We had our first class today and it went well. After spending a few minutes getting acquainted and finding where everyone was on their personal family history, we talked about a few things to get started.
Goals
1 - Learn to submit names to the temple
2 - Become acquainted with FamilySearch.org
3 - Be a good steward of family history - "correct & complete"
4 - Learn the stories of our ancestors
5 - Catch the Vision! (Get addicted!)
The Doctrine
We briefly talked about the doctrine that teaches why family history is so important.
The Plan of Salvation - Our time on earth has a purpose and we are expected to do certain things in order to return to our Heavenly Father. Among those things are to make covenants, like baptism and others. Because most who lived on earth did not have the opportunity to make those covenants, we can do it on their behalf in the temple. But, first, we need to find them through family history work.
Savior on Mount Zion - Just as the Savior did things for us that we would never have been able to do, we can do for our ancestors what they were unable to do. When we find them and have temple work completed for them, we become their saviors. The phrase "Mount Zion" in the scriptures almost always refers to the temple.
Hastening the Work - While this is almost always used in reference to missionary work, we need to remember that those who have died are being taught the gospel in the spirit world. When we find these people and do their temple work, we are completing the missionary work for them.
Personal Family Tree
In order to protect the work that has been done on your personal tree, you will want to keep it in a private file. There are many software programs available, some with a fee and some free. You can use a private tree on a website. You may even use Word or some other source. I personally use RootsMagic. Others include Legacy, Family Tree Maker and Family History, and a number of others. The advantage of a software program, as opposed to a website, is that you will maintain control of the tree, regardless of what happens in the future to the company. So many websites disappear or change and you may lose access to your tree. Regardless of what you choose, you will want to make it your primary tree, meaning that it is the tree that is most complete and accurate and that you can refer to with confidence when comparing other information you find elsewhere.
FamilySearch.org
We will spend the next few weeks working primarily in FamilySearch. It is the website that is operated by the church. There are millions of documents and sources on the site, as well as helpful information, how-to videos, access to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and so much more, including the Family Tree. We will be talking about all these options in the coming classes.
To be prepared, everyone needs to get an account set up. There is no cost, but you must create your own login so that the tree will start with you. If you a member of the LDS church, then your login for LDS.org is the same one you will use for FamilySearch. If you do not have an LDS login, then you will need to create one. The instructions are easy to follow. You will need to have your membership number. If you are not a member, you can still set up the free account. The only difference between the two is that LDS members have a section for the temple and the others do not.
Homework
While we do not really have homework for this class, you will find that if you go home each week and practice what we talk about in class, you will learn things more quickly. For this week, it will help if you are able to make sure that you have your account set up on FamilySearch. If you need help, feel free to contact me. (rosicantrell@bellsouth.net)
See you next week - ready to dig in to FamilySearch!!
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