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<![CDATA[Family history has always come naturally for me.]]>
<![CDATA[I read my first census in the National Archives]]>
<![CDATA[when I was 11 years old.]]>
<![CDATA[I continued to have a passion for it for the next 60 years.]]>
<![CDATA[And I've locked down a system that works very well.]]>
<![CDATA[About six months ago, I was having]]>
<![CDATA[a conversation with a fellow genealogist]]>
<![CDATA[whose work I highly respect.]]>
<![CDATA[She was sharing an experience she]]>
<![CDATA[had with one of her ward members,]]>
<![CDATA[and I had never seen her this excited.]]>
<![CDATA[There was nothing profound or different about what]]>
<![CDATA[she had discovered, but she had changed her approach.]]>
<![CDATA[She described the process as following her heart]]>
<![CDATA[instead of her head, which allowed the Spirit]]>
<![CDATA[to closely guide her.]]>
<![CDATA[And she kept encouraging me to do the same.]]>
<![CDATA[I didn't give it too much thought for quite a while.]]>
<![CDATA[When I work with people, they really]]>
<![CDATA[appreciate my knowledge and ability,]]>
<![CDATA[and I couldn't see a need to change something]]>
<![CDATA[that I've been so successful with for so many years.]]>
<![CDATA[However, after several months, I noticed]]>
<![CDATA[that some of my other colleagues were also]]>
<![CDATA[having the same renewed excitement]]>
<![CDATA[about the experiences they were having as they allowed]]>
<![CDATA[the Holy Ghost to guide them.]]>
<![CDATA[And I started to feel like I was missing out on something.]]>
<![CDATA[[PIANO PLAYING]]]>
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<![CDATA[It wasn't until my high priests group leader connected me]]>
<![CDATA[with a less-active man in my ward]]>
<![CDATA[who needed help finding a specific couple on his family]]>
<![CDATA[tree that my perspective changed.]]>
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<![CDATA[As I was scheduling an appointment with him,]]>
<![CDATA[I had a very strong prompting that I]]>
<![CDATA[needed to let the Spirit be the guide from start]]>
<![CDATA[to finish with this man.]]>
<![CDATA[His mother had been searching for the names]]>
<![CDATA[of her grandparents for years, and his goal]]>
<![CDATA[was to find them for her.]]>
<![CDATA[As I started preparing an experience for him,]]>
<![CDATA[it was really difficult to stay focused on such a narrow goal.]]>
<![CDATA[]]>
<![CDATA[So I started to pull in leads that would very quickly fill up]]>
<![CDATA[the holes in the rest of his family tree.]]>
<![CDATA[While I was doing this, I realized]]>
<![CDATA[I'd forgotten to say a prayer before I started.]]>
<![CDATA[So I stopped what I was doing and prayed.]]>
<![CDATA[As soon as I finished, I had the clear impression]]>
<![CDATA[to search only for those two names until I found them.]]>
<![CDATA[And in spite of how frustrating this was for me,]]>
<![CDATA[I stuck with it and stayed committed to his goal.]]>
<![CDATA[When I arrived at his home, he introduced me]]>
<![CDATA[to his wife, who had decided to join us.]]>
<![CDATA[]]>
<![CDATA[I normally wouldn't have started with an opening prayer,]]>
<![CDATA[but I was determined to follow through on my prompting.]]>
<![CDATA[]]>
<![CDATA[As I guided him through the experience]]>
<![CDATA[I had prepared, with each step, he grew more and more excited.]]>
<![CDATA[After only a few minutes, he made it]]>
<![CDATA[to the historical records and found the death certificate]]>
<![CDATA[of his great-grandfather.]]>
<![CDATA[I had discovered this document during my preparation]]>
<![CDATA[and was really excited for him to see it.]]>
<![CDATA[On that document were the names he had been looking for.]]>
<![CDATA[And after he and his wife read them out loud, none of us]]>
<![CDATA[could utter a word.]]>
<![CDATA[The Spirit filled the room, and we all felt it.]]>
<![CDATA[Together we shared a moment of pure joy.]]>
<![CDATA[]]>
<![CDATA[After a minute or so, the brother]]>
<![CDATA[began to express appreciation for helping]]>
<![CDATA[him find these ancestors.]]>
<![CDATA[He did not think he had the ability]]>
<![CDATA[to do this kind of work, and he definitely]]>
<![CDATA[wasn't expecting to feel so much happiness in the process.]]>
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<![CDATA[I understood what my colleagues were talking about.]]>
<![CDATA[]]>
<![CDATA[This work is so much bigger than me.]]>
<![CDATA[]]>
<![CDATA[At the end of the meeting, I decided]]>
<![CDATA[we should have a closing prayer and offer thanks.]]>
<![CDATA[He turned to his wife, who said, "Dear,]]>
<![CDATA[I think it would be well if you do it."]]>
<![CDATA[He then offered a very tender prayer of gratitude.]]>
<![CDATA[I felt God's love for this couