My Heritage

Today I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting.  Ironically last Sunday as I was wondering the halls with Spencer during the sacrament meeting I thought wow I haven't talked in church since I got married which was almost 13 years ago.    I guess I jinxed myself because I got a text on Wed asking me to speak. 


Just a few minutes ago I asked both of my girls if they were listening to my talk.  Jane said "yes" and then I said do you remember any of the stories and they both paused and said no. Emily said yes and then said something about Grandpa Dick going on and on about something.  So much for getting through to my kids.   So I'm posting my talk here 1st so I can keep a record and my kids will know of my love of my heritage and second so I'm not a hypocrite and do what I preached.  Share these stories. 




Talk given on July 31,2016 in the Eastridge 1st ward...

I’ve been asked to talk on “Our Heritage and how we teach and preserve it.” 

I started by asking my phone “Syri” What is the definition of heritage?  The reply was a rather long list of things like property that is inherited; traditions etc.  but the last definition given really caught my attention.  “A Special or Individual Possession”

President Benson in a talk entitled “Our Priceless Heritage” stated it is appropriate that we consider our heritage.  Or in other words our special or individual possession.  When was the last time you considered your heritage “ancestry” your most special or individual possession. 

Elder L Tom Perry gave a talk entitled “The strength of Our Heritage” . I love that President Benson used  “Priceless” and Elder Perry used  strength to describe our heritage .  Aren’t those qualities that we should all want to preserve in our families?  So how do we teach and preserve our special or individual possession called heritage? 

When you hear lessons about learning the scriptures what does it say to do…. Search, Ponder, and Pray.  I’ve often heard talks directed to parents that emphasize if you want your children to recognize the spirit in their lives you must help them recognize it.  I think the same can be told of how we can teach our children and others about their heritage.  First we must search out the people who are our ancestors, then we must ponder their lives and stories and third we can pray for their help in our lives and in carrying forth the work of God. 

I was very blessed to grow up in a family who cherished our heritage.  Often on a Sunday afternoon as Sunday dinner was being prepared my dad would thumb through ancestry  books that were compiled with many personal histories of  my ancestors.  My dad was amazing at remembering his and others genealogy and would bring these people to life as he shared stories he had read or had been told to him.   I grew up knowing these ancestors by name.    I obtained strength from their stories that helped me have the confidence to do hard things because I knew a part of their DNA was in me. 

For instance……

Hearing how my ancestor James Pace who as an early convert while traveling across the plains to Utah volunteered himself and his son James to leave his family and join the Mormon Battalion when the government called for so many men at a very inconvenient time teaches me the value of selflessness.

My ancestor Susan Ould despite her abusive husband’s hatred towards the church chose to be baptized a member of the church while living in South Africa.  She then had the courage to sneak she and her children out of the house one night and boarded a ship to America to cross the plains in a handcart alone with her 3 small children.  This story teaches me to be determined to do what is right despite resistance from others around me.

My other ancestor Jane Smith as a teenager crossed the plains with the Willie Handcart Company and survived to later get married and raise a family.  I know she must have suffered so much because accounts talk about many people in the company freezing to death,  starving and hopeless.  Yet in her personal history all that she mentions that she was part of the Willie Handcart Company but then goes on to talk about the good experiences she had settling the small town Teasdale in Southern Utah.  This story reminds me that there are times in our life that can be tough but if it doesn’t kill us it will only strengthen us for the good things in store.

I love hearing about another ancestor James Pace as well as Bart’s ancestors the Bartons who were part of the “hole in the rock expedition”  When they came to an impossible pass they didn’t throw in the towel and turn back, they looked at the problem (in this case an  in passable cliff)  and came up with the solution to get to their final destination.  How often in life in smaller scales do we face challenges like that?

I’m a decedent from William Morrell who served as a Bishop for over 40 years.  What a great example of patiently serving the Lord.

I’m also fascinated with stories about my Grandma’s Grandma Mary Williams who was sent from a small town in Southern Utah to Salt Lake for a time to train to be a mid wife and then returned and used her skills to deliver babies for the rest of her life.  Hearing about her selfless service makes me want to give of my time and talents more.

Another Ancestor Elias Hicks  Blackburn was given a sacred gift to heal others.  For the rest of his life people would travel from all parts of southern Utah to be healed by him.  He worked mighty miracles and was so well loved that when he died 2500 people attended his funeral.    Hearing his stories of healing strengthens my faith  in the Power of the Priesthood in my life as well as knowing spiritual gifts are given for the benefit of others.

My own Grandma LaWana Turner talk about her childhood on a farm with little more than just enough food, clothing and settler.  Yet she would talk about never feeling poor because she had such a warm and loving family.  As I was growing up I was always inspired by how kind and loving she and her sibling were to each other and all those around me helps me remember that the most important thing in life isn’t things it’s how we treat our family and others.

