Are you looking for easy and exciting ways to be involved with family history without feeling completely overwhelmed? Many people assume that genealogical research is nothing more than staring at dusty records and confusing pedigree charts. Fortunately, there are countless engaging, modern ways to connect with your ancestors that take very little time.
The embedded document below provides a fantastic list of 17 simple activities to jumpstart your journey. By trying just one of these easy ideas today, you will quickly discover how joyful and rewarding this sacred work can truly be.
Getting Involved with Family History Online
One of the best ways to start is by setting up a free account on FamilySearch.org. This platform features a massive collaborative tree containing 1.5 billion names and over 8 billion searchable records, while strictly protecting the privacy of living individuals. Once your account is active, try adding your first four generations.
You can also resolve the blue hints on your tree, which suggest new records and parents to add to your family lines. If you enjoy transcription, try taking a guided tour to get into indexing, or explore the various partner apps available in the Solutions Gallery.
Connecting with Your Living Relatives
You do not have to limit your focus solely to the deceased! Reach out to your extended family through reunions, newsletters, Facebook groups, or simple phone calls. Take time to learn your own family stories so you can confidently relate them to others.
You can also highlight specific family members on special dates. For example, celebrate their birthdays, honor them on Memorial Day for wars fought, or remember their marriage dates on Valentine’s Day. These simple acts help build up a profound love for deceased relatives in the younger generations.
Preserving Memories and Personal Stories
Digital preservation is incredibly important for your posterity. Take a few minutes to attach your physical memories—including photos, histories, documents, and audio files—directly to your FamilySearch account.
If you enjoy writing, try expanding a current personal history by adding maps, fun facts, and photos. You can even create an autobiography or biography of someone else by simply phoning them and asking a few questions.
Engaging the Whole Family with Games
Make this a group activity! Hold a Family Home Evening with genealogy as the central theme. You can find fantastic In-Home activities and games under the activities tab or within the Solutions Gallery on the FamilySearch website.
Temple Work and Spiritual Goals
Ultimately, the goal of this research is to provide saving ordinances. Work to expand your lines by researching backwards for grandparents or forwards for cousins. When you find them, reserve their names for the temple.
Finally, attend the temple for your own ancestors, or simply drive by and visit the beautiful temple grounds. If you ever need help, remember you can call FamilySearch support 24/7 at 1-800-406-1830, or contact your Ward Family History consultants. Take a moment to read the full 2-page document below!
You can also check out our previous post on using Storyworth Questions to help write your biography. To explore even more fun ideas, click here to visit the official FamilySearch Discovery page and start exploring your tree today!
