Mormon Life - Family History tag

QR Codes can 'expand the experience' of genealogists

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:26:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: How cool! Would you want this on your headstone? Quick Response Codes have been cropping up on movie posters, restaurant windows, store and library shelves — and headstones at cemeteries.

"Genealogical Uses for QR Codes," a presentation Friday at this year's RootsTech Family History & Technology Conference by High-Definition Genealogy founder Thomas MacEntee, brought to light some ways these codes can be used in family history efforts.

RootsTech speaker predicts 7 billion to participate in genealogy

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:09:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

By 2060 nearly 7 billion people will participate in family history, FamilySearch’s former Chief Executive Officer Jay Verkler told attendees at RootsTech.

FamilySearch has grown 3 percent per year, said Verkler, who retired last month. He is being replaced by Dennis Brimhall. The future and growth of family history work was the central topic at Thursday morning's keynote address at RootsTech, an annual conference on family history and technology that is held in Salt Lake City.

Ancestry easier to discover thanks to worldwide genealogy volunteers

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:10:00 -0700

source: Newsroom.lds.org

Earlier this year, a family historian named Carol was trying to piece together the Ohio branches of her family tree. “They were shattered by death, marriage, remarriage, name changes, and lack of records,” she said. “Using the records indexed through FamilySearch [an organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints], I was able to…solve an important mystery. It was such a satisfying moment.”

Today that satisfaction is experienced over and over by millions of people who are able to connect with their ancestors thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers known as FamilySearch indexers.

RootsTech Conference brings genealogy to digital age

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:14:00 -0700

by Emily McClure
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Email, MP3s, cell phones, personal GPS devices - technology touches every part of our lives, and genealogy is no exception. This week at the RootsTech Conference, innovators and genealogists are uniting to forecast some of the exciting developments for family history.

The parents and grandparents of this generation know better than anyone how quickly technology can evolve. They watched as the music record morphed into the cassette tape. After what seemed a comparatively short time thereafter, they saw the CD come to life, and before they could catch their collective breath, the MP3 player and iPod arrived. The growth of the music technology business is fairly simple to track, but technology in general is an ever-evolving phenomenon, and many people, young and not-so-young alike, have difficulty keeping up with it.

Genealogy, like every other industry, is experiencing its own burst of technology evolution. Fledgling genealogy technologists may be unsure of possible options for digitizing their history, or perhaps they simply doubt their ability to use current technology. The annual RootsTech Conference in Salt Lake City this weekend has been designed specifically to provide technological support to genealogists everywhere. The conference is notoriously popular, offering lectures and training to over 4,000 registered participants a year and streaming online to thousands more.

Paul Nauta, public affairs manager for FamilySearch, says that technology shouldn’t be a source of fear but simply a means to provide the best possible preservation of family records. Some genealogists see no reason to move on from their tried-and-true preservation devices, such as CDs, DVDs, and microfilm, but even those methods are showing their antiquity.

“CDs and DVDs have become a thing of the past,” said Nauta. “A lot of people are shocked to find out that there’s noticeable degradation in the quality of a CD within 5 years. DVDs are beginning to show degradation after 10 years.” Even flash drives, the most current of the mass storage devices, appear to be losing some ground. Nauta predicts that the flash drive will be a thing of the past within five years, and its replacement will likely be something known as “the Cloud.” Enter the Digital Age.

Cloud computing is a term that has only recently become popular among the everyday technology consumer. In general, “the Cloud” is a term used to describe all the data that is floating around internet space, like the cloud that surrounds Apple or Amazon. For most consumers, this storage system allows documents to be saved online without users facing the hassle of trying to transfer documents from flash drive to computer.

This concept is particularly useful in family history research; genealogists can store their data in a secure site, like familysearch.org, without the worry of losing it or transferring data. The Cloud also allows multiple users to edit a single page, like a page on Wikipedia or on a Google doc. For genealogists, this means that multiple family members can contribute different accounts of family history to an online family tree.

Mobile apps also rank high in genealogical significance. Technologists predict that within the next five years, computers will be less and less common, as nearly a third of the world’s population will be using the smart phone. Nauta confirmed this prediction, noting that many countries, rather than try and play catch-up with developing technology, can easily stay current with an app: “You’ve got a vast majority of second- and third-world countries who are pretty much moving along with the rest of the world and are having more and more access to portable technology to allow them to get involved.” Many family history companies are offering a variety of apps to make the process of genealogy more user-friendly.

