Family History

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 21:17:00 +0000

Check out the latest Area Family History Newsletter

To view all 8 pages click here: August Family History Newsletter 2016

St. Johns Family History Fair - May 16th, 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Wed, 06 May 2015 20:03:00 +0000

St. Johns AZ Stake Family History Discovery Day

Click here for the flyer: Family History Fair Flyer

Saturday, May 16th
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
St. Johns Stake Center
2000 W Cleveland St., St. Johns

Free - Everyone is welcome - Lunch will be served (free) - Sunday dress is not required

Register on-line at: www.lds.org/hostfair & click on "Attendee Sign Up" (to the left of the screen), then click the blue bar that says "Click Here to find an Event." In the address search block, type in the zip code (85936). Click on the St. Johns AZ Stake Event and then enter your information (Name and email address). You will receive an email that you must respond to in order to complete your registration. Once you are registered, we will send you an email with detailed information on the classes that will be offered.

In addition, please make sure you have registered for an "LDS Account" at www.lds.org or www.familysearch.org

If you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, register for a free account at www.familysearch.org. If you need help, your ward consultants or staff at the Family History Center will be glad to help you.

To see class descriptions and schedule, go to: www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/St_Johns_Arizona_Family_History_Center

Or Contact Linda Richardson at: 337-2165, Elynn Badger at: 337-4060, or Gregg Norton at: 337-4834

See you there!!

Click here for the flyer: Family History Fair Flyer

February Family History Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 05:22:00 +0000

Check out the latest Area Family History Newsletter

To view all 11 pages: Click Here

Finding our Counsins

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 16:34:00 +0000

Taking our first batch of names to the Snowflake Temple.

This January we went to the Snowflake Temple with family names that Joshua had found on FamilySearch.org and with names that I had found. We performed about 30 baptisms. Because this was the first time for us to do this we weren't exactly sure what we needed to do when we got to the temple but everyone was very helpful and kind and it wasn't difficult at all. Eileen was baptized for 11 sisters and the boys were each baptized for eleven. It was a wonderful experience and we will be going back soon.

Update: Last night I did some more searching on FamilySearch and found an additional 103 names to take to the Temple. The names came from the Muse line of my family tree.

If you have never looked for cousins in your family tree, it is fun and simple. View the video "Finding Our Cousins: Descendancy View" sign-up for your FamilySearch account and get started. If you are unsure how to get started, visit our wonderful Family History Center. I have included information about how to contact them.

Click Here to view the video: Finding Our Cousins: Descendancy View

Click here to access the St. Johns Family History Center website

Click here to view the list of: Ward Family History Consultants

Click here to view the list of: Staff, hours, phone numbers and other information for the St. Johns Family History Center

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 15:11:00 +0000

Family History Classes offered in January and February

January 22, 2015 at 7:00pm at the Family History Center we will be holding a class on "How to get the most our of your Ancestry.com account" - The Webinar is about 1 hour with Questions & Answers to follow. If you haven't registered for your free subscription, we can help you after class to do so.

February 12, 2015 at 7:00pm at the Family History Center we will be holding a class on "How to use Legacy Family Tree" This is one of the three Genealogy Software Programs approved by the Church to Sync with FamilySearch.org We will go over the importance of having your own Software Program at home to keep track of your Family History.

October Area Family History Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 00:31:00 +0000

Check out the latest Area Family History Newsletter

To view all 14 pages: Click Here

August Area Family History Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 13:29:00 +0000

Check out this wonderful Family History Newsletter published by our Area Family History Consultants. The newsletter is 10 pages long and has lots of good information and several great links that will you take you to temple videos and other useful family history sites. Below you can view two of the ten pages but to read the full newsletter click here: Family History Newsletter

Capture the Flag & The Spirit of Elijah

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 12:55:00 +0000

Guest contributor - Paul Otto

Recently, I have felt a renewed pull toward family history and temple work. Over the past month, I’ve had several opportunities to testify of the importance of family history work as I shared the June home teaching message. I also felt impressed to review Elder Cook’s General Conference talk “Roots and Branches” during a family home evening lesson. As part of the activity portion of our FHE, we went to the high school football field and played capture the flag. At the end, I drew my family together at the center of the field and explained how the game related to the lesson. We discussed what it felt like to be stuck in “jail” and unable to play. We also talked about how it felt to be tagged out of jail and to be able to play again. I spoke of our ancestors who are stuck in spirit prison waiting to be “tagged out” by one of us through our family history efforts and performing ordinances in their behalf. I read to them (by the light of my phone) about our opportunity to do for our ancestors what they cannot do for themselves, as Christ has done for us.

