A Family History FHE

We had a really fun and simple family home evening this week, and I thought it would be fun to share it.

First, let me tell you the new calling Joel and I received. In my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), members are given what we call "callings," which means we are asked to give a specific type of service for a period of time. We were asked to teach a class on Family History.

Joel and I accepted the calling, but I asked our leader who was going to teach us. We had a good chuckle over that. We are definitely not experts in this subject, but I know that's why we were called. The Lord wanted us to get more excited about getting involved in finding and learning about our ancestors. I don't think it's a coincidence that my mom has in the past year or so caught the family history bug. It's been really fun to watch her excitement grow and hear her share the things she's learned about our heritage. She has definitely been an inspiration to me.

As I have thought about this new calling, I think the Spirit nudged me to get my kids involved. While at Deseret Book getting supplies for our class, I found these cute family tree prints with spaces to fill out your family members. I knew this would make the perfect FHE.

First, we helped the kids fill out their tree. I wanted them to do it themselves so it was in their own handwriting. Here is Clara's:

Little fingers don't write as quickly. We'll save the other names for another day.

We skipped a generation and wrote the names of their Great Grandparents on their dad's side. I thought it would be fun if they learned a little bit about them.

We are lucky to be living with Joel's parents right now, so we headed upstairs so that Grandma Orton could tell us some things about her mom and dad (I gave her some advanced warning).

What fun it was!

We learned that Erma Winn Walker was very musical and wrote lullabies for each of her children (she had a lot!)

She thought the boy in her musical production with beautiful blue eyes was very handsome. She dropped her handkerchief to see if he'd pick it up and talk to her. He picked it up, but he didn't say anything. Guess he was too shy! He was must have gotten over his shyness eventually, though.

She struggled to have children for many years. Two only lived a day and one was stillborn. What a hardship to have to go through! The Lord did bless her with quite a bunch, though. In total, she had 14 children!

She was a child when there was a terrible flue epidemic. She was playing in the street with a friend when a constable rode up on his horse and told the girls to get inside and stay there as the whole city (Salt Lake City) was quarantined.

We also learned a little about Grandma Orton's dad and even her Grandfather. I never met my kids' Great-Grandma Walker, but I can definitely say she was a good mamma because I can see it in her daughter (my mother-in-law) and all her other kids. What a wonderful family I married into!

It really was a lot of fun to hear these stories, and the kids had fun. They enjoyed getting to write on their tree and having story time with Grandma and Grandpa. I am excited to do this again with the other grandparents on their trees.

I strongly encourage you to do something like this with your family. Knowing who our ancestors were is a big part of what Malachi meant when he said, speaking of Elijah, "And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers"

Joseph Smith said, "The greatest responsibility in this world that god has laid upon us is to seek after our dead...For it is necessary that the sealing power should be in our hands to seal our children and our dead for the fulness of the dispensation of times - a dispensation to meet the promises made by Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world for the salvation of man...Hence, God said, 'I will send you Elijah the prophet.'"

I know that this gospel is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. The priesthood was restored to him, including the sealing power held by the prophet Elijah. I love my family and am so grateful that because of the blessing of temples families can sealed together forever. I am excited and grateful that the Spirit of Elijah is burning within me. I hope it will in you too.