“Turning Our Hearts”

At age nine, Elizabeth had immigrated to the United States with an uncle. Her parents and their six other children planned to join them in America, but never could. She never saw them again.

Elizabeth grew up, married, and one day welcomed two Latter-day Saint missionaries into her home. A few months later, Elizabeth joined the Church. But her life was difficult. Her husband lost a leg in an accident. He also suffered from tuberculosis and glaucoma and was blind during the last fifteen years of his life.

His death left Elizabeth alone to run a farm and raise nine children. She added to the family’s limited income by working as a midwife.

Three times the family lost their home—to a flood, a fire, and a tornado. But despite her trials, Elizabeth maintained a positive attitude and shared the joy of the gospel message wherever she went.

Helped by her daughter-in-law, Mary, Elizabeth had been compiling her personal history, but had been killed in a car accident before the work was done. Mary felt impressed to complete the work and make it available to the family.

Elizabeth’s history has greatly influenced her posterity. “Grandma is still a part of our lives,” says Carol, Mary’s daughter.

“When I see my grandchildren go to the bookshelf and take down that history,” says Mary, “I know why I felt so strongly compelled to finish it—so her posterity would know the legacy she left.”

Learning about our ancestors can help us to better understand them and ourselves. Many of their dreams, aspirations, and challenges were similar to ours. We gain spiritual strength from reading about how our ancestors met challenges. But family history work not only helps unite family members for eternity, it also strengthens bonds between living family members.

Personal and family histories help us cultivate a sense of identity and responsibility, evaluate our own lives, and preserve a legacy for posterity.