooses to do so. Even during life, some people who have received confirmation of the truthfulness of the gospel decide they prefer not to accept or live the truth, and this is also true after death. We continue to be ourselves after we die.

The work can be done one year after death, allowing time for this instruction to occur and for the decision to be made. When the work has been done by a proxy, the deceased person decides whether or not to accept the gift that has been offered. If he rejects it, it is as if it never happened, and he goes on with the life he has earned and chosen. If he does accept, then the proxy ordinance is accepted just as if it had been done by him in his lifetime.

The baptized person is never placed on the records of the earthly church, since we do not know who accepted or what their choices are in Heaven. Those records are kept in the heavenly realm. Here, the only record kept is that the work was done, giving that person the option to accept or reject.

The answer to the question, then, of whether President Obama’s mother is a Mormon is that she is not. The church cancelled the baptism. This means that if she accepted the baptism, the privileges of baptism have been taken from her until one of her own descendants converts and has the work redone. If she had rejected it, nothing has changed for her anyway. Even if the baptism had not been cancelled, her name was never on the records of the earthly church as a member, and she would be a Mormon in Heaven only if she chose to be.

More on the Mormon baptism of Obama’s mother

Begin by listing all the spouses for each person you can find. You need the spouses who are not your direct line as well. You also need the spouses of the non-direct spouses. For instance: Man A had children with Woman B, Woman C, and Woman D. You’re not sure yet which ones he might have actually married. Woman C is your direct ancestor. However, Woman C had an additional husband, and Woman D had two additional husbands. You need all the husbands and wives involved in this story and all the children resulting from each relationship, even though technically, many of them are not related to you in any way. Otherwise you run the risk of missing a child or assigning him to the wrong parent.

Next begin a timeline for the family. Organize every event you have even an approximate year for in order—births of all people involved, moves, deaths, marriages. This will allow you to check for impossibilities, such as a child born long after the mother dies. It will also help you guess which child belongs to which mother.

Begin checking the census records for each person in your family. With any luck, you’ll find children in the homes. The presence of a child doesn’t mean he’s assigned to the correct mother, since the census normally only asks how the child is related to the father, but it can tell you, for instance, if the child is the wife’s child from another marriage. In other words, you’ll be able to assign the child to one of the parents.

Some census records ask the mother how many children she’s given birth to and how many are living. This number is very important. In one census record, there were six children in the home, all belonging to the father. However, the mother had only had four children, all living. Some researchers had neglected to check this, and had assigned all six children to her. Because we had a marriage date for this particular couple, we knew the two oldest had a different mother and while we couldn’t prove who she was yet, we could eliminate this particular wife as being their mother. By following each child through the census, you may be able to figure out who the parent is. Remember to check the adult years as well. Sometimes when a mother has been widowed or divorced, she lives with one of her children.

Search for an obituary if one is available. These nearly always list the children in the family, although girls are sometimes identified only by their husbands’ names in earlier listings. They also often reveal the last spouse of the deceased person.

Noting the burial place can help as well. A visit to the grave of one of the women I was tracking showed her tombstone gave her the last name of the man I was researching,  demonstrating a marriage had most likely occurred. More importantly, he was buried beside her, and he had died first. This told us this was likely the final marriage for each of them. You may also find children buried beside a mother if they died young.

When searching for marriage records, be sure to check surrounding counties, since they may have traveled to find a minister of their faith, or may have married in the home town of one or the other. The lack of a record doesn’t prove a marriage didn’t occur, but it can leave you with a suspicion of such.

Once you have all this information, organize it and study it. What does it all mean to you? Try to assign the children to parents based on the dates you have available to you. You may wind up doing some guessing, but you are more likely to have guessed accurately after doing so much work.

In my case, I was able to definitely assign all but two of the children—the two I was specifically trying to place. However, I eliminated all other children and circumstantial evidence seems to place the children where I thought they belonged. For now, because the crucial census record was destroyed by fire and no birth records have been uncovered, I can presume the children belong to the parents I’ve assigned them to. I’ll continue to search, but nothing conflicted with the assumption I’ve made.

