Goals

When I started this semester, I was looking to gain enough information that I could start working on my family tree in FamilySearch. However, with pioneer ancestors, there are many people working on my lines and there are lots of mistakes. My biggest question was, how do I fix these mistakes and know that I am not making even more mistakes. I knew I had a lot to learn. I wasn't wrong.

The most important thing that I learned is that to be a good genealogist, you really need to study correct research strategies, how to analyze records, create logs, be organized, be specific, be detailed, know how to use RootsMagic, FamilySearch, Ancestry, understand databases and so much more!!! There is so much more to genealogy that I had previously imagined. And it is wonderful and exciting and overwhelming at the same time. 

Henry B. Eyring said, "You will be temped to stop and leave the hard work of finding to others who are most expert or to another time in your life. But you will also feel a tug on your heart to go on in the work, hard as it will be." I am definitely feeling that tug, and also am tempted to leave the hard work to another. Taking these classes has given me some confidence to keep going. There are so many helps in FamilySearch, The Family History Guide, webinars, conferences, genealogical society, family search centers. The list goes on. The goal is to take it one step at a time. I cannot run before I can walk.

I have definitely gown in that I am excited about being able to help others grow their family trees and gain a love of family history and learning about their ancestors and being able to take their names to the temple. It's exciting to be able to build a family and then seal them together in the temple. 

I previously had the opinion that you did not need much training to do genealogy work. I now understand how important it is to know correct research strategies, how to create a plan and a research log, cite your sources, analyze, collaborate and so much more. Anyone doing family history work should have more than a 1 hour class in relief society. It does have to start with an interest though.

Dieter F. Uctdorf said, "Those who are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and lose themselves in the pursuit of worthwhile goals are a blessing to their families, communities, nations, and to the Church."  My love/hate relationship with the church is that we can never stop learning, never stop growing, never stop challenging ourselves. In the last general conference, Michael Dunn gave a wonderful talk about become 1% better, it won't happen all at once, just shoot for 1% better.The Lord wants us to keep learning, keep growing, keep contributing and blessing the lives of others. I feel the Lord tugging me along in this work for myself and for others too.

My goal is to continue with BYU-I to complete the Family History certificate. I have a goal to serve at a family history consultant of volunteer in the Family History Center. There are many opportunities to keep learning. I am looking forward to continuing on in this path of family history and genealogy work. 

Tracking a family with census records

 These last few weeks were very challenging! First, I learned that it is very difficult to do a group project with people that are on the other side of the world. Connecting in different time zones is very difficult.

I was very overwhelmed with the assignment and made it much more difficult that it actually was. Navigating RootsMagic was a challenge, but once I got the hang of it, it was quite exciting. 

I also made searching for records much more difficult than it was. Once you find a record in FamilySearch, it is amazing how many more records were coming up and how easy it was to track the family through census records.

The tender mercy is that I figured it out!! I was so overwhelmed in the beginning and then so happy with myself when it all came together. I was ready to give up genealogy work and then got excited and want to search for another family.

I am looking forward to gaining more knowledge and more skills going forward. Line upon line, precept on precept. It is not necessary to run before you can walk. 

The Big 4!

 This week we explored vital records, marriage and family laws, and probate records and how they can help the genealogist create a timeline of an individual and family. I particularly enjoyed readying some of the probate records and gaining a better appreciate for how little they had and how much they valued everything. The marriage laws were also interesting, as women really had no legal status, but were considered more of a belonging of the husband. Our ancestors worked so hard very everything they had. In contrast, our generation feels entitled to so much without having to work for it. With all our increased knowledge, technology and accumulation of property (and stuff), how is it that we are becoming less educated, more entitled and more divided as a people, we devalue the family and religion and we call this progress? Even the poorest people in America have more than our early ancestors. AS I continue to study the lives of my ancestors, my heart is definitely turned to them in gratitude for their great sacrifices for a better life. I am so grateful.