Family History

Opening Song: "I Have a Family Tree (CS #199)

Opening Prayer

Scripture: 3 Nephi 25:5-6

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;

 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Lesson and Activity:

If possible, invite grandparents or other close family members to share this evening with you. Choose one or more ancestors to honor. Show the family any pictures you may have of those people. Note their style of dress, and discuss how their life-styles may have been different from yours. Point out any family resemblances you can see in the pictures.

Have each family member read or tell stories about one of the ancestors. Help your children see your ancestors as real people who actually lived and had feelings and experiences like their own. Try to help your family feel closer to them and realize that they are an important part of your family. Mention physical traits, talents, or other good characteristics you and your children inherited from ancestors (for example, red hair like grandpa’s or musical talent like grandma’s).

 Take several slips of paper and place the name of another ancestor on each. Place them in a bowl or other container and have each family member draw one out. During the coming month, have each person find out all he can about that ancestor by collecting pictures, talking to relatives who know about that person, and so forth. Younger children may work with an older family member. They could draw pictures about important events in the life of the ancestor.

Have a discussion about what each of your family members, even your youngest children, can do to learn about their ancestors and do their own part of family history work.

Share this videos showing the joys of Family History.

Testify and Bear your testimony of the importance of Family History work and learning about our ancestors.

Closing Song: "The Hearts of the Children" (CS #92)

Closing Prayer
Refreshments!