Sometimes circumstantial evidence and tradition end up being all the proof you ever get, but your research will reassure you there haven’t been any unnecessary mistakes.

I was helped by the fact that the town was just over two square miles total and everyone is pretty much related, one way or another. Because of this, the town boasted a wonderful genealogy library and historical society. I planned to center my week around that library.

Because time was limited, I spent mornings at the library using their books and materials, afternoons searching out graves, and evenings using the internet to answer questions that arose during the mornings or to organize the findings and prepare for the next day. It was only technically a vacation, since I put in very long hours.

I had warned the historical society I was coming and they’d already started pulling materials for me when I arrived. If you’re going to be taking a lot of someone’s time, this is a courteous thing to do. A researcher went over my pedigree chart to see how it looked, since I was concerned that the large number of similar names, cousin marriages, and a fondness for nicknames might have led me off track. She decided I was correct, but we identified an area of concern and decided to focus the week on one particularly complicated family. We wanted to be certain all the children were matched to the correct mothers, since there were four women in the father’s life. This was an area the library knew less about, so research was required.

Following are tips for getting the most out of a similar visit:

Begin with a plan. Even if you change it later, it helps to have something organized so you can go right to work and so your traveling companions can make their own plans for the time.

Try not to spend every moment holed up in a library somewhere. One reason for traveling to the actual location of your ancestors is to soak up the world in which they lived. Walk around and try to picture what it looked like in those days. Stand at the cemetery and picture your ancestors gathered there for the funeral. Find an old home and picture someone living in it. Listen to the way people talk and live and try to find connections to the past. Learn the accents. (This helps with translating records. A census taker writes things as he hears them, and the local accent will impact that.

Visit historical sites related to the time period in which your ancestors lived. This will help you have a more realistic understanding of their lifestyle and the challenges they faced. It’s one thing to sit at home and read a book about the Civil War. It’s another to stand where it happened and realize your ancestors could hear the gunshots. How did they feel? How did it change their day to day lives? Was this something that affected them? Even if you don’t have a soldier, a war that is happening on your home territory is going to impact your life. Stand still and picture it all.

Be courteous of the time of those helping  you. The first day, I took a fair amount of the researcher’s time. After that, I did more of it myself, and she wandered over with suggestions or to add books to my pile as she had time. Other people who came in also asked who I was researching and offered to help. I think half the town was searching for me by the time I left. I tried not to get in the way, however, since it wasn’t just a genealogy library, but the tourist center and the historical society and they were getting ready for a major event.

Don’t do anything in the research facility you could do elsewhere. I saved the internet work for the evenings in the hotel. While in the library, I used the books I couldn’t get at home, which were one of the reasons for traveling onsite.

Pay attention to the materials they sell. I waited until the end to buy most of my materials, and then took the ones I turned to most often. I noted others I want to buy in the future, now that I’ve seen them and know how helpful they are. If you’re going to buy a book, don’t spend too much time with it in the library. Devote your time to materials that are unavailable when you go home.

Meet the people. You can’t learn the culture unless you meet the locals. Go where they are and talk to them. Especially seek out older residents and listen to them.

Express appreciation to those who help you. We brought in a large fruit basket the last day, to be shared by the people in the library and working in the historical village on the grounds. I took a lot of their time and wanted to be sure they knew it was appreciated.

If you’re working in a genealogy library, send the results of your research to them. I am currently compiling everything we found and adding to it what I can gather at home. I will put it in a folder and send it to them. They collect these, and the next person who needs my difficult line will have a lot of the work already finished for them. Be sure to include your sources and your contact information.

A genealogical vacation involves spending time in a place where your ancestors lived. It allows you to see for yourself where they lived, placing them into context. Even though things are changed, a genealogy buff with a good imagination can remove the houses, telephone poles, and cars and get a glimpse into the past.

Often, the local area will have resources that are hard to find elsewhere. There will be books of local history, people who specialize in the local past, and cemeteries that might hold the clues to your ancestors.

