What Are The Promises That Were Made To The Fathers?

Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith - Photo from LDS Media Library

September 21, 1823 – Moroni, now a resurrected being, appeared to Joseph Smith four times over the course of the evening and into the next morning. Repeating his message each time. How important is this work of redemption? It was one of the first things uttered by Moroni to Joseph; and repeated four times. This is what Moroni told Joseph Smith:

“Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

“And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.

“If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.”

- Doctrine and Covenants 2:1-3

? What are the promises that were made to the fathers?

? How are they planted in our hearts?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

12 Tips For Getting the Most Online From RootsTech 2016

Not everyone can attend RootsTech in person. For some it is a bucket list dream. As RootsTech grows in the future, the footprint of the conference space will stay the same. Those who attend in person are considered the "studio audience" of a global conference that reaches around the world throughout the coming year.

Here are 12 tips for getting the most out of RootsTech when you can't be in the studio audience.

Tip #1:
Review the Conference Schedule

Identify classes that are interesting to you.  You can filter the schedule by Session Type, Date, Track, Class Category, Family History Skill Level, and/or Technology Skill Level.

Tip #2:
Review the Class Syllabus Materials

Select the syllabus of the classes that met your interest in the schedule. You can download and save any or all of the syllabi.

Tip #3:

Watch the RootsTech Streamed Sessions
All times are Mountain Standard. February 4-6, 2016

Tip #4:
Watch the Family Discovery Day Streamed Sessions
All times are Mountain Standard.

Tip #5:
Watch sessions from last year's conference.

2015 RootsTech Video Archive 
2015 Innovator Summit Video Archive
2015 Family Discovery Day Video Archive



Tip #6:
Check out the products and services that are available from the Expo Exhibitors and Conference Sponsors by visiting their websites.

2016 Exhibitors
2016 Sponsors


Tip #7:
Follow RootsTech as it is happening.
#RootsTech is the official hashtag.

Facebook - RootsTech 
Twitter - RootsTech


Tip #8:
Follow me. I am posting about RootsTech 2016.

Blog - Revealing Roots and Branches
Facebook - Revealing Roots and Branches
Twitter - amyarchfam
Pinterest - Revealing Roots and Branches


Tip #9:
Follow the 70+ 2016 RootsTech Ambassadors
Check out their bios and social channels. They are posting about RootsTech 2016.

Tip #10:
Follow GeneaBloggers - there are over 3,000 genealogy and family history blogs. Many of these bloggers will be covering RootsTech 2016.

Tip #11:
Attend a local FREE Family Discovery Day.

These events are scheduled throughout the year and all around the world.

Tip #12:
Mark your calendar for February 8-11, 2017.
Plan now to attend RootsTech 2017 in person next year.
Collaboration with others is what it's really all about!

#RootsTech

RootsTech 2016: Family Discovery Day Full Speaker Lineup

SALT LAKE CITY, 28 January 2016—RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, announced today the complete lineup of speakers for its free Family Discovery Day event, which will take place Saturday, February 6, 2016, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. This incredible opportunity is specially designed for families and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ages 8 and older.

The free one-day event will feature inspirational messages, instructional classes, interactive activities, and exciting entertainment designed to teach LDS families how to find their ancestors, prepare names for temple ordinances, and teach others to do the same. Attendees will also receive access to the Expo Hall, where hundreds of exhibitors will showcase the latest technology and tools.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and FamilySearch will host the event. Families are encouraged to register online at RootsTech.org.

This year’s event will kick off with an exciting opening family general session featuring newly called apostle Elder Dale G. Renlund and his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund. Their daughter, Ashley Renlund, will join them for what will be an inspiring and candid moment with the entire Renlund family. This 45-minute opening session starts at 1 p.m.

Sheri Dew and Sister Wendy Watson Nelson will speak during the family history discussion, which will be an exclusive conversation between best friends. Sheri Dew is the executive vice president of Deseret Management Corporation and the CEO of Deseret Book Company. Sister Wendy Watson Nelson is the wife of President Russell M. Nelson and was a professor of Marriage and Family Therapy. They will share their life experiences with family history during this 45-minute session, which starts at 2 p.m.

