From the Other Side of the Veil: “Please Try and Help Us…”

I had an interesting, though not-as-dramatic-as-it-is-going-to-sound, experience on Saturday…

I had spent a week and a half planning to do family history work. But projects got in the way, and nothing came of it. Finally, on Saturday, I determined to sit down and just do something. Anything, really.

So I spent about three hours browsing around my family tree, trying to recall who I was last working on. With some good luck and searching, I found an individual who hadn’t really been attached to our tree. Then I found part of his family. They weren’t direct-line ancestors, but more like direct-line and over one branch and back down a limb ancestors. As I researched this little family, I happened upon an obscure-ish book about their family’s ancestry (on Google Books). It seemed like such good fortune until I realized that there was really a lot of tedious and kind of boring work ahead of me, recording names and dates and places, which took the wind out of my sails a little.

I had already been at the computer for three hours. My back was stiff, as were my legs. I had other more relaxing things I wanted to do. So I decided to push back from the computer and take a break…a break that might not end for days…

As I was wandering away from the computer, I had a thought. It wasn’t a voice, really. It was barely an impression. But the thought quietly came into my mind that seemed to share this:

I know this is boring work, but please try to endure it and find us. Please be ok with working hard to find us. Please don’t stop just because this is hard…

I didn’t know where the thought came from, and in fact, I didn’t really pause and ponder and wonder much. I just walked back over to the computer and kept working. I wasn’t really trying to be obedient because I didn’t think the thought came from anywhere special. I thought that I had just thought it, and maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t. I still don’t know for sure.

But over the next hour I found a number of previously unknown individuals who fit in our family and who had not had the opportunity to accept (or reject) the ordinances of the temple. Actually, it was one of the most genealogically productive hours that I’ve had in recent years. I’m really glad I stayed at the computer…

Here’s a small summary of what I’ve learned:

1. Bringing people to Christ is hard work, whether on this side of the veil or the other.
2. Bringing people to Christ requires patience on our part, whether on this side of the veil or the other.
3. When someone says, “I’m not really interested in or good at genealogy or missionary work or helping the poor” they don’t realize that most people probably aren’t, but if we leave helping people up to only those that are gifted at it, not much will get done.
4. Being worried about other people and really putting forth a lot of effort to help them is part of making your way back to Heavenly Father, and it is ok if it is a little hard sometimes. That is the only way that our experience will line up, even in some small degree, with the Savior’s experience helping us.

You and I can do hard/tedious/boring/frustrating/discouraging things…especially when it will bless someone else…

Be Encouraging…

BJM