By Small Means the Lord Can Bring About Great Things Fall 2005

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1 South Davis Family History Center 3350 South 100 East Bountiful, Utah (801) Hours of Operation Weekdays: Mon. thru Fri. 9 AM to 4 PM Evenings: Tues. thru Thurs. 7 PM to 9 PM Saturdays: 10 AM to 1 PM By Small Means the Lord Can Bring About Great Things Fall 2005 From the Director s Desk Genealogy and family history are all about making connections! We spend hours looking for that one elusive ancestor that may connect us to hundreds more. Why do we do this? C.S. Lewis once wrote, Human beings look separate because you see them walking about separately. But then we are so made that we can see only the present moment. If we could see the past, then of course it would look different. For there was a time when every man was part of his mother, and (earlier still) part of his father as well, and when they were part of his grandparents. If you could see humanity spread out in time, as God sees it, it would look like one single growing thing rather like a very complicated tree. Every individual would appear connected with every other. Continued on page 2 Also in this Issue page What s New at the Center...2 Internet Research: Free BYU Classes...3 FGS on the Future of Genealogy...3 French Military Records...4 Pres. Hinckley s Opening Remarks...4 Classes and Activities...4 Promises Planted in Our Hearts 5 Family History for Children...9 So. Davis Regional Family History Fair Back By Popular Demand The Worth of Souls will be the theme for the South Davis Regional Family History Fair to be held at Bountiful High School, Saturday March 18, 2006 from 8 am to 3:30 pm. This fair is quickly becoming one of the most popular family history conferences in Utah. Keynote speaker will be Randy J. Olsen, Director of the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU. Mark your calendars! You won t want to miss this day of extraordinary classes and exciting exhibits. Attendance is free; the cost of a syllabus is $8 if you register early. There will also be complimentary lunches for all who register. Watch for registration forms to come out in December. More detailed information can be found at

2 From the Director s Desk (continued) The reason I believe we mortals have always longed to find our origins is because of an innate desire to see the human family as God sees it. We are, after all, His family. Each of us regardless of our race, religion, and nationality is His child. He loves each child equally, notwithstanding the time period or circumstances into which he or she was born. He gives each individual the chance to return to live with Him and to be connected to loved ones and family. The vast world of genealogy with its limitless tools and resources make this often difficult task of finding connections possible. Many people have found help from amazing advances on the Internet as well as dusty books and old courthouse records. Wherever your searches may take you, you will find the help you need. Often these so-called elusive ancestors are helping you, steering you to their name, their connection to you. In 1 Nephi 16:29 we are told that "by small means the Lord can bring about great things." We hope some of the tips and information in this newsletter may be a small catalyst that launches these connections for you and your family. -Donna Smith, Director South Davis Regional Family History Center Questions and Ancestors The latest version of BYU s popular Ancestors Series is called Questions and Ancestors. Experts discuss genealogy questions submitted by the broadcast audience. Cohosts are Emily Wilbur, a professional genealogist, and Darius Gray, a journalist and codirector of the Freedman's Records Project. You can watch this weekly series on KBYU (channel 11) Tuesdays at 5 PM and Thursdays at 9:30 PM starting November 8 th. Or tune in to BYU Radio (FM Classical 89) on Saturdays at 11 AM starting November 12 th. (You can also listen to BYU Radio on Internet at byuradio.org/streaming/, using the free Windows Media Player.) To submit a question for consideration, go to: ors/. Fill out a short form and click submit. Who s New at the Center A hearty welcome to the newest members of our Family History Center staff: Rachel Creswell, North Canyon Stake Catherine Jensen, Orchard Stake Carol McKee, Bountiful South Stake Alan Murphy, Bountiful East Stake Ann Richardson, Woods Cross Stake We re so glad to have you! Thanks for being willing to share your time and family history talents with all of us. What s New at the Center Here are some of the latest additions that you can use at our Family History Center: Digital Imaging System Now when you come to the Center to review a microfilm or microfiche that you request from the Family History Library, it s easy to make digitized copies of select pages. With the software for this new computer, you can copy directly to a CD. Subscription to Databases of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) Simply click the NEHGS icon on the desktop of Center computers to search all databases available online from the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Online access to over 110 million names in 2,200 databases is free to patrons at the Center. 2