Primary General President Sister Rosemary M. Wixom and Young Men General President Brother Stephen W. Owen will speak during the family session. Sister Wixom will share how the plan of salvation and family history provide a taproot that anchors our children. Brother Owen will speak about the role of families in the plan of salvation. This uplifting 30-minute session starts at 3:15 p.m.

Family Discovery Day continues its amazing lineup with a session featuring Britain Covey and Taysom Hill. Britain Covey is a University of Utah Wide Receiver from Provo, Utah. Taysom Hill is a Brigham Young University Quarterback from Pocatello, Idaho. They will both share inspiring stories, humorous memories, and faith-promoting experiences. This 30-minute session will start at 4:15 p.m.

Family Discovery Day will close with a stunning performance by The Lower Lights, a gospel and folk band that recently performed at Kingsbury Hall. The band will bring its part-revival, part-vigil sound steeped in tradition to Family Discovery Day for an exclusive performance that attendees will not want to miss. The performance starts at 5:30 p.m.

Family Discovery Day is free, but registration is required. Visit RootsTech.org to learn more and to register.

***

I am 2016 RootsTech Ambassador and will be sharing these press releases on my blog in preparation for RootsTech in February 2016.

#RootsTech

RootsTech 2016: Family History Enthusiasts Worldwide Gathering In Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, 27 January 2016—RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, is looking forward to over 20,000 visitors over four days with an exciting array of speakers and entertainers, over 250 interesting and informative classes, a huge expo hall with more than 160 exhibitors. There is something for every level of family history—from the beginner to experienced. The three-day conference begins on Thursday, February 4, and goes through Saturday, February 6. For more information go to RootsTech.org. 

The keynote speakers and offerings reflect the growing influence of family history. Today multiple generations of all ages are engaging through family storytelling and sharing memories within families using social media and an expanding array of new technologies and mobile apps. The opening session on February 4 will begin with Stephen T. Rockwood, who is the managing director for the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and President/CEO of FamilySearch International.

Also featured is Paula Williams Madison who is chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management LLC, a Los Angeles based media consultancy company with global reach. After her retirement in 2011, Madison started doing research on her family lineage. She wrote the book and produced a movie Finding Samuel Lowe: China, Jamaica, Harlem in April 2015 about her experiences. A free screening of the movie will be provided on Wednesday, February 3.

Bruce Feiler is one of America’s most popular commentators about contemporary life. He hosts the PBS series Walking the Bible and Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler. He wrote The Secrets of Happy Families containing best practices for busy parents from some of the country’s most creative minds. He has appeared on many television shows on NRP, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and others.

On Friday, February 5, David Isay, is a scheduled keynote. He’s the founder of StoryCorps, an award-winning organization that provides people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve their life stories. 50,000 interviews have been archived and preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. He has also written several New York Times bestsellers, including Listening is an Act of Love. He is a broadcaster and documentarian, and his research reveals ways to tell great stories for the family historian.

Also on Friday, Josh and Naomi Davis, popular family bloggers known as Love Taza, will speak. On their blog, they relate their life with their three children in bustling New York City. The blog has become a digital destination viewed by millions around the world. People love the inspiration about raising a family and the appreciation Naomi has for life’s simple joys.

On Saturday, February 6, Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. She worked with Spielberg on the movie Lincoln, based in part on her award winning Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. She has written books about Frank and Eleanor Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and the Kennedys and shares her expertise and commentary on many television shows. She has a PhD in government from Harvard and was an assistant to Lyndon Johnson and has been a consultant in several PBS and History Channel documentaries.

Also on Saturday, Michael Leavitt, a three-term former governor of Utah, will speak. He also served in George W. Bush’s cabinet as an Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The second annual Innovator Summit is a one-day event on Wednesday, February 3, for developers, entrepreneurs, and innovators from around the globe to explore, examine, and discover business and technological opportunities within the family history industry—a rapidly growing multibillion dollar industry. Innovators from around the globe and from all industries will be competing for a piece of the $100,000 in total cash and in-kind prizes. The keynote speaker for this event will be Ken Krogue, an entrepreneur who has taken his business InsideSales.com from a small beginning to a billion dollar industry. He will share his expertise about social media and how to use the different forms effectively.

Along with the keynotes, RootsTech attendees will be able to hear from the Crescent Super Band, featuring Ryan Innes, and Lower Lights, a popular gospel and folk band.

