CONFERENCE
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Fall 2025 General Conference
Family history
Tools and stories to help connect with the past
That Feel Like Family
Shaun & Christina Myers
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Temple Trail
From St. George to Price, Utah’s Temple Trail will take you on a journey through all of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temples located in Utah. Full of stories and unique photos from every temple, current, under construction & announced. temples
Family history: A labor of love
Large touchscreens give visitors to the Family Discovery Center, a fun, interactive way to learn about their family history.
BY JARED LLOYD Daily Herald
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints frequently refer to what they describe as the three-fold mission of the church. Spencer W. Kimball, the president of the church at the time, stated in the April 1981, general conference that the mission is “To proclaim the gospel, to perfect the Saints, and to redeem the dead.”
While many faiths emphasize the first two tenets, the Church of Jesus Christ is
“Through His loving grace and mercy the Lord makes salvation possible for everyone who did not have the opportunity to receive, understand, and obey the gospel during their mortal lives.”
— Excerpt from “Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service”
somewhat unique in how it approaches the third element, that of redeeming the dead.
That objective is the driving force behind the organization’s emphasis on family history work, as well as the building of and ordinance work that is done in their sacred temples.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Members refer to the scripture from 1 Corinthians in the Bible’s New Testament that reads “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? (1 Cor. 15:29)” as an indication that the concept of doing religious ordinances for those who have died was known in the early days of the Christian church.
The Church of Jesus Christ emphasizes its belief that every individual who
has lived on the earth has the right to learn about gospel teachings and choose whether to accept the precepts and responsibilities that come with it.
Thus members believe it is necessary for those alive currently to aid those who have lived previously. The church’s manual “Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service” says:
“The Savior loves all people and desires their salvation. Yet millions of people have died without having any opportunity to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or receive saving ordinances. Through His loving grace and mercy the Lord makes salvation possible for everyone who did not have the opportunity to receive, understand, and obey the gospel during their mortal lives. The gospel is preached to these deceased people in the spirit world. Members of the Church on earth
perform the saving ordinances in behalf of their deceased ancestors and others. Deceased persons living in the spirit world have the opportunity to accept or reject the gospel and the ordinances performed in their behalf.
“For this reason, Church members search for information about their ancestors. They can then add the information they find to the Church’s database at FamilySearch.org. A person can do so either on their own or with the help of a temple and family history consultant. The Church’s database then allows Church members to share or print out and take to the temple the names of deceased relatives who need to have saving ordinances performed on their behalf in sacred temples. This is an important aspect of doing family history. Worthy members of the appropriate age, including new members, are eligible to
receive from their bishop a limited-use recommend to participate in performing baptisms and confirmations for these deceased ancestors.”
The Church of Jesus Christ believes this is the reason for the words written in the Bible’s Old Testament in Malachi which say: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5-6)”
In the 1840s, the church’s founder and first prophet, Joseph Smith, recorded a letter regarding the importance of the work for the dead and researching past generations, saying: “Let us, therefore, as
JANAE FRANCIS, STANDARD-EXAMINER FILE PHOTO
Ogden FamilySearch Library patrons from left to right, Reed Scothern, Marlene Howertz and Ray Rutledge work on computers to research their family history.
Labor of love
a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation. (Doctrine and Covenants 128:24)”
BUILDING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE PRESENT
While it is estimated that more than 117 billion people have lived on earth, the Church of Jesus Christ emphasizes that everyone is part of the tapestry of life, with a biological father and mother. Many also add siblings, spouses and children of their own to the family tree.
For members of the faith, the desire to provide opportunities for blessing for those who have died results in connection with ancestors.
In a talk given in April of 2023 entitled “The Work of the Temple and Family History—One and the Same Work, “Elder Benjamín De Hoyos 0f the Seventy
talked about how the work of family history is tied to the work done in the church’s temples.
“The construction and proper use of temples has been in any dispensation a sign of the true Church of Jesus Christ,” De Hoyos said. “After the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple in 1893, President Wilford Woodruff encouraged the members of the Church to find the records of their ancestors and to record their genealogy by going as far back as possible in order to bring the names into the temple and perform the ordinances of salvation and exaltation.”
He went on to exhort members to understand the importance of the combined efforts.
“Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord encourages us as members of His Church to preserve our own family history, to learn from our ancestors, and to make the necessary arrangements for them to receive the ordinances of the gospel in the temples to help them to progress along the covenant path, which will bless them with an eternal family,” he said. “That is a central focus of the plan of our Heavenly Father: uniting family for this life and for eternity.”
A LABOR FOR EVERYONE
In recent talks, Church of Jesus Christ leaders have encouraged everyone to get involved in the work and lauded the
efforts being made, particularly by the youth.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in his talk, “Days Never to Be Forgotten,” in October of 2024 that the work will “unite families for eternity.”
“As I visit temples around the world, I marvel at the standing-room-only crowds of youth waiting at the baptistry and the increased numbers of young adults serving as ordinance workers,” Stevenson said. “Recently a group of over 600 youth from Scotland and Ireland traveled to the Preston England Temple, performing over 4,000 ordinances, many of which were for their personal deceased ancestors! I urge you to become engaged in family history, spend time in the temple, and carefully prepare yourself to be the kind of man or woman ready to marry an equally worthy companion in the temple.”
President Russell M. Nelson, the current president of the Church of Jesus Christ, added his appreciation to the youth in his April 2025 talk, “Confidence in the Presence of God.”