3 Family History Library Links Over the years the Family History Library has collected more 9,100 favorite websites for doing genealogy research. The same links to these websites which are found on the computers at the Library are now available on the computers at the Center organized by location in the Internet Explorer. Pedigree Resource File (PRF) adds ten new CD s 10 million names In September two new CD sets were loaded onto the computers at the Center. Set 22 contains CD s 106 to 110 and set 23 contains CD s 110 to 115. Be sure to check the PRF after each update to review the latest data which other researchers have submitted to FamilySearch.org. Finding Enoch New Scavenger Hunt for a Revolutionary War Soldier In addition to the Mystery Man Scavenger Hunt for a Mormon Pioneer, we now offer a scavenger hunt for a Revolutionary War Soldier a fun activity for groups of varying ages to learn some of the resources available when searching for early American ancestors. More details on page 5 Internet Research Tips: Free Online Genealogy Classes Brigham Young University's Independent Study program is now offering a wide variety of helpful web courses: Family History/Genealogy - Introductory FHGEN 68 Finding Your Ancestors FHGEN 69 Providing Temple Ordinances for Your Ancestors FHGEN 70 Introduction to Family History Research FHGEN 80 Helping Children Love Your Family History Family History/Genealogy - Record Type FHREC 71 Family Records FHREC 73 Vital Records FHREC 76 Military Records Family History/Genealogy - Regional and Ethnic FHFRA 71 France: Immigrant Origins FHFRA 72 France: Vital Records FHFRA 73 France: Reading French Handwriting FHFRA 74 France: Genealogical Organizations and Periodicals FHFRA 75 France: The Internet and French Genealogy FHFRA 76 French Research: Paris FHFRA 77 French Research: Alsace- Lorraine FHGER 71 Germany: Immigrant Origins FHGER 72 Germany: U.S. Sources and Surname Changes FHGER 73 Germany: Jurisdictions, Gazetteers, and Maps FHGER 74 Germany: Reading German Handwriting FHGER 75 Germany: Calendars and Feast Days FHGER 76 Germany: Vital Records FHHUG 71 Huguenot Research FHSCA 73 Scandinavia: Jurisdictions, Gazetteers, and Maps FHSCA 74 Scandinavia: Reading Gothic Script FHSCA 75 Scandinavia: Church Records and Feast Days FHSCA 76 Scandinavia: Census Records For more details or to register at no cost, visit: m. FGS Conference s Sneak Peak at the Future of Genealogy If you missed the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference in Salt Lake City, you really missed out! For example, three lectures, presented by Jay L. Verkler and David E. Rencher, provided a fascinating glimpse into the future: 3

4 The Impact of Technological and Economical Factors on the Future of Genealogy Societies Going Virtual A Sneak Peak at the Near Future Although audios or transcripts of these lectures are not available, Mr. Verkler and Mr. Rencher have posted their slide presentations online at tion/frameset_education.asp?page=education _conferences_fgs_2005.asp. French Military Records Online ouv.fr/ Mémoire des Hommes is a valuable website for genealogists seeking French ancestors. Sponsored by the General Secretary for the Administration and the French Ministry of the Defense, the site displays original military records and biographies of French soldiers who have served since It also aims to honor the memory of those who took part in contemporary wars and sometimes gave their lives for their country. To view the site in English, click on the British flag in the upper right corner of the home screen. Prophet Urges Serving in Temples but Avoiding Duplication of Effort In his opening remarks at the General Conference of the Church on October 1, 2005, President Gordon B. Hinckley emphasized the importance of family history and temple service. He said: Temple service is the end product of all of our teaching and activity. Last year 32 million ordinances were performed in the temples. This is more than have been performed in any previous year. At the moment, some of our temples are crowded to capacity and beyond. The needs and desires of our faithful Saints must be met. We are grateful for the consecrations of our people which make all of this possible. One of the most troublesome aspects of our temple activity is that as we get more and more temples scattered across the earth there is duplication of effort in proxy work. People in various nations simultaneously work on the same family lines and come up with the same names. They do not know that those in other areas are doing the same thing. We, therefore, have been engaged for some time in a very difficult undertaking. To avoid such duplication, the solution lies in complex computer technology. Preliminary indications are that it will work, and if this is so, it will be a truly remarkable thing with worldwide implications. Center Classes and Activities By small and simple things are great things brought to pass and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls. (Alma 37:6-7) We now have a staff of about 50 people called from our ten-stake region to keep the Center operating so many hours each week. This fall our focus has been on training all these staff members so we can serve patrons more effectively. Accordingly, Byron Jones of the Val Verda Stake has been teaching classes two and three evenings a week. In addition, many of our older staff members are mentoring the newer ones. We appreciate the many hours of selfless service given by all. 4

