To successfully help others have a heart-turning experience, it is important to begin with the end in mind. Take some time at the start to ask about any promptings they may have had regarding their ancestors, if there is a particular family line they are interested in pursuing, or how family history might strengthen their lives.
This article will cover steps 2 and 3 of the Find, Take, Teach helper process:
2—Discover the family’s goals. Have a conversation with them about what they want to do.3—Get access to their FamilySearch Account. Ask for their name, their birth date, and the last five digits of their membership record number (their helper number).
Discover Goals
When you first meet, ask the family what they would like to discover about their family. Perhaps the goal is to find a name for temple work. Maybe there is an ancestor they want to learn more about. Whatever the goal, it is important to settle on that first so you can create a plan of action and then know if you have achieved success.
This discussion about goals should begin with prayer and can happen in the member’s home or at church in a family history class setting. The important thing is that the goals are identified and are clear to both you and the person you are helping.
FamilySearch Account Access
As part of your discussion about goals, ask the family for permission to access their family history information in Family Tree. To do this, you will need to get their helper number, which is the last 5 digits of their LDS member number. Each individual family member can find his or her number on his or her temple recommend, through his or her listing in the LDS Tools app, or from a ward clerk.
The following video shares ideas and testimony on the importance of discovering goals.
Download: Small (360p) | Medium (720p)
If you take some time up front to be prayerful and set goals with those you help, you will both be blessed and inspired by the Spirit to make wonderful discoveries together.