“I am especially inspired by our youth,” Nelson said. “They are giving service in large numbers. They are seeking their ancestors and performing ordinances in the temple. Our young men and women are submitting applications for mission-
President Russell M. Nelson of the First Presidency speaks at the conclusion of general conference during the afternoon session at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 6.
ary service in record numbers. The rising generation is rising up as stalwart followers of Jesus Christ.”
BENEFITS PROMISED FOR THE WORK
Church members will receive blessings for their family history and subsequent temple work, according to their leaders.
Bishop Gérald Caussé, the presiding bishop, said in his talk “Compensating Blessings” in April of 2025 that such effort
“One of the most powerful ways we may contribute to God’s compensating blessings is through the vicarious work we do for our ancestors in the house of the Lord,” Caussé said. “As we perform ordinances on their behalf, we actively participate in the Lord’s great work of salvation, using our gifts and abilities to provide blessings to those who did not have the opportunity to receive them during their mortal lives.
“The loving service we offer in holy temples reminds us that the Savior’s grace extends beyond this life. In the life to come, we may be given new opportunities to accomplish what we could not do in this mortal life. Speaking to sisters who had not yet found an eternal companion, President Lorenzo Snow lovingly said: “There is no Latterday Saint who dies after having lived a faithful life who will lose anything because of having failed to do certain things when opportunities were not furnished him or her. … They will have all the blessings, exaltation and glory that any man or woman will have who
had this opportunity.”
Elder Steven D. Shumway of the Seventy highlighted that the church doesn’t believe that such works bring salvation on their own, only that they help individuals grow and improve.
“Ordinances don’t save us because they fulfill a heavenly checklist,” Shumway said in his talk, “Participate to Prepare for Christ’s Return” in April of 2025. “Rather, when we live the covenants connected with these ordinances, we become the kind of person who wants to be in God’s presence. This understanding overcomes hesitations to serve or preferences not to serve. Our preparation to meet Jesus Christ accelerates when we stop asking what God will permit and start asking what God would prefer.”
The bottom line, according to Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, is that while doing family history brings individual growth, only the atonement of Jesus Christ will bring salvation.
“We must never forget the sacrifices and examples of prior generations, but our adulation, appreciation, and worship should be centered on the Savior of the world and His atoning sacrifice,” Cook said in his talk “The Atonement of Jesus Christ Provides the Ultimate Rescue” in April of 2025. “I testify that the key to the Father’s plan of happiness is the Atonement wrought by our Savior, Jesus Christ. He lives and guides His Church.
The Atonement of Jesus Christ provides the ultimate rescue from the trials we face in this life.”
BERNINA
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Saturday evening session of general conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 5.
Getting started with family history
Extensive resources and aid are available
BY JARED LLOYD
Daily Herald
Many people might be interested in learning more about their ancestors but just don’t know where to begin.
Others might have family members who have been engaged in doing extensive genealogical work and might feel like there isn’t much left for them to do.
Debbie Gurtler, assistant director of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, believes individuals in both groups might be surprised at what they can do and how much they will enjoy it once they get started.
“It’s so much fun to see people discover their ancestors and get super excited,” Gurtler said in a phone interview.
WHERE TO BEGIN
For those in Utah who are just starting on their family history journey, Gurtler suggest going to one of the resource libraries because not only are do they feature extensive resources but they also have people to provide guidance.
“The first thing you want to know is what they would like to do,” Gurtler said. “Once they say they’d like to know more about their ancestors, the next thing we do is find out where are they from and what they already know. We see if they’d like to take a look at our website and see what we can find. We’ll sit down with them and offer to help them start their family tree, so that as they come across records while they’re searching on Family Search they can add those directly to their tree.”
At the Salt Lake City library, Gurtler said they often have foreign visitors who can go to the international floor and work with speakers of other languages.
“We have a lot of visitors from other countries during the summer and during general conference, which is fun,” Gurtler said.
Like with local residents, the process starts with finding some basic information.
“They do need to know somebody who’s probably already deceased, preferably a grandparent or a great grandparent,” Gurtler said. “With this day and age of cell phones now, it’s not uncommon to see someone get on the phone in the library and call their mom and say, ‘Hey, Mom, what was your dad’s name again? When was his birthday? Where was he born?’ It’s
starting first with what you know, and then going into the records to see what you can find.”
Gurtler warns that it can be easy to get carried away by the thrill of family history discoveries. She said the library often has visitors who plan on a brief stop but end up fascinated by what they are able to learn.
“We often have people come in and we usually ask them how long they have,” Gurtler said. “They’ll say, ‘I’ve only got an hour’ and we’ll try to go a little quicker because of their time frame. But then you come back four hours later and they’re still here. They’re so enthralled. It’s wonderful to see how excited they get. Each new clue or each new record that they find that tells them more about their ancestors is just a treasure to them.”
MORE THAN JUST NAMES AND DATES
Some families have done extensive work on genealogy and that can make it hard to feel like there is anything to add. Gurtler, however, said people in that situation might be surprised.
“There are more and more new records coming out all the time,” she said. “Maybe if your tree is already full you might be able to find some additional biographical-type information about about them in land and court records, things like that that maybe you hadn’t found before. Those are a little bit more difficult to use but thanks to new search capabilities you can go in and you can probably find some interesting court cases. I have found some interesting ones on some of my family.”
Mother and children enjoy the FamilySearch experiences in the Family History Library.
