Questions For Writing Personal History

QUESTIONS for telling your life story:

The questions on the following pages are intended as resources for telling your life story.    Rather than try to tell your whole life, focus on just one memory or experience at a time.   These can be done in any order that strikes your fancy.   You don’t have to do them all.   Just pick whatever questions interest you or those that you feel you have something to share about.

Record your stories in whatever way you are most comfortable.   Some people write them out long hand.  Others prefer to use a computer.   Some talk into a voice recorder.  There is no wrong way.   The important thing is that you start.   Tell as much or as little detail as fits for you.

Some people find that writing down one story each week over a period of time works best for them.  Others write more often.  Pick a day or time that suits your schedule and make a commitment to write.  Your stories matter.   Even things that seem very ordinary to you may be of great interest to your future descendants.  Your unique perspective and the experiences you have had matter.  Write them down!

OTHER ways these questions can be used:

FAMILY GATHERINGS OR DINNER PARTIES WITH FRIENDS
      Print out the pages and cut each line so the questions are on individual strips.   Put the strips in a box or pretty bowl and set them on a table.   Each person takes a turn picking a question out of the pile at random and then takes 1-2 minutes to share that story with the group.  Make clear that if the person chooses a question they are not comfortable with they are allowed to pass or trade for a new question.   The main idea is to prompt everyone to share something about their life and for others to listen without interrupting.   Everyone in the group should be included equally.  If needed, use a timer so no one person goes on too long.

INTERVIEWING FAMILY MEMBERS
     You may use these questions to talk with grandparents or other family members to learn their stories.  If they are willing, record their answers using an iPad or iPhone with the “Memories” App.  These can be attached to FamilySearch.org records.  (Example,  if the family member you are interviewing is describing their parent or grandparent, you would attach the recording to the personal record of the person being described.  Be sure to have the person speaking give their full name, date and their relationship to who they are telling the story about.)

What other ways might you use these questions?


CHILDHOOD

What was your favorite pastime as a child? Did you prefer doing it alone or with someone else ?

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Describe the house you grew up in.   Where was it?
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Describe your yard as a child.
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What toys did you play with as a child?
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What games did you play as a child?
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Were you responsible for household chores? What were they? What did
you like most or least?
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How much was your first allowance? Was it conditional, when did it start?
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Tell about any pets you had as a child.
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Tell about your neighbors as a child.
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Tell about school ( special teachers, friends, achievements,
activities, or humorous situations).
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Describe a sound from your childhood.
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What smell do you remember from your childhood?
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As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
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What do you remember about stores when you were a child? Can you
recall shopping with mother?
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Describe the downtown of your childhood.
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Did you take any special lessons a child?
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Do you recall any special summer trips or vacations when you were
growing up?
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What were you afraid of as a child?
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What mischief did you get into as a child?
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Did you ever steal as a child? If so, were you caught? What happened?
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What do you remember about Easter as a child?
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Tell about a fourth of July from your childhood.
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Tell about Halloween as a child.
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Tell about Thanksgivings when you were growing up.
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What do you remember about Christmas as a child?
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Describe getting a Christmas tree as a child.
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YOUTH

What do you remember about yourself as a teenager. What was important
to you?
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Describe a typical school day during your junior high years.
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Describe the fashions that were popular when you were a youth. What is popular now?
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Describe your favorite dress or a special outfit you wore as a youth.
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Tell about any exciting experiences in scouting or any clubs you were
a member of as a youth.
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Tell about how, when and where you learned to drive.
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Tell about your first crush. What was he or she like?
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Did you develop any particular talents (art, music, dance, sports, handiwork, etc) during your youth?
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Who did you admire during your youth?

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What were your goals?   Did you have any particular career in mind?  If so, did you pursue it or take a different path?
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Tell about a trip to the dentist.
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Tell about the medical care you had while growing up - How does this
compare to today?
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If you went to college, describe the experience. If not, tell whatyou were doing in your 20's.

