By Lin Vernon Floyd
As the New Year begins, we have a fresh slate upon which to write as we contemplate our goals. One item that’s important, but always seems to fall at the bottom of any To Do list, is family history. Now is the time to change that, and make it a priority. I’m not talking about gathering genealogy information and doing temple work, although that’s important, but taking time to teach our children more about their ancestors or turning the hearts of the children to their fathers. (D&C 2:2)

We all need to know more about our roots, starting with our parents and grandparents. One way to do this is to set aside a few minutes now, at dinnertime or at FHE to share with your children or grandchildren your experiences growing up, and memories of your mom, dad, grandpas and grandmas. Recently while compiling my husband’s life story, I was amazed in talking with his adult daughters that he had never told them much about his childhood in Texas and those experiences with his family members that influenced who he is today.

He spent a lot of time with his grandparents who lived nearby, which is rare nowadays. As a young boy, he worked at their country store, and at his dad’s drugstore. He enjoyed scouting activities, fishing with his dad, and traveling with his grandmother on summer vacations throughout the USA.
All of this broadened his view of the world beyond Texas, and later influenced his choice of a Forest Service career.

As I’ve compiled my husband’s history, I’ve realized how much his parents and grandparents influenced his life––where he was born, how he was raised and his goals in life. These memories of experiences with his grandparents are something his children know nothing about unless he tells them. Hopefully, photos and histories can be shared or even journals or diaries.
It’s important to teach our little ones to preserve a record of their own experiences. Some type of journal or scrapbook of significant events that take place in their daily lives can help them record their family history for their children one day. Memories that could be written about are family achievements, conversion stories, missions, etc. as well as individual or family struggles, challenges and growth.

I recently found an old family journal of mine, notes kept of the family home evenings I held as a parent trying to teach and guide my family of four very active boys. Looking back, it records my efforts to instill gospel values in them. I can even remember with humor now the struggles to accomplish this, and my sons’ involvement as they each had assignments to teach, lead, choose music or make refreshments for FHE. It is part of our family history and could be compiled with photos to make a fun memoir. Perhaps it could encourage them in their parenting roles now. It is part of our shared family history.

Emphasizing how all our experiences work together to help us grow can be helpful. A rebellious teen may listen with real interest as we tell how we or another relative dealt with low self-esteem in school or challenging dating experiences. There is wisdom that comes with aging but if we don’t open our mouths, our families will not benefit from our struggles or our ancestor’s lives.

Here are some further suggestions:

• Display photos of family members and ancestors somewhere in your home and talk about their lives when a teaching moment comes. Compile a book of their histories.

• Make a family history website or blog and have everyone contribute to it with photos, histories, etc.
Delegate your most computer literate child to be coordinator.

• Plan a reunion or trip to visit old homes-where you grew up or your parents did or visit local historical museums or exhibits, and take vacations to significant Church sites like Nauvoo, Palmyra or Kirkland, Ohio.

• Discuss challenges that came with living in the good old days without electricity, TV and hot water-all things that we take for granted now.

• Have fun as a family, play games that ancestors might have, cook recipes they did, try hobbies or chores they had like milking a cow, etc.

Start now while your little ones are still under your roof, or if you have grandchildren begin when they are visiting, or start writing letters and emails. Plan a special historical field trip or time with them. Select age appropriate history books or write your own to share and read to them. It’s never too late to start. Make this New Year the occasion where you begin the process of turning the hearts of the children to their fathers.