While finding records and individual names are still part of the process, modern technology and the ability to share information allows people to have a broader perspective on many of their ancestors.
“We’re not just looking for the names and dates and places,” Gurtler said. “We’re looking for what they did, what was big in their life, what influenced them. Can you see some of those things in your ancestors that have maybe trickled down to you?”
She described how she recently learned that one of her great-grandfathers spoke some of the Native American languages in the early days of Utah and now she sees some of her own children being very fluent in other languages as well.
“I keep thinking that it’s something that is in their family,” Gurtler said. “Common connections that go down through the lines is something that fascinates me, and it fascinates a lot of people, I think,”
PRESERVATION AS WELL AS RESEARCH
While the family history libraries are great places to go to delve into finding out about family members who have died, Gurtler said that they also have many resources available to help families preserve memories for future generations.
“Here in the library we have what we call Memory Lane,” Gurtler said. “It’s a family preservation center where people can bring in their old photos, their slides, their eight millimeter tapes, their cassettes, their VHS tapes, and we will help them digitize them at no charge. Then they could put it out for family. We’d love for them to put it on our site, but they could put it wherever to share it with their family and friends. I think those kinds of things also add meat to the bone, so to speak, of our family history.”
Gurtler said she also gets to see the desire to learn about family history in the younger generation as they both learn about the past and develop their research skills for the future.
“Sometimes we see families come in and Mom and Dad are ready to go home, while the kids are not quite ready to go,” she said. “We have a lot of fun things to offer for families.”
WHY GET STARTED WITH FAMILY HISTORY
With so many demands on people’s time, it can be a challenge to find opportunities to do family history. Gurtler, however, believes there are good reasons to do so.
“I think family history can help you feel connected for those that maybe feel a little disjointed in this wild world that we live in,” she said. “For those that have children and teens, it can provide them with resilience. There’s studies that have been done that show that children who know about their ancestors and the things they went through, good and bad, make them more resilient. If they know their great-grandmother went through something and she had a hard time, they think, ‘if she made it, I can do whatever I need to to get through now.’”
LEFT: Historical documents wait to be digitally preserved. FamilySearch works with archives worldwide to digitally preserve records of genealogical relevance before they are lost or destroyed. RIGHT: FamilySearch volunteers help make genealogically historical books digitally searchable online at FamilySearch.org for free.
She encourages people to think about their place in their families and find ways to understand and connect to them.
“I would invite them, if they haven’t started to do family history, to reacxh out to their immediate and then extended family and see what they can find out and just start learning,” Gurtler said. “I think they’ll probably catch the bug.
“I love to go down the research rabbit hole but for those who don’t like to do research, even just talking to family and getting some of the stories down will help them feel connected to something bigger than themselves. Everybody has that desire to feel connected to something larger than themselves, to have
that feeling of belonging.”
For more information on available tools and to find a family history library, go to FamilySearch.org.
GETTING STARTED CHECKLIST
1. Learn some basics about your family (names, birthdates, birth locations etc.).
2. Visit FamilySearch.org or a Family Search library.
3. Input what you know and start making connections.
4. Discover stories and information about ancestors.
5. Share personal knowledge and details like photos and stories with others who are also researching their family history.
PHOTOS COURTESY FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
The FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City is the largest genealogical facility in the world.
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A flicker lights the way
Some years ago, before I moved to Utah, I had a free day in Salt Lake City. I decided to visit the Family History Library to see if I could find more information about a certain end-of-line person in my family tree.
I had a death date that my grandmother had recorded, but not a place. I reasoned that this person probably died in Züllchow, a suburb of Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) where other family members had lived. I found a microfilm for Züllchow and began searching the death records, but with no success. I became increasingly frustrated.
Meanwhile, there was a commotion at the microfilm machine to my left. An elderly lady had come to use the machine but thought the adjacent fluorescent light fixture was defective. She fetched a volunteer from the main desk to help. I overheard her say, “Can’t you see the light is flickering?” The volunteer shook her head. Then the frustrated sister turned to me and asked, “Can you see it?” I looked and perceived a subtle flicker, but nothing more could be done. Since there were no other machines available, the sister decided to stay despite the problem.
I noticed she had a slight accent so I asked if she could read the old German handwriting I was looking at. She said, “yes, what part of Germany was it from?”
I replied, “Near Stettin.”
She said, “I was born in Stettin!”
So I shared my problem with her, and she asked, “Have you tried Frauendorf? It’s only a few kilometers from Züllchow; I used to go there frequently as a youth.”
I fetched the records for Frauendorf, and sure enough, there was the death record I was looking for!
The sister translated it for me, and it pointed to a birthplace in another town. I fetched a new microfilm, and over the next few hours, I was able to reconstruct the entire family group. Each time I found another name, the sister graciously helped me translate it.
I also quietly noticed that she didn’t seem to be finding anything from her personal research efforts. It then occurred to me that she had unknowingly come to the Library that day mainly to help me! Her flickering light fixture and willingness to help had lit my way.
Sully Richardson Springville
Family history stories
Many readers from Northern Utah and Utah Valley responded to an invitation to share their favorite family history stories and experiences. Here are some of their stories:
Isaac Sheldon
Isaac Sheldon (January 26, 1844 – November 9, 1940) was my great-great grandfather. At first I knew very little about him, largely because he had isolated himself from his family for most of his life. As I began to look closer at him, I found that he had led a fascinating life.
