Family History

bysmallandsimpleth
Jun 9
3 min read

🎙️ Listen to Episode 9 on Spotify🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts

In this week’s episode of By Small and Simple Things, I had the chance to sit down with someone very special to me—my Grandpa! We talked all about his deep love for family history and how that connects to our faith, our temple worship, and even our technology skills as youth.

But before we dive into that, let’s reflect a little on my personal challenge from last episode—making prayer a consistent habit. I’ve made progress! I missed a few days, but overall I feel more connected to God and can feel His love in new ways.

What We’re Studying This Week: D&C 60–63

In this week’s Come, Follow Me study, we learn about the importance of sharing our testimonies of Jesus Christ. In Doctrine and Covenants 60:2, the Lord reminds us:

“But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man.”

This podcast is one of the ways I share my testimony. And today’s conversation about family history is another way of sharing something that means a lot to me—and to my Grandpa.

Meet My Grandpa – A Family History Superhero

My grandpa has been doing family history work for decades. After retiring from a 27-year career running Civil Engineering labs at BYU, he dedicated his Thursdays to researching our family tree. He even has a standing 2-hour appointment every week with a neighbor who reads Old German records to help him uncover our lineage going back to the 1600s!

His passion has led to amazing breakthroughs, like finally learning about his mother’s father, who passed away when she was six. It took over 20 years of searching, but he found him—and gave that knowledge back to his mom.

➡️ Want to get started like my grandpa? Visit FamilySearch.org to begin your journey for free.

Why Family History Matters Spiritually

One question a lot of people have is: What happens to those who never had a chance to learn about Jesus in this life?

That’s where family history and temple work come in. Through sacred ordinances, our deceased ancestors can accept the gospel in the spirit world and be sealed to us forever. This work answers deep spiritual questions and helps fulfill God’s plan of salvation.

As President Susan H. Porter shared in a powerful story, her prayers for her non-member father were answered after his death, when she was finally able to be sealed to him in the temple. It’s never too late for our prayers to be answered.

Youth and Family History: A Perfect Match

We as youth have unique skills that make us perfect for family history work:

We’re tech-savvy 💻
We understand apps and digital tools 📱
We can read cursive handwriting better than most adults 😅

Here are 3 simple ways to start:

Use the “Ordinances Ready” feature in the Family Tree app: Find relatives who need temple work and take their names to the temple.
Try Indexing: Help digitize scanned historical records. You can get started at FamilySearch Indexing.
Interview a family member: Just like I did with my grandpa. Record their stories, add them to your family tree, and preserve your heritage.

Quick Tip: What Is Indexing?

Indexing means reading handwritten records (like census forms or immigration lists) and typing them into searchable databases. You’re literally helping someone across the world find their ancestors!

Example: You might find a record of Samuel Johnson, a butcher from Spain who immigrated to NYC in 1725. Your effort makes his info available for his posterity. 🙌

Fun Grandpa Jokes (Because Why Not?)

What do you call someone who’s happy on Mondays?Retired. 😄

How did grandma get grandpa to stop biting his nails?She hid his dentures.

Your Challenge This Week

✅ Download the FamilySearch app or log in online✅ Try one thing: Use “Ordinances Ready”, try Indexing, or interview a family member✅ Write down one story you learn or record a memory

Final Thought: Why Family History?

Because families matter. And not just now, but forever. Our work to connect the generations before and after us is part of God’s eternal plan. As my Grandpa said: