From the First Presidency

Getting to Know Your Family

By President Dallin H. Oaks

First Counselor in the First Presidency

Adapted from a talk given at RootsTech 2018 Family Discovery Day.

Illustrations by David Habben

Family history starts when you learn about your ancestors. They are real people who lived before you and were part of a family. We need to be sealed to our ancestors so that we can live with them in the next life.

When you learn about your ancestors, you will:

• Feel more happy and confident.

• Not feel so alone.

• Know that each person is precious in Heavenly Father’s eyes.

Here are three ways you can have these blessings:

1. Discover who your ancestors are.

2. Gather stories about them and share them again and again!

3. Connect them to your family by sending their names to the temple. They can be baptized and have other ordinances done for them, like being sealed to your family forever.

My mother, Stella Oaks, died before any of our grandchildren were born. So Sister Oaks and I had a “Stella party” to help them learn about her. I also wrote a book about her and about my father. You can learn more about your ancestors too. This will give you strength and direction for your life.

Have a Getting-to-Know-You Party!

President and Sister Oaks had a “Stella party” to help their grandchildren get to know their great-grandmother Stella Oaks. Here are some things they did.

• They decorated with Great-Grandmother Stella’s favorite color—yellow!

• Everyone wore a hat, like she always did.

• They looked at pictures and heard stories about her.

What other fun things could you do at your party?

• Make a food your ancestor ate.

• Play a game people played back then.

• Look at a map of where they lived.

You’re Invited to a Getting-to-Know-You Party

• When:

• Where:

• Who we’ll be getting to know:

Get to Know an Ancestor!

• Ancestor’s name:

• Where they lived:

• When they lived:

• Something interesting about them:

• Were they baptized?

• Do they need temple ordinances?