As family history helpers, we are called to help others discover and unite the great family of earth through temple ordinances and family history. As we help people learn to Find ancestor names, Take the names to the temple, and Teach others to do the same, we are building connections that bless lives on both sides of the veil.
As part of this “Find, Take, Teach” process, family history consultants and helpers worldwide learn to apply a set of proven principles to create heart-turning experiences for those they work with. These experiences help others love family history and ultimately become saviors on Mount Zion.
The Principles
- Prepare spiritually. Seek the Spirit. Ask the Lord for help as you prepare to meet the needs of the individual or family you are working with. Pray for them before you meet.
- Discover the family’s goals. Have a conversation with them about what they want to do.
- 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).
- Search their family tree before you meet. Use the Help Others function to explore their family tree.
- Prepare and deliver a personalized lesson. Create a detailed plan to help them accomplish their goals and feel the Spirit.
- Invite them to complete the temple ordinances. Where possible, invite them to involve other family members in their temple service.
- Ask for referrals. During the lesson, ask them whom they could help to enjoy a similar experience.
To illustrate these principles, we have prepared two videos. The first features the experience of Debra Hutchings, a family history consultant for more than eight years. She tells what it was like helping her daughter-in-law before and after learning these Find, Take, Teach principles. The differences in the two experiences could not have been greater.
Download: Small (360p) | Medium (720p)
The second video is an extended overview of the principles as told through the experiences of several helpers, including Family History Department managing director Stephen Rockwood. This video provides details and personal experiences for each of the principles and shares insights that you can apply in your own efforts to help others love family history.
Download: Small (360p) | Medium (720p)
For even more detail about these principles, including a real-life consultant-member interaction that shows the principles in action, you can watch a related presentation from RootsTech. In it, I use the “Teach” portion of the “Find, Take, Teach” process to help a member named Emily discover an ancestor who was missing from her family tree. Below the video in the blog post, you will also find a copy of the lesson plan I used in preparing for that meeting at RootsTech.
May the Lord bless each of us as we build on the strong and vital foundation of the great family history workers who have preceded us and grow in our individual and collective abilities to bring many, many more of Heavenly Father’s family to the sweet and powerful blessings of this work.