Aside from the world of mobile apps and cloud computing, there are companies that offer digitization of family history files. This year’s RootsTech Conference will be offering information on digitizing family books that may be too valuable to pass back and forth between family members. Having a digital version of the book allows multiple family members to view the history without the possibility of losing or damaging a physical document.

The challenge of learning to apply all the new technology may seem daunting to genealogists, but keeping up with genealogical technology, since it is based on software and the Internet, is much easier than the physical upgrades of cell phones, iPods, or computers.

And the amount and manner of technology used in family history is purely based on personal preference. Many people use technology to do family history every day without realizing it, whether it’s uploading a family photo on facebook, blogging about a family reunion, or printing out photographs for a scrapbook. “Is that family history? You bet it is!” said Nauta.

The RootsTech Conference begins Feb. 2 and concludes Feb. 4. Rootstech.org provides further information on lecture topics, times, and registration for those interested in upping their ante in family history.

LDS resources for questions and answers

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:33:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

The power of the Internet manifests in so many ways, but one of the nicest services is the ability to ask questions to experts who then turn around and answer with the best of their ability. You likely use this method while online shopping or with help with technical problems, but did you know you could do it with church questions? I’ll be the one to answer that.

New family history centers opens in Oregon

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:54:00 -0700

source: bandonwesternworld.com

Ever been curious about where your family came from or if you are the descendant of royalty? Many people are, according to Pam Hansen of the Bandon branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Those people now have a wealth of resources at their fingertips as well as trained volunteers to assist them in their genealogy searches, right here in Bandon.

What makes a missionary journal a good historical source

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:27:00 -0700

source: amateurmormonhistorian.blogspot.com

Mormon Life says: The tips are actually good ideas for journal writing in general. In my chosen hobby, good sources are a valuable treasure. In that regard I have been fortunate. While researching Tennessee LDS history, I have run across several really good missionary journals. But I have also run across several abysmal ones. They have been so bad, that I have reflected on my missionary journal and just how much better I could have made it. I wish I had been given some examples of what good journal writing was before I ever started my mission. I can't go back and do it over. Anything I write today would be a recollection, not a journal. It isn't the same.

FHE: Family History

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:05:00 -0700

by Shauna Gibby
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: "The Spirit of Elijah affects people inside and outside of the Church. However, as members of Christ’s restored Church, we have the covenant responsibility to search out our ancestors and provide for them the saving ordinances of the gospel." -David A. Bednar

Conference Talk:
For more information on this topic read “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn” by Elder David A. Bednar, Ensign, Nov 2011, 24.

Thought:
The Spirit of Elijah affects people inside and outside of the Church. However, as members of Christ’s restored Church, we have the covenant responsibility to search out our ancestors and provide for them the saving ordinances of the gospel.

(Elder David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn” Ensign, Nov 2011, 24.)

Song:
“Family History—I Am Doing It,” Children’s Songbook, p. 94.

Scripture:
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. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
(Joseph Smith—History 1:39)

Lesson:
Give each person in the family a paper and a pencil or pen.

Instruct the family members to write your family name at the top of the sheet of paper. Then tell them to draw a picture with as many items in it as there are letters in your name, each item being something that begins with one of the letters of your name. Their pictures are not complete until they have used all the letters of your name.

When everyone has finished a picture, one person shows his to the rest of the family. The family tries to identify the items in the picture. Continue until each drawing has been reviewed.

Explain to the family that just as their pictures were not complete without all the items, neither is the family complete without all of its members. Each picture was different, just as each letter is different from the rest. So it is with the family. Each family is different and so is each member of each individual family. Each family member has special gifts to offer to the rest of the family.

Have all the family members write on the back of their pictures the names of each person in the family. Remind them that there are other members of the family that they don’t know. These family members lived before them, and they are important too.

Story:
Did you see the news story about the teacher who found an old cigar box in her attic? When she opened it she saw that it was full of old papers. She was about to toss it into the trash when she noticed the word stock on one of the papers. Upon further inspection she discovered that the box was filled with old stock certificates. Just for fun she had their value assessed.

You guessed it: instant millionaire.

