Activities for Sharing Family Stories

Share food, art, dancing, music, clothing styles, or traditions from where you live or where your ancestors lived.

You might celebrate the culture as a whole, or you might choose to focus on one specific aspect of the culture, such as music or food.

If you choose to host a large event, cultures can be showcased using booths, samples, performances, or presentations. You can help establish good relations with other segments of your community by including local government officials, other churches, cultural communities, or the news media.

Ask participants to come prepared with a story about an ancestor who is meaningful to them. They may want to bring an object to illustrate their story. Have them share their stories in pairs or with the group.

Afterward, discuss the spirit of Elijah and how sharing family stories helps build connections and strengthen relationships. You might ask questions like these:

• President Russell M. Nelson taught that the spirit of Elijah is “a manifestation of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the divine nature of the family.” Have you experienced this when telling family stories?
• Malachi 4:6 says Elijah “shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.” What does that mean to you?

Encourage the group to continue sharing family stories with others and to ask their friends and family members to share stories with them.

By yourself or in a group, try out the features on the FamilySearch Family Tree app and the Family History Activities page on FamilySearch.org.

Download the app to your smartphone or tablet device and use your FamilySearch account information to log in. If you do not have one, create an account for free.

Two of the activities—Find a Person in the Family Tree app and All About Me on FamilySearch.org—do not require an account or family history information.

Individuals who already have information in their family tree can try Relatives around Me and Map My Ancestors in the Family Tree app as well as Famous Relatives, Compare-a-Face, and Picture My Heritage on FamilySearch.org.

Share with others any interesting information you find, and consider sharing your discoveries on social media.