Family Tree of Life

"And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy."

-Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life

When Lehi tasted the fruit from the tree in his vision, he knew that he wanted his family to partake of it as well. He knew that the joy he was experiencing would only be more fulfilling with those he loved most. From Nephi, we learn that the tree represented "the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men." It turns out that the family is a great place to feel the love of God. Do you remember a time with your family that you felt that God loved you, that your soul felt fulfilled, that you'd found something special, that you would do anything to keep your family in your future?

"The family is ordained of God."
          - The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Thanks to the restored priesthood power of God, an eternity of family joy has become our regular course of thought. We may not think of this when the house is a mess, the kids are crying, the diapers are stinky, the food is burnt, the bills are due, the road is long, or the day is dark. We may not even think about our eternal family when the sun is shining, the house is clean, and everyone is happy. But, just like the green highway signs that don't always list our final destination, when we are following the easily discernible example of Jesus Christ, we will reach the end goal of an eternal family. And that brings a lot more joy to our journey as well. Like the Family Proclamation says, "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded up on the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."

This is a small version of our family tree. Since we have the restored gospel, "family life" for us includes our grandparents, cousins, etc. Even though there has been a lot done on our family history, or rather because there has been a lot done, we have lots and lots of starting points to look for other people who we can help connect to the family. With our big family can you imagine how many cousins are linked to our family tree?!

I know that the leaders of the church have talked about a lot of blessings from family history work. They talk about protection from temptation, blessings from serving others, and blessings from actings as saviors for these people. Well, I was reading an article that talks about blessings for the family right here right now! In the link below, it talks about families who know their history. Families who know their history are more connected and the kids are more likely to deal better with adversity. The article says that the best family narrative is one where there are stories about the good times and about the bad times. When the family feels connected to something bigger than themselves, they are more likely to take courage through the difficult moments.

I love you all, and I want you to experience these blessings. I want you to try it out! Take a look on FamilySearch, look at the hints on the right side, look up the tutorial videos, talk to a friend, learn the stories, try indexing, find the names, go to the temple, and reap the blessings!

Just like the tree described by Lehi, our family tree contains fruit that is "desirable to make (us) happy". God has given us family life where we can experience the blessings of the gospel, be changed by the power of Christ's Atonement, be strengthened by our efforts together, and become an eternal family.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html