“I don’t imagine my life will be all that much different,” she said after banking her newfound fortune. “I may buy some new shoes. Other than that, I won’t be making many changes.”

Personally, I think wealth is wasted on such people. What’s the point of being suddenly prosperous if you’re not going to allow yourself to suddenly . . . you know . . . prosper?

I know I would. I know this because I’ve been thinking about it all week—or at least since my dad’s wife, Jean, called to tell me about a box she found while spring cleaning.

“There are some real treasures in these boxes,” she said. “You ought to have them.”

“Treasures?” I asked. “What sort of treasures?”

“Oh, you know—jewelry, certificates, a little money, and there are some metals that are absolutely precious.”

Jewelry? Certificates? Money? Precious metals? And she wants to give them to me?

Ka-ching!

Unlike the teacher in the news story, I could come up with plenty of ideas for improving my life once those treasures made their way into my bank account. Most involved quitting my job and buying a Winnebago. By the time I got the box from Jean, I had already imagined myself back and forth across the country and all the way to Hawaii (with and without the Winnebago, respectively).

In the privacy of my car, I carefully opened the black jewelry box. Inside, it was just as she had promised: jewelry, certificates, money and precious metals. Only the jewelry was costume jewelry in brilliant blues, reds and aquamarines. The certificates included my mother’s high school diploma. The money was an English penny. And the precious “metals” were actually precious medals, including one awarded to my great-grandfather for being an “Indian War Veteran” and another presented to my great- great-grandfather for helping to pioneer the American West.

Okay, I’ll admit it: I was disappointed at first. There was nothing of any value here—unless you counted sentimental value. But the more I studied the stuff in the box, the more like a treasure it seemed to be. And the more like a mystery. What did my great-grandmother’s garish red rhinestone broach tell me about the personality of a woman I never met? Am I the only one in the family who will be surprised to learn that Mom graduated from high school in Denver? Who wore the dangly blue pendant and why did it smell—vaguely but distinctively—of turpentine? And what about the cool reading spectacles? What was the deal with those?

I’m not exactly sure where to look for the answers to these questions. But we’re going to have a lot of fun trying to find them. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying this wonderful sense of connection as I handle and admire objects that were obviously cherished by my ancestors. It makes me feel grounded. It makes me feel like I belong. It makes me feel like I’m part of something that extends beyond the here and now. And that feeling is something I value and treasure.

Regardless of the value of the treasure in the box.

(Joseph Walker, Look What Love Has Done, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2007], p. 9.)

Activity:
Go to createfan.com to create a beautiful version of your family tree. You’ll need to sign in with your lds.org sign-in information, then click “create.” As you look at it, discuss the ancestors you know, discover some of the most common names in your family tree, and notice which lines need more information.

Refreshment
Devil’s Food Cake

1⁄3 cup shortening
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
2⁄3 cup cocoa
1⁄2 cup hot water
2 cups flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers. Set aside.

Cream shortening and sugar together; add eggs. In a small bowl, beat cocoa in hot water until smooth; add to creamed mixture. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda together; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Add vanilla and beat well.

Fill cups one-half to three-fourths full. If the cupcakes are filled a little fuller, they will crown better. (Crowning is the rounded dome that forms when the cupcake is baking.) Bake 18 to 24 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of a cupcake. It should come out clean with no crumbs attached. Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes.

(Lion House Cakes and Cupcakes, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2011], p. 21.)

To access the PDF version of this lesson, click here.

Check out these great "how-to's" for family history:

"{LDS How-to} Jumpstart Your Family History"

"{LDS How-to} Write a Family History Worth Reading"

"{LDS How-to} Conduct a Family History Interview"

Youth respond to invitation from apostle

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:33:00 -0700

source: news.lds.org

For Sarra Erb, 17, of Oklahoma, USA, it really began in the spring of 2011, when she was called to serve on the youth conference committee for her stake’s 2012 pioneer trek in Nauvoo, Illinois. The youth of the stake were to prepare family history names to take to the temple, which meant that all of the youth would be introduced to family history work.

Then in October things really accelerated. For starters, Sarra heard a conference address directed to her and the other youth of the Church around the world. In his talk “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught youth that they “need not wait until … an arbitrary age to fulfill [their] responsibility to assist in the work of salvation for the human family.”