Isaac was born January 26,1844, in New York. Nothing is known of his childhood, but we know that he joined the Union Army at the beginning of the Civil War and fought all 4 years of the conflict. He was wounded at Appomattox and found on the battlefield 2 days after the battle ended. After the war he moved west.
Isaac married my great-great grandmother Rose Ann Putnam on July 22, 1882, in Miles City, Montana. They had 2 daughters – Anna May and Minnie Linn, who became my great grandmother. Sadly, Isaac and Rose were divorced within a few years.
Not much is known of Isaac’s life from the mid-1880’s until the early 1900’s when he homesteaded in the American Falls, Idaho, area. He married twice more: in 1908 to Hattie Elnora Danielson who died in childbirth along with their son in 1909; and in 1918 to Bernetta Walters Hickman Allen who survived him. He lived in American Falls until his death on November 9, 1940. He is buried in Falls View Cemetery in American Falls.
We don’t know whether or not he was the oldest living Civil War veteran in the state of Idaho at the time of his
1940.
death, but he may very well have been because he earned an obituary in both the Ogden Standard Examiner and the Salt Lake Tribune.
Remembering big family news from the
In 1954, my father was working on his PhD at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He and my mother had been married for six years and had never been able to have children. They were surprised to learn in early 1954 that my mother was pregnant. Here they were, in Ithaca, away from family! After one office visit in early March, mom remembered that they “plopped” her on the table and took an Xray. When they came back, they treated her like a carton of eggs, and carefully helped her off the table.
1950s
Then much to their surprise, one night, the doctor showed up at their door. Ithaca doctors never made house calls. He came in and said, “I hope you want your family big.”
My dad queried, “You mean it’s twins?”
“Bigger than that,” returned the doctor. “It’s triplets!”
They were told not to tell anyone because mom would become “an object of curiosity.”
We were born without incident in April, 1954, around five pounds each.
Our family returned to Utah after my dad obtained his degree and eventually located in Orem.
My mom’s family grew up in Ogden (Lorenzo and Esther Jarman) and two of her aunts, Trilby Jarman Hindmarsh and Mina Jarman Tanner, who lived in Ogden were like grandmothers to us as our grandma died when we were 5. We came to Ogden often growing up and now my family and I live in Harrisville.
Joanne Frost Christensen, Harrisville
Carol Lisonbee
Isaac Sheldon obituary in the Ogden Standard-Examiner on Nov. 11,
Sheldon
Paintings remind family of ancestor stories
I would like to tell the history of Edward Rawson, born on April 16, 1615, in England. He came to Boston, Mass., in the 1600s with his large family. He died on Aug. 27, 1693, at age 78. He was my eighth-great grandfather.
Through research we have learned his photo was on file in the New England Genealogical Society Building in Boston. In the fall of 2007, my sister Verla Wheeler Murray, cousin Colleen Earl, and my husband Larry Blanch and I visited the building in hopes of seeing the photo. A clerk at the desk asked who we were interested in seeing. We answered, “Edward Rawson of Boston, Mass.”
The clerk answered, “oh, yes, follow me.”
We stepped into a beautiful rotunda with two giant paintings on the wall. Edward Rawson’s picture was hanging on the wall to the left with the picture of his favorite daughter, Rebecca, hanging to the right of Edward’s. Our picture was taken just below theirs.
We asked the clerk if she knew why these two paintings were the only two in the rotunda. She said she didn’t know. I presume the answer is that Edward Rawson was Secretary of the Bay Colony for 35-40 years. His beloved daughter Rebecca was a very beautiful and well-educated woman. She was very well known in Boston.
Rebecca met a suitor from England and — with much sadness from her father — the couple were married. Her husband said he was born into a well-known royal family in England. They sailed off for a new future together in England.
After they were settled in England, Rebecca discovered her husband was already married. He was a thief who stole all of Rebecca’s money and personal expensive treasures. At this time she was expecting her first child and she went to live with her cousin in England.
A fellow she had known in Boston received word of what had happened to Rebecca and he sailed in his own ship to England to take her home to Boston. They
stopped in Port Royal, Jamaica, to rest and take on new supplies. However, Rebecca would never see Boston again as Port Royal was devastated by a horrible earthquake in 1692. Thousands were killed, including Rebecca as she was resting inside the ship.
Chance encounter results in family connection
My energetic elder sister, Sheryn, was our go-to person for family history. There was no reason for me to even get into it, nor did I have a desire to do so. Then came a responsibility to oversee family history in my church unit, that caused me to need to know how to “do it,” do family history work.
I sought out assistance by going to the Ogden Family History Center in Ogden, where men and women dedicated to the work were busy doing it and teaching novices such as myself. One evening I made the attempt, entered the hallowed rooms, found a supervisor, and asked for help, and waited.
The minutes dragged on as I sat at one of the computer stations, staring at the screen, questioning my decision to try this. Suddenly a woman sitting at a workstation behind me timidly asked, “Can I help you?”
“Sure,” I replied, “I am a novice at this and know nothing, so I’m sure anyone could help me.”
This kind woman helped me sign into the familysearch.org website, then suggested we look at my family tree. She gasped after gazing at it, and in wonderful surprise said, “Now I know why I felt prompted to ask to help you. We are of the same family, having the
Many years later, the National Geographic magazine did a major article on the earthquake in Port
They found many parts of ships and treasures in their research.
same great grandfather. William had two wives, the first having died and left William with 6 children to raise, causing him to seek out and find his second wife. She was of Scottish descent. You are of the second wife, I of the first, and I have been desperately looking for information about this second wife and the 13 children she bore him.”
