Genealogy - I am doing it!

About a year ago, I started putting together family history information using the New Family Search website. I was excited to have enough information to do the temple work for my grandparents, but I realized I needed to get permission from my parents in order to proceed any further. For a year, I thought about it and dreaded the conversation - I didn't know how to even begin. I prayed to know how to go about it, but truthfully, I was afraid to bring it up. Before I knew it, a year had passed!

About two months ago, we were on our way to my parents' for dinner, and I again mentioned to Brandon that I needed to talk to my dad and get permission to complete his parents' temple work. I even asked him if he'd do it for me! He politely declined. :-) Still at a loss for a way to begin the conversation, I let it go again.

That very night, while we were visiting, my mom pulled up some program she had saved on her DVR about our church - an interview with two of the Quorum of the 12, focusing on the Draper temple open house. My dad (a WWII history buff) came upstairs just as they were discussing the controversy regarding the submission of Holocaust victim names to the temples, and asked what all the fuss was about.

I explained to him that some of the Jewish faith feel offended when we submit the names of Holocaust victims to our temples for baptism, and he said, "What do they care? How is it hurting them?" Exactly!

My heart skipped a beat. Feeling a gentle prompting, I asked if that meant it was OK with him if I do the temple work for our family members, and he said "Of course. I'm surprised you haven't done it already!"

Well, what do you know?

I do not doubt that this was an answer to many prayers. Heavenly Father knows me, and he wants us to go to His temples. I have a testimony of that.

So what did we do today? I loaded up my boys and headed out to take photographs of family headstones! Sound thrilling? Actually, we had a great time. It was a beautiful day, and we got a lot of really helpful information.

This is my grandfather's headstone:

He was an amazing man - I'll have to share his story some day.

This is my grandmother's headstone. Oh, how she loved my grandpa!

The boys were fascinated with the cemetery. Mason had so many questions, not all of which I could answer very well. Daniel just wanted to be in the pictures.

Here is the grave marker for my great-aunt Eileen and her husband, Art:

And Art's twin sister, Mildred:

I have all of this information (and more) entered and ready to go - I am so excited! I suppose this is what they call the spirit of Elijah. It is truly remarkable.