5 For patrons who want classes, presently we suggest one of the many free courses offered online (see page 3) or at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. (To see the Library s current schedule, go to and click the month s class schedule on the left side of the home screen.) We also invite patrons to try one of the popular Scavenger Hunt activities at our Center. You can hunt for a Revolutionary War Soldier or a Mormon Pioneer. It s a fun way to learn what resources are available at home and at the Center. As you find the clues, you ll want to use them later to find your own ancestors. Scavenger Hunts are suitable for ages 14 to 104. You can bring your family, Young Men and Young Women, Relief Society, Priesthood, or Sunday School classes. To schedule a convenient time for your group, call Donna Smith, Center Director, at and let her know how many will be in your group and which hunt you d like to try. Local History Quiz Which of the following is a former name for the city of Bountiful? a) Session s Settlement b) North Mill Creek Canyon c) North Canyon d) Stoker e) all of the above f) none of the above Answer on page 8 Source: Utah History Encyclopedia By Patricia Lyn Scott Talks for Today: Promises Planted in our Hearts A few months ago I ran into a former neighbor As we talked, she asked, Is Lisa still doing family history work? I told her she was, and that we had both worked on family history since the first year of our marriage. This was her reply: I have a sister who is really into that. It struck me then as it perhaps strikes you today that she said this in precisely the same way I might tell someone I have a sister who is really into needlepoint, or into aerobics, or a brother who is into golf, or into camping, pottery, fly fishing, or any of the many hobbies or pastimes with which we amuse ourselves. For members of this Church, family history is never just a hobby. It must not be merely a pastime. It cannot be an activity reserved for the retired, aged, or infirm. It is a duty, a sacred, covenant responsibility. It is sacred because it is in part through our work the great blessings of the Atonement are made available to our ancestors. And the scriptures are clear: In some manner our own salvation is tied to theirs and to this responsibility. This duty rests uniquely on the shoulders of this dispensation, and within this dispensation, squarely and solidly upon our shoulders, who have been blessed to live on the earth in the age we call the Information Age. Over the years we have developed a somewhat careless way of talking about the mission of the Church. This Church has one mission, a Christ-centered mission. It is expressed in language found in Moroni 10 and echoed in Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants. The mission is to invite all to come unto Christ and be perfected in him. In his closing talk at the April 1988 General Conference..., President Benson said, May we all go to our homes rededicated to the sacred mission of the Church as so beautifully set forth in these conference sessions to invite all to come unto Christ (D&C 20:59), yea, come unto Christ and be perfected in him 5

6 (Moroni 10:32). This grand mission of the Church is accomplished by proclaiming the gospel, perfecting the saints, and redeeming the dead. (Ezra Taft Benson, Come Unto Christ and Be Perfected in Him Ensign, May 1988, 84.) As President Benson taught, it is sometimes important to think of the activities through which we carry out this mission. But the activities are not the mission! By focusing on the activities instead of the mission, it is easy to lose sight of the central focus on Christ. And we begin to think that missionary work is confined to mortality. There was a missionary in the early days of the Church in Hawaii who was ordinary in every way, except perhaps in the extreme circumstances in which he and his companion found themselves. For they were present when an epidemic of disease struck I believe it was smallpox once one of the most feared diseases on earth. At the outbreak of this epidemic, missionaries of other denominations fled the islands. However, this elder and his companion could not bear the thought of leaving the people, member and nonmember alike, in this hour of need. At some personal risk they remained. They went from home to home, comforting and caring for the sick, and giving many priesthood blessings. So great was the need, he recorded, that on one such day they used 2 quarts of consecrated oil. When prompted by the Spirit, those blessings included promises of healing, but such promptings and such promises at least to this elder seemed too infrequent. Feeling almost helpless, he watched as friends, and especially saints it seemed, struggled, and suffered, and all too often died. In his journal, he asked why God would allow so many faithful saints to be taken when they were so desperately needed in the young church in the islands. I don t know how long it was before the answer came, but it did come. And when it came, it came in a dream. In his dream he saw a vast multitude of people, all dressed in white. He knew somehow they were people who had lived and died, and were now in the spirit world. As he looked at them, he realized they were all Hawaiian. Then he noticed something he didn t understand. Something that bothered him. It seemed as though they were waiting for something. As he pondered this, he was told they were waiting for their descendants their children who had accepted the Gospel on earth, to come to them and teach them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Taking great comfort from the perspective of this dream, he finally understood that his dear friends had been given a sacred opportunity to share with their fathers what had brought them such great joy. It is possible he understood something else, something I am pleading for us to understand as well. As he pondered this dream, he might well have asked, Were there no other missionaries available in the spirit world? No one who could be assigned to teach these people? Why did it have to be their children? There is only one passage of scripture that appears in all four of our canonized scriptures, and it appears a surprising almost astounding eight times, in whole or in part. I have come to understand that Jesus was the master editor of our scriptures, so I do not believe such repetition is accidental, the result of either carelessness or forgetfulness, nor do I believe this repetition is mere coincidence. In fact, I believe this repetition is strong evidence of its extreme importance. Furthermore, since 7 of those 8 occurrences are scriptures revealed or restored in the past 181 years, the subject must be more important now than ever before. It is as though, as Lisa might say, someone is trying to get something through my thick skull! Of course, I am referring to the last two verses of the Old Testament, originally written by Malachi. But for my purposes I want to quote this passage the way it was quoted by Moroni on the night of September 21, 1823, when he appeared to Joseph Smith and began that four years of careful tutoring to prepare Joseph. On that night, as recorded in the 2 nd Section of the Doctrine and Covenants, Moroni quoted Malachi as follows: BEHOLD, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the 6

