From the Mission Field
When I Was Too Sick to Do Missionary Work, I Did Family History Instead
As I worked on family history for my deceased ancestors, I saw blessings for my living family too.
I remember the day when two men in fancy white shirts and ties came to my house. My mom decided to let them in, and they taught us the gospel of Jesus Christ. My whole family converted to the Church.
But being a member in Mongolia was hard because Christianity was fairly new to my community. I faced many challenges and temptations. Thankfully, my family was always there, encouraging me to live the gospel.
At that time, I didn’t know the difficulties I would one day face—or how my family on both sides of the veil would someday help me get through the hard times.
The Miracle of Family History Work
While I was serving a mission, I started to have serious health issues, including chronic pain. My mission president assured me that I had been a good missionary and gave me the option to return home to recover, but I didn’t want to leave. I had turned down a great sports scholarship in order to serve, and my family had sacrificed so much to help me pay for my mission. I didn’t know what to do.
While wrestling with this decision, my pain became particularly intense. I was stuck in bed for three days because I couldn’t stand. I wanted to continue serving somehow, so I spent those hours in bed doing family history work. I began sending new family names to my dad and the family history specialist back home.
One day, I received a call from the family history specialist in my home ward, and she told me that my great-great-grandparents’ ordinances had been approved and performed in the temple! There were no temples in Mongolia, so it was a miracle that it had happened so quickly. The Spirit came over me, and I decided right then that I would stay on my mission.
I jumped up from the bed, grabbed my companion, and said, “Let’s go teach!” He was surprised to see me standing. Only five minutes prior, I had been like a dead man—hardly able to get up to eat or drink. But suddenly, my pain was so small compared to my desire to help others find their faith in Christ. I knew that we needed to go share the gospel so that others could learn how to help their families too.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Connecting with our ancestors can change our lives in surprising ways. From their trials and accomplishments, we gain faith and strength.”
My life changed as I gained strength from Jesus Christ by making the saving ordinances of His gospel available to others through family history work. His power enabled me to complete my mission.
Strength on Both Sides of the Veil
Several years later, my dad passed away. He had become less active in the Church during his life, so I began working on completing his temple ordinances. My testimony of the plan of salvation and family history work has brought me comfort because I know I’ll meet my dad again one day. When I do, I want to tell him that I did everything I could so our family could be together.
Now I have a wife and children of my own. We strengthen our family on the earth by strengthening our family on the other side of the veil.
President Russell M. Nelson once said: “While temple and family history work has the power to bless those beyond the veil, it has an equal power to bless the living. It has a refining influence on those who are engaged in it. They are literally helping to exalt their families.”
Doing family history work together has kept my family centered on Christ. My children have so much fun calling relatives to learn more about their lives, and then the relatives become excited too! We have felt united and connected to all our extended family, living and deceased.
In the scriptures, there is a story about a poor widow who is only able to give two mites to the treasury, while the wealthy people around her donate all kinds of riches. The Lord teaches His disciples that the widow’s donation is worth far more: “For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had” (Mark 12:44).
The family history work my family does is small when you consider all the people whose work is yet to be completed. But I know that Heavenly Father will count our efforts to be of great worth as we do all we can to strengthen our family on both sides of the veil.