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COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE

Tell about your courtship
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How did you become engaged?
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Tell about your wedding. Where was it? Who was there? Was there a
reception?
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Describe your wedding dress (or wife’s wedding dress).
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What were your fears, expectations, anticipations, etc. about getting
married?
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What convinced you most in your choice of a spouse?
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How did you meet your in-laws? Describe your relationship with them.
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Describe your first home or apartment on your own or when newly married.
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FAMILY

Tell about your Mother. (Describe physically, her personality,
talents, role in your home.   How did she spend her day?)
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Describe your father. What was he like physically? What work did he
do? Personality?
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Tell about your parent’s philosophy of raising children, discipline,
rules, etc.
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Tell about your brothers and sisters.
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Describe your grandparents.
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Describe a night at Grandma’s house.
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Tell about a favorite relative.
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Tell about any ancestors you have heard special stories of.
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Tell about property your family owned.
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What were your family finances like as a child? How did that effect you?
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Tell about anything you may have inherited from a family member.
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Tell about the birth(s) of your child(ren).
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Tell about each of your children’s names and how they were chosen.
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Describe your relationship(s) with your child(ren).
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Tell about a humorous or clever thing one of your children said.
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Tell about a family crisis and how it was resolved.
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Tell about family feuds and how they were or were not resolved.
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Tell about your feelings toward your grandchildren.
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CAREER

Describe your first paying job. What was your salary?
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Tell about the places you have worked.
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Tell your feelings about the work you have done. If you were to start
all over, what work would you choose?
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LIFE EXPERIENCES

Describe any sports you have played.
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Were you ever in a theatrical production? Tell about it.
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Do you speak a foreign language? If so, how did you learn? If not
would you like to? Why?
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Have you ever won a contest or a special prize?
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Were you ever in the military? If so, when and where did you serve?
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Describe the influence of wars on your life.
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Where were you on an important day in history?
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Tell about a special trip taken as an adult.
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Tell about some of the changes you’ve seen during your life (technology,
fashion, politics, etc.)
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Tell about tools you have used.
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Describe an invention which impressed you during your life.
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Have you ever tried anything really dangerous? How did it feel?
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Tell about a dramatic experience involving weather.
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Have you ever had a serious injury? Describe how it happened and tell of your recovery.
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Tell about some special challenge which you were able to overcome.
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Tell about a camping trip you went on.
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Tell about any hobbies or collections you have or have had.
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Tell about your first car. What type of car do you have now? What
kind of car would you like?
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Describe a parade you were in or one you saw.
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Tell about animals you raised.
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Tell about a garden you have had.
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Describe the typical groceries you buy today and tell what they cost.
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Describe how travel has changed during your life.
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How do you celebrate Christmas now? Do you have any special
traditions that are meaningful? If so, why?
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Describe how you celebrate other holidays now.
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What was your most embarrassing moment?
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Tell about a favorite fishing experience .
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Tell about a city you have visited.
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Tell about the coldest winter you can remember.
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Tell about any natural disaster you may have experienced,
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Tell about a significant loss you experienced.
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Tell about a funeral you attended.
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Describe a turning point in your life.
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Tell about a special gift which you received.
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Describe a dream you have had.
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Tell about a gift which you gave someone else that you have special feelings about.
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Tell about the strangest food you ever ate.
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Describe the house where you live now.
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Describe your yard where you live now
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Describe your life today.
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Describe yourself physically.
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Do you have a special talent or skill?

RELIGION

When did you first go to church? What are your earliest memories of church?
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What kind of prayer did you say before you went to sleep? Who taught you to pray?
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Tell about religious practices in your home when you were growing up.
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How do you feel about religion now?
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Describe your beliefs about God.
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What is one of your favorite scriptures, and why?
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Tell about influential spiritual/religious leaders you may have met or how a
particular church teacher influenced you.
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If you could meet any spiritual leader (living or dead) who would it be and why?
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Describe your conversion to the gospel.
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Tell about an experience when you shared the gospel with anotherperson.
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Tell about an experience when you stood up for what you believed was right.
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Describe your Sabbath days
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Tell about the first time you went to the temple.
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Tell about a faith promoting experience from your life.
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Record your testimony.
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PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