As I taught Elder Cook’s message, I felt that there is a greater meaning to the eternal nature of family than I had previously understood. I felt that family on the other side of the veil continues to intervene and petition the Lord for family on this side of the veil. I loved what Elder Nelson said that the Spirit of Elijah is really the Spirit testifying of the divinity of family.

These experiences of reading, testifying, and remembering previous promptings and experiences with family history led me to feel a sense of concern that perhaps my ancestors were currently doing more for me than I have been doing for them. The thought of facing them when I enter the spirit world and perhaps learning of their loving acts in my behalf, while I was here on earth, motivated me to act.

I’ve been spending time most evenings adding ancestors to FamilySearch. Because I was the first to join the church in my family, there is a lot of temple work to be done. Last week I was able to perform 15 initiatory ordinances for male family members. This week I found five family members whose names and information I previously had not known. Janet and I have been spending time with our kids on Sundays helping them find ancestors and hoping they’ll catch the Spirit of Elijah as well.

I continue to feel that there is more to learn about the sacred nature of families. I believe the work of salvation is really hastening. I believe the increase in temples on the earth is not only for the convenience of the living but also due to the pace of the work on the other side of the veil. I believe that miracles are happening in this work!

Paul Otto and his family live and work in St. Johns, Arizona.

A Thing Called - PUZZILLA

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 04:15:00 +0000

Not too long ago, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints introduced a new program called Puzzilla. You can access it through FamilySearch but it has it's own address: https://puzzilla.org/

Here is a description of what Puzzilla can do for you.

"Looking for new relatives to take to the temple? Is your pedigree picked over? Is there really no work left for you and your family to do? The Puzzilla.org Descendants Viewer lets you see hundreds of descendants of your ancestors from an aerial view using compact symbols to reveal patterns of incomplete research. You can pick up where prior research left off. Click on a pedigree ancestor and Puzzilla will show you their descendants, revealing holes where research might uncover spouses, children, and generations of relatives waiting for you to find them."

This chart, created by Puzzilla, shows me at the bottom and my 4th great-grandfather, Olaf Olfson Ahlbom at the top of the chart, nine places over from the left.

This chart was created by selecting Olaf Olfson Ahlbom and having Puzzilla create a descendant chart that shows all of his descendants.

Puzzilla - This link will take you to a video that demonstrates what Puzzilla can do for you. Just three minutes long. This is really cool!

Find our Cousins - This link will take you to a talk given by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He gave this address at the Family Discovery Day devotional for youth in conjunction with the RootsTech Family History Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, on February 8, 2014.

Here is a quote from his talk: "These are your days. You were born in a time of temples and technology. These are your days to more fully turn your hearts to your fathers and bring these saving ordinances to millions within our families. These are your days to prepare for the Second Coming of the Savior."

Puzzilla is a great tool for finding missing cousins and linking our families together. I invite you to learn about this new program and give it a try. You just might find a missing cousin for whom you can do their temple work.

Keep Me, Protect Me, Share Me, and I Will Live Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 22:23:00 +0000

This photograph of my great-great grandfather Holmes and his

family has been handed down for several generations. His

living posterity is numbered in the hundreds. How many of

his posterity would love to view and have copies of this picture?

How important is it for me to keep, protect and share?

"Elder Russell M. Nelson has taught that the Spirit of Elijah is "a manifestation of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the divine nature of the family" ("A New Harvest Time," Ensign, May 1998, 34). This distinctive influence of the Holy Ghost draws people to identify, document, and cherish their ancestors and family members - both past and present.

After General Conference we stayed tuned-in to watch several Mormon Message videos. One that really struck us was titled, Preserve Your Photos And Family Memories. The message is that we need to keep our family photographs, protect our family photographs and probably the most important one; share our family photographs. When we do these things, our loved ones and our ancestors will live forever in our memories. Part of the Work of Salvation includes the formation of binding ties to our ancestors. One way of growing closer to our ancestors is by reading their histories and viewing their photographs. Be involved in this great work by keeping, protecting and sharing photographs and stories or your loved ones. I invite you to consider what you might have hidden in drawers and boxes that could be shared with others. Start making plans for how you can share them now.

This is a wonderful video that can touch our hearts and help us to
start protecting, keeping and sharing our precious memories.

Click here to view on YouTube: Link to video

THE NEXT STEP - Click here: How to get started saving photographs on FamilySearch

Area Family History Newsletter for April

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 04:32:00 +0000

Follow the link below to read the Temple Dedicatory Prayers of the Mesa Arizona, Snowflake Arizona, Gila Valley and Gilbert Arizona Temples.

