Family History Work: A Source of Power
There is so much power we can gain from learning about our ancestors.
Detail from Turning the Hearts, by Annie Henrie Nader
My maternal grandmother lived in the guest room of my house the last several months of her life. Still today, 18 years after her passing, we call that guest room “Grandma’s room.”
I had a particularly vivid dream about a year ago that I was walking past Grandma’s room and my grandma was in there. She came out to give me a big hug, and with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, she said to me, “Thank you for loving your ancestors. I can’t tell you how much that means to us.”
Since this dream, I have never been the same.
Why Should We Know Our Ancestors’ Stories?
In President Russell M. Nelson’s worldwide devotional to young adults in May 2022, he stated:
“Every righteous choice that you make here will pay huge dividends now. But righteous choices in mortality will pay unimaginable dividends eternally. If you choose to make covenants with God and are faithful to those covenants, you have the promise of ‘glory added upon [your head] for ever and ever’ [Abraham 3:26].
“These truths ought to prompt your ultimate sense of FOMO—or fear of missing out. You have the potential to reach the celestial kingdom. The ultimate FOMO would be missing out on the celestial kingdom, settling for a lesser kingdom because here on earth you chose only to live the laws of a lesser kingdom.”1
Imagine how it must feel for your ancestors to be remembered in the house of the Lord when their posterity acts as proxy to humbly offer them a promise of glory and of freedom from the FOMO President Nelson described. We become saviors on Mount Zion as we perform vicarious ordinances for our deceased ancestors (see Obadiah 1:21; see alsoDoctrine and Covenants 103:9).
I would like to suggest that in a different way, our ancestors help save us. Our ancestors, with God, have helped provide these lives that we live today.
Do you know about the sacrifices your ancestors made that have affected where you are today? Have you spent time getting to know your ancestors? Do you know what traits or experiences you have in common with them? How would knowing this information benefit your life?
In my experience, learning about my third great-grandmother, Mary Jane Cutcliff, showed me just how much of an influence our ancestors have on our lives. Mary Jane was one of my first ancestors baptized into the Church in 1857 in Liverpool, England. She joined the Church after having a profound spiritual experience. Learning of her exceeding faith has inspired me to act in faith and to trust in the truths revealed to me by the Spirit.
Another example of powerful ancestral stories is Captain Moroni, who tore his coat and used a piece as his Title of Liberty (see Alma 46:11–25). This piece of his coat was a symbol of their common ancestor, Joseph, “whose coat was rent by his brethren into many pieces” (Alma 46:23) as he was sold into Egypt and overcame a legendary series of challenges.
Not only did Captain Moroni know this powerful story of his ancestor, but he was able to apply it in his life and inspire others to remember Joseph’s story and have faith and hope to overcome their own challenges. Knowing our ancestors’ stories can do the same for us.
The Power of Family History
Elder Rafael E. Pino of the Seventy recently said that “frequent participation in temple and family history work … is the means of united and sealing families for eternity [see Doctrine and Covenants 128:15].”2 Our ancestors can give us examples to follow and increase our desire to be forever united with our families.
I claimed that since my dream with my grandma, I have never been the same. And that claim is true. Since diving into family history work, there has been a shift in my mind. I have become more diligent in getting to know my family members on both sides of the veil.
President Nelson mentioned that the ultimate FOMO would be missing out on the celestial kingdom. My love for God has always been my motivation to return to live with Him in the celestial kingdom. And by strengthening my love for my ancestors, my motivation has increased. I know that God loves each of His children. He doesn’t want any of us to miss out on eternal families and the joy of celestial glory. I am grateful for His plan that allows me to return to Him and to my family.
Right now, I can’t comprehend everything my love or my family history work means to my ancestors (as my grandma mentioned in my dream), but I do know that our relationships are eternal and that we have a mutual love for one another. The veil is thinning and one day will no longer separate us from our loved ones. I can’t wait to meet them again that day.