Creating Your Own Family History

So, as most know I am taking a family history class this semester. We had a group assignment due Monday and my group was presenting on family histories. My portion of the presentation was to discuss how you can start compiling and creating your own family history, and it was a topis that really intrigued me. I figured I would blod about what I learned. here goes:

I. What should be included in your own book of remembrance?
From the research and reading that I did I found that spiritual and ecclesiastical experiences should be included. This includes church records, inspired writings, testimonies, genealogies, and biographies. A passage from "Genealogy: The Book of Remembrance" reads, "Members of the church should be encouraged to make their books of remembrance a record of spiritual and ecclesiastical experiences as was done anciently. The book shoudl never become a catchall for miscellaneous records. Pictures, portrait pedigrees, and the like may be added, but nothing should detract from the sacredness of this record." It goes on to say, "A knowledge of written testimonies and spiritual experiences of family members binds the hearts of the children to the fathers and helps them understand the doctrines that pertain to the exaltation of the family." Now I know it said in the quote that miscellaneous records should be avoided, but I feel that there are a place for those things. My suggestion was to make two separate books. The one family history would be a more formal account of gospel related things and the other would be a "secular book" I guess. Something more like a scrapbook, for things such as family reunions.

II. Be guided and inspired what to include and record by the holy spirit.
In yours book of remembrance should be found the story of the family, especially the story of its spiritual life, written by inspiration. The language of inspiration is pure and undefiled. The Spirit of the Holy Ghost will dictate to you which of those spiritual experiences you may wish to share with family members to help increase their testimonies of the Gospel. Those can include, but are not limited too: missionary experiences, conversions stories, blessings (patriarchal, fathers, etc.). Personal characteristics; traits you and others have noticed, things like patience, integrity, etc. Also gospel principles; principles and doctrines you have come to truely appreciate and understand during your lifetime.
Remember you might not understand why you are writing these things down, they may not be for you, but for your posterity. "Men should write down things which God has made known to them."

III. Outline for a Family History: How it should be set up
1. Personal records - HIGHLIGHTS of each family members life. Kind of like a timeline
2. Biographies - A more detailed formal account of each members life
3. Sacred personal and family experiences
4. Genealogies (these are just suggestions, you can include as many as you want!)
- 4 to 5 generation pedigrees
- Family Group Sheets

IV. Start NOW!
What better time? The longer you wait the harder it is to retrieve and recall some of this information.

There you have it folks. Family history is bomb.