“Getting to Know Your Family,” Liahona, February 2019
From the First Presidency
Getting to Know Your Family
By President Dallin H. Oaks
First Counselor in the First Presidency
Adapted from a talk given at RootsTech 2018 Family Discovery Day.
Family history starts when you learn about your ancestors. They are real people who lived before you and were part of a family. We need to be sealed to our ancestors so that we can live with them in the next life.
When you learn about your ancestors, you will:
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Feel more happy and confident.
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Not feel so alone.
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Know that each person is precious in Heavenly Father’s eyes.
Here are three ways you can have these blessings:
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Discover who your ancestors are.
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Gather stories about them and share them again and again!
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Connect them to your family by sending their names to the temple. They can be baptized and have other ordinances done for them, like being sealed to your family forever.
My mother, Stella Oaks, died before any of our grandchildren were born. So Sister Oaks and I had a “Stella party” to help them learn about her. I also wrote a book about her and about my father. You can learn more about your ancestors too. This will give you strength and direction for your life.