How do you feel about politics?
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What kind of music do you like now? Do you recall any special type
of music from childhood?
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What do you think about television? Do you have any favorite shows?
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How do you feel about winning? How do you feel about losing?
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What do you think brings good or bad luck?
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What personality trait do you admire most, and why?
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Tell about your philosophy for handling money.
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What is your greatest joy? Your greatest sorrow?
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What was the best advice you ever got? Did you follow it?
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What is the biggest lesson in life you have found to be true?
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How do you feel about reading? What did you read as a child? What do you read now?
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What would you like to be doing five years from now? Ten years from now?
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Describe your attitudes towards death.
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If you could meet any movie star you wanted, who would it be and why?
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If you could meet any political leader you wanted, who would it be and why?
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What goals do you have at this point in your life?
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What are your most precious and deeply imbedded values?
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Tell about your views on growing older.
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How has the women’s movement affected your life?
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How has the civil rights movement affected your life?
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Tell the influence that music, theater, dance, art or literature has had on your life.
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What are you afraid of?
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Tell about how you deal with anger.
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What are your food preferences? What do you like and dislike?
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Describe your favorite dessert.
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What flowers do you like?
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What one possession you own is dearest to you?
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If you were stuck on an island with just 5 books, what would you want them to be? Why?
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Describe your favorite season.
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Describe a favorite summer day
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Describe a favorite autumn day.
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Describe someplace in nature that is special to you.
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If you could travel any place that you wanted to, where would it be and why?
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If you had a time machine that would allow you to go to any time you
chose, when would it be? Why?
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Do you consider yourself more of an introvert or an extrovert?
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What is your idea of a dream vacation?
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Are you more of a leader or a follower?
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Are you generally on time for things or often late? How do you feel about this?
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Would you like to be famous? Why or why not? If yes, in what way?
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What would you like to be remembered for?
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What questions were NOT asked on this list that you might want to talk about?

My Family 15-in-15....More than Who-begat-Who

We love our assignment as Area Family History Support missionaries working throughout the Pacific. We have especially enjoyed the opportunity to team with others in carrying out the My Family 15 in 15 goal.



There is nothing new about asking members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to compile records about four generation of their family.  The 15 in 15 program is unique, however, based on the emphasis placed on individual accountability.  Our main focus has been engaging the leadership of the church to set the example and the degree of expectation to "return and report".

The basic idea of recording our lineage back to our great-grandparents was initiated during the early days of the church.

At the April 1894 general conference, President Wilford Woodruff  presented a revelation to the membership of the Church.  “We want the Latter-day Saints from this time to trace their genealogies as far as they can, and to be sealed to their fathers and mothers. Have children sealed to their parents, and run this chain through as far as you can get it. … This is the will of the Lord to his people.” ⁽¹⁾  The Church began gathering print records from that time.  Microfilming of records started in 1938.⁽²⁾   As more records became available in the collections of various genealogical societies, the specific responsibility to seek out family records for at least four generations of every members’ family was instituted  in the mid 1960’s. ⁽³⁾

For generations, church leaders have invited and encouraged members to seek out their kindred dead to ensure that ordinances of salvation could be extended to them.There are many rich blessings which have been promised by prophets, seers and revelators to those who follow the commandment to seek out their  ancestors and take their names to the temple. (4)

 People around the world have been gathering family records for a very long time. Today, however, we seem to have reached a tipping point in which enthusiasm for this work is supported by a greater array of tools and resources than ever before. (5)(6) More than at any other time in history, it is now possible to obtain primary source records, histories, and government documents at the click of a button. 

The LDS Church has embraced emerging technologies for family history research in a big way.Substantial resources have been invested to ensure that church collections of geneology information are properly preserved and protected.⁽⁷⁾  Most family history centers offer internet services, including free access to a number of partner sites for anyone (member or non-member) who uses those centers.  FamilySearch has also made contractual agreements to allow free access in the home for specific premium websites for church members. ⁽⁸⁾⁽⁹⁾

There are currently 274 LDS family history centers in 14 countries throughout the Pacific Area. ⁽¹⁰⁾    Equipment for those centers is provided for and tracked by the Pacific Area Office in Auckland, New Zealand, where we work. (Keeping a technology inventory list up to date and ordering new computers and printers as needed are parts of our job).  Local leaders in each country assign individuals to work as volunteer Family History Center directors and consultants.  We have opportunities to train many of those people, as we recently did during our trip to Fiji. 

