The Biggest Miracle: Peace of Mind

 

Columbia River Washington Temple

That’s where it all began.

It started years ago

 As a little family group,

Everyone helping one another.

It slowly grew from 12 to an

“I can’t imagine it” 78!

They focus on Christ

Creating eternal families.

Our world view expanded.

“Look what we can do!”

Before school, after school

Large groups of youth

Gather at the font of living waters.

Day and night, long lines

Diminish, as one by one

They accompany an ancestor.

Joining hands in a mighty

Chain that cannot be broken.

That bond with real people

To whom we owe our existence.

As we serve them, they are healed.

We learn their circumstances

Find their lives of labor and

From them we learn who we are

And where we came from.

Blessed now with a clear vision

Of where we are going.

That is the biggest miracle

Peace of Mind 

RootsTech2026: Four Disciples Teach

Four Elders in Zion conduct a roundtable.

They testify of uniting families that

Bind us and our family to the Savior.

It is “One Work”: Missionary and Temple.

Mark, Jorge, Massimo and Scott

Tell us these messages:

Focus on Christ

Keep it Simple

Read the Handbook

Use Family Assist

Get new members to the temple immediately

It builds a firm foundation and testimony.

This work is lead by the Lord.

He guides His Apostles who oversee the details.

Let us say, “accompany your ancestor,”

Rather than “take a name.”

We plant family trees in the wilderness of cyberspace.

From nations around the world, Isaiah saw our day.

The trees in the desert are watered with living streams

Flowing out of the temple.

We are fishers of men. Let’s mend the net!

Become hunters of the scattered

From every mountain and hill.

Find them in the hidden records with full text translation.

AI was created by the Lord’s inspiration to gather

His children from all four corners of the world.

The youth of today were born for this era of technology.

They hunt them from under the rocks,

Tombstones captured digitally.

Fishers and Hunters bringing forth hidden records to view.

Today, we gather “TOGETHER” all things in Christ.

We are anxiously engaged and

bring to pass much righteousness.

Even DNA discoveries are part of His plan.

The Lord is doing it! He is in the details

Building the Tree of Humanity

Binding families on earth and in heaven.

We are His children, these Four Elders testify,

In His sacred name, Jesus Christ, the

Son of the Most High God. Amen.

 

RootsTech2026: Reflections on Death

 Grandmother hands clasp little fingers

She knows the stories behind the facts

The ones foundd betweenthe dates 

Of birth and death on the headstones.

Honor her. Read and search the stories

In probate records and newspapers

From around the world.

Dig deep, look between the lines

There are stories in those spaces.

Names of children and their spouses.

Occupations, farmer to wealthy merchant.

Dates of earliest records to final

Distribution trace their lives,

Places, neighbors, and migration.

Happy moments filled with joy.

Moments frightening, imprisonment.

Scoundrel or man of his circumstances?

Dig deeper, yes, deeper!

Follow the leads in black and white.

Ancestor’s lives emerge and we see

A full picture of what one day

We might be

Those stories preserved for eternity.

Bob's Psalm

 

Ancestors

They speak to us through wills,

And birth certificates, journals

And marriage licenses,

To tell us what they did and how they lived,

Of how they fought in wars and revolutions,

Or stayed at home and raised

Their crops of corn and children

 

As we search and find the documents

That tell of great events and small,

Our eyes of love clothe these words

On dry and dusty paper with living flesh.

On imagination’s stage they dart about

With the burning energy of youth,

Or limp along on tired legs

Of pioneers who near their journey’s end.

 

I knew you not, but now I know you.

Your blood is mine, your struggles gave me life.

Had you not been, I would not be.

And as I resurrect the past

Through microfilm, CD and book,

I only pray that some day one will say

Of me, I knew him not, but I am proud

To have his genes within, making me

A little bit like him.

 2005 Robert E. Field

 

RootsTech2026: What I've learned today about Empathy

Is it DNA or Random Family Traits,

Culture or Circumstances?

Marlee Matlin has really got me thinking.

Now I am going to read census records with empathy.

I told a friend who is doing a one -place study

to be sure to extract that sanitorium/hospital.

But did I look for those gaps...

The silence in the records?

I've always tried to find the missing children

when there was a gap.

But Intentional Inclusion has opened my eyes.

What exactly did my family pass on 

from generation to generation that was

kept in SILENCE?

RootsTech2026: "Together" Part of a Team Effort

What's New on FamilySearch

 

I never considered myself to be an archivist,

but I am a record custodian in this

Soccer team Parable.

I'm not a professional historian,

but I am a memory keeper.

In 2010 I was a Census worker,

and Boy, have I taken photographs!

A digitizer, I'm not.

I've been a friend to Industry friends,

and my friends think I'm a genealogist.

Today at the "What's new at FamilySearch"

I learned that my old family letters,

my journals, all those photographs 

that I am custodian for,

From my mom and dad, now gone;

and my husbands mom and dad;

Add MY photos of life in California,

Tennessee, Arkansas, Kwajelein,

Guadalajara, Mexico and now at home

in Tucson, Arizona

What do I have: Stewardship over a 

massive collection hidden from view!

Today I learned that by sharing these

on FamilySeach I'll be forming a worldwide

collaboration with descendants of 

Generations past, users today and

Future generations to come.

And guess what?

The Era of Artificial Intelligence has

joined the team!

Now I REALLY have to run to keep up

With Technology, and New changes.

My normal research and documentation

procedures and worksheets will look

different. Am I up to This?

Yes, to guided merge integrity

Yes, to patron's interface with AI

Yes, to full AI text translation

Yes, to Collaborations with relatives

There is more coming from Labs to

excite and help this team effort,

Yes, we can do it

TOGETHER.

  

Relatives at RootsTech 2026 now open

Relatives at RootsTech 2026 now open: Expert genealogy research tips, technology updates, and historical insights from a veteran researcher and industry consultant.