Goodly Ancestors

The Book of Mormon starts out with the line, "I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents…" (1 Nephi 1:1).  I have been focused a lot on my ancestry lately.  A few weeks ago,I was on familysearch.org and happened upon my maternal grandfather's life history that my aunt added to his memory page. So I took a few days and I read my maternal grandfather's 240 page history.  It was quite interesting and a lot of the stories I had heard before, but it was fun to read the first-hand accounts in detail. It made me proud to be his granddaughter.  Then I was thinking of all my other goodly ancestors and family members and contemplating on how blessed I am to come from such great lineage.

This month, I have spent most of my time adding memories, mostly pictures, to several different people on family search.  It's a lot of work but it's also been a lot of fun to look at all the old photographs and reminisce or learn about my ancestors. It's like a snowball effect once you get started, and you start branching out to many different people on your family tree.  

At this point I've added hundreds of photos to my own family search page, my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and other family members memory pages on family search.  You can also add documents, of which I've added a few.  Talks given at funerals, etc.  Each photo added has four boxes to add details – title, description, date, and place.  So I've added as much information as I know to each photo.  I'm sure I have made some mistakes but I did the best I could.  I would encourage anyone reading my blog to go on family search and if you don't have an account, create one – it's free – and start browsing your family history and adding any additional information you may have.  And correct any mistakes I may have made on the photos I added.  :-)

Anyway, I am just so thankful for all of my goodly ancestors and family members who have blessed my life so much and have taught me directly or through example to help shape me into the woman I am today.  I just feel so blessed to come from such noble lineage.

I'm at the age now where most of the major influencers on my life are on the other side.  I am now the oldest surviving member of my direct lineage.  It's kind of a strange feeling.  But it also brings a sense of deep gratitude to those goodly ancestors who have gone before me.  Gratitude for their lives, their examples, their sacrifices, and their influence.

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all my goodly ancestors and those who have influenced my life for good.  I would also like to thank all my living family members who have influenced my life for good, and continue to, and for their sacrifice and service.

Like the prophet Nephi, I have been born of goodly parents – and many goodly ancestors – and for that marvelous blessing, I am eternally grateful.

That's my two cents.