“Our Family History Service,” Ensign, July 1995, 38
Our Family History Service
My wife, Elaine, and I have loved family history work for a long time. When we decided to serve in the Church full-time, we both wanted to do family history somewhere. But when the news came from our doctor that Elaine’s health would not permit her to serve away from home, we were extremely disappointed. However, we have a large, busy family history center right here in the Monterey California Stake. After talking it over with our bishop, our stake president, and our doctor, we realized that we could perform full-time family history service right here at home. We were called to serve as family history workers in our own stake.
There is an excitement about being in this center. We love to be a part of it. Morning prayer really sets the tone. That’s one of the things we look forward to. Even though many on our staff are of other faiths, we are comfortable praying together.
Because we have people who work here in two-hour or four-hour shifts, it helps to have my wife and me here to provide continuity. We are here every day and can help people anytime. We talk to the patrons about their family history and their ancestors. We love the feeling of satisfaction we get from working with them. Often their excitement is overwhelming. It is a reminder to us of the eternal significance of families in the Lord’s plan.
We know it isn’t just by accident that we are serving where we are. We are learning more about life, love, patience, and compassion than ever before. We know our work is appreciated, and we are grateful to be here.