Saints in Dominican Republic Hold First Church-Sponsored Family Conference

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:20:00 -0700

source: news.lds.org

They say that family history is catching. If the increase of family history-related events around the globe is any indication, this is one bug that is spreading far and wide.

For instance, on October 29, 2011, the San Gerónimo stake of the Dominican Republic held the first Church-sponsored family history conference in the country at a local meetinghouse. Both Latter-day Saints and community members were invited to the event to learn about the importance of family history and genealogy.

Three genealogy powerhouses join forces to publish 1940 US census

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:47:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Three leading genealogy organizations, Archives.com, FamilySearch International, and findmypast.com, announced today they are joining forces to launch the 1940 US Census Community Project. The ambitious project aims to engage online volunteers to quickly publish a searchable, high quality name index to the 1940 US Census after it is released in April 2012 by the National Archives and Record Administration of the United States (NARA). The highly anticipated 1940 US Census is expected to be the most popular US record collection released to date. Its completion will allow anyone to search the record collection by name for free online. Learn more about this exciting initiative or how to volunteer at www.the1940census.com.

Family history fan chart

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:56:00 -0700

source: ldsmediatalk.com

Home for the holidays and want to enjoy some family history?

You can quickly create a family history fan chart to visually see your genealogy through the new website CreateFan.com.

Family history organizations announce effort to publish 1940 census index

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:18:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

FamilySearch, Archives.com and findmypast.com are joining to launch the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project to help quickly publish a free, searchable, high-quality name index to the 1940 U.S. Census after it is released in April 2012 by the National Archives and Record Administration of the United States, according to a news release.

New leader’s guide to temple and family history work helps change lives

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:16:00 -0700

source: news.lds.org

In November 2010 the Springfield First Ward council in the Springfield Illinois (USA) Stake decided to invite a newly reactivated family, the Michael and Jessica Dauphinee family, to meet with ward family history consultants. With encouragement from priesthood leaders and the consultants, the Dauphinees, who hadn’t yet been to the temple, intently began searching out their ancestors to submit their names for sacred temple ordinances.

As the family prepared to do the work of their ancestors at the temple, they were also preparing themselves for the temple, demonstrating that family history and proxy temple work aren’t just about redeeming the dead. Work for the living and the dead are both part of the work of salvation.

How to write a life

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:26:00 -0700

source: keepapitchinin.org

Mormon Life says: Great advice on resources to use when writing someone's life history. Scott K has shared with us a short biography of one of his ancestors, Charles Price. It’s the kind of thing many of us would like to write about our own ancestors. (Many of us have – Kevin Folkman and Clark Ricks and Coffinberry and Anne (U.K.) and Bradford Ogden and Grant Vaughn and Polly Aird and Maurine have shared some of their family history here; Amy Tanner Thiriot is doing something very similar with the women of St. George who helped with the Eminent Women project, as well as on her own blog, The Ancestor Files; … and I probably shouldn’t have gotten started with names, because I’m sure to have left someone out. I apologize to whoever I’ve inadvertently skipped over.)

{LDS How-to} Conduct a Family History Interview

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:03:00 -0700

by Sunny Morton
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Interviewing family members about family history can be like using a water pump - you might get a gush of stories that need to be "filtered" afterward. Or you might get just a few drops. Have you ever asked a relative about your family history? The experience is like lifting the handle on an old-fashioned water pump. You never know what’s going to come out. Maybe nothing: maybe the pump doesn’t work anymore or its source has run dry. Or you may prompt a sudden torrent that soaks your shoes and disappears into the ground before you can catch it. You may luck into a perfect stream of water—then find it too muddy to use.

Preparing for a family history interview is like preparing to collect water from that old pump. You may have to “prime the pump” before any information spouts forth. You need to be prepared to catch a burst of names or stories, and you may need to filter a bit before the content is meaningful.

Prime the pump
I find old-fashioned water pumps at parks and beaches, where they are used infrequently or only seasonally. To get the water flowing, I pump the handle several times. I listen for a gurgle in the pipe below and feel for a tell-tale resistance in the pumping rhythm before I expect results.

When we ask our relatives to remember names, dates, and stories, we are asking them to dig deep into memories they may not often access. Ease them into the process and wait patiently for them to recall things. Ask them to think about topics in advance: “When I see you this Christmas, will you please share some of your memories of Christmases past?”

