Thoughts and stories, by Pal

I just learned something!  Perhaps you may already know, but it is exciting!  Go to www.familysearch.org, and after you sign in, and the heading across the top says:    Family tree, search, memories, Indexing, and Temple -- Click on "Temple".  You may have some reserved, but look in the list going down:  All Reserved, Printed, Not printed, Shared, and then Ordinances Ready! Click on the Ordinances Ready tab!  It will bring up the categories that you can check to see if a name is available -- Baptism and Confirmation, Initiatory, Endowment, Sealing to Parents, and Sealing to Spouse.  You can click on whatever ordinance you would like to do -- and print it out, and take it to the Temple!  If you don't have a name of your own, it searches any available, and either brings them up, or offers some names which have been submitted to the Temple by others, which you can print and do!   EXCITING!   The work is done for y...

I found this great entry on Brian Mickelson's blog, while checking out which of my blogs had been read this last day.  I wasn't following his blog when this was written.  But I'm including it today, as today I will be starting my Church Service Mission in the Records Preservation Unit here in St. George.  From now on, many of my posts will be on various aspects of finding our ancestors!  It is one of my very favorite topics!   Photo of my dad, Orson Pratt Miles, taken when he was about 40 years old, about  1931, in his barber shop.  Tomorrow, September 7, 2016, would be his 125th birthday!  I hope to honor his memory by how I live my life! From the Other Side of the Veil: “Please Try and Help Us…” 5 Replies I had an interesting, though not-as-dramatic-as-it-is-going-to-sound, experience on Saturday… I had spent a week and a half  planning  to do family history  work. But projects got in the way, and nothing came...

This is a very interesting article about 3 Temples.   The Dog That Saved the Washington D.C. Temple + Other Amazing Temple Stories by Chad S. Hawkins  | Mar. 11, 2016 This year marks a joyous milestone in temple history with the dedication of the Provo City Center Temple as the 150th LDS temple on the earth today. In celebration, here are 3 fascinating stories about these beautiful and holy structures. 1. Washington D.C. Temple: Saved By a Heaven-Sent Watch Dog In early 1973, leaders became concerned with security at the Washington D.C. Temple construction site. One Saturday shortly after this concern arose, a stray German shepherd appeared near the temple gates. Residents in the area called animal control to pick up the dog, but when work began again the next Monday morning, it was still there. Taking pity on the hungry animal, workers fed him and decided to keep him on the site. Zacharias, as the workers named him, soon became a...

Another great peek into a presentation at Roots Tech.  Sister Wendy Nelson is the wife of Elder Russell M. Nelson, the President of the Apostles.  Sheri Dew is the CEO ? of Deseret Book.  Both outstanding women! Sheri Dew, Wendy Nelson: Two Friends, One Challenge By Scot and Maurine Proctor  · February 8, 2016 Sheri Dew, talking with her friend Wendy Nelson at Family Discovery Day for Rootstech said, “We are here as Exhibit A and Exhibit B when it comes to doing Family history. Unfortunately, I am Exhibit B. “Four decades ago I decided I needed to be in the temple at least once a week.” She said. “I haven’t been a slacker about temple worship and temple service. The pressures and the disappointments in my life would have crushed me long ago without the temple, a place of knowledge and revelation and peace. If you haven’t yet established a pattern of temple service, may I saw what my stake president once said to me, ‘Sheri, just go. Go and see...

This is a beautiful challenge, and I am going to try and do my best to follow it.  As many of you who read this blog know, Family History is one of my favorite things to do, and I consider it part of my mission in this life!   You can go to www.rootstech.org, or www.rootstech2016, and click on each day, and watch the presentations on Family History!  What an amazing thing!  Apostolic Challenge Issued at Rootstech By Scot and Maurine Proctor  · February 7, 2016 Elder Dale G. Renlund, speaking with his wife Ruth, and daughter Ashley, at the opening session of Rootstech Family Discovery Day, strengthened an apostolic challenge that has been given for the past two years. Elder Neil L. Andersen challenged the youth two years ago, “ Prepare as many names for the temple as baptisms you perform in the temple. ” Then last year the challenge was strengthened to add this phrase: “ and help someone else to do the same. ” Elder Renlund further beef...