More information about speakers, entertainers, classes, and how to register at RootsTech can be found at RootsTech.org.

***
I am 2016 RootsTech Ambassador and will be sharing these press releases on my blog in preparation for RootsTech in February 2016.

#RootsTech

Memory Jogger Monday - January 25

What scares you?

Sure, I'm scared of spiders and other creepy crawling things.

Though, what I'm most scared about is running out of time to do the things I want to do and need to do.

That being said, I seem to overwhelm myself with too many things to do. I have in the past said "yes" to many things that interest me and then to have them all heighten at the same time leaving me feeling extremely overwhelmed and scared of time running out.

Also, in the most overwhelming times, I want to just roll into a little ball and have all the pressures go away. My list gets too long and I can't prioritize (because it has all become a priority). And because I can't prioritize, I fall into the trap of procrastinating. Putting off something that should be done for something else that should be done until I can't figure out where to start to get anything done.

It is a scary cycle to be trapped in. And when I realize I trapped myself the feeling gets worse.

I'm in the middle of one of those cycles right now. And as I'm coming out of some of the pressures, this time is different. On the horizon are things I'm interested in and I haven't been committing myself to them. Which is really much different.

It feels so different that I have to convince myself daily that I don't need it all right now. Even though I'm interested and I want to be involved, I need more balance. I need more of the best of myself; not myself spread so thin in everything that interests me.

Hopefully I'm learning and this time will be different.

See this post for more information about "Memory Jogger Monday": 

Writing a Personal History or Keeping a Journal

Why Does Elijah Turn The Hearts Of The Fathers First?

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” 

– Malachi 4:5-6

? Why does Elijah turn the hearts of the fathers first?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Memory Jogger Monday - January 18

Photo from LDS Media Library

If you could spend a day with any famous person in the world, who would it be, and what would you do during your day with him or her?

As I've thought about this question, I realized that I don't keep up on the "famous" people in today's society - that just isn't me. I thought about a lot of historical figures that lead great lives and either wrote great or were great thinkers or creators/inventors. I also thought I'd love to spend a day with any of my ancestors or just one more day with my recently deceased father.

For this post, I have chosen that I would love to spend a day with Jesus Christ. I would think that we would spend our day serving others. To learn from the Master how to serve others, by watching him in person would be amazing.

The more I've thought about this though, I've realized that I can learn right now from Him how to serve others more effectively and how to love more perfectly. I can spend my time with Him everyday by studying His word in the Holy Scriptures.

See this post for more information about "Memory Jogger Monday": 

Writing a Personal History or Keeping a Journal

Do We Know Their Stories of Faith and Sacrifice?

Photo from LDS Media Library

"The more connected we feel to our righteous forefathers, the more likely we are to make wise and righteous choices. And so it is. Each of us will be greatly blessed if we know the stories of faith and sacrifice that led our forefathers to join the Lord’s Church." 

- Elder William R. Walker, Live True to the Faith, April 2014, General Conference.

InsideSales.com Founder Ken Krogue to Keynote RootsTech 2016 Innovator Summit

SALT LAKE CITY - 13 January 2016—RootsTech, the world’s largest family history technology conference, will turn the spotlight on highly successful tech entrepreneur and founder of Insidesales.com, Ken Krogue, as its 2016 Innovator Summit keynote speaker. Innovator Summit, held the first day of RootsTech, is for developers, entrepreneurs, and innovators who want to explore business and technological opportunities within this multibillion dollar industry.

The Innovator Summit will be held Wednesday February 3, 2016, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Kenneth Krogue cofounded InsideSales.com in November 2004, and the company is now worth 1.5 billion dollars. InsideSales.com offers the industry’s leading sales acceleration built on Neurolytics®, a predictive and self-learning engine that drives revenue growth by recommending the best leads to contact and close. He sets the vision for the company together with CEO, Dave Elkington. Ken has more than 24 years of experience in sales, business strategy, and marketing in both domestic and international markets.

