Mormon Life - Ancestors tag

Journals prove to have value and worth in family history

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 09:59:00 -0700

source: universe.byu.edu

Some people feel writing in a journal seems selfish, but it is actually a service to a person’s descendants.

Learning about a person, growing closer to a person and applying experiences in one’s own life are just some of the benefits of reading a relative’s journal and are reasons to start and keep a journal right now.

Though many say it is tedious, writing in a journal does not have to be an extensive process.

Louise Plummer, a retired BYU English professor, said reading an ancestor’s journal makes them more human. She said a person can become more attached to the family member.

Mormon church helps people of all faiths find their family tree

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:07:00 -0600

source: tbo.com

Mormon Life says: Here's a fast fact: according to a national survey, 87 percent of all Americans have an interest in their family history. Jim Smith is not ashamed to admit it.

"I'm obsessed," he says matter-of-factly. "How often am I at this? 24-7."

It started with a simple quest. He wanted to know more about his namesake uncle, a 22-year-old pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force lost in action in 1945 in the Bay of Bengal in the East Indian Ocean.

Everyone always told him: You're just like Uncle Jimmy. But no one could tell him much about the man who died along with his crew in the Liberator bomber.

Not only did Smith learn about his heroic uncle – whose name is engraved in a Singapore war memorial – he started unraveling his widespread family roots with a zealous passion. Now the gung-ho genealogist details his searches on a blog and volunteers at the Family History Center run by the Tampa Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Pioneer database thriving and growing

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:45:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Its subjects are long since deceased, its roots date back three decades, its official launch date came seven-plus years ago and it recently was highlighted with one of those "distinguished service" honors. Still, the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database is an alive, thriving, growing and an admittedly incomplete resource.

Comprised of the names and journal entries of land- and ocean-crossing Mormon pioneers from 1847 to 1868, the database has drawn nearly 340,000 online views since its 2003 Internet launch by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The database has added about 10,000 names in the seven years since, now totaling 50,000-plus names of Mormon pioneers and excerpts from some 3,200 individual journals, allowing users — ranging from the professional researcher to the personal historian — glimpses into the history of the era's immigrants and pioneers crossing the Great Plains.