Book of Remembrance FAQs

This is placed in front of the FGR section of my Book of Remembrance. 

Sacred family records should be prepared by inspiration and as described in the helpful guide, The Priesthood Genealogy Program Booklet, a book of remembrance could contain the following:

Personal Records:  A personal record for each family member showing the highlights of his or her life.  Each child should be encouraged to complete his own personal record.

For your own portion of the family book of remembrance, write the story of your life, including the influence each child has had on you as he has come into your family.  This makes a nice gift for each family member to have a copy.

Family History and Biography:  Family Group Records (FGR) showing the complete families of all names listed on the pedigree chart and all temple ordinance work completed or in progress on the direct lines.  A good beginning for this section of the book of remembrance would be the Four-Generation family group records.

For a nice Christmas gift, make a family record containing genealogical information for each of your children and grandchildren.  Record all important dates and a brief description of important events in the lives of each one.

Pedigree Charts:  A pedigree chart showing the direct ancestry of the family for at least four generations should be placed in the book.  As additional information is gathered it should be added to this chart to complete the family record as far back as the direct family ancestry can be traced.

Include special letters saved, like the newsletter my grandmother wrote every year for as long as I can remember.  It summed up the year (each and every baby born) but also included memories, testimony, and love.  Reading ancestor's feelings about life binds a family closer together.

Sacred Personal and Family Experiences:  Sacred personal experiences which would be faith promoting for future generations.  Sacred personal and family experiences would include those faith promoting or spiritual experiences which have brought you and your family closer to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Spirit of the Holy Ghost will dictate to you which of those spiritual experiences you may wish to share with family members to help increase their testimonies of the Gospel.

Spiritual and faith promoting experiences could include the following types of principles, activities or events:

• Your personal testimony of the Gospel
• Your Missionary experiences
• Your conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ
• Inspirational experiences with spiritual leaders and friends (i.e. inspirational stories and experiences, great church leaders known or met, personal testimony and feelings about such occasions).
• Special blessings such as patriarchal blessings and father's blessings
• Church job/position related experience
• Interpretation of favorite scriptures (for instance I have collected scriptures about homemaking, my chosen profession)
• Personal and family testimonies of gospel ordinances such as Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, The Priesthood, The endowment and sealing ordinances.  Don't forget to ask the clerk's office for an official blessing certificate, baptismal certificate, etc.  These are great to copy and include in your book of remembrance.  (Include impressions at the time you were baptized, confirmed, gave a first testimony, attended a significant church meeting such as a solemn assembly, took out your own endowments in the temple, temple marriage).
• Personal and family testimonies of Gospel Principles/Personal Characteristics, (i.e.  Faith, Love, Prayer, Tithing, Baptism, Revelation, Hope, Reverence, Kindness, Repentance, Service, Integrity, Obedience, The Holy Ghost, Gifts of the Spirit, Patience, Well prepared talks, Understanding
• Write your testimony, not the formal type, but just how you feel now--at age 8, 14, 25, 40, 65, 80, etc.