Incredible William had 2 wives and 19 children! Sheryn and Doris, my volunteer helper and 2nd cousin, later came to my house to share information about our Thompson clan. The key to bringing my family together
through family history became a simple willingness to humbly try.
On another occasion I felt prompted to turn my e-bike around and ride into Slaterville one beautiful Saturday afternoon. This resulted in a chance meeting with cousins, descendants of maternal Great-Great Grandparents Sylvester Lyman and Nancy Ann Shaffer Perry, which led to our holding wonderful family reunions on the Perry homestead near Slaterville Park. We joyfully shared family stories of prophets, pirates, saints, and rascals! Darrel Thompson, Ogden
Royal.
Joanne Fae Wheeler Blanch
COURTESY PHOTOS
ABOVE: Larry Blanch, Joanne Fae Wheeler Blanch, Verla Wheeler Murray and Colleen Earl pose for a photo next to a painting of Rebecca Rawson in the New England Genealogical Society Building in Boston. RIGHT: Joanne Fae Wheeler Blanch, Verla Wheeler Murray and Colleen Earl pose for a photo next to a painting of Edward Rawson in the New England Genealogical Society Building in Boston.
Family history stories
A poem about Grandma Rowlette
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there – L.P. Hartley
I never really knew her. Was just eight when she died.
But I remember the sadness and yes, I cried. Now, what is this? She stands before me with her gentle smile.
I don’t know what to say but maybe we can talk awhile.
Maybe I can ask the question that plagued my mother.
Why did you stay with him? When you might have had another?
So, I ask, what can I lose?
Why didn’t you leave Grandpa after all those years?
You might have had a different life. Were you plagued by doubts and fears? She laughs outright, something I never heard. Oh my, she says. It’s all there but you simply don’t see.
Your life is so different from mine. You might have made the same choices if you had been me.
I remember my brash, rather uncouth grandfather and shake my head as she begins her tale. My mother thought I had the perfect marriage, she says.
I’m sure I’ve misheard. Do my ears fail?
John wasn’t an alcoholic—like my father. And unlike my dad, he didn’t cheat on his wife. He provided as best he could and it wasn’t such a bad life. Didn’t beat me or the kids.
We had clothes to wear and had food on the table.
Of course, he had his own demons but he worked hard when he was able. If I had divorced, the children would have gone to him
and I only knew how to cook and clean. Besides, I would have been a “fallen woman” and most of the time, he wasn’t mean. You might not think he was the dream husband but our marriage wasn’t such a curse. Life was so much harder then and things could have been much worse.
Lorraine Jeffery
Uncovering a family secret
One of my earliest memories of my grandfather Sline was about baseball, specifically about our beloved Boston Red Sox. On hot and humid summer nights we’d listen to their game while sitting on the front porch. This is where the seed was planted for my love of baseball and later led to my discovery and sensemaking of a family secret.
My grampa was not a man of many words. Neither he, Gram, or other family members, ever mentioned that he had spent 11 years as a professional baseball pitcher in the early 1900s. After Grampa died, one of my favorite things to do as a child when I visited Gramma was to climb the back stairs to the attic where I found a box of old baseballs, each with hand writing on it. Gramma gave me permission to take one ball to play with after each visit. It wasn’t until many years later that I realized that the balls I let get waterlogged and eventually come apart from playing in the rain were ones that Grampa kept as
mementos of different important games that he had won as a “spit ball” pitcher.
Oh how I wish I had known that the balls I ruined had some significant meaning to Grampa, and ultimately to me. Surprisingly, the balls seemed to have had no nostalgic meaning to our family. No one ever spoke of Grampa’s baseball career except to tell me that, “he was a ball player.” Our family’s seeming lack of knowledge about the details of Grampa’s baseball career remains a family secret to this day. I learned a little about his career from research I conducted on every team he pitched for from 1905 to 1915 but so much remains a mystery.
This is a picture of a 1912 baseball card of him with the Providence Grays of the AAA International League. It was the only year that cards were produced for minor league players.
Rick Sline, Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus of Communication at Weber State University.
Research into ancestors brings exciting discoveries
Family history research is something I embraced when I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1965. It was tedious work at first because I had only a few family names to start, but as the years passed, technology improved, and familysearch.org helped me build my family tree into thousands of ancestors.
I believe that doing temple ordinances for these ancestors is a way to open opportunities for them to accept Jesus Christ and His gospel. Beyond that motivation, I have always been curious about my heritage, and I wanted to share that with my children, who are direct descendants of William Bradford, of the Mayflower. I
didn’t discover my Mayflower grandfather, William White, until recently. Through further research, I also found that my husband and I are distant cousins.
It is exciting to find hundreds of famous relatives, and I now realize how interconnected everyone is. After all, Christians believe our first parents were Adam and Eve. We are all cousins!
Not long ago, I got a text from a close friend that said: “We are practically sisters!” She had gone online during the Roots Conference to see if she was related to any attendees. It turns out that she and I share grandparents many generations back. That
was an exciting discovery! We now feel an even closer connection as family.
Another friend I’ve known for over fifty years also searched at Roots and discovered we are cousins! She was originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, and my paternal family came from Prince Edward Island, Canada, so our families intertwined at some point. I recommend family history to anyone who wants to find wonderful ancestral surprises. A few family names, birthplaces, and dates will start the adventure. Technology has opened doors to finding ancestors easier than ever.
