Generations

10 more days to get our family history names together to take to the temple!

FROM BLACKBERRIES TO DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS SECTION 138.

This morning I went out to water some flowers in my back garden, and noticed that many of my blackberries in my small blackberry patch had suddenly turned from a light red to a purplish black and were ready to harvest. As I retrieved a bowl to pick them, I immediately thought of my husband Neldon, who had watered and fussed over this little patch for a long time. Despite my limited attention, they still produce their bounty for me, as Neldon has been called to be a harvester and missionary in another sphere.
Whenever I think of my husband, or Brother Al Hall,or Brother Frank Woodbury, Brother Perry Fisher, or Brother Ed Corbett, I envision them as busy missionaries teaching the gospel to those, having been redeemed by Christ, are waiting for the fullness of the gospel and their temple covenants. After I picked all the ripe berries, I came into the house and decided to read the 138th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. It is the vision given to President Joseph F. Smith on October 3, 1918. It tells that the Savior, during the three days He was in the tomb, before His glorious resurrection, visited and ministered unto the righteous dead.

In Pres. Smith's vision, verse 57. he beheld that many faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption to those who are in darkness and under bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead.

In verse 58 it says that the dead who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the "ordinances of the house of God". I know that through the atonement of Christ, and though the the preaching of the righteous elders from this dispensation, and from searching our ancestors, and finally taking those names to the temple - we can bring about the great plan of our Heavenly Father and seal families together forever. Take 10 minutes and read Section 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants - it will give you a vision of who we are working for on June 8th - the Dallas 4th Generations Project.

D4 Generations Project

Sisters,

We are starting the sign-up sheets for the Dallas 4th Ward Generations Project on June 8th. They will be passed around during Relief Society. All sisters can also sign up after the block of meetings. We'll have the sign-up sheets on the small table outside the RS room. Sign-up sheets will be available for the next 3 Sundays.

See your email or sign-up sheets for more specific details. Please join us for anything your schedules will allow and enjoy a day at the temple.

Love,

The Dallas 4th Ward Relief Society Presidency

A PROMISE WE MADE IN THE PRE-EXISTENCE

My Great, Great Grandmother Kaijsa Petersdotter, was 8 months pregnant, when she travelled to America for the Gospel. She caught Black Smallpox from a crew member on board the ship, which started her in early labor, and she gave birth to a daughter Diantha, who also was born with smallpox. Kaijsa died, and was buried at sea - but her little daughter survived, through the kindness of another Mormon Sister on the ship, who nursed her, until they arrived in America. Her father who had already emigrated to join with the Church took her to Orangeville, Utah. She married in the Church and gave birth to my Grandmother. As I read of Kaijsa hardships - I am grateful that because we made a promise in the pre-existence to the Lord, through Temple ordinances she has her husband and her child sealed to her.
HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO US?
In order to complete any assignment or (promise we made) we need - (1) Clear Instructions (2) The Necessary Tools (3) Sufficient Time (4) A Willing Heart. Numbers 1 and 2 have been supplied by the church. The rest must come from us. May God bless us with a Willing Heart!

Removing Chains of Bondage

"I love the words of President Joseph F. Smith as he spoke of temple service and of the spirit world beyond mortality. Said he, 'Through our efforts in their behalf their chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their [people] here, and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties' (in Conference Report, Oct. 1916, 6)."
Thomas S. Monson, "Welcome to Conference," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 5

**Remember it's Ward Temple Night, 7pm tonight.
**Remember to clear your schedule to attend our RS Generations Project June 8th!

It Is a MYSTERY!

I went to the Family History Center today and found a mystery! I guess that is the way of families - especially uneducated families with roots in North Carolina. Tami Glatz and Fern Woodbury were there to help us and I love them for this. (Karla Hernandez REALLY needed help - but in a good way.) Anyway, Elizabeth Busick is a name with several origins and most of it guesswork. People have her married to an ancestor of mine but he wasn't old enough - according to my records - to be married. Ruth G. helped me get online with NewFamilySearch - but it just confused me more. This is exactly what I needed to know. As bizarre as this sounds, I needed to know I had to go back to the drawing board with this name and do some old fashioned fact finding with census records etc. Sometimes, we need help to just realize we have to start over again. It is a good thing I love a mystery!

Who is Elizabeth Busick?

Grandmother Zimmerman is my first relative to join the church and she holds a special place in my heart. Her post-conversion obsession was family history. She loved her family lines - especially the Honeycutts. When she died and then when my mother died, I took over this line as my personal mission. I felt I knew all the names as far back as we could take it. THEN, I came across Elizabeth Busick. She was listed as the first (brief) wife of one of my "great" uncles. I have only seen her name once. But now I am determined to find out - who is Elizabeth Busick?
THIS SATURDAY, MAY 8TH, FROM 9-1PM AT THE BOWSER BLDG FAMILY HISTORY CENTER!!!!
Let's be curious, instead of afraid or indifferent, of what we do not know.

Generations Project

“It is the deepest desire of my heart to have every member of the Church worthy to enter the temple.”
(Howard W. Hunter Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 8.)



“Let us be a temple-attending people. Attend the temple as frequently as personal circumstances allow."
(Howard W Hunter “Exceeding Great and Precious Promises, ” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 8.)

stay tuned for more information regarding our Dallas 4th Relief Society Generations project!

You Really Shouldn't Miss This!

If you haven't been watching the new series on Friday nights on NBC, called Who Do You Think You Are, you really need to start this week. If you think for a second that genealogy is boring, I promise you will change your mind after one of these episodes. This week they show focuses on Lisa Kudrow, from "Friends", and the heart-wrenching stories that they uncover about her families past. You can watch a preview here http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are.

And dont think for a minutes that only celebrities have great stories in their past! We all do in some way, shape or form. Our own ancestors were amazing people -- they survived amazing times and events, and their stories are part of our own lives.

Watch NBC, Friday nights at 7 pm, Who Do You Think You Are. Then come to the Family History Library at the Stake Center on Bowser, Tues or Wed, 9a-9p, and Thurs 9a-1p and let the volunteers there help you get started finding your own family stories.