Preparation is the key to a successful genealogy vacation. The first step is to identify where you want to go. Do a refined search, if your program has that capability, to find out where you have large numbers of ancestors. From this list, select places you can reasonably go for the length of time you have. You want to have plenty of time to get there and explore, so don’t go far if your time is short.

Next, research the town to find out what resources are available to you. The town I’ll be visiting this summer was settled by my ancestors. It’s very small (2.1 square miles) and is still pretty much filled with distant relatives. I don’t know anyone there, but they’re all family. My research showed me they have a large genealogical library devoted to local genealogy for this reason, a restored historical village with the actual cabins my ancestors built, and many old cemeteries that are gradually being read and marked. Knowing all of this led me to schedule a full five days in the town, so I can spend plenty of time in the library while also leaving time to explore the town.

If I were visiting a town that was less focused, I would need to do far more research. When I moved to New Jersey, I lived near my ancestors, but it took a bit of time to track down the cemeteries and homes, as well as the sources for the information I wanted. Fortunately, I had three years to do this before I left. If I were headed there on vacation I would first have searched out research groups and found out what they knew. I would have tried to have addresses and sources discovered and written out before I ever left home. I’d even want to have the names of contacts who know a lot about the people I’m researching. Don’t forget the public library. Many libraries have genealogical or local history sections. Search out the nearest Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and find out when their family history center is open.

Once you’ve identified the people and places you want to explore, begin reading about the history of the town. Specifically, focus on the time period your family was there. Thanks to the Internet this is much easier than it once was. What you’re looking for is context. You need to be able to place these people into the context of their time period. What was happening while they lived there? Was there a war going on? How did the war affect them? Which side were they on? Was everyone in the family on the same side? Did anyone fight in the war?

Even if no major historical events were happening, something was happening. Find out how they lived, what they ate, and what might have been changing. Were there new inventions coming into being? Were women starting to leave the home? (You may be surprised to discover there were times even very early in history when women took over a lot of business, particularly during wars.)

What stage of life was each ancestor in? That will affect how they viewed their circumstances. A young mother will see everything through different eyes than a mother whose child is about to go out into the world. A young person will be excited by new inventions or big political changes, but an older person may be nervous about them.

Who was the president of the United States, or the head of the country they were in? This will certainly affect how they viewed their world.

Before leaving home, compile your genealogy and research into a notebook. Be certain you have everything you need. Even if you keep your genealogy on your computer, print off at least the relevant sections. There are times when you’ll want to flip through charts instead of tackling a computer, and charts can make it easier to work with other people in a research library. You can carry a pedigree chart around a library or cemetery much more easily than you can carry your laptop computer.

If possible, contact someone in the area before you go. I’ve just emailed the historical society of the town I’m going to. I said I wanted to be sure the library will be open that week, but also gave my connection to the town-just a few names on my history and mention of a primary goal, which is to locate my grandfather’s childhood home. Since I’m a bit shy, I think I will feel more comfortable being expected.

Next week, I’ll write about how to approach your exploration once you’ve arrived at your destination. In the meantime, have fun planning your trip.

Actually Valerie my wife used to be a mormon, she is now studying in RCIA  to become a Catholic. Also my brother -in-law has been a mormon for over 25 years so I know about your faith. I know about your belief in eternal progression and your belief in the various stages of heaven. Also you believe that you can be like God and have your own world to have dominion over.

Harmony Mormon

There is no distinction between wanting to be like God (there is only one God not a plurality of Gods) and being a God. Eve didn’t have to be like God to understand that it was forbidden to eat of the fruit. GOD instructed her not to eat it. Faith in God is trusting Him and being obedient to His commandments.  If we are living in God’s grace we surely don’t have to elevate ourselves to Godhood, and we shouldn’t, in order to comprehend His commandments. Rather we should live in true humility as Christ instructed us to do and as he humbled Himself in countless ways. –Alan

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Alan, That is good that you already know so much about our Faith.  If you don’t mind me asking, what is RCIA?  I grew up with my cousins who were all Catholic.  We went to Mass with them each Christmas.  I loved my Aunt, Uncle and Cousins.  I still keep in touch with them.

