Riverton FamilySearch Library/Youth Conference

Youth Temple Challenge Youth Conference
The Riverton FamilySearch Library offers a one-day family history youth conference activity for wards and multi-wards.

The library youth conference activities are designed to help youth and their leaders feel the Spirit of Elijah and learn how its influence can bless the lives of both the living and the dead through family history and temple ordinance work.

Workshops provide instruction on the key elements of genealogical research and offer hands-on experience to help participants with their individual family history responsibilities. Young men and women are also encouraged to use their technical skills to help their own family, ward members, friends, and others with their family history efforts.

Elder David A. Bednar's Invitation and Promise to Youth
“The skills and aptitude evident among many young people today are a preparation to contribute to the work of salvation.

“I invite the young people of the Church to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah. I encourage you 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 (see D&amp;C 124:28-36). And I urge you to help other people identify their family histories.

“As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. …Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives.”

Elder David A. Bednar, "The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn," General Conference, October 2011, Saturday afternoon session.
In addition, Elder Scott and Elder Bednar have promised the following blessings:

Your conversion to the Savior will become deeper. You will receive light and knowledge through the Holy Ghost. Your testimony will be strengthened. Your patriarchal blessing will become more meaningful. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will grow. You will have greater opportunities to serve. Your service in the temple will become more sacred.

2016 Schedule
Youth conference can be scheduled Monday through Friday from June 6 to August 12, 2016 except near holidays. The following table shows available dates.

Reservations
The deadline for registration is May 1, 2015. Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Book early to secure a date.

Group Sizes
The library can accommodate ward or multi-ward groups with a maximum of 75 youth and leaders.

Cost
A FamilySearch lanyard and all training material for the workshops will be furnished for participants at no cost. There will be a minimal charge for optional printing and laminating of pedigree fan charts.

Lunch is available at the Riverton Office Building cafeteria or groups can bring their own. The cost of lunch is $5.50 for a hamburger, fries and a large drink. The cafeteria accepts all forms of payment, including direct charges to ward accounts. The Riverton FamilySearch Library, however, accepts only checks or cash. Please note the Library cannot accept bills larger than $20.00.

Preparation
Detailed instructions for participants will be sent to leaders following registration. All participants are encouraged to register for an LDS account before they come. Youth and leaders need to have access to their username and password to participate fully in the conference activities.

Discovery Activities:
When youth participate in fun family history Discovery activities, they are six times more likely to take names to the temple. During the conference, youth will participate in:


 * Replace a Face—put their face into old-fashioned photos, add their friends’ faces
 * Family Story Room—record their testimony, thoughts about their life, goals, and hopes
 * Print and laminate a fan chart
 * Relative Finder—see how they are related to the other members of the youth conference and to famous people
 * RootsMapper— plot their family tree on an interactive map
 * Scan photos directly to Family Tree
 * Smartphone apps for family history

Finding Activities:
Youth will learn and practice:


 * Descendancy research—finding descendants of ancestors who need temple ordinances, using the descendancy view of Family Tree
 * Finding ancestors (or their descendants) who need work done, using partner sites, such as Find-A-Record, Puzzilla, Hope Chest, Virtual Pedigree, Ancestry, findmypast, MyHeritage
 * Indexing*—each youth will serve others by completing a batch of indexing


 * If the group has extensive experience in indexing, this can be replaced with finding a pioneer ancestor or discovering ancestors’ stories.

Taking activities:
Youth will leave the library with cards ready to take to the temple and with the enthusiasm and knowledge to find many more names.

Teaching Activities:
Youth will share their knowledge of family history by:


 * Helping each other in finding names to take to the temple
 * Sharing inspirational stories of their ancestors

Contact us:
Email ut_rivfslibrary3@ldschurch.org or call 801-240-9601 with any questions.