7 Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. (D&C 2:1-3) When Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith that night, he said that prophecy was about to be fulfilled, and we know Elijah appeared in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836, and restored priesthood keys. But we might well ask when reading this passage, what fathers? and what promises? I want to suggest two ways in which this scripture has been and is being fulfilled. Our father, Abraham, was given great promises as part of the gospel covenant. These promises were renewed to his son, Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob, or Israel. These three are known in the Bible as the fathers. Among those promises is this remarkable verse: [I]n thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal. (Abraham 2:11.) Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were promised their descendants would bear the Priesthood and take the Gospel of the Son of God to all families. We send missionaries throughout the world in partial fulfillment of that promise, missionaries whose lineage from Abraham has been revealed in a Patriarchal Blessing, who have been ordained to that same Priesthood. But a greater missionary work is taking place in the spirit world, where that promise is also fulfilled. In fact, it is there most people who have lived will be taught the Gospel by descendants of Abraham, who bear the Priesthood of the Son of God. It is there most of our ancestors will be taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, [a]nd all other principles of the gospel that [are] necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves for celestial glory. (D&C 138:33-34) But the promises spoken of by Malachi also refer to promises made to our fathers in our pre-mortal life, that the Gospel would be extended to them, either in mortality or in the spirit world. As we seek out our fathers and mothers as our hearts turn to them we remember the promises made to them, and perhaps though we do not now know perhaps we are also remembering and honoring promises made by us. There is another scripture I want you to consider today, one you have heard quoted hundreds of times, one that has been memorized by missionaries for 175 years. As I quote part of this to you, think of the vision seen by that elder in Hawaii, in which he saw multitudes of people dressed in white: NOW behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. For behold the field is white already to harvest. (D&C 4:1,4). We are mistaken when we think of this as missionary work among the living and nothing more. It is part of the mission of the Church, inviting all to come unto Christ and be perfected in him, and it applies with the same force on either side of the veil we call death. And on the other side of the veil, among our relatives, the field is white, already to harvest. In this we work uniquely in partnership with missionaries on the other side of the veil, and our ancestors are deeply interested in us and what we can and must do for them. Many of you may be familiar with the story of Joseph William Billy Johnson of Accra, Ghana. Brother Johnson was given a copy of the Book of Mormon in about 1964 and upon reading it was converted. Even though there were no missionaries and there was no church organization in Ghana, and therefore no baptism, he was directed in a dream to preach the Gospel. By the time missionaries arrived about 14 years later, he had several thousand people prepared for baptism. Brother Johnson reported that at a time of great trial early in his ministry, his deceased brother appeared to him in a dream and said: Don't worry you have chosen the only true 7