Yes, you are right…Adam and Eve knew they were not supposed to take the fruit because God told them. They knowingly disobeyed.  But it wasn’t until after they took the fruit that they became ashamed of their nakedness…hence, they were now able to tell right from wrong without being told.  They became as God in knowing Right from Wrong.  So again, they were not able to discern for themselves from right and wrong until after they disobeyed and took the fruit. You stated the following…”Faith in God is trusting Him and being obedient to His commandments.  If we are living in God’s grace we surely don’t have to elelevate ourselves to Godhood, and we shouldn’t, in order to comprehend His comcommandmentsbsp;Rather we should live in true humility as Christ instructed us to do and as he humbled Himself in countless ways.” I agree with what you said!!!!  We definitely need to be humble.  Pride is one of the worst sins in the world.  So I agree!  None of us are elevated to Godhood here on earth.  We aren’t even close to it!!  But I can understand how non-members (or former members) would think that seeking the Celestial Kingdom (and someday way in the future achieving godhood) can appear the opposite of humility!  Seeking Eternal Exaltation (Godhood) certainly looks to be the most prideful goal there is. But in our hearts and minds this is a righteous goal, and we believe some ways to be worthy of this goal is to be humble, teachable, and Christ-like here on earth.  If we were seeking power the way some CEO’s and/or politicians seek power, then we would certainly be a prideful people.  But again, we believe it to be a righteous goal…and one that Heavenly Father wants to bestow on ALL OF HIS CHILDREN.  He wants all of His sons and daughters to have what He has….to have glory added upon our heads.  And we, as mormons, want all of our brothers and sisters in Christ to have all that God can bless us with.  We want everyone to be happy, in this life AND in the next.  This is not pride, this is Christlike Love and Sincerity. If we were prideful we would not want to share what we know with others.  If we were prideful we wouldn’t care about other people’s lives.  When you find something that changes your life for the better, in miraculous ways, you want to share it with the whole world.  Out of LOVE, not out of pride.

Can you see where I’m coming from? I enjoy hearing from you and getting a better perspective of what some people think of Mormons.  Hope to hear from you soon.   Take Care! Sincerely, Valerie

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Hi Valerie,

RCIA is the Right of Catholic Initiation for Adults. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and beliefs with me. It is good that we do have some common ground in both our religious beliefs. I became close to one of the mormon missionaries when my wife was studying your faith.

Glad you keep in touch with your relatives. Thank you for the red roses. May God continue to guide, bless and protect you always.

Talk to you soon -Alan  

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To Valerie, From Alan  / You have received a YouTube Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhAyEZR4gUk

Fr. Corapi’s Conversion Story – Condensed Version

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Hello Alan,

Thank you for your last email and for sending that wonderful YouTube Video.  It was very touching and inspiring.  I feel so blessed because I get to hear stories just like that from mormons, and from people of other faiths.  The Lord, indeed, loves all of His children.  I have seen the miracle of Faith in Jesus Christ in the lives of others and in my own life.

It is Satan that stirs the hearts of the people to contend with one another over doctrines of faith.  I believe many of these people are just trying to sincerely help others to see their view of the correct religion, their view of the correct way to worship.  And in their genuine interest and love for others, Satan likes to add fire and turn that love into arguing, and bad feelings.

I will always strive to not allow Satan to do such things to me.  I love all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of their choice of religion.  I love them even if they choose not to believe in God.  Although my heart breaks for them, for they are denying so many blessings of life.  But only the Lord God can judge them.

Thank you again for your kindness in sharing that beautiful video.  Have a great day!       Sincerely, Valerie

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Dear Alan, After you watch this short video, you may still disagree with the words that are spoken.  But it is my hope you will see that mormons, like those of other faiths, genuinely believe what our religion teaches.  We believe in our hearts and in our minds of the teachings of the church.  But again, we also believe every person should have the right to choose what to believe and what not to believe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEuvNbyBQow

Sincerely, Valerie

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To Valerie, From Alan;

I agree  with Mr Holland God continues to speak to all those who humbly ask for His guidance and in the Person of the Holy Spirit He comes to our aid whether we be Catholic, Protestant or mormon. Salvation is not just restricted to the Catholic or mormon faith but to all those who humbly seek and live in imitation of the words and deeds of Jesus. You are truly living your faith and you celebrate the dignity and sanctity of all life. I mean that sincerely Valerie. How much safer our world would be if it was filled with more people who share your religious traditions.

