Yesterday I had a cool, but subtle experience worth sharing. There is a new sister missionary in my ward/congregation and we share the same last name. We had a few minutes to chat last night so we tried to figure out how we might be related. The McBride name is neither common or uncommon in the Mormon Church, so you can often assume you are related if you meet someone with it. She and I tried to name a few ancestors but we couldnt find any common ground. She had her missionary-assigned tablet on her, and quickly pulled up Family Search and her own family tree. Within seconds I could see her whole family history. (Pretty cool!) But I still didnt see any familiar family names. But I clicked on one name from the late 1800s and saw that he lived in the same place that my family is from- Pima, Arizona. So we kept looking, but nothing looked familiar. So we pulled up the name of one my ancestors from Pima. We looked around but couldnt find a way to connect these two men with the same infrequent last name from the same small town. It was then that I remembered some of the family history stories Ive been told. Specifically the one about how there were two completely unrelated McBride families that settled that small town. There was the one from the pioneer stock that crossed the Plains, and the family that came straight off the boat from Scotland. (I feel really sorry for that more Scottish line. What a shock to the system that must have been to leave beautiful green Scotland and then end up in dusty Southern Arizona!) So Sister McBride and I took a closer look. Sure enough, her ancestor was born in Scotland and died in Pima. Our research ultimately proved that we are not related. But it was my first true family history moment, where it all meant something to me. For the first time the people were real and the history made a difference. She and I could have easily just assumed we were related, after all, we have the same name and trace our roots to Pima, Arizona. How many people could possibly be Scottish and come from Pima? (In this case, a lot!) In this short but simple exchange with her I found an appreciation for the new technology the missionaries are using, and how they are doing more than typical proselyting now. (For instance, doing family history work, teaching English classes, etc.) I have no doubt that while she and I are in the same ward together we will get asked a dozen more times if we are related. Now well be able to answer with confidence that we are not, and be able to encourage other people to use Family Search and learn their family history at the same time. Its not your typical testimony building moment, but it was for me.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 14:32:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015