Click here: Area Family History Newsletter

Click here: Area Family History Newsletter

Stolen Pictures and Tender Mercies

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 23:15:00 +0000

The Ream Mansion
Facebook Page

In Dingle, Idaho sits a beautiful old house (the Ream Mansion - that's what we call it) built at the turn of the 19th century. It was built by my great-grandfather William Dewine Ream. In one room, a photograph of William's parents hung on the wall. In another room, pictures of his wife's parents were displayed. In the 1960's and 1970's the home was not occupied. As a result, it was broken into several times over a 20 year period. Many of the family heirlooms, furniture and pictures were stolen. The photograph of William Dewine Ream's parents (Sampson Mitchell Ream and Nancy Elizabeth Murphin) was one of the items lost to thievery. It was a sad loss for the family.

Children & spouses of William Dewine Ream.
The stolen picture and frame on the wall.

One day we were looking through some old photographic slides of my Grandparents, William Wesley Ream and Mary Sirrine's 50th wedding anniversary celebration. Part of the celebration took place in the Ream Mansion. And there it was, the lost stolen picture, hanging on the wall above my grandpa's head. The anniversary photo was taken in 1964, shortly before the picture was stolen. The picture was enlarged, cropped and printed. An important family picture once lost had been restored from a little slide packed away and forgotten.

Nancy Elizabeth Murphin and Sampson Mitchell Ream

Although it would have been far better to have never lost the original picture, we were extremely excited and very blessed to have found the slide containing the picture of Samson and Nancy Ream. We are truly thankful for the tender mercies of the Lord.

Mystery Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 02:40:00 +0000

The other day as I was removing a very old photograph from a very old wood frame I found another photograph sandwiched between the cardboard and my picture. I was opening the frame so that I could better scan the picture. The photograph I wanted to scan was of my 3rd great grandmother and was taken about 1880. The mystery picture that I found sandwiched behind my grandmother was of a young lady. It looked as if it could have been even older then my grandmother's picture. The picture was a combination of photography and pencil drawing and had the name "L. Pratt" written on the back and front. So, now I have a nice picture of a mystery lady. I tried to look her up on the Internet but didn't find much. The only person I found that looked like a possibility was a daughter of Parley P. Pratt by the name of Laura Pratt. I suppose I would rather find several cans of gold coins or maybe even a Faberge golden egg but finding a mystery photograph behind my grandmother's picture was still a lot of fun.

This is the Mystery woman - L. Pratt

I thought I would put her picture up in the hopes that someone would recognize her as their great-great-great-grandmother or something. Let me know if she belongs to you.

Area Family History Newsletter - March

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 01:40:00 +0000

Family History - Bringing Old, Faded Pictures Back to Life

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 02:15:00 +0000

I am having so much fun digitizing my parent's color slides. It seems like most of my free time is being spent on this big project. It is so fun to look at pictures of my parents when they were young and raising a family. I can honestly say that I love working on this family history project.

In this post, I would like to show what the new color, flatbed scanners can do with faded, horrible looking pictures. I really thought I would need to pass over many of my parent's slides because they looked hopeless. However, with my Epson V600 scanner they turned out pretty good. See for yourself.

The change in this scan is not tremendous because the color is still poor but the color is definitely better and the exposure is also far better than the original. The photograph is more pleasing to view and the people are easier to identify.

In this scan, I love the change that resulted from using the color correction mode on my Epson V600. In the first photograph my grandparents, and the entire picture for that matter, is cast in a reddish hue. Using the Epson color correction and the digital ice mode, the picture looks almost like it did when it was taken over 50 years ago.

So, start pulling out your old photographs and start sharing them with your children, your brothers and sisters, and other family members who will want to see them. And, if you are having trouble making them look good, just give me a call and I'll try to help out. Remember, we are working on so much more than just genealogy. We are remembering, recording and sharing Family Stories.

Of Slides, Negatives, Prints, Scanners and Digitizing

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:12:00 +0000

If you missed the St. Johns Family History Fair, you really missed out. I attended the opening general session and 5 more breakout sessions. Each one was exceptional and I came away excited to get to work and to try many of the new things I learned.

I have always been a photography fan and so I attended several sessions on organizing, digitizing and sharing family photographs. Two days after the fair I purchased an Epson V600 scanner to help me digitize my huge collection of old prints, negatives and slides that I have inherited over the past 30 years. One of the new advances in scanner technology is something called "digital ice." During a second scan an infrared light exposes dust and other imperfections on the print or slide and causes the dust to magically disappear on the final picture. Truly amazing.