Shortly after my re-conversion to the Catholic church, after being brought back to my faith by the recitation of the Rosary by my Protestant wife, I went to confession. When I exited from the confessional I saw the most beautiful woman looking up to the crucifix above the Altar. I went to kneel down and say my prayers and when I looked back she was gone. I know in my heart she was the Virgin Mary directing me back to her Son.

Oh God come and send your Holy Spirit unto us all. Including those who doubt and those who do not believe. Open up the gates of your unending ocean of mercy to each one of us and speak within our hearts.

God Bless you, Alan

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End of Part 2.  Part 3 (and the final one) coming soon!

In November 2008, I received an email from someone who found my email address on a mormon website group page. Alan seemed to have had an unfavorable view of Mormons. But remembering the scriptures, “A soft answer turneth away wrath…” (Proverbs 15:1) I tried to be respectful of his views while explaining my religious views and defending my faith. Thankfully, over a rather short period of time, we came to a better understanding of one another. I am grateful to have a new friend. The following is PART I of our conversation. – Valerie J.Fulmer

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Why do mormons believe that you can be like God and have dominion over your own world? How do you reconcile this when in the first Commandment God says you will love thy God with all your being and you will not have false Gods before me???????? –Alan

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Hi Alan, That is a great question.  First of all, you are absolutely right.  We should have no other Gods before us.  We believe that can refer to anything that puts God last, or at least not first.  Like, some people worship the lust for money, or they idolize celebrities, or they covet power, and the list goes on.  It is our goal to always put the Lord first, and to strive to follow His commandments.  In our hearts and in our minds, we believe we are worshipping the true and living God.

One day, far into the future, if we are found worthy, we can be made joint-heirs with the Lord.  He wants to bless us more than we can comprehend.  He loves us so very much.  This is a humbling thought, and many of us feel that if we die today, we would not be worthy of this.  We make mistakes, we don’t always follow the commandments like we know we should, but we try.  And we repent.

But the Lord will always be our Lord, the Father of us all.  Jesus Christ will always be our Savior.  We will worship them forever and ever. I would be happy to continue emailing you in the spirit of love and understanding.  Let us agree up front that we may agree to disagree.  Does that make sense?

Have a great day! Sincerely, Valerie Fulmer

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Hi Valerie, The redemptive action of God the Father in sending us the Word made flesh, His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, was necessitated by Adam and Eve’s loss of God’s grace. When Eve ate of the apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she was tempted by Satan. She knew it was wrong as God had forbidden them to eat of this fruit. They could have anything else in the Garden of Eden. She was seduced by the prince of lies…” Go ahead you can eat of this fruit, if you do you can become like God. Eve listened to Lucifer and death entered into all mankind and heaven was closed to all future generations. This was the genesis of original sin. We were in need of a Savior. Then through God’s love He sent His only son to die for our sins and reconcile us back to the Father thus opening up the bridge to Heaven.

There is only one God in three Devine persons, God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit; One God but 3 Divine Persons. It is one of the mysteries that the finite human mind can not fully comprehend. Human logic is deficient when we attempt to comprehend God’s immutable, omnipotence. If we attempt to define the Trinity in a plurality of Gods we get into polytheistic theology. If we believe, as the mormons do, that we can become like God, then we are no better than Adam and Eve and we would be perpetuating the great lie. –Alan

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Hi Alan, We believe that one of Satan’s tactics is to intertwine truth and lies together; he is the most devious of all creatures.  He will tell 10 things, 9 truths interwoven with 1 lie.  Or he’ll tell 10 things, 9 lies and 1 truth, and so on.  This is one way how he manipulates God’s children.  Satan said to Eve, “If you partake, you will become as the Gods, knowing good and evil, thus your eyes will be open.”  This does not mean Eve wanted to be a God, this means she wanted to be LIKE the Gods, knowing Good and Evil.  There is a difference here.