My favorite “pump-priming” technique is a casual conversation. I ask about their lives in general: career, education, family. I let them lead the discussion and note whom and what they love to talk about—and which topics they avoid. I may ask whether they know much about their parents or grandparents. A conversation likes this serves several purposes beyond priming their memory pump. Showing sincere interest builds trust and rapport. Gathering facts helps me prepare meaningful interview questions. Knowing their pet topics and any emotional boundaries allows me to steer future conversations appropriately.

Catch the water
With some relatives, you never get beyond the pump-priming phase of a family history interview. Maybe they show no interest, have lost most of their memories, or simply aren’t available for an in-depth interview. They’ve gone dry. But when you can have a formal interview, have your bucket ready.

I mean this in two ways. First, be prepared. Do your homework with facts you already know. If your aunt worked in a factory, Google the name of the town and factory to see what you can learn about it (add the search term “history” if you get too many hits). Well-informed questions show you care and will elicit more meaningful answers. Prepare a list of open-ended questions (not ones that can be answered “yes” or “no”).

Second, record the conversation. Use a digital recorder if you can (don’t forget that many digital cameras take video), but don’t put off an interview for lack of current technology. Use a tape recorder or type or hand-write their answers. If a recorder makes you nervous, practice with it. If a recorder makes a relative nervous, compromise: put it out of sight, or just record audio instead of video. Promise to turn it off upon request. Never record without permission.

Purify the water
Just like groundwater, memories can be muddy when they first surface. They may be too vague to be meaningful: “my childhood was good.” They may be colored by emotions: “I don’t want to talk about my father.” They may wander off-topic before they fully answer a question.

Follow-up questions work like water purification. They clarify the facts and their significance. Use questions that capture who, what, when, where, why, and how. “So your childhood was good. Who made it special?” Say, “Tell me more.” Ask what he thought or felt. Sometimes your best response is a patient silence and an encouraging nod, to give someone time to reflect, process, and put things into words. If someone has really strong emotions, respect their right to them. After a pause, indicate your willingness to listen if they’d like to talk, or the choice to change the subject.

Your relative may go off-topic. Never be impatient; a family history interview is not the Inquisition. Listen for a while to see if this new topic is fruitful. If not, nudge her one direction or another. “You started to talk about the factory and then we got onto your mom’s illness. I am interested in learning more about both. Which can we talk about?”

By the end of the conversation, the hope is that your bucket will be full, so to speak, of clear, meaningful memories. All the patient pump-priming will be worth it. And you’ll likely find yourself returning to the wellspring of family memory again and again.

--
Sunny McClellan Morton is a Latter-day Saint heritage writer and author of My Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories. Learn more about her at sunnymorton.com.

Tips for Doing Your Personal History

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:13:00 -0700

source: mormonwoman.org

The last article I wrote on here talked about overcoming the roadblocks we find in completing our personal and family histories. But now what? How about we start out easy, and then go to the more difficult? This means that we will start with our own personal history today and then move on to our family and ancestor’s histories in the next few months.

Why is it important to start with ourselves? Well, if you think about it, you are the only one who really knows the real you. Parents, siblings, friends and your spouse only know parts of your life.

{LDS How-to} Start Writing Your Life Story Now

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:19:00 -0700

by Sunny Morton
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Does the daunting thought of writing your life story overwhelm your desire to record it? Take a deep breath. The project is entirely doable if you start with a few simple steps. Recently my friend Cindy Johnson expressed frustration that she hasn’t recorded her richly-lived life in journals. “Now I’ll have to resort to writing my memoirs!” she lamented. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Whether you’ve kept regular diaries or not, you may easily find yourself like Cindy—wanting to write your life story but overwhelmed by the prospect. There are so many reasons to write: to share life lessons, relive cherished memories, introduce ourselves to future generations, or acknowledge the hand of the Lord in our lives. But life isn’t just one story. It’s a series of stories about events, people, circumstances, struggles, and growth. Some of these stories unfold simultaneously and some aren’t over yet. Some are painful; some are half-forgotten. We’re not even sure what some of them mean. So where do we start?

Start with What’s Interesting
Some people think they should begin their story-telling with the story of their births. But you don’t remember your own birth, and it’s likely not your most interesting story, anyway. Don’t bore yourself at the outset. Instead, begin with a memory that is:

   ·   interesting or meaningful to you right now;
   ·   clear and vivid; or
   ·   on your mind lately.