As a contributor for Forbes online, Krogue focuses on using the Internet, InsideSales, lead generation, gamification, and social media to grow business. Ken says, “I’m an American who cares enough to speak up and a serial entrepreneur with a short attention span, so I need things to work really fast.” Ken is a popular speaker at industry events (20+ each year) and confesses he shares “almost” all of his trade secrets on his personal blog: http://www.kenkrogue.com

The Innovator Summit Keynote Session begins at 9:00 a.m., followed by a full day of classes, the semifinal round of the RootsTech Innovator Showdown over a boxed lunch, a networking social, and wrapping up with the Innovator Summit Hack-a-thon for those with a penchant for late night collaborative coding.

Rootstech Innovator Showdown
Twelve semifinalists have been chosen and announced for the RootsTech Innovator Showdown, the annual contest designed to foster innovation in the family history industry, with $100,000 in cash and prizes offered by sponsors.  2016 RootsTech Innovator Showdown sponsors include Lenovo, IPOP Foundation, David Bradford, Grow Utah, Woodbury Corporation, Hero Partners, Infinite Mind, and others.

***
Check out this post for information about the 2016 Innovator Showdown 12 Semifinalists.
RootsTech 2016 Innovator Showdown 12 Semi Finalists

***
I am 2016 RootsTech Ambassador and will be sharing these press releases on my blog in preparation for RootsTech in February 2016.

#RootsTech

RootsTech 2016 Innovator Showdown 12 Semi Finalists

The second annual RootsTech Innovator Showdown began in the Fall of 2015 with 46 teams competing for part of $100,000 in total cash and in-kind prizes. These teams have gone through two rounds of judging and now the 12 semifinalists remain.

This is the judging criteria:

A Social App
Submissions must enable a social or collaborative activity.

Family History
Submissions must be directly or indirectly related to family history. (for example: facebook is indirectly the largest repository of family history content today, even though it may not have been originally designed with that in mind.

Quality of Idea
Includes creativity and originality.

Implementation of Idea
Includes how well the idea was executed by the developer.

Potential Impact
Will users get excited about this, is it applicable, does it solve a genuine problem?


Here are the 12 semifinalists in alphabetical order:
(The links will take you to their RootsTech submission page.)

Ancestor Cloud
Famicity
GenSoup
JRNL
Kindex
Legacy Scribes
Scribbitt
Studio (by Legacy Republic)
TapGenes
The Family History Guide
The History Project
Twile


The Showdown Semifinals will be held on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 in the Salt Palace Convention Center from 12:15-1:45 pm. Six finalists will be announced later that evening at the Media Dinner.

The Showdown Finals will be held on Friday, February 5, 2016 in the Salt Palace Convention Center from 10:30 am - noon. The top six finalists will demo live onstage where a panel of judges and the live audience will decide the winners.

Judges Choice 1st Place = $20,000 cash and $25,000 in-kind*
Judges Choice 2nd Place = $14,000 cash and $15,000 in-kind*
Judges Choice 3rd Place = $6,000 cash and $10,000 in-kind*
People's Choice = $10,000 cash

* In-kind prizes may include consulting, mentoring, development, marketing, co-location services, accounting services, and/or legal services. Finalists also benefit from hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of publicity.

***
I am 2016 RootsTech Ambassador and will be sharing these press releases on my blog in preparation for RootsTech in February 2016.

#RootsTech

Memory Jogger Monday - January 11

Halley Comet - Photo courtesy of NASA and NSSDCA's Photo Gallery

List 20 interesting things you’ve experienced in your lifetime

These are not in any particular order. 

