Since my childhood, my heart has been turned to my ancestors, so when the invitation from my bishop came to participate in indexing, I readily accepted. The excitement started as I began to set personal goals to index as many names as possible every week. I found joy in knowing that family history work is part of missionary work. What can be more beautiful than sharing the gospel with our brothers and sisters—including those on the other side of the veil! With each indexing experience, I felt more joy in working with these records. I loved learning the stories of the people whose information I was indexing! I realized that the more I indexed these records, the more real the people became to me. I read about families and learned marriage dates, occupations, and so much more. The more I indexed, the more I could see the lives of these people before my eyes! I found myself feeling compassion and sorrow when reading about the tragic events of their lives. Yet, with all of my indexing efforts, I continued to think about my ancestors and nourish the sweet hope that one day I would discover one of the amazing stories of my own ancestors.
The Lord is a God of miracles, and my miracle did not take long!
My origins are in Sierra Leone and Chad, and if researching one’s family is a mere formality for some, it can be very complex for others. For me, the complexity came in the absence of written records from my home country. Family history is primarily passed down through word of mouth or storytelling. However, while indexing documents in the English language, I happened to come across my last name. After some initial research, including the use of Ancestry.com, I came across the name of Claudius D. B. Jarrett, an ancestor of my paternal grandmother! I became acquainted with this ancestor on my last trip to Sierra Leone, where I was able to photograph the tombstones of several members of my family, including his. I discovered that Claudius was an accountant married to Clementine Ayo. They lived on Thrale Road in London. I discovered that they had taken a boat from Liverpool, England, to Freetown, Sierra Leone, more than a century ago. What a delightful discovery and tender mercy!
I can testify with all my being that indexing is a source of major unexpected blessings! Indexing allows family history and missionary work to be accomplished. It brings joy to the heart and has strengthened my testimony that anything is possible to those who believe!
What have you experienced while indexing or searching for your own ancestors? Leave a comment below!– Article by Alexandra Beckley
