How to Do Family History Work

I had a funny thought one day as I was thinking about just how simple it is do family history work now. The following are two versions of a family history tutorial.

Modern Version

Everyone can do family history work. Just follow these three easy steps!

1. Log in to Family Search.
2. Search or browse your family tree for an ancestor.
3. Reserve ordinances when you see the green temple icon.

Nephi's Version

Everyone can do family history work. Just follow these 18 moderately difficult to life-threatening steps!

1. With your three older brothers, go back to the city that you left because they wanted to kill your father.
2. Have your older brother ask nicely for the plates that contain your family history.
3. Tell your brother to run when the owner of the plates tries to kill him (exactly how nice was he really?).
4. Convince your brothers to try again.
5. Gather all of your riches and worldly possessions you left back at your old house.
6. Offer the riches to the owner of the plates.
7. Leave your riches as you run for your life away from the men trying to kill you.
8. Get severely beaten by your two oldest brothers for losing everything you owned.
9. Receive divine intervention to stop the beating (keep praying for it and it will happen).
10. Tell your brothers to wait for you while you sneak and try to get the plates (don't tell them you don't actually know what you are doing) while you follow the Spirit.
11. Find the owner drunk on the ground (don't worry, according to the stories people tell, the chances of this happening are surprisingly high).
12. Resist the prompting to cut off his head initially and then proceed when the Spirit confirms you aren't crazy.
13. Put on the deceased owner's clothes (hopefully there wasn't too much blood on them).
14. In your best gruff voice, tell the servant to get the plates for you.
15. Head outside the city to where your brothers are waiting while trying not to say too much.
16. Call out to your brothers when they run away, thinking you are the former owner of the plates.
17. Grab the servant and promise he can stay with you if he doesn't try to run (lucky for you the former owner was a terrible person so it won't be too hard to convince him).
18. Go back to your father and mother in the wilderness with plates in hand.

1 Nephi 3-4

Doing Family History Today

Certainly, it is so much simpler to do family history work than it was back then. It's not always easy though. For example, the Hmong people don't have any written records, so Mee, my wife, can only go so far back and then there is nothing to do.

However, I think it is important to know that family history work doesn't just mean trying to find long-deceased ancestors. It also includes recording your history and the history of your family, including living relatives. Someone had to have written on those brass plates, and you truly don't know what benefit it may have to someone in the future. So if you find yourself stuck when trying to do work for deceased relatives, start working on the living ones.

Just some friendly advice for a Sabbath day.