Roberta Blain
COURTESY PHOTO
Sline baseball card
Finding history in cemeteries
Cemeteries are one of my favorite places to visit — it’s hard to beat a cemetery for family history discoveries. My mother (Dianne Whitelock Miller of Alpine, UT) and I have been to family cemeteries from Maryland to Delaware to Pennsylvania — even to Norway — collecting information to stitch our family’s story together. Our 2013 trip to Maryland’s Eastern Shore had united previous strangers who discovered on Facebook a shared passion for researching our Whitelock family.
In August 2013, having just completed that trip, I felt compelled to find the final resting spot of my mother’s grandfather, John Albert Whitelock (1852-1938), to thank him for keeping a personal family record which had sparked my interest in researching his family. We’d found his parent’s graves far away in Delaware after much searching, but I had never found his grave so close by in the Salt Lake Cemetery.
With the express purpose of finding his grave, I drove by “Park Platt” just north of the maintenance building, parked, and suddenly ... that purpose inexplicably left me. I decided to drive further on to visit
other family plots instead, driving right to them although it had been years. I then
circled back to my original parking spot, only to find a wind-felled spruce in the very spot my car had vacated.
After my brother and I did DNA tests, we discovered a 2nd cousin whose information finally helped us pinpoint the identity of our paternal grandmother. Seeing her photo for the first time was surreal for us! It wasn’t long until another DNA match gave us the name of our paternal grandfather. More photos, more stories, and a lifetime of questions finally had answers.
That year, my sister invited our newfound family members to attend an annual event we’d been attending for years — the Volkstrauertag German Day of Remembrance — at Fort Douglas Cemetery in Salt Lake City. What a surprise it was to have our aunts show us the final resting place of our common ancestor. Astonishingly, we’d been gathering as a family all those previous years at the foot of our biological grandfather’s grave.
Amy Burton Moore
COURTESY PHOTO
The first day we met, strangers felt like family as they explored family graves on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in June of 2013.
Since we last met
A look at the last six months for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
BY RYAN COMER Standard-Examiner
A lot happens within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over the course of just six months.
Temple information (dedications, open houses, dedications, groundbreakings, site locations and renderings) get the bulk of attention, but there are no shortage of interfaith, global outreach, humanitarian and other ministry efforts. Here’s a sample of what has happened since the April general conference of the church, according to various news releases issued by the church.
TEMPLES
Six temples have been dedicated since the last conference, bringing the total number of dedicated temples to 208. Those temples are the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple, the Antofagasta Chile Temple, the Auckland New Zealand Temple, the Farmington New Mexico Temple, the Nairobi Kenya Temple and the Syracuse Utah Temple.
The Elko Nevada Temple just concluded its open house period and will be dedicated on Oct. 12, while open houses and dedication dates have been announced for the Alabang Philippines Temple, the Bahia Blanco Argentina Temple, the Burley Idaho Temple, the Grand Junction Colorado Temple and the Harare Zimbabwe Temple.
Groundbreakings have been held for the Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple, the Natal Brazil Temple, the Tampa Florida Temple, the Vancouver Washington Temple, the Winchester Virginia Temple, the Lethbridge Alberta Temple, the Budapest Hungary Temple, the Lagos Nigeria Temple, the Benin City Nigeria Temple, the Singapore Temple and the Wellington New Zealand Temple. Groundbreakings are scheduled for the Fairbanks Alaska Temple, the Kumasi Ghana Temple and
the Cape Town South Africa Temple.
Temple locations have been announced for the Eket Nigeria Temple and the Chihuahua Mexico Temple.
The Elko Nevada Temple was noteworthy because Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo visited during media day.
“The Elko Nevada Temple will stand as a beacon, a place of peace and devotion and a source of pride for the community and our state,” Lombardo said.
“This temple is not only a sacred space for the thousands of Latter-day Saints who call northeastern Nevada home but also a symbol of the values that bind our communities together through faith, family and service.”
He continued:
“From the design to the artwork, it reflects respect for both faith and community. It reminds us that while the government plays a role in providing opportunity and safety, it is families, churches and civic organizations that sustain our moral foundation.”
Several government and interfaith leaders attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Winchester Virgina Temple, including Winchester Mayor Les Veach, Virginia State Delegate Bill Wiley, Shenandoah University President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Reverend Bjorn Lundberg of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church and Pastor David Young of Bethel
Lutheran Church.
Local authorities that attended the Farmington New Mexico Temple media day just before the open house included Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, Farmington Mayor Nate Duckett and Acting Attorney General of the Navajo Nation Heather Clah.
“I want to make sure that my support for the Church will always be there,” said Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. “[Promoting God, Jesus, prayer, and purpose is] such a good thing for our communities because that’s something that can last a whole lifetime.”
Speaking of values that having a temple helps instill in a community, Duckett said:
COURTESY INTELLECTUAL RESERVE
President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Wendy, exit the Syracuse Utah Temple following the dedication ceremony on June 8.
“I know what those values are: it’s hard work, and it’s dedication and service to other people and a lot of family values. And who wouldn’t want those people in their community?”
Added Clah: “It’s just a wonderful feeling and so wonderful understanding that when we listen to the prophets … they say that [the temple is] going to be opening doors to people, particularly Native people.”
The highlight of the most recent temple surge was President Russell M. Nelson at 100 years of age dedicating the Syracuse Utah Temple on June 8.
“This is the Lord’s house,” he said. “It is filled with His power. Those who live His higher laws have access to His higher power. God’s power helps us to grow from the trials of life — rather than be defeated by them.”
Interestingly, the Alabang Philippines Temple and the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, set to be dedicated on Jan. 18, 2026, and March 1, 2026, respectively, will be the final two temples to be dedicated that were announced by President Nelson. They were both announced by Presi-
dent Thomas S. Monson in 2017 and 2016, respectively.
All told, there are 208 temples dedicated, six dedications scheduled and 168 temples in some part of the planning/ construction process.
Meanwhile, the Salt Lake City Temple renovation continued to progress.
"The seismic upgrade has reached a major milestone; all the temple's weight is now resting on new footings and its base isolators, bearing-like components that limit movement during an earthquake," according to a release on May 28.
"The seismic upgrade project is now in its final stages, as post-tensioning cables are pulled to a half-million pounds of pressure from the top to the base of the temple and horizontally from wall to wall to reinforce the structure's strength."
In October 2021, President Nelson said:
"My dear brothers and sisters, when renovations on the Salt Lake Temple are completed, there will be no safer place during an earthquake in the Salt Lake Valley than inside that temple."
In a release on June 30, the church
announced that portions of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square were reopened after being closed for 2 1/2 years.
"Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors can once again access the lobby, the Garden Restaurant (located in the lobby), the mezzanine and level 1L of this stately building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," the release stated. "Other parts of the building remain under renovation."
INTERFAITH
During the biggest religious moment of the year, the death of Pope Francis, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints showed solidarity with the Catholic Church.
The First Presidency offered condolences on April 21.
“We join the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis,” the First Presidency statement read. “His courageous and compassionate leadership has blessed countless lives. We extend our heartfelt condolences to all who looked to him for inspiration and coun-
sel. As the world pauses to remember his example of forgiveness and service, we feel deep gratitude for the goodness of a life well lived and rejoice in the hope of a glorious resurrection made possible through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.”
Following the ascension of Pope Leo XIV, the First Presidency released another statement.
“On behalf of the leaders and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we extend heartfelt prayers and greetings to Pope Leo XIV,” the statement read. “This significant moment in time for the Catholic Church is a reminder of the enduring importance of faith to people everywhere.
“As fellow followers of Jesus Christ, we look forward to continued opportunities to work together to bless the lives of God’s children everywhere. May we strive to follow the example of Jesus Christ to care for the poor and needy, become peacemakers and create a world where faith and goodness can flourish.”
Please see UPDATE, Page 20
Elder Matthew S. Holland of the Seventy was at St. Peter’s Square on May 18 to attend the Mass of Inauguration of Pope Leo XIV and, as part of a gathering with Pope Leo and other faith representatives from around the world, presented another First Presidency letter. The letter read:
“Your Holiness:
On behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we send our warmest regards upon your election as the Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. This vital responsibility requires great wisdom, humility, strength, and compassion. Your lifetime of faith and admirable character leave you well prepared to answer this call to serve God’s children.
“We deeply appreciate our longstanding relationship with the Catholic Church and the many ways we have worked together to relieve suffering around the globe. We look forward to continuing our work towards a world where peace, human life and dignity, and religious freedom are cherished and protected. We share your commitment to follow the example of Jesus Christ and welcome further opportunities to collaborate in caring for those in need.
“May the Lord guide and sustain you as you embark on this weighty new ministry that is so vital and needed in the world today.”
In other interfaith news, two storage warehouses belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in North Salt Lake were converted to benefit the St. Mary’s Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. One became a worship space while the other was transformed into a kitchen, restrooms and a priest’s apartment.
Faith leaders dedicated the buildings on June 28.
The new spaces are a considerable upgrade from the roughly 860-square-foot one-room building the Ethiopian church members met in for nine years in Layton.
“You have been recorded in the heart of Ethiopians, and there is no one who can erase you from the Ethiopian heart,” said Archbishop Abune Timothewos, representative of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Patriarchate’s head
office. “If everyone followed the example of your prophets and saw things from a wider perspective, we wouldn’t have this worrisome world. When we have an open mind, there is no reason why we cannot have love and peace in the world.”
From Aug. 11-13, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met with a 13-person delegation from the American Jewish Committee, or AJC, in Salt Lake City.
“[You made] us feel like there was nothing else in the world you had to do,” said Rabbi Marans, AJC Director of Interreligious Affairs. “We don’t know how to thank you. The Jewish people needs its loyal friends at this moment in a way that has no parallel in my lifetime.”
Members of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met with His Holiness Brahmavihari Swamiji, head of BAPS Hindu Mandir Abu Dhabi and international relations for BAPS, on June 18. The visit included a tour of church sites, which included Deseret Industries on Welfare Square and the Conference Center on Temple Square.
On May 1, Sister Tracy Y. Browning of the Primary General Presidency represented The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the White House event for the National Day of Prayer.
On April 27, hundreds from various religious backgrounds gathered at the Salt Lake Tabernacle for an event titled “Sacred Music Evening: Many Faiths, One Family,” which was sponsored by the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable.
On April 24, about 150 faith-based communicators were welcomed to Salt Lake City for the annual meeting of the Religion Communicators Council, or RCC, by Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. The guests were welcomed in the Church Office Building and the event was hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at its headquarters.
HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS
A donation on June 27 from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in collaboration with Un Kilo de Ayuda, a nongovernmental organization, was given to “strengthen early child development in
more than 500 marginalized communities in Mexico,” according to a release.
