Turning Youth to Their Fathers Through New Youth Website

The following is from FamilySearch.

Youth learning more about Temple and Family History work

Ward councils can strengthen children and youth by encouraging them to discover their ancestors, serve others by taking part in family history and temple work, and experience the blessings that result from participation in this great endeavor.

Ward leaders can encourage youth to act on Elder David A. Bednar’s invitation by using the resources found at lds.org/fhy (or www.lds.org/familyhistoryyouth).

Special features on the family history youth site

On the site, leaders can: 

• Watch Elder Bednar talk to youth about the Spirit of Elijah, and listen to their experiences (3:19 minutes). Additional testimonies of youth and their experiences with family history and temple work can be found at https://lds.org/youth/family-history/experiences?lang=eng
• Guide youth to work through each of the five steps to prepare an ancestor’s name for the temple and to attend the temple to do baptisms and confirmations for their own ancestors. Each step has an instructional video that youth can explore.
• Encourage youth to share their experience on the family history youth blog, and invite them to look to see what others are saying.
• Discuss with youth their ideas on how they can serve others after viewing the suggestions shown athttps://lds.org/youth/family-history/serve?lang=eng 

 

What are youth saying on the blog?

 Emily S. says:

“I think it is so cool that the Church has a site for us to do our family history! I got on the website the day Elder Bednar told the youth to work on family history. I had always thought that it was more of an adult job, but now I know that it's mostly up to the youth. I'm so excited to start working on it, and I'm looking forward to the day that I will be able to take my ancestors' names to the temple.”

Autumn Arlyse D. says:

“It's so cool that they've made a site for the youth to learn how to do family history! I can't wait to get started. I've been doing indexing for about six months and it's pretty fun to do.”

Suggestions for leaders

Assign a family history consultant to provide back up for questions or issues relating to Familysearch.

Encourage youth to share stories about their ancestors in ward meetings.

Words from an Apostle

In the October 2011 general conference, Elder Bednar invited children and youth of the Church “to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah”; “to study, to search out your ancestors, and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy baptisms in the house of the Lord for your kindred dead”; and “to help other people identify their family histories.” Elder Bednar promised that through participation in family history efforts, young people would “be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives.” See the full text of Elder Bednar’s talk at http://lds.org/general-conference/print/2011/10/the-hearts-of-the-children-shall-turn/?lang=eng