The point is to get something on paper without getting stalled by hazy memories, raw emotions, or boredom.

Write a few of these interesting, vivid memories before attempting a full life history. You’ll get your memories flowing and find your story-telling voice. You’ll be drawn into your own story, which will give you the motivation to tell more.

Fill in the Blanks
Don’t forget to give your stories some substance. Do you describe your “characters” (including you)? Do you provide meaningful details: how something smelled or looked, or what you thought of Uncle Merle’s toupee? Who changes in the story, and how and why? (That’s the meaning of the story, which you may not even discover until you write it.)

After you’ve got a few stories under your belt, consider putting them into a logical, readable order. What do you see emerging? A narrative that follows you through every step of life? Several episodes about the most important events? Stories about family relationships or friendships? There’s no rule that says you need to chronicle every part of your life. You might not even want to.

At some point, you may want to fill in some blanks between the tales you’ve told. You may want to create a timeline to organize and prioritize your writing. Consider using a life-story journal like my new book, My Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories, which gives you story-telling tips and prompts, and an overall structure for organizing your memories.

Consider Others
A story about your childhood—or teenage or mid-life years—will include the people who shaped it. Do you have the right to share their private pains and joys? Should you describe sibling rivalries, parents’ character flaws, or a spouse’s temper?

Each writer will solve these dilemmas differently. It may be possible to write around someone’s secret that really isn’t ours to share, or doesn’t bear directly on our lives. When someone’s personal life directly affected our lives, we can still consider what we say with compassion for those who might in turn be affected by what we say.

Don’t Forget the Happy Stories
Every life has times worth celebrating. Moments when testimony and character are built, when love and loyalty and faith are rewarded, people show their best selves, or a hard-won goal has been achieved. Moments when we feel the Lord’s grace, or the mercy or kindness of others. These are all worth recording—both for our own sake and the sake of those who might read our stories.

Are happy stories boring? Not if you write them well. Use the same techniques mentioned above: meaningful details, characters with strengths and weaknesses, and honest portrayal of how and why people changed. Include details that build suspense or really show what you were up against. Don’t forget the funny parts. Tell how you felt at the turning point of the story—grateful, humbled, speechless, changed, surprised, moved, confused, angry, blindsided—and why.

Just Do It
Remember, nobody can tell your story like you can. You were there. You know what you felt. Even if you have had the same lifestyle or career pattern as most of the people you know, your experience of these will be unique. Your conversations, moments of clarity, humor, triumphs and trials all have their own special flavor. The way you reacted to a chain of events is always your own story.

So get started. Write something down. Then write something else. One story is better than none; two stories are even better, and so forth. You don’t have to tell your whole life in one sitting. Tell it the same way you lived it—one story at a time.

--
Sunny McClellan Morton is a Latter-day Saint heritage writer and author of My Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories. Learn more about her at sunnymorton.com.

Goal accomplished: One million names indexed

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:04:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Mormon Life says: What a great stake project to take on. I can't believe they indexed one million names in only one month! In the October 2011 general conference, Elder David A. Bednar reiterated the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith who said: "The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead."

The Sacramento California Stake took that responsibility to heart and conquered the OMNI Project 2011: "One Million Names Indexed" in October.

Those who participated in the OMNI project ranged in age and location. Nine-year-old Craig Blankenbiller and Hunter Finega, 15, indexed a combined total of 4,000 names. Capt. John T. Boynton, serving in Iraq, was challenged to participate in the OMNI project by a member of the Laguna Creek 4th Ward. Capt. Boynton indexed 2,000 names while deployed to Iraq.

Archiving stats, stories on family history

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:28:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

Mormon Life says: I was never offered to have my baby's stats in the newspaper. Do they still even do that? I’ve been working on a research project that's led me to wander through newspaper archives from the 1920s. The front-page articles and writing styles have distracted more than I care to admit and I’ve found a few things our modern newspapers are tragically missing.

Today, I choose to focus on one — birth announcements.

As important as our current obituaries, in the past, birth announcements received just as much ink. The birth of babies of prominent and regular families alike were celebrated with hundreds of words, or sometimes, just a few endearing ones.