I Promise You Will Love Them

Back: Left to Right - Lucinda Pierce Pendleton, Maria Ann Jakeman Pierce
Front: Left to Right - Alice Crompton Jackson, Lucinda Pendleton, Maria Jackson Jakeman
Venice, Utah 1904

“... I seriously doubt that you will ever turn your own heart more to your own fathers than by writing your family history. You must know a lot about them before you can write it. This will lead you to much in-depth research. I promise you will love them when you become acquainted with them. They were noble people, and they sacrificed much to give you the heritage you have today. They deserve the best you can give them, which of course is membership in the Church and the kingdom of God and the sealing of their loved ones to them.” 

– Hartman Rector, Jr, “Turning the Hearts,” Ensign, April 1981.

Your Personal History Will Turn Hearts

Photo from LDS Media Library

“I personally believe that the writing of personal and family histories will do more to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and the fathers to children than almost anything we can do. I am sure you will never turn your own children’s hearts more to you than you will by keeping a journal and writing your personal history. They will ultimately love to find out about your successes and your failures and your peculiarities. It will tell them a lot about themselves, too. They will get a great desire to raise a family of their own when they see what a great blessing they were to you.” 

– Hartman Rector, Jr, “Turning the Hearts,” Ensign, April 1981.