New Year's Resolution: Family History

by Miriam Caldwell | More from this Blogger

30 Dec 2007 12:00 AM

You may be considering making a goal to work on your family history this year. This is a great goal and it is amazing the blessings that can come into your life as you do your family history. There are many resources available to you as you begin this process. Here are four tips that will help you reach your goal.

1) Begin with the basics. Find out the names, birth dates, birthplaces, and parents of your relatives as far back as you can go. If your family history work has never been completed before this is the first thing you should do. You may want to talk to older relatives who may have this information written down somewhere. If you think your family history work may have already been started you can go to familysearch.org to find out.

2) Set aside time each week or month (as your schedule allows) to do the work. You should likely go to your nearest family history center. These are located in many stake centers around the world. If you are not a member of the church, you are welcome to take advantage of the many resources there. This is a non-threatening environment, and your personal religious beliefs will be respected. You should not feel any pressure when you go to one of these centers.

3) It always helps to begin your search with a prayer. You may find that you are running into a dead end in a certain line of your family. You can talk to a family history center worker for ideas on places to look. You may need to move to another branch of your family and come back in a few months. New information is being added constantly.

4) As you compile the information, you may want to make it more personal. You can gather stories, photographs, and maps that can help to bring the stories to life. It is important to realize that these are real people that you are learning about. It can also help future generations better understand the struggles that their ancestors faced.

Related Articles:

Obtaining the Records

Four More Things to Include in Your Family History

Learn more about Miriam Caldwell

Miriam is a SAHM mom of three children. She has a daughter who is seven, and two sons, four and two. She loves being a parent and spending time with her children.

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