So Adam and Eve partook of the fruit and they were then aware of their nakedness, they became aware of good and evil, just as Satan said. (there is that little bit of truth mixed in with lies)  But Satan also forgot to mention the other parts…that now they would die, and would be cast out of the garden.  And because of Adam’s transgression, death would enter into the world.  But this was all part of God’s Plan.  This was why a Savior was needed.

Our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are 3 separate personages, but all with ONE heart, ONE mind and the same goals and purposes.  What we say about the One, we are referring to all 3.  How we feel about one, we feel about all 3.  The scriptures say that we, mankind, are to be as one.  Not literally, but as one, like God the Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost are ONE.  The scriptures also say, referring to man and wife, they are to become one flesh.  This does not mean they will be the same person, but they, the man and wife, are to have ONE heart and ONE mind.  They are to be unified.  The scriptures say that we are to be unified, with one heart and one mind, in purpose and goals of righteousness.

Is it not a righteous desire to strive to be worthy of God’s blessings?  Our Father in Heaven wants his children to have glory added upon their heads.  He is a God of Love.  You are right to say we have finite minds and cannot grasp all the wonder and mysterious of the Lord.  If we strive to sincerely repent of our sins, making the Atonement of our Savior and part of our lives, and if we daily strive to make good choices, we may one day be worthy for all the Lord has in store for us, which is more wonderful than we can comprehend.  We are not seeking power for power’s sake; we are seeking to live with our Heavenly Father again!  We are striving to please our Lord; we are trying to follow His Commandments.  We are hoping, praying and humbly seeking to fulfill our goals and be worthy to go to the Celestial Kingdom.

Humbly, your sister in Christ, Sincerely, Valerie Fulmer

(This dialogue continues….Part II to come soon)

1. What do the dates tell you about their trials? For instance, one of my ancestors buried a large number of her ten children before she died at a very old age. Some of them died as children. Imagine how she felt, not just losing one or two, but four or five. How did she cope? How did she feel during pregnancies, knowing she might lose the child?

2. Examine historical events occurring during their lifetime and place your ancestor into the event. Even if your ancestor didn’t live near a Civil War battle or fight in it, it’s likely she was affected by the war. Find out how the war affected her area and start imagining how she fit into all of this.

3. Figure out why they moved. Especially in early days, people moved for a reason, not just for fun or employment. What caused them to uproot and leave their families in a time when they couldn’t stay in touch by phone or email? One of my ancestors moved often. When I started researching the towns they lived in, I realized they always moved during times of religious upheaval. The church would begin to argue over some point of doctrine, and their group was the one that moved away and started something new. By examining this, I was also able to learn something about their beliefs, even though they didn’t leave journals.

4. Study their religious faith. It’s likely your family includes many different religions. Learning something about their religion will tell you something about what they likely believed and how they probably lived. Notice when they joined this religion, if a baptism date is available. If they were adults, you may be able to glean important insights into what they wanted from life.

5. Notice if their children lived differently than the parents. If the children moved away, chose new religions, went into unusual careers, you’ll learn something about how your family evolved.

6. Find out how people in their class and location lived. Even if you’re not sure it applies to them, you’ll gain insights into the kinds of people they were. If they lived in a town where few were educated, but you find a clue that they were, you know they could rise above their circumstances. If most people weren’t educated, and you’re not sure they were, how did they live? What might their daily lives have been like?

7. Start as far back as you can and try to find a pattern in the evolution of your family. Where did they move over the years? What careers did they follow? How did your family change and why?

8. Find out why they came to your country. Even if you don’t know, it’s likely you can figure it out based on history. When I looked at the year my Irish ancestors came from Ireland, it was easy to see they came due to the potato famine, but they came the very last year. What enabled them to hold out so long? Did they know it ended, and were they sorry they didn’t wait? Those are stories waiting for me to investigate in the future.

Spend some time exploring not just the statistics, but the world in which your ancestors lived. Place them in context of their time, their faith, and their careers to understand more about who they are, and how that affects who you are today. When you spend more time imagining about your ancestors, the work becomes more interesting.

I like to stop and picture a family after entering them into a family group sheet. I try to imagine their home at the moment of the census record I’m studying, and check out their neighbors as well. By then researching the time and place, and looking for the hidden stories, my ancestors become real people to me. As a Mormon, I believe families are forever, and so, when I return to Heaven, I don’t want to be eternally joined to a group of strangers. I spend time getting to know them now and I’m looking forward to meeting them and finding out how accurate my guesses were.

For one thing, most genealogical societies have great libraries. While the majority of these books will contain information about the area, they may also have collected books about surrounding areas or have random information that was donated by some passer through. It’s always worth while to check their catalog.

While you’re at it you might as well become a member. Membership fees are small with big benefits. Suddenly you’ll realize you’re surrounded by people who share a common interest. You may not realize your neighbor three doors down was an avid genealogist until you meet her at a society function. It really helps you feel a sense of community and that you’re not alone in your research.

Most societies hold monthly meetings or host special workshops which focus on genealogical skills in general. Of course some will focus on local resources but the topics should vary.

Maybe one month you’ll learn about how to improve your internet search skills. Maybe the next month you’ll learn about how to organize your genealogy. At these meetings you can make new friends. Maybe you’ll find someone like you, who doesn’t have any ancestry in the area. Maybe you’ll befriend someone and find out you’re actually related through your 9th great grandfather. You won’t know until you go. Plus the enthusiasm and passion genealogists have is always contagious, whether you have any ancestors in the area or not. Visiting or joining your local genealogical society may be a great motivator in your personal research.

Have I convinced you yet? If so, all you have to do now is find your local society and go. You can search for the one nearest you by visiting Society Hall and click on the link under Search/Edit the Society Directory.

“And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect. – Doctrine and Covenants 128:15

“Genealogy is not family group record forms, pedigree charts, microfilms, name abbreviations, and technical regulations. These are only tools. Genealogy is the study of one’s family, the study of our ancestors—their birth, their childhood, their dreams, their marriages, their occupations, their children, their deaths. And because these things in the past all have an impact on the present, in a very real sense, genealogy is a study of one’s self.” – George D. Durrant, Doing Genealogy: Finding That Glorious, Elusive Condition Called ‘Balance’ Ensign, Apr 1985, 1

You don’t necessarily have to know much about genealogy to help others with their family history research. Some of the biggest genealogical helps came about simply because people cared about the history of events or people in their area and decided to preserve or record documents or document sources, either within a specific category or in general. One example of this is the The Dibean Michigan Marriage Index.

Jack and Marianne Dibean began indexing records of marriage for the state of Michigan years ago and the project has been an immense help for those who have ancestors from Michigan, like myself. I found an ancestor in their index which provided me with the information I needed to send for the actual record of marriage.

Now, of course you don’t need to start a statewide indexing project. Even if you just help one person down the road you will have done a great thing. Here are 5 ways you can help:

1. Save obituaries from your local paper – This one should take you no more 15 minutes a day to do. Cut out all the obituaries from your local paper. Use a paper clip to hold all the entries from that day and add a note stating the name of the newspaper and the date. File all of your entries in a folder to donate to your local historical or genealogical society. Or submit them to an online website such as the USGenweb. Someone down the road will be very grateful you took the time to do this.

2. Transcribe a local cemetery – Do you have a couple of free hours on Saturdays? Visit a local cemetery and start writing down the information on the headstones. Even if you can’t finish the entire cemetery in that time or over a series of weeks, a partial transcription is better than none. Again you can submit the information to an online website or to a local society. Check online first to make sure you won’t be duplicating someone else’s efforts.