1. Halley's Comet - As a young teen, I remember getting up really early in the morning to watch the comet from our front lawn (with no telescope).
2. Ten half-marathons - I've completed all these races by walking! And about a third of them in pouring rain.
3. Rode a cow - When I was really little we had a cow and my dad would take me on rides around the yard.
4. RootsTech - Last year was my first time presenting at a national family history conference and my session was recorded for worldwide distribution.
5. Walter's Wiggles in Zion National Park - This is an insane hike with steep switchbacks. I hiked this in the rain with some college friends.
6. Waterfalls in Zion National Park - When in pouring rain, the sides of the canyon turn into amazing waterfalls. I've experienced this phenomenon a few times in my life.
7. I have lived during 2 Millenniums, 2 Centuries, and so far 5 Decades
8. 2002 Winter Olympics - I was a volunteer and issued Olympic credentials to all service providers (FBI, Secret Service, Fire, Police, etc).
9. Fall of Berlin Wall - I watched in amazement as communist Germany fell apart.
10. Infertility - Years of treatments and diagnosis.
11. 2 Miracle Babies - Using NO fertility treatments I miraculously got pregnant with my daughter and a few years later miraculously got pregnant with my son. Lots of fasting and prayer!
12. Temples - When I was born there were 13 operating temples. Now there are 149 - with one more coming in March (Provo, Utah)
13. Temples - I received my own temple ordinances when I was 20 - and have since received hundreds if not thousands of ordinances for my own relatives.
14. Temples - My 1st temple open house was in Chicago in 1985 (before I turned 14); though I lived in Utah and was closer to two other temples that were constructed during my 14 years.
15. Temples - Next week my 8 year old daughter will visit her 5th temple open house; with at least four more coming in the next few years.
16. Internet - Rapid growth in computer technology. I remember using a cassette tape to load programs into our Commodore 64 and I didn't have email until after I graduated from college.
17. Telephones - From a 5-digit party line shared with our neighbor to amazing cell phone technology.
18. Travel - Our family traveled through many of the US states when I was growing up. I only have 15 that I haven't been to.
19. Space Travel - I haven't personally been to space, but I am fascinated by space travel and by the amazing images taken through telescopes. "Worlds without end".
20. Understanding Heavenly Father's Will For Me - I had a powerful experience in 2014 where I knew Heavenly Father's will for me involved my participation in and teaching about family history and temple work. "For who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

See this post for more information about "Memory Jogger Monday": 

Writing a Personal History or Keeping a Journal

Family History and Temple Ordinances are Bridges

Salt Lake City Utah Temple - Photo from LDS Media Library

“Family history research provides the emotional bridge between the generations.  Temple ordinances provide the priesthood bridge.  Temple ordinances are the priesthood ratification of the connection that we have already established in our hearts.” 

– Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander, “Bridges and Eternal Keepsakes”, Ensign, May 1999, p. 85.

Additional Keynote Speakers and Musical Guests for RootsTech 2016

 RootsTech 2016 Announces Keynote Speakers David Isay and Michael Leavitt and Musical Guests the Crescent Super Band, featuring Ryan Innes, and The Lower Lights

SALT LAKE CITY, January 8, 2016—RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, announced today additional musical guests and keynote speakers who will join its inspiring all-star lineup. Nationally renowned musicians the Crescent Super Band and Ryan Innes will partner for an exclusive performance during the opening social event on Thursday, February 4. 

The session of RootsTech on Friday, February 5, will feature award-winning radio producer and founder of StoryCorps, David Isay, while the session on Saturday, February 6, will feature Michael Leavitt, who served in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush. Concluding the conference on February 6 will be the musical group The Lower Lights.

Organized in 2001 under the direction of award-winning performer Caleb Chapman, the Crescent Super Band has frequently been hailed as one of the best professional bands in the world. The international demand for their big-band sound has taken them all over, including Havana Cuba’s “Fiesta Del Tambor” and headlining at a packed Carnegie Hall.

Singer-songwriter Ryan Innes will join the Super Crescent Band for Thursday’s performance. Innes appeared on NBC’s hit TV show, The Voice, where he impressed celebrity judges with his soulful vocals. Innes and the Super Crescent Band will take the stage during the opening social event of RootsTech, which starts at 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 4.

Radio producer and New York Times best-selling author David Isay will speak on Friday, February 5. Isay has received numerous broadcasting honors, including six Peabody awards and a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. He is also the founder of StoryCorps, an award-winning organization that provides people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve their life stories. Earlier this year, Isay received the rare TED prize in honor of his work with StoryCorps.

“We can learn so much about the people all around us, even the people we already know, just by taking the time to have a conversation,” Isay said. “And if you pay just a little attention, you’ll find wisdom and poetry in their words.” Isay’s latest book, Ties That Bind: Stories of Love and Gratitude from the First Ten Years of StoryCorps, celebrates the relationships that change our lives.

Michael Leavitt will be a keynote speaker on Saturday, February 6, along with Doris Kearns Goodwin. Leavitt has served in a variety of roles, including in President George W. Bush’s cabinet as the tenth administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and as secretary of Health and Human Services. He was also a three-time elected governor of Utah. In his current role, Leavitt is the founder and chairman of Leavitt Partners, a health consultancy group.