There are also several missionary camera teams working in New Zealand and in Australia, as well as a team in Papua New Guinea, to continually add to the growing collection of key family history information that is available.   Called "Records Preservation Missionaries" these folks provide a vital link that makes document research possible by filming old records in government archives, church records and other sources.  The combination of converting old microfilm records stored in the "granite mountain" into searchable digital images and the new images that are being captured from archives all over the world by records preservation teams are adding 400 million images each year to the LDS collection which are shared freely with the world  (11).

Even in those parts of the world where recorded documents are not generally available, great efforts are being made to preserve living memory by recording oral histories which can then be indexed to provide searchable records of a community or certain family group. (12) (13)

The My Family 15 in 15 goal encourages members to use the My Family booklet as a tool for  gathering information which can then be input to FamilySearch.org.  

The great thing about this book is that it encourages gathering stories and photos to bring memories of our ancestors to life.  Keeping an accurate record of names, dates and places detailing the when and where of each person's birth, marriage and death is all well and good.  By itself, however, even the most detailed chart of who-begat-who is not particularly inspiring.  It is the stories that help us feel a sense of connection to those in our family tree.

The most meaningful part of the trainings we do is when we teach people how to gather and record family stories.  We have been humbled and honored by the many stories that have been shared with us at each of the places we have visited.

It has made me want to do a better job of recording my own family stories and special personal experiences. I plan to begin with the list of QUESTIONS that I have so often shared with other folks to help them write their family narratives.  I will be posting the questions here on this blog so I can always find them easily.   Our days are often full and our schedule packed with a long "to do" list.  So it will take some careful planning to carve out time to focus on this.

However, if I have learned anything from my work on th My Family 15 in 15 program it is the power of leading by example.  I cannot sincerely expect the people I am teaching to get serious about writing their personal and family history stories if I am not willing to do it myself.

Who wants to join me?

Sources:

   1)  The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, sel. G. Homer Durham (1946), 157; or Millennial Star, 28 May 1894, 339. As quoted by Russell M. Nelson.  April 1998. “A New Harvest Time”.  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/04/a-new-harvest-time?lang=eng

         2)   FamilySearch YouTube Video.  Uploaded October 8, 2010.  “Granite Mountain Records Vault, Part 1.  FamilySearch Genealogy Records”.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KLea_DPxb4

    3)  Ensign. (1972)  “What is the Four Generation Program?” https://www.lds.org/ensign/1972/03/what-is-the-four-generation-program?lang=eng

    4)  LDS.Org. (ND). Family History Topics. “The Promised Blessings of Family History”.  https://www.lds.org/topics/family-history/fdd-cook/blessings-video?lang=eng

     b  5)   Family Tree Magazine.com  July 28, 2014. “Best Tech Tools For Genealogy”. http://familytreemagazine.com/article/best-tech-tools-2014

    6) Gagne, Tammy. 2012.  A Kid’s Guide to Genealogy.  Using Technology to Find Your Family History. Mitchell Lane Publishers. 

https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=RLuXBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA44&dq=new+technology+for+family+history&hl=en&sa=X&ei=67WTVZf9AsTwmAWp346ICA&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=new%20technology%20for%20family%20history&f=false

          7)  Family Search YouTube Video. Uploaded Feb 4, 2011.  “Granite Mountain Records Vault, Part 2 – FamilySearch Genealogy Records.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYkLKAPzCfQ

    8)  FamilySearch.org. 2015. Partner Access. https://familysearch.org/partneraccess

     9)  Brimhall, Dennis. Febuary 26, 2014. FamilySearch Blog. FamilySearch Parnerships: Some Questions and Answers. https://familysearch.org/blog/en/questions-answers-familysearch-partners/

   10)  FamilySearch. (ND). Find a Family History Center.https://familysearch.org/locations/#

   11)  Lloyd, R. Scott.  Jan 22, 2013.  Church News.  "Preserving the World's Records".  

    https://www.lds.org/church/news/preserving-the-worlds-records?lang=eng

   12)  Mormon Newsroom.  February 8, 2014. "Church Making Strides Preserving African Family Histories".  http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/2014yearinreview/church-making-strides-preserving-african-family-histories/ 

    13)  Raleigh Yow, Valerie. 2005. Recording Oral History: A Guide For the Humanities and Social Sciences. Second Ed. P. 273.  Oxford, UK. AltaMira Press.

https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=IFkKhtalPzAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Recording+Oral+History:+A+Guide+For+the+Humanities+and+Social+Sciences.+Second+Ed.+P.+273&hl=en&sa=X&ei=brCTVZrzFIXVmgX5_oHYCw&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Faith Traditions of Fiji

We were facinated by the complex mix of different faiths in Fiji.  

