Family history research, for most people, has always been difficult to begin, primarily, I believe, because a person knows that it is not a project that will take only a few minutes or even a few hours. Neither is it a ‘one time’ project but rather an ongoing and fairly time consuming effort. It takes serious commitment, as well as a considerable amount of love, thought and mental work. It is best described as a labor of love.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints take pride in their commitment to marriage, family and the eternal vows they make one to another in the temples of the Lord. However, Heaven might be viewed as a fairly shallow and uninviting place if the only people linked as family there were a husband, wife and their children born in the covenant.
Joseph Smith’s statement that ‘we without our ancestors cannot be saved’ doesn’t seem to strike much fear or concern in the hearts of many good, active members. Some members may think that because God is a merciful God, He won’t hold us to that obligation if we fail to comply. God, however, is also a God who requires obedience and exacts justice upon the disobedient. We should not let ourselves be lulled into thinking that linking our extended families together eternally will be done miraculously by a merciful God because we failed to make the effort to do it ourselves. He has given us the formula and the tools, and it, like all other worth while blessings of life, takes obedience and commitment. Yes, He is a merciful God, and that is precisely why it’s so important that we do this work for them Redeeming our dead is our way to emulate His mercy in behalf of our ancestors and thus become Saviors on Mount Zion. Some people think that because they are still working and are trying to raise a family, they do not need to worry about doing family research. We can always find excuses to put off this work.
Some who have retired, then excuse themselves by saying that we are too old to learn the technical skills which are essential for serious family history research. In reality, we should be working on our family research from our youth, continuing throughout our lives. Some of our senior members, who feel the challenge is too great; or who have no interest, may not even visit a family history center nor try to learn.
Though we may not believe all that Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, contributed to this world, he did make a statement that strikes very true. He said; “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, not the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
I challenge all, young and old alike, to be willing to change enough to discover the enjoyment of this fun, exciting and important work that must be done for our family members who are deceased. They are dependent on us and our mercy in order to link them together as families eternally.