Any idea of how to involve full time missionaries with family history work in your area?
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@montoyagaydene1 montoyagaydene1 and anyone,
I needed some help with yard work. Our local missionaries volunteered to help. While we worked together I explained how talking to potential investigators they could ask about their families in normal and natural ways. This can lead to asking if they have ever seen their own family tree. Or if they have, you can ask if they'd like to help with family names they are stuck on.
Then this is where Temple & Family History Consultants, ward members and the FamilySearch Community come into the picture.
People don't need to know the doctrine of sealing their families in the Lord's temples right away. They already love their families, want to know their heritage and have questions about the family they don't know.
There is the beautiful gift of Christ's love when someone see's their family tree for the first time!❤️
Thanks for all you do.
Does anyone else have recommendations or stories to share?
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Let your missionaries know you are experienced in the FamilySearch program and you would like to help their friends they are teaching. I helped my missionaries last week that way.
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I saw this suggestion in a Missionary Momma FB group. Have Missionaries record an interview with older members asking them to answer questions about when they went to school, how they met their spouse, important events in their life, etc (you can find questions for this) then the missionaries can type up the interview and share with the older person and their family.
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I returned in December of 2019 from a mission in Ohio. Many of the missionaries are not skilled in the use of FamilySearch.org. Ask your mission president if you can teach family history classes to his missionaries. Missionaries cannot effectively share something they are not familiar with.
More effectively would be to help the youth in your stake become converted and excited about Temple & Family History work. Monthly review the Family History Activity Report for your ward or stake. It will show you how many of your youth have (in their own account) submitted or printed out a name to take to the Temple. Also check that same report to see how many recent converts (confirmed in the past 12 months) have submitted a name to the Temple (in their own account.) The Family History Activity Report is found in Leader and Clerk Resources on Churchofjesuschrist.org. Anyone with a family history calling does not have access to that report. You must get a leader in your ward or stake to access that report for you. Many leaders do not know it exists or do not understand what it reports.
You will see in the Family History Activity Report that many recent converts have not submitted a name to the Temple (in their own account.) The House of the Lord is the greatest retention tool the church has. We can do much better in utilizing the Lord's House to retain our members.
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Some Mission Presidents allow Billion Graves app on their phones, so the missionaries can go out to cemeteries to take photographs. Still others can transcribe headstones on Billion Graves or learn to index. They can volunteer to take a photo in FindaGrave and upload it.
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Have the missionaries share the My Family Booklet with potential investigators. Ask them to fill it out. Then have the missionaries with with ward leaders and consultants to help the investigators create and account and build out the Tree. Then create fan charts, etc for the investigators.
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This is part of chapter 9 of Preach My Gospel: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/how-do-i-find-people-to-teach?lang=eng
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