According to Wikipedia:

Aboriginal Fijian religion could be classified in modern terms as forms of animism or shamanism, traditions utilizing various systems ofdivination which strongly affected every aspect of life. Fiji was Christianized in the 19th century. Today there are various Christian denominations in Fiji, the majority being Methodist. There are also a number of Eastern religions  present: Hindu, Islam and Sikhismamong others. Fiji has many public holidays as it acknowledges the special days held by the various belief systems, such as Easter andChristmas for the Christians, Deepavali for the Hindus, and Eid for the Muslims. From the beginning the old Fijian religion was the Majority, but after the British deported Hindus to Fiji, the majority became Hindus. Later, Hindus started immigrating for a better life. Then Christianity became the majority and it still is.

Ac

Fiji Experience - Week 2 in the West

Monday – 20 July
LAUTOKA

We picked up the Senekuriciris at the service center in Suva and headed out for the west side of the island.  After a week of working together our trust and affection for each other was well established.  We had a long drive which was spent getting even better acquainted.  We had a great visit as we watched the countryside go by.

We passed through Nadi and went on to Lautoka.  We stayed at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel.  It was nothing like Holiday Inn, but only a fraction of the cost.  The rooms were clean and it met our needs.  With no breakfast included we simply went to a local grocery store to buy cereal and milk which was fine with us.

Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji and very much an industrial center for the island of Viti Levu.  In the heart of the sugar cane region, the sugar processing plant there is a major employer and cane trucks and trains are frequent sights.

According to Wikipedia, other industries in the area include timber milling, garment manufacturing, distillery, brewery, jewelry, blending, steelworks, fishing, hatchery, domestic items, paints, and construction. The wharf is a busy place in Lautoka and there is a lot of business going on downtown.

While many in Fiji still live a traditional rural village life there is also high tech communication
 and increasing national investment in newly paved 4 lane roads, sidewalks, streetlights
and other infrastructure in the populated cities.

Downtown Latoka

Tuesday – 21 July

On Tuesday morning we trained  a group of consultants from Lautoka ward and one of the priesthood leaders (I believe he was the High Council advisor, but I don't recall his name.)

That evening we did the full stake leadership training.  In addition to priesthood leaders there were consultants from several different wards and branches from all over the west, some travelling for several hours to get there.

Lautoka ward consultants

Stake President Solomoni Kaumaitotoya

Lautoka stake leadership training - full group

Stake Priesthood leaders

Ba Branch Consultants

Senikuaciris with Nadi Ward FH leaders

Nawaka Ward

Rakiraki Branch

Tavau Ward

Lautoka Second Ward

The training went well and there was much fellowshipping and laughter afterward as people came together who generally saw each other infrequently due to long distances and limited transportation.  A group of women had prepared sandwiches and pizza to feed the group after the meeting.  There was a gorgeous sunset that night.  It was a very memorable evening.

Wednesday – 22 July

On Wednesday we travelled to the FHC in Tauvua for another skills training for consultants.  We we were starting to move through our days on auto-pilot as we were not sleeping well and the pain and frustration of my broken hand was wearing me down.  Still, when we were teaching we would feel the spirit of Elijah kick in and we were grateful to be there.

Thursday – 23 July
NADI

On Thursday we checked out of the Waterfront and travelled back to Nadi.  The Senikuraciris showed us how to find the FHC there and then we took them to the bus station so they could return to Suva.  Our parting was bittersweet.  They were eager to get back to their family and we were feeling very ready to wind up the last of the assignment so we could get back to New Zealand.  Still, it was sad to say goodbye to our new friends, not knowing when we would see them again.

We checked into the Raffles Gateway Hotel and then went out exploring to familiarize ourselves with Nadi.   We saw many brightly colored houses and a bustling downtown area.

