Sharing Time: "The Heart of the Children" (The Friend)

By Vicki F. Matsumori



Vicki F. Matsumori, “Sharing Time: ‘The Heart of the Children’,” Friend, Aug 2002, 36

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers (Mal. 4:6).

I wish I were older!

Have you ever thought that? You have heard the age requirements to go to the temple: you must be 12 years old to be baptized for the dead, and even older to receive your own endowment, serve a full-time mission, or be married. It seems like a long time before you are the right age to help with temple work.

But there are other things you can do right now, even if you aren’t old enough to be baptized for the dead, serve a mission, or get married.

In 1978, President Spencer W. Kimball told Church members:

“All members should write a personal history. …

“I urge all of the people of this church to give serious attention to their family histories … and let no family go into eternity without having left their memoirs (an account of their family) for their children, their grandchildren, and their posterity. … I urge every person to start the children out writing a personal history and journal.” (Ensign, May 1978, page 4.)

Why is it important to keep a journal and do family history work? President Gordon B. Hinckley gave the answer when he said:

“All of our vast family history endeavor (effort) is directed to temple work. There is no other purpose for it. The temple ordinances become the crowning blessings the Church has to offer.” (Ensign, May 1998, page 88.)

When you do family history work or write in your journal, you are helping to “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Mal. 4:6). As you learn stories about your grandparents and other progenitors (ancestors, forefathers), you see into their hearts and you develop an appreciation for them as real people—as members of your family. As you write about your own life in your journal, you will remember the Lord’s blessings to you, and you will provide an opportunity for your future children and grandchildren to see into your heart.

You can begin doing family history today by talking to, phoning, writing to, or sending e-mails to family members. You can find out about the things that are important to them. You can begin writing your personal history today by starting a journal. Write down the things that are important to you and that will help you and your posterity. (See Journal Page on page 39.)

You can live the commandments and be worthy to go to the temple when you are twelve so that you can be baptized for the dead. You can choose the right each day so that when you are older, you can go to the temple to receive your own endowment. You can continue to live a righteous life and be worthy to return to the temple and do work to help your entire family, including your progenitors, receive the “crowning blessings the Church has to offer.”