In January, I wrote six 2012 Family History Resolutions.
By March I posted the completion of one, and made notable progress on another.
One thing I neglected to mention in earlier posts... I really was thinking of seven resolutions. This post will address the secret seventh resolution.
Family history (genealogy) is often thought of as the study of one's ancestors. I believe that family history encompasses much more than that. Family history is gathering, preserving, and sharing your family's story as well as their lineage. Family history is a fluid study and way of life that evolves with every individual, family, and generation. Family history is a perspective that allows us enthusiasts to see life as a chain running forever in both directions. After a little research into the past it can be easy to see that we are not that different from our ancestors, that they passed much of their lives on to us, and we will in turn pass what we have on to our descendents. With a little thought it is possible to get a deeper understanding of how we are all literally sons and daughters of one loving God through Adam and Eve, our first parents. This deep level of understanding requires the combination of scripture study and family history research. In the Bible, the prophet Malachi teaches us that another prophet (Elijah) "shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers (Malachi 4:6)." There are countless scriptures that help to deepen this understanding.
Genesis 2:24 is the scripture that comes to mind when I think of my 7th resolution, an important part of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children.
Since my last Quarterly Report in March I have become engaged, the most important family history resolution or family history related goal that I had in mind at the time I wrote my 6 resolutions. It isn't one of those goals that everyone feels comfortable writing down because so much of it depends on the timing of finding the right person. It is also a sacred process that involves carefully building a relationship between two people. Becoming engaged involves as much hard work and research (dating) as any other family history resolution. And the really great thing *laughs* is that I didn't have to give up family history at any point during the process. I simply focused more on building a relationship than discovering another relationship. Building or discovering, both are the work of family history--both are the work of the Lord.