So, what I have accomplished so far? Of the approximately 3000 color slides, taken by my mother and father, I have scanned about 800 of them. You can view my work on my flickr page, just click here: My Flickr Page.

Now, my brother and sisters and their children will have access to a photographic history that has been kept hidden away in little, metal, storage boxes. As I have scanned and viewed my family's photographs, I have felt an increased love for my family and an increased desire to do a better job of keeping in touch with them. I have also felt the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost bearing witness to me of the eternal nature of the family. Wow, what great blessings we receive when we engage in family history work.

I still have 5 more boxes of 300 slides to go through, 500 negatives taken by my grandmother Ream (early 1920's - 1950's) lots of beautiful old portraits and prints and my own collection of family negatives, prints and slides. Sometimes it's slow work but it's always worth it.

If you are just getting started digitizing your old negatives, slides and pictures, I would be happy to help you begin the journey. A journey that is well worth the time and effort.

Here are some old prints that I scanned and placed on flickr so that other family members would have access to them.

Click Here: Burgoyne Scanned Photographs

Here is a video comparing two excellent, inexpensive Flatbed Scanners

Family History Fair - Calling all Youth

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 13:13:00 +0000

Yes, youth are invited and encouraged to attend the St. Johns Family History Fair. Over 25 classes are being offered and many of them are geared specifically for youth.

Some of the classes that youth might be interested in are:

The Power of Youth

FACEBOOK is Family History

From Tree to Temple

Put FAMILY in Family History

YOUTH Leading youth

Indexing/HANDS-ON

Family History is no longer the realm of the retired. Family History is for Families, from Primary age on up. With the technology background our youth have they are naturals for doing family history. Great blessings are promised for those who engage in family history work. Youth involved in family history work have been promised that they will be blessed with protection from the evils of the world. Come to the Family History Fair, BRING YOUR YOUTH and watch them teach you. See for yourself how the hearts of the children turn to their fathers.

Remember, the fair is open to all youth and adults. The fair is free and lunch will be provided.

The Sweetest Video Ever - Click here: Hannah's View

40 Days to Find Your Name - Click here: 40 Days

Register at: www.lds.org/hostfair and click on “Family History Day” (to the left) then “Click here to Attend” & enter your Zip Code. Click on St. Johns Fair. Enter your information. You will receive an email with more information on the classes.

Click Here To See Detailed Information About The Fair

See you at the Fair!

Area Family History Newsletter - Gilbert Temple Video

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 14:33:00 +0000

Click Here to read the newsletter and see the temple video: Area Family History Newsletter
Click on the link "Area Family History Newsletter" to read all about family history and temple work going on in Arizona. After you click on the link you can scroll down to the Gilbert Temple page and watch the video produced by Channel 15.

Come to the St. Johns Family History Fair

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 14:00:00 +0000

I just signed up for the St. Johns Family History Fair. The Fair is sponsored by the St. Johns Stake Family History Center. The Fair will be held on February 15th at the Stake Center at 2000 W. Cleveland St. in St. Johns, Arizona. The fair goes from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and lunch will be served. There is no cost for the fair or the lunch.

The fair will be an amazing opportunity for the people of St. Johns and the surrounding communities to learn more about family history. The fair is open to anyone interested in family history. You don’t need to be a Mormon to attend this fair.

Our local family history fair is tied to the RootsTech Conference being held in Salt Lake City. RootsTech is the largest family history event in the world where people of all ages learn to discover and share their family stories and connections through technology. You can check out the RootsTech home page at: https://rootstech.org

The St. Johns Family History Fair will bring the best of RootsTech right to us, which means we don’t need to travel to SLC or pay expensive conference fees. In addition to the RootsTech connection, our St. Johns Family History Fair will feature several of our own local family history experts.

Class topics will include some of the following:

Stories: Capturing and documenting your own story, and interview techniques to record your family’s stories.

Technology: Furthering family history efforts using the latest and greatest technology today.

Find and Preserve: Researching to gather family records and ways to preserve them for future generations.

Organize and Share: consolidating all family memorabilia and sharing with relatives.

Whether you’re just starting your family tree, an avid hobbyist, or an experienced researcher, the St. Johns Family History Fair will have something for you.

Click Here To See Detailed Information About The Fair

See you at the Fair!

Twelve Years Old and Finding Names to Take to the Temple

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 03:14:00 +0000

Guest Bloggers - Karen and Kyran Lee

When our older children were teens, we would make an occasional family trip with them to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. Now, my youngest son, Kyran, has turned 12. I am realizing that an occasional trip to the temple in the future will not be enough. This hit me hard when I started reading all of the blessings that the youth will have as they participate in family history and temple work. Among these blessings I read that they will find protection from the intensifying influence of the adversary (Elder Richard G. Scott and Elder David A. Bednar).