There were frequent sugar cane trucks and trains moving this dominant crop from fields to processing plant.:

Cane trucks were a frequent sight

cow in a cane field

The loud horns of the trains that move the cut sugar cane woke us in the early morning.

We visited the Hindu temple in Nadi and took photos of other houses of worship we saw as we travelled around.  We were very impressed by the way it seemed the people of Fiji were able to live peacefully with their different religions.   It reminded us of the 11^th article of faith: “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”

We stopped at a small shop in Nadi to buy some cold drinks.  We met a sweet lady there who we struck up a conversation with.  We gave her a MyFamily book and spent some time showing her ours.  We were not sure if she could read Fijian, (she spoke good English but her native language was probably Hindi). Still, we felt prompted to talk with her about preserving family stories and we trusted that something valuable might come of the time we shared with her.

Friday – 24 July

Friday morning we went to the Nadi FHC for our usual consultant skills training.  There were some newly called consultants who had never been on FamilySearch who were very apprehensive  about using the computer at all.  However, there were also others who were very capable and showed a real aptitude for guiding their peers.

That night we held our last leadership training.  By then we were dragging, nearly out of voice and out of steam.   But again, once we started teaching we felt supported by the spirit.  After we went through  the PowerPoint presentation explaining the My Family 15 in 15 program,  the Stake President gave a very powerful testimony about the importance of Family History work in which he relayed a dream he had about his deceased mother urging him to complete the temple work for his ancestors.  The group was very moved by his words.

We were so exhausted by the end of that night we didn’t get any more group photos.  We were very ready to go back to our room and collapse.

Saturday- 25 July

Saturday was our P-day.  We were all done teaching, so we took a bus out to Denarau island where we relaxed on the beach and had a nice lunch.  Denarau is the resort area where there are several 5 star hotels and upscale time shares, luxury condos and retreats for the rich.  As we saw the golf course, high price boats in the harbor, and spacious vacation homes we could not help but notice the extreme difference from the very modest village homes where often families of ten or more people would live in a single room.

On the way into Denarau we met a lovely family on the bus who we talked to and gave a My Family book.    We also gave one to a taxi driver we met in Denarau.  Everywhere we went we found opportunities to strike up conversation, savoring the open friendliness of the people. Even though it was our “day off”  we continued to share messages about the importance of preserving family stories every chance we could.

   

                                       

    

                                     

 People would notice my cast and say things like “Oh you poor thing. What happened to you?”   That would lead to us introducing ourselves as missionaries and asking them about their families.  We will never know in this life if any of those one time conversations made a difference, but we felt we were planting seeds that could possibly lead to people connecting with their family in new ways or having a better understanding of the importance of writing stories down.

We saw wonderful beaches at Denarau and enjoyed taking the “Bula Bus” to shuttle between the various beautiful resorts.  But the images that captivated us the most was not the fancy hotels or resort attractions.  It was the every day people of Fiji we met and the conversations we had from chance encounters along the way. 

Sunday – 26 July

We attended church in the Nadi ward, and as usual we were asked to speak in Sacrament.   Larry talked about family history and the My Family 15 in 15 goal for the pacific.   I talked about coping with adversity and used my broken wrist as an example.   I stressed that when we write our personal or family histories we should not “sugar coat” the stories, limiting them only to the accomplishments and blessings.  I explained we should also record the challenges we or our ancestors have and how we overcame them.

After the meeting we had a very powerful experience talking with a woman in her 70's who shared her life story with us.   It was one more confirmation that we were exactly where we needed to be and that we were being guided in what to say and do.

Members and missionaries from Nadi Ward

With that our service assignment to Fiji was done.  The following day was spent preparing to return and waiting around in the airport.   We had a smooth flight home (this time on Air New Zealand, so it was a much more comfortable flight than coming out had been).    Fiji was an amazing experience, but we were glad to get back to “Base Camp”,  our temporary Kiwi home.  

 Every time we take a trip it feels strange to come “home” and not really be home.  Our hearts still miss our family and friends and familiar surroundings of Boise, Idaho.   But there is no doubt in our minds that right now we are doing exactly what our Father in Heaven wants and that we will remember and savor these experiences as long as we live.