Family History

A few weeks ago for home church, I spoke on Family History.  Traditional Family History is not something I feel very comfortable doing.  I have never really indexed.  Only with the helpful hints in the sidebar have I been able to attach important documents to my ancestor's pages on Family Search.  I do know family history is important though, and I've been trying to better.  

Anyway, back to my talk.  I shared a couple of stories from our ancestors.  I didn't realize my Grandmother, Nell Fanning, was named after her grandmother Nellie Beeston.  Making that connection on paper made me feel more connected to my grandmother's mother and grandmother.  It also made me think about my girl, Aubrey Joyce, who is named after her kind and talented grandmother, Joyce Gwilliam.  

A little more about Nellie.  Her father William was a choir director in Fillmore, Utah.  When the SLC temple was dedicated, his choir was asked to join in singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  It is kind of fun to imagine some of our family's love for music being passed down from my great, great, great, grandfather Beeston.  

Earlier this week, I shared a story about Seymour Brunson during our family scripture study.  He was my fourth great grandfather on my mother's side.  He was a body guard to the prophet Joseph Smith.  After protecting the prophet Joseph for several days in a row, Seymour was desperate to go home, clean up and put on new clothes.  He thought he had slipped away from the mob undetected.  He hadn't been home long when there was a pounding on the door.  

Seymour was able to go unnoticed by tying a kitchen towel over the top of his head.  He sat down in the rocking chair in the corner, pulled a quilt up to his chin and began to quietly moan. When his wife welcomed the angry mob in to search the house for him, she asked that they please not disturb Granny who had an awful toothache all day.  When the mob left, he put his shoes on backward as he walked in the snow back to guard the prophet.  He didn't want the mob to have any hints by following his footprints.

Another interesting family tidbit: Seymour is mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants 124:132.   The doctrine of baptism for the dead was introduced by the prophet Joseph Smith at his funeral.  

Family history reminds me of a song I learned in Primary many years ago.

1. 1. Fam’ly history—I am doing it,

   My fam’ly history.

   And the love I feel when I’m doing it

   Is very sweet to me.

   I learn stories of my progenitors;

   I write their history.

   I keep records of my loved ones

   On my own fam’ly tree.

2. 2. Fam’ly living now and the ones who’ve died

   Can all be sealed to me,

   And someday I’ll meet ev’ry one of them,

   I’m sure as I can be.

   Oh what joy we’ll have when they say to me,

   “We’re all a family.

   I am yours and you are mine now,

   Through all eternity.”

Words and music: Jeanne P. Lawler, b. 1924. © 1982 IRI; revised