We began by getting him logged onto family search. It may be safe to say that some people can go to their family tree and green arrows will appear, indicating that ordinances are needed. However, this was not the case with him. As he searched, he was not successful in finding names to take to the temple the first time, or the second time, or even the third. But during this process he was able to fix some noticeable mistakes and view ancestors that already had their work done. Many of them in the Snowflake or Mt. Timpanogas Templeswhich meant that his older siblings had previously done those baptisms. We also made his fan chart and looked to see how he was related to some of the people on his tree.

Then one Sunday afternoon he logged on to family search and started back on his tree.   He saw some green arrows! Green arrows mean, "request temple ordinances". He said, "I hit the jackpot!" In the long run, he found 6 males and quite a few females that needed baptisms. One of those was a fairly close relative which was a surprise because we thought all of that work had already been done. We need to thank all of you who are doing indexing because we know you helped to make this possible!

We made an appointment for our family to go to the temple.   They really worked with our schedule and were so gracious. They did a prayer meeting with just the 3 of us and talked to Kyran about how important this work is and the blessings associated with it. Then he participated in the baptisms and confirmations of those 6 people.

As his mother, I have noticed a difference about his excitement to go to the temple to do work for his own ancestors.   He keeps asking when the next temple trip is going to be. So I asked him what he liked about going to the temple and he said he felt the Spirit. What more could I ask? Now, when I am on family search he tells me not to "steal" his names. Does he anxiously get onto family search every month to search out names? Well not yet....but I give gentle reminders. So where is he this month? Well, he has only found one baptism but that's ok. It is all worth it.

Now the ball is in our court and the rest of the family can complete the temple work that Kyran started. As a family, we really need to step up! I love my Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. My testimony continues to grow as I find strength, guidance, and blessings in this great work.

Promised Blessings

*You will find protection from the intensifying influence of the adversary.

*Receive assistance in all the affairs of life

*Bring your family closer together

*Deepen your conversion

*Experience light and knowledge through the Holy Ghost

*Your patriarchal blessing will become more meaningful

*Your love and gratitude for your ancestor will grow.

*You will have greater opportunities to serve.

*Your service in the temple will become more sacred

Questions and Answers

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 01:35:00 +0000

The Family History Center is open Tues, Wed and Thurs mornings 9am to 1pm and open evenings Tuesday and Thursday nights 6pm -9pm. Our Phone number is 928-337-2543. Our address is 50 N. 1st West.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:

How Do I open an LDS Account? Go to any church website and “Create Account” Fill in the form. You will need your Membership record number and an e-mail address. You will create your own Username & Password. Write these down because you will use them each time you log in. Contact your Family History Consultant to help you register so you can sign in to any of the Church's websites, including FamilySearch.org, LDS.org and Mormon.org.

What is FamilySearch~Family Tree? FamilySearch.org is the Family History website for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Family Tree is within that website that shows you YOUR pedigree line and ordinances done. Family Tree is also where you may add photos, stories and sources from records you find about your deceased ancestors. There are some great training videos here also. Contact your Family History Consultant for more help

What do I do now that PAF is going away? Which Genealogy Software Program do I use? Personal Ancestral File has not been updated for many years. It does not have the capability to Sync to Family Tree. It is still a good program if you only want to store your information on your family – both living and deceased. If you want to be able to Sync with Family Tree then there are 3 programs certified by the Church for you to look at and try out. They are RootsMagic, Legacy Family Tree, and Ancestral Quest. We have all three of them on the computers at the Family History Center. They all have a "Standard Free Edition" for you to download from their websites to your home computer also, not all of the "bells and whistles" will work until you purchase them but you can get a good feel for the program without purchasing right away. You don't have to retype anything, we can help you move over your existing database into any or all of the programs so you can play with them and try them out to see which one suits your fancy - before you BUY! (Most of these have discounts periodically so watch for savings) Contact your Family History Consultant for more help. We have used them and can give you more info on them. They are all great programs it just comes down to personal preference.

