Sharing Your Family Stories

One of the classes we teach at the Family History Library is called Adding Memories. It is one of the most popular with missionaries as well as with the trainers. The ability to add photos, documents, and stories came to Family Tree on FamilySearch in 2013. It was presented at Rootstech 2013 by Dennis Brimhall, then the CEO of FamilySearch. He gave us a hint of the impact stories can have on families.

"Stories have a unique ability to draw us closer to our ancestors and help us understand more about who we are. This became even clearer to me recently when I sent a photo of my grandfather to my grandchildren. The best part: he was a cowboy. They loved it—their 2nd great-grandfather was a real rootin’-tootin’ Wild West buckaroo! My grandchildren were instantly interested in his life—someone they’ve never met but that they are starting to get to know. They now have a connection to the past and a better perspective of their own family story. That is the magic of family history—bridging generations by getting to know those who came before us."

Around the same time, an article appeared in the New York Times that reiterates Brother Brimhall's statement.

The Stories That Bind Us 

Collecting and sharing family stories can change genealogy into Family History, not just because it preserves our connections to those who have gone before, but we can gain strength and spiritual power from relating those stories to ourselves.

You can add photos, documents, stories, and audio files to Family Tree on FamilySearch after logging on to familysearch.org and click on the Memories tab on a person's tab. The added bonus is that you will be able to see memories that have been attached by others as well. TIP: A story can be added directly to FamilySearch or it can be written in a word processing program, then copied and pasted into Stories.

Next to the stories section, click Add, then click:

With the ability add a photo, suddenly our ancestors come to life and our memories can be passed on to many generations.

Helaman recognized the power of sharing our stories to our children when he told his sons: 

“Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.

Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them” (Helaman 5:6­–7).

I am so grateful to be on the earth at this exciting time in family history. The Lord has blessed us with mighty tools that will bless and strengthen our families if we take the opportunities to use them. I am going to end my blog today with photos that I plan on writing stories to attach in FamilySearch and hope that you will be inspired to start writing your story.