The Lower Lights’ sound has been described as bluegrass, folk, gospel, Americana, and “roots-y.” In the five years since its inception, the group has recorded three gospel and two Christmas albums. Audiences are often invited to participate in their concerts.

Visit RootsTech.org to reserve your seat now to hear the Crescent Super Band, The Lower Lights, Ryan Innes, David Isay, and Michael Leavitt. Passes start at just $29.

RootsTech 2016 will be held on February 3–6 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

***

I am 2016 RootsTech Ambassador and will be sharing these press releases on my blog in preparation for RootsTech in February 2016.

#RootsTech

Papa Bears

Papa Bears - Amy's Family

Shortly after my father (we call him Papa) passed away in August 2015, my daughter Emma asked if she could have a teddy bear to hug and think of Papa. Her comments triggered this immediate idea and I asked my Mom if I could have my Papa's shirts so I could make all 27 of us a Papa Bear.

Papa and Amy (me) - Bryce Canyon National Park - June 2015 - windy day

Once I had the shirts I needed to find the perfect bear pattern to use. I had an image in my head and I searched patterns online to see if I could find what I could see in my mind. I kept finding my perfect pattern and kept finding that it was discontinued years and years ago. And the replacement pattern was also discontinued without another replacement. 

In the middle of my frustration, I remembered that about 25 years ago I worked for a fabric store and when patterns were discontinued we could purchase them for really cheap or we could get them for free (without their envelopes). So, I went to my basement and pulled out the bin that I knew contained all my patterns. And I found it - the perfect pattern - I had actually bought it decades before! I was so relieved to realize that I owned the pattern for which I had been searching.

Papa Bears - Jenny's Family

I chose the large sized bear (22"). I taped the pattern pieces (all 9 of them) to copy paper and I made 10 sets of copies so that I could pin and cut them in large batches; remember I made 27 of them.

I ordered a custom label from Wunderlabel to identify these bears as "Papa Bears". Here is a picture of the label:

Papa Bears - Gabe's Family

I ordered plastic safety eyes and noses from GlassEyesOnline so the little kids can't pull them out and choke on them.

Papa Bears - Seth's Family

I stuffed them with Poly-Fil from Fairfield. I ordered the Poly-Fil from Amazon because I found after shopping around that they have the best price and the shipping was free with my Prime account. I needed 1.5 pounds per bear so I ordered four 10-lb boxes.

Papa Bears - Sarah's Family

I also made pillows from two of the shirts for my Mom. Here is a picture of her with her bear and her two pillows.

Mom with her Papa Bear and Two Pillows

I estimate that it took about 4-5 hours to make each bear. I gave each family member their bear for Christmas.

We all now have our own “Papa Bear” to hug, love, and think of Papa.

Memory Jogger Monday - January 4

From LDS Media Library

List 20 things or more that you think the world would be so much better off without.

1. Gossip
2. Apathy
3. Laziness
4. Idleness
5. Terrorism
6. Abortion
7. Murder
8. Negativity
9. Hatred
10. Jealousy
11. Unforgiving
12. Anger
13. Ignorance
14. Resentment
15. Pride
16. Infidelity
17. Procrastination
18. Greed
19. Political Correctness
20. Alcohol
21. Tobacco
22. Illicit Drugs
23. Pornography
24. Chronic Illness
25. Cancer
26. Disease

See this post for more information about "Memory Jogger Monday": 

Writing a Personal History or Keeping a Journal

When Will The Work Be Finished?

Photo from LDS Media Library

“As we ponder the importance of our ancestral responsibilities, we also need to be reminded of the Lord’s vast ministry. I quote from President Joseph F. Smith: 

“Jesus had not finished his work when his body was slain, neither did he finish it after his resurrection from the dead; although he had accomplished the purpose for which he then came to the earth, he had not fulfilled all his work. And when will he? Not until he has redeemed and saved every son and daughter of our father Adam that have been or ever will be born upon this earth to the end of time. … That is his mission. We will not finish our work until we have saved ourselves, and then not until we shall have saved all depending upon us; for we are to become saviors upon Mount Zion, as well as Christ. We are called to this mission. The dead are not perfect without us, neither are we without them.” - Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. (1939), 442.

– Elder Russell M. Nelson, A New Harvest Time, April 1998 General Conference.