Why do I need a Genealogy Software Program when it's all on Family Tree? FamilySearch.org's Family Tree is for deceased ancestors only. This is not a place that you would want to put any living information. You still need to keep track of your children and grandchildren's information (i.e. births, baptisms, marriages, temple ordinances etc.) and you can't do that on Family Tree. The software program that you choose is where you can keep all of the information that you have gathered on living and deceased persons. Contact your Family History Consultant for more help

Ward Consultants

Little Colorado Kent Crabtree 337-4016 and Gladys Lane 337-3196

Salem: Dale & Beverly Jamison 337-2953, Chuck Jensen 337-2720, Debra Morris 480-254-3347, Diane Patterson 337-4475, April Postert 928-245-7271, Gloria Turley 337-4947, Abigail Waite 337-2428,Hannah Platt 337-2002, Haley Overson 245-7587

Lyman: Sonja Lee 337-2594 and Linda Richardson 337-2165

Grover's Hill: Joann Montierth 337-9271 and Al & Thelma Winters 337-2614

Meadows: Elynn Badger 337-4060 and Karen Lee for the Youth 245-3004

Thank you Sister Richardson for this useful information. Sister Richardson is the Director of the St. Johns Family History Center.

Miracles - An Invitation for this Fast Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 23:14:00 +0000

A God of Miracles

"For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith." 2 Nephi 27:23

We believe that God is a God of miracles and that he wants to bless us. We also believe that we must ask Him and exercise our faith in Him in order for miracles to take place.

"Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even the ends of the earth." Mormon 9:21

As we exercise our faith in God; as we petition Father for His help; He will bless us with the miracles we desire. We testify that this is a true principle.

Elder Holland explained that we need not worry about how much faith we have. Instead, we should use, with real intent, the faith that we do have. He said "The size of your faith or the degree or your knowledge is not the issue -- it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith that you do have and the truth you already know."

As a Stake Presidency, we extend the invitation for you and your family, including primary children, to fast and pray each Fast Sunday, that miracles will take place in our stake and community.

The Invitation:

We invite you and your family to fast and pray for one or more of the following areas in our stake:

1. That our young men and young women will be prepared and worthy to serve missions and attend the temple.

2. That families will do family history together and attend the temple together as they complete the work for their ancestors. And that we will attend the temple frequently.

3. That as a stake we will all have a desire to attend Sacrament meetings, partake of the Sacrament and renew our covenants. That we will bring with us those who have been missing this great blessing.

4. That we will open our mouths and share the Gospel with our family, friends and neighbors.

We testify that Heavenly Father will bless us with these miracles as we seek His assistance and exercise our faith in Him. Please join us as we fast and pray for miracles in our stake.

Love,

Your Stake Presidency

For our readers in Russia, Poland, India, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Ukraine, China and to our readers in other far-away places, please fast and pray for miracles that you need in your community.

A Family History Miracle

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 01:56:00 +0000

This is a wonderful story and a miracle. After reading it I just had to include it in our blog. As a stake we our praying for miracles to happen and here is an example of the kind of miracles we can expect as we earnestly seek help from our Heavenly Father through prayer and fasting.

Just published in the Deseret News, Vol. 2/No. 52

An old Bible rescued from the garbage more than 40 years ago recently emerged as a priceless family history treasure for one California couple.

Elder Ed Jones and his wife, Sister Dawna Jones, serve as family history missionaries and directors of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints FamilySearch Library in San Diego. While going about his regular duties one hectic Monday morning, Ed Jones received a phone call that has greatly blessed his life.

The woman on the phone identified herself as Gwen Whitlock. She wanted to know if the library would accept the donation of an antique family Bible.
Ed Jones informed her that donations are not generally accepted because the library is short on space, but if the Bible contained genealogical information, the library was interested in examining it. At that moment, Dawna Jones heard the conversation and intervened.

“As all good wives do, she grabbed the phone out of my hands and proceeded to talk to the lady,” Ed Jones said. “'Yes, absolutely, please bring it in,’ she said.”

The following day Whitlock came and hoisted a very worn, 12-by-18-inch book that weighted around 15 pounds on to a table.

The rare Bible itself was a treasure. It was compiled by the Rev. Joseph Knight and published in 1815. It included the Old and New Testaments, as well as the Apocrypha. It also contained illustrations and a collection of beautiful etchings.

“It looked like it had weathered at least two world wars,” Ed Jones said. “We were quite interested.”
As they turned the pages, the Joneses discovered a more priceless and personalized treasure. Inside they found ornately handwritten genealogical records going back into the 1700s. When Dawna Jones saw the last name “Hammond,” her jaw dropped in disbelief. The names, dates and information belonged to her husband’s direct English ancestral line.

“It just blew our socks off,” Ed Jones said. “I knew there was a hole in the line, and … this (information) closed that hole. I didn’t have to look it up on the pedigree chart, I just knew. It was literally the biggest blessing we have ever received in family history. It was phenomenal.”
Ed Jones’ mother joined the LDS Church at age 87 and spent her final years doing family history work. Dawna Jones had assisted her mother-in-law and knew what was missing.