8 church on earth. I was surprised [said Brother Johnson]. I never knew that the Church extended to another world. It was my brother who brought that knowledge to me. He said that if I didn't believe him, he would sing a song from my church, and he sang Come, Come, Ye Saints. That was the first time I had heard that hymn. He said, Don't leave the church, my brother Please see that I am baptized. It was my brother who enlightened me about baptism for the dead and brought it to my knowledge. Most of my relatives appeared to me in dreams [saying,] Reverend Johnson, do you know you have a work to do for us? Our great grandsons and daughters will be in your church soon. See that we are baptized. I learned these doctrines before the missionaries arrived. (LeBaron, E. Dale, African Converts Without Baptism, Brigham Young University Devotional, 3 November 1998.) We right here in Bountiful have more ability to find our ancestors and make the Gospel available to them than almost anyone else on earth today, and certainly more than your great Aunt Betty who 40 years ago finished your family history. With the vast resources of the Internet and the largest genealogy library in the world just 10 miles away, with the regional Family History Library within our stake boundaries, and with our ward Family History Consultants eager to help, it has never been easier to identify family names and prepare them for temple ordinances. Surely computers, the Internet, and broadband access have been revealed largely to enable you and me to do this work. For example, the days of tediously searching census records on microfilm are almost over. From the comfort of your home and still in your bathrobe you can search almost all U.S. census records in seconds. What once took hours, often days, sometimes even weeks or months, now takes seconds. You can tap into the work done by others around the world and share information with them. You can access unbelievable amounts of information, without leaving home. For almost anyone here, 30 minutes on the Internet would likely yield several generations of ancestors you previously knew nothing about. And if you could do that, think of what your children could do, who really know how to find things if given the assignment! It is so easy today we are left completely without excuse or justification for ignoring this duty. In a letter written about one hundred and sixty years ago, Joseph Smith spoke of the privilege we have of performing these ordinances for our deceased relatives. Then he said, Those saints who neglect it in behalf of their deceased relatives, do it at the peril of their own salvation. (History of the Church, 4:231; italics added.) President Campbell recently taught stake leaders that wards and stakes that focus on family history have seen dramatic reductions in problems with youth, families, and marriages. And as Elder Marlin Jensen said recently, We do family history work for the salvation of the living and the dead. (Church News, January 29, 2005, p. 3.) If we want to more fully comprehend the temple, the Atonement, God s mercy and justice, or his love for his children, if we want the deep spiritual blessings that attend this work, for us and for our families, then we need to turn our hearts to the promises made to our fathers and invite them to come unto Christ. Brothers and sisters, the sum of my message today is this: Family History is not a hobby, or something on the fringe of Church activity. It is a sacred duty, uniquely given to us in this last dispensation. And we have been uniquely equipped with technology, tools, and resources and information needed to do this work. I believe we will be held accountable by our ancestors and by God if we continue to believe this is someone else s duty, or that our family history is done, or that we have no time, or that this is something we can put off until retirement. Wouldn t you agree such excuses will sound woefully weak if we try them out on ancestors who, dressed in white, waited? -Richard G. Smurthwaite, North Canyon Stake Answer to Local History Quiz: (e) all of the above 8

9 Family History for Children: Pastures and Prayers My wonderful grandmother, Ruth Myrtle Norton Passey, wrote dozens of stories about her early childhood, and I wanted to make them more reader-friendly for my grandchildren so that they could learn to know and appreciate her. They were all typed up, but without illustrations they simply did not appeal to young readers. Well, I thought, I will just have to get busy and draw pictures for these stories. When two weeks of intensive labor produced only one fairly satisfactory line drawing (not even any color yet), I realized that it would take more years than my lifetime promised, for me to successfully illustrate my grandmother s stories. At that point the inspiration came. Many of my grandchildren like to draw. They could help draw all the pictures we would need! I immediately called Sarah, my eight-year-old granddaughter who lives up in Washington State. Sarah, I said, If I tell you a story about your great-great grandmother Passey, will you draw pictures for it so we can make it into a book? Well, of course she would. I told her the story and sent her a list of all the pictures she would need to draw. 9

10 Some weeks later a large envelope was delivered to my doorstep, and in it were the most absolutely delightful pictures you could ever imagine! Sarah sent a letter along with the pictures. Grandma, she wrote, when you get the books all made, please send me three of them. I told my teacher and the school librarian that I was illustrating a book. My teacher wants one for our classroom, the librarian wants one for the library, and we need one for our family. I scanned the pictures onto my computer, typed up the story, and designed the pages for optimum readability. After careful proofing, I put it all into a PDF file, burned a CD, and took it to my favorite copy store. They printed up a number of copies on nice, heavy paper, laminated the cover, and put them in a red spiral binding. Back Cover of Pastures and Prayers The grandchildren are delighted with the books and are becoming acquainted with their great- great grandmother. Other grandchildren, as well as Sarah, are now also involved in the process of illustrating more of the stories. It is a process that can go on and on. -Meredith Martinez, Bountiful South Stake 10