Family History Scroll

By Margaret Shauers

Long ago people wrote on scrolls made of papyrus (paper made from a plant) or leather rolled on sticks. Most of the Bible was written on scrolls. Ancient scrolls have measured as long as 144 feet (44 m)! You can record your family history on family group records produced by the Church. These records could be made into a scroll as explained below. You might want to do this in a family home evening.

You might also make scrolls of your own. For each scroll, you will need three 8 1/2″ x 11″ (22 x 28 cm) sheets of paper, clear tape, glue, pencil or pen, two 10″ (25 cm) long sticks or dowels, and an 18″ (46 cm) length of string or ribbon.

1. Tape or glue the 8 1/2-inch-wide (22 cm) edges of the sheets of paper together to form one long strip of paper (see illustration).

2. Starting three inches (8 cm) in from the left edge of the paper strip, write the heading “My Father, (father’s full name)’s, Family” (see illustration). Below it write the heading “Parents,” and list your father’s parents’ full names. Then write the heading “Brothers and Sisters,” and list the full names of your father’s brothers and sisters—from the oldest to the youngest. Be sure to include your father in the right order in the list. With your parents’ help, write birth dates beside the names.

3. On the next sheet of paper in the strip, write the heading “My Mother, (mother’s full name)’s, Family.” Then write the headings and your mother’s family members’ full names and birth dates, just like you did for your father (see number two above and the illustration).

4. On the last sheet of paper, write the heading “(your full name)’s Family,” and write in your own family’s information. Include the full names of your parents and your brothers and sisters and their birth dates (see illustration).

5. Glue the sticks or dowels along the left and right edges of the paper strip (see illustration), and let the glue dry. Roll the sticks toward the middle, and tie a piece of string or ribbon around the scroll.

Illustrated by Thomas S. Child

My Father, ______________’s, Family
Father’s Full Name
Parents
Brothers and Sisters
My Mother, _____________’s, Family
Mother’s Full Name
Parents
Brothers and Sisters
______________’s Family
Your Full Name
Parents
Brothers and Sisters