“I always thought my mother-in-law’s work was the most we were going to be able to do,” she said. “But when we found this Bible, it was like she was right there, saying 'Here it is, it’s all yours.’”
As Whitlock initially observed what was happening, she was a little skeptical.

“How can that be? It was too good to be true for my brain to get around it,” Whitlock said in a phone interview. “But as she continued to talk, I realized it was true.”

Tears flowed as a small crowd gathered around to hear the remarkable story, Whitlock said.

“The fact that I gave it to someone in the Hammond family, which was what I wanted to do, it was such a miracle,” Whitlock said. “We were all standing there crying, thinking, ‘I can’t believe this.’”

Whitlock’s decision to donate the relic Bible to the San Diego FamilySearch Library came after she had safeguarded it for decades. A gentleman was strolling through a Southern California alley and found the Bible in a trash can. He retrieved it and gave it to the Whitlocks more than 40 years go.

Over the years, Whitlock and her husband, the Rev. Carl Whitlock, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Pacific Beach in San Diego, have searched for a Hammond descendent among their friends and congregation, but to no avail.

“It’s been such a wonderful, spiritual story of how God put it (the Bible) for him to find, to bring to me, for me to hold it for them,” Gwen Whitlock said. “Then for God to impress me to take it the day the Joneses were there is a miracle of huge proportions.”

Now the Joneses want to return the favor.

“Because of what they did for us, we have a debt to pay,” Dawna Jones said. “We are going to try and help him find his family history.”

To those who have struggled in family history work, she said don’t give up.

“We are given promises. As long as we are doing the work, doors and windows will open. We will find the work that we need to find to complete the work for our kindred dead,” she said. “We’ve been working for years and years. I believe those promises more than ever. I’ve seen it happen in other people’s lives, but I never thought it would happen in ours.”

Gwen Whitlock hopes people learn two lessons from this incredible story.

“The lessons would be patient, God works miracles,” she said. “I’ve taken care of that Bible for so long. Be patient and God will work it all out in his time, and the right time."

Deseret News Story

Turning the Hearts of the Children to their Mothers

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 03:13:00 +0000

Guest Blogger - Delwin Wengert

My mother, Retha Roundy, who passed away recently, was one of the most saintly women I have ever known. She grew up in a very active LDS family in Bluewater New Mexico. When she was 22 years old she went to a dance at the state fair in Albuquerque. At the dance she met my dad Maurice Wengert. He was a nonmember, and grew up in a very staunch Hispanic Catholic family from Northern New Mexico. After dating for a while, they were married in a civil ceremony. Both families were against the wedding, especially my dad's mother who was extremely strong in the Catholic faith. Within a few years my dad converted to the church and was baptized. My grandmother Wengert called the rest of her children together and made them swear that they would never leave the Catholic Church.

My mom and dad had eight children, five boys and three girls. I am the second child after my older brother Wesley. I can still remember going to the Mesa Temple as a very young child, along with my two brothers, and being sealed as a family.

Time passed, my grandpa Wengert died when I was 17 years old. He was 15 years older than my grandma and didn't speak English very well. He and my grandmother lived in Wagon mound New Mexico, and were ranchers their entire lives. After his death, my mother did his genealogy and made sure that his work was done in the Mesa Temple. My grandmother continued to be very faithful in the Catholic Church and knew nothing about what my mother had done.

Three years ago my mother was killed in a traffic accident. My dad had not been very active in the church for at least 10 years prior to her death. One of her greatest wishes was for him to go back to the temple.

One year after her death, my dad married a very active woman that lived in the Bluewater ward. Something changed in my dad after my mom's death. He became more active in the church, and after his second marriage he started going to the temple again.

A year and a half ago my grandmother Wengert passed away. She was 102 years old. She led a very pure and moral life. She had no vices that I knew of. She was very independent and thrifty all of her life. She spoke very little English, but was very close to her children and grandchildren. After she had been dead for a year, my sister Trishell completed the genealogy for her, her sister,and her parents.

My dad and my siblings, along with our children who have been to the temple, met 3 months ago at the snowflake temple to do the actual work. Many family members were there as we proceeded through the baptismal area, the washing and anointing, the endowment session and finally the sealing room. My dad was very emotional as he confirmed his mother a member of the church. Later in the sealing room his mother and sister were sealed to their parents, his mom and dad were sealed and he was sealed to them.

It was a very emotional time for my family as we were able to stand in as proxies as the sealings occurred. The love between generations in that room was palpable. I don't think I have ever had family history work or temple work affect me in that manner before. I feel my mother was very close at that moment.