The release continued:
“This project will address the needs of children under five years old and pregnant women who face malnutrition, lack neurocognitive stimulation and to support parenting practices. If not addressed, in time, these conditions can have irreversible consequences on the physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development of children, perpetuating cycles of poverty. As a result of this project, more than 44,000 children from vulnerable communities in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Mexico, Sinaloa, Nuevo León, Guerrero and Yucatan will be helped.”
The following actions are included in the initiative:
• “Monthly delivery of 3,600 proteinrich nutritional packages
• Iron supplementation to fight anemia
• Periodic evaluations of child development
• Training for caregivers in positive parenting practices
• Installation of play spaces to promote
Hundreds from diverse religious backgrounds gathered to celebrate the power of faith through music and dance on April 27. The event, titled “Sacred Music Evening: Many Faiths, One Family” was sponsored by the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable.
physical and cognitive development
• Improvement of access to safe water”
Perhaps the most traumatic and heartbreaking natural disaster since the last general conference was the flooding in central Texas where 135 people perished.
“To date, members of the La Cantera Texas Stake have provided around 4,000 volunteer hours of service to the community,” according to a news release from the church on July 29.
“Projects they have assisted with include professional emergency rescue, heavy machinery support, volunteer coordination, medical response, community support, cleanup including mucking and drywall removal, humanitarian donation gathering and sorting, debris removal and artifact recovery, animal shelter assistance and wellness checks.”
The church partnered with the American Red Cross in its efforts.
“Your contributions help us provide those wraparound services, meaning we provide mental health, health services, spiritual care, feeding any durable medical equipment that they have lost, through our health services. And then we also help them to find their next step in life,” said Sandy Hughes, manager of external relations for the American Red Cross.
On June 5, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson informed representatives from eight humanitarian organizations that the church is committing $63.4 million to “its global initiative to improve the well-being of women and children.”
That donation is up from $55.8 million in 2024.
Among the project’s benefits from 2024:
• “21.2 million children and mothers received vitamins.
• 1.87 million children were screened for malnutrition and treated if needed.
• 1.6 million mothers were trained in nutrition best practices.
• 219,000 pregnant mothers received prenatal care.
• 141,000 families received seeds, training or now have home gardens with more nutrient-dense foods.
• 41,000 people were trained in improved hygiene behaviors.
• 17,000 government health workers were trained to support maternal and newborn care, child nutrition, breastfeeding, and the administration of vitamins.
• 6,800 people benefited from im-
proved water and sanitation facilities.
• 159 newborns were resuscitated at birth.
• 125 health facilities were trained to track clinical cases of malnutrition and provide treatment.”
On May 1, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it was “collaborating with five organizations to provide more than $4 million in relief” in Myanmar following a 7-7-magnitude earthquake on March 28 that killed more than 3,600 and left an estimated 200,000 people displaced.
On Aug. 7, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it was donating $5.1 million to the American Red Cross “to support critical efforts, including blood donation programs (which are receiving equipment for new donor centers) and programs supporting sickle cell disease treatment.”
On June 19, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated to FUCAM, A.C., “Mexico’s leading institution in comprehensive breast cancer care,” which aimed to “support the training of eight national doctors in mastology,” and on May 8, access to clean water was improved in communities in Samoa and Papua New Guinea.
“In Samoa, the Church partnered with the Vaisigano Second District and the Samoan Ministry of Health to install two 10,000-liter water tanks at Sataua Primary School on the island of Savai‘i,” according to a news release on May 8. “An additional 206 water tanks, each holding 2,000 liters, were distributed to homes across the villages of Fagasa, Sataua and Papa Sataua— benefiting approximately 1,900 people, including 1,000 schoolchildren.”
GLOBAL OUTREACH
On Aug. 20, Elder Quentin L. Cook, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, met Argentina president Javier Milei at the country’s presidential palace.
“The meeting with the president was marvelous,” Elder Cook said. “We were quite frank with him that we felt like we have been given a wonderful gift in this country as a result of its dedication a century ago.”
Elder Cook was in Argentina as part of the centennial celebration of the church in South America
“We sustain leaders, and we want to have relationships with them, and we want to understand some of their objectives,” Elder Cook said. “There are opportunities, particularly on the humanitarian side of things, where we can work together. Doing good in the world is something we do because we love the Savior and follow Him.”
A number of church leaders, including Elder Cook and his wife, were invited to the Senate building in Buenos Aires on Aug. 19, and a diploma of honor was presented to the church by Senator Carolina Losada.
“We are celebrating 100 years of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina — a Church that has been an example of solidarity and of the values we all should uphold: Love for others, regardless of political views, religion or nationality, is what truly matters,” Sen. Losada said. “I thank you for your interest in our country and your commitment to growing your Church in Argentina.”
Camille N. Johnson, Relief Society general president in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, completed an 18-day trip to four Asian countries: Sri
Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Nepal. The trip ran from May 16 to June 2 and focused on ministering to women and children in need.
“I always leave an area feeling an intense love for the people,” Johnson said while in Nepal. “Getting to know them and understanding their circumstances helps me in my stewardship. I hope that these good members felt the love of our Savior Jesus Christ as we taught and ministered together.”
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was in Mexico from May 23 through June 1. While there, he met with government officials, including Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío in Baja California Sur and Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez in Mexico City.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles completed a 10-day ministry in South America in June, and Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles completed a 10-day ministry to the Philippines in May.
Contact Ryan Comer at rcomer@standard.net.
