Celebration of Family History

I was given tickets to A Celebration of Family History at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City. It was beautifully done. A ball of purple yarn served as a metaphor for the family ties that bind us together. I came away from the meeting wanting to further my own family history. The spirit was strong, touching our hearts. It was a call to remember those have gone before… David McCullough refuted the saying, “Gone but not forgotten.” He said the truth is that “If not forgotten, they are not gone. We remember them. We honor them. We must not ever lose sight of them.”
McCullough reminded us to “Read the classics. They stand the test of time. Each book is a journey, a hunt, an adventure.” He stated we are doing an inadequate job of teaching, educating our children. He asked, “How can we claim to love our county and not know its history?” He stated education belongs at home. “Teach History: The history of family, of county, of the world and of music. History is about life and time. History isn’t boring. Take kids to historic sites. Let them see you get excited about history. Share what you love. Attitudes aren’t taught—they are caught.”
He also urged us to keep a personal journal. He is the loss of journal writing is “a shame. It is a loss of working out our thoughts on paper. As we sit down to write, we get a thought, an idea, we would not have gotten otherwise.” He discussed the journal of John Adams—and other great men of history.
I send my gratitude to all who sang, who put together the beautiful videos and who spoke or helped in every way for a memorable evening. Thank you.