I know that this work is true. I know that family history work and Temple work are critical to us hereupon this earth. It was shown to me in a dramatic manner by doing and participating in the work for my own family. ~ Delwin Wengert

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Brian Burdick - Guest Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Edward Burgoyne) — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 01:03:00 +0000

Brian Burdick writes:

I am grateful for my current calling on the high council assigned to oversee the Temple and Family History Work in the St. John Stake. It has given me the opportunity to associate with some great people in our stake. I have enjoyed my association with Sister Richardson (director of the family history center), Sister Badger (assistant director of the family history center) and Sister Peterson (Stake Indexing Director). Each one of these ladies is very excited to participate in family history in our stake. Each one of these fine sisters is willing to provide the training that our stake members need to help them get started in searching out their ancestors to make sure the saving ordinances are done for them. They understand the importance of doing research and finding our relatives who have not had their work done for them; to be done. I have been down to the family history center on many different occasions and I have received training from Sister Richardson and Sister Badger on family history. They continue to provide excellent training for our family history consultants in each one of our wards. Also, I had the opportunity to assist Sister Peterson in some training for one of the ward's young men/young women's organizations in the stake. This was a great opportunity to watch these young Latter-Day Saints become excited about family history and also participate in some indexing. Many of these youth were able to log on for the first time under their LDS accounts and look at their own relatives who have passed away and feel the spirit of Elijah in their lives.

As we consider the story of the visit of the Angel Moroni to the prophet Joseph Smith in his home and then out in the field; we remember that after he told the prophet Joseph Smith about the gold plates, he began quoting from the book of Malachi. (Joseph Smith History 1:37-39) For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: 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. He also quoted the next verse differently: 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.

Several years later, (April 3rd, 1836), we know that the prophet Elijah did return and brought back those sealing keys to the prophet Joseph Smith. We also have been told that we cannot be saved without our ancestors and they cannot be saved without our assistance.

As I reported earlier, we have some fine members of the stake who have been trained and continue to receive the training that they need to assist each one of us in the stake with our own personal family history. I am impressed that there have been several youth in the stake who have been called as family history consultants to assist the members in their Ward move this work forward. There are great promises given to us if we continue to participate in this sacred calling and duty. President Boyd K Packer made the following statement: "No work is more of a protection to this church then temple work and family history research that supports it. No work is more spiritually refining. No work we do gives us more power. No work requires a higher standard of righteousness." As we move this work forward, I hope that all of us (especially me) will have a greater desire to do this work, so we will receive the strength and power that has been promised to us by our church leaders.

Family History

St. Johns Family History Fair - May 16th, 2015

St. Johns AZ Stake Family History Discovery Day

Saturday, May 16th8:30 am - 4:30 pmSt. Johns Stake Center2000 W Cleveland St., St. Johns

February Family History Newsletter

Finding our Counsins

Taking our first batch of names to the Snowflake Temple.

Family History Classes offered in January and February

October Area Family History Newsletter

August Area Family History Newsletter

Capture the Flag & The Spirit of Elijah

A Thing Called - PUZZILLA

Keep Me, Protect Me, Share Me, and I Will Live Forever

Area Family History Newsletter for April

Stolen Pictures and Tender Mercies

Mystery Woman

Area Family History Newsletter - March

Family History - Bringing Old, Faded Pictures Back to Life

Of Slides, Negatives, Prints, Scanners and Digitizing

Family History Fair - Calling all Youth

Area Family History Newsletter - Gilbert Temple Video

Come to the St. Johns Family History Fair

Class topics will include some of the following:

Technology: Furthering family history efforts using the latest and greatest technology today.

Find and Preserve: Researching to gather family records and ways to preserve them for future generations.

Organize and Share: consolidating all family memorabilia and sharing with relatives.

Twelve Years Old and Finding Names to Take to the Temple

Guest Bloggers - Karen and Kyran Lee

Questions and Answers

The Family History Center is open Tues, Wed and Thurs mornings 9am to 1pm and open evenings Tuesday and Thursday nights 6pm -9pm. Our Phone number is 928-337-2543. Our address is 50 N. 1st West.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:

Miracles - An Invitation for this Fast Sunday

A God of Miracles

The Invitation:

For our readers in Russia, Poland, India, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Ukraine, China and to our readers in other far-away places, please fast and pray for miracles that you need in your community.

A Family History Miracle

Turning the Hearts of the Children to their Mothers

Guest Blogger - Delwin Wengert

Brian Burdick - Guest Blogger

Saturday, May 16th
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
St. Johns Stake Center
2000 W Cleveland St., St. Johns