3. Keep a journal intended for public use – This means keeping a journal that might detail how life is in your community. You could keep track of changing prices of staple food items such as milk and bread. You could write about the weather, the wildlife and greenery in your area, the names of neighbors and friends and where they live. You could include newspaper articles about important local events. It’s little details like these that your descendants will crave. They will want to know what life was like for you. And others who are not descended from you may get an idea of what life was like for their ancestor who lived in your area, based on your views. Again, publish it online at some point or submit it to the local society.

4. Write down information from the Family Bible entries on Ebay or another auction site – That’s right. Its sounds maybe a little strange but what a help it might be to someone. After all, only one person can have possession of that family bible. Old family bibles often have the family genealogy written somewhere within and auctioneers on ebay may list those names and dates or be willing to provide them when asked for. When writing down this information be sure to include the Bible information (year, type, etc.) and the auction information (seller, auction number, etc.) and include any pictures you may have been given of those names and dates. Publish your information online or mail it to a society where the ancestors therein lived.

5. Interview older members of your community who have lived there for a long time – Maybe someone you know or you could ask a local retirement home for permission to visit someone like that. Bring along a notebook or a tape recorder and be prepared to listen. Come with a list of questions to spark remembrances. Submit the entry and whose remembrances they were.

The idea of a family newsletter was another novelty I encountered upon getting married. The members of my extended family usually called each other on birthday’s and that was about the extent of our contact during the year, excepting the occasional visit.

After marrying my husband I discovered that not only did his family have regular parties and game nights, they also kept in touch with distant relatives by sending out a quarterly newsletter. We loved receiving that large manilla envelope every four months and reading about the lives of our relatives around the country in their own words. And of course it was fun to write our own little addition detailing new church callings, jobs and other activities. I have no doubt you’ll love starting your own family newsletter. And it’s much simpler than planning a reunion.

First you’ll need to decide on a name for your publication. Our family newsletter is very simply titled, Owens Family Newsletter with the subtitle, The Descendants of Joseph Alma Owens and Alice Elvaretta Harris. You can keep it simple like that or be more creative. You could even ask family for their ideas if you’re having a hard time coming up with your own.

Additional details that you’ll want to think through before gathering submissions for the newsletter are:

* How often will it be published

* In what format will it be published (email, hard copy or both)

* From whom will submissions be gathered/for whom will it be published (maternal or paternal side of the family or both, all descendants of grandparents on down or great-grandparents on down, etc.)

* A set deadline for submissions and target deadline for actual mailing

To get your newsletter up and running, it might be best to start with submissions from your immediate family or other relatives in the area. Then you can send out the first newsletter to distant relatives with a note explaining what you are doing and the actual first copy so they can see how it works and then decide if they want to participate and/or write their own update about themselves. Be clear in communicating your vision for keeping in touch but be respectful of your families ideas.

In, Getting the Whole Family on One Tree,” Ensign, Feb 1981, 42 Godfrey J. Ellis spoke of the difficulties and joys of trying to organize a family newsletter within his “fractured” family. He said:

“It seemed to us that organization had to begin with communication, so we decided to start a family newsletter called, harmlessly enough, The Family Tree. My wife and I spent hours planning such noncontroversial features as “Family Member of the Month” and “Family Talent Spotlight.” But then we discovered that some of our extended family members don’t believe in the concept of family! Rather, they believe that one’s family should be humanity, or especially those who believe in Christ. Although it was difficult for us to understand, some family members of different religious beliefs see the family unit as a myopic concern that must be overcome and outgrown.

The problems continued. Should the newsletter contain news of birthdays and Halloween activities? Would we talk of Christmas excitement and the birth of our Savior? Some family members don’t believe in birthdays, Halloween, or Christmas! Could we put in President Carter’s proclamation declaring the week of November 19 as “National Family Week”? Over half the family members do not live in the United States.

We found the key to be sincere respect for the beliefs of others and keen sensitivity to each member’s feelings. Family members need to feel that the organization includes them, regardless of where they live, where they fit in the family structure, or what they may believe. “

Don’t forget to ask for the Lord’s council as you work on possibly beginning a very valuable tradition within your family