Now that I am married I’m intrigued at some of Bart’s heritage that I can now be a part of.  My father in law recently gave us a copy of a biography of his ancestor Ezra Richards.   I read a story about as a young boy Ezra witnessed his twin brother Ira fall down some steps and break his neck which resulted in his immediate death.   Ezra then watched as his older brother pick up Ira and carried him home to his mother.   Even though he never spoke of the incident again it appeared he took on extra  responsibility as if he acting for himself and his deceased twin.  While he was still young his older brother was also killed in a logging accident which his mother Rhonda, after having her second child die, became very ill and was never well again.  With his father Franklin D. Richards an apostle away much of the time performing service for the church Ezra and his remaining siblings assumed much of the responsibilities of running the farm in Farmington Utah.  Even with all the responsibilities and work he had of his own he was known throughout his life of being the type of guy upon hearing of another’s need would drop his own work to help others.  I hope hearing this story my children will feel the same sense of responsibility and hard work and service.

I know not everybody has access to their ancestors stories but you can still pass down your heritage to your children. Elder Perry said from his talk “Pioneer faith is needed as much in the world today as in any period of time”   Share with them stories from your own life.  You never know what they will be saying about us like we speak of the Pioneers.  Maybe it will be “They had such faith and courage to withstand so many evil temptations that were only a click of a button away.”

A few years ago my mom felt inspired to write us all a letter sharing her testimony of paying tithing.  She talked about when she and my dad were first married they both had well paying jobs and no children yet.  Despite what should have been an excess they found themselves in the red each month.  Finally she sat my dad down one day and very determined said “From now on we will pay our tithing every month”.  She then went on and described how not only were they financially blessed but other blessings have come into their lives since then.  Now in our family we often comment that certain blessings that come our way are “tithing stories”.

In Malachi 4: 6 it reads “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers.

We often think of turning our hearts to our fathers and doing our family history which is very important but how often do we consider that through the gospel ordinances and the plan of salvation our fathers hearts are turned to us.

Although I grew up loving these ancestor stories I didn’t fully understand the connection I had to them until I chose to serve a mission.

I remember sitting in high council room at the stake center surrounded by the stake president, my parents and my maternal grandparents.  The stake president asked each person to share some “last” thoughts with me.  My grandpa proceeds to go on and on about his ancestors joining the church.  My dad then proceeded to go on and on telling about his ancestors joining the church.  Being a little or a lot jittery about starting my mission the next day I remember thinking “Oh boy here they go again” and struggled to focus on what they were saying.  As I was lost in my own thoughts I remember specifically thinking “I wonder if my ancestors even know who I am?”    When my dad and grandpa finished, the stake president then laid his hands on my head.  I’ll never forget how I felt when the first words out of his mouth after he set me apart as a missionary were “Sister Pace I want you to know that your ancestors know who you are and are praying to the father in your behalf”.     

The veil is very thin Brothers and Sisters.  Our ancestors do know who we are.  I pray that we can do our part to teach and preserve their heritage.  I know we can have strength from the other side as we face our own individual missions on this Earth. 

 One example of this is of my dad’s cousin.  When he was young he took part in the church like most LDS children do but after High School he joined the army and soon became a “less active” member of the church.   He also lived in Teasdale where I grew up I remember going to their house a couple of times and being taken back from all the cigarette smoke.    Needless to say I never saw him at church until just a few years ago when I was visiting I noticed he and his wife sitting on a bench.  Being surprised I asked my mom what had gotten him active and she told me this story.  A few months prior his son was invited to take part with the youth on a pioneer trek  around Martins Cove.   His son was reluctant to go but said I will go if you go with me.  So he went with his son on a pioneer trek.     As many of you who have gone on a pioneer trek know the church has the  actual cove consecrated as a sacred place.   Because of this they encourage each group to be quiet so they can feel the spirit.  Well something that I don’t remember went wrong as the group was in the cove and the leaders in charge begged the director to allow their group to go again.   Permission was finally granted and my dad’s cousin and his son went with the stake youth group again down the trail to the cove.  I don’t know the specifics of what happened but my dad’s cousin had a deeply spiritual thing happen which involvedr ancestors and he left the cove determined to put his life back in order.  Within a few years he not only was active again but was serving as the Bishop of my childhood ward. 

I pray that as you seek to learn more about your heritage you can feel the power of turning our hearts to the fathers.  We are very blessed to live with so much technology to have easy access to not only our family history charts but also the personal histories behind them.  I love that you can now upload pictures, personal histories and other things into your chart. My great grandma Hazel wrote poetry and some of her pieces are there for us to read.  A while back my sister and I was flipping through our chart as was taken back when we saw a picture of my grandma as teenager that our other sister has her exact smile as well as my sisters son looked like a distant relative. It made me think what other traits besides physical are passed down.     I know these ancestors desire to be a part of your life and as you seek to know your heritage strength and power will come into your life. 

May we each see our heritage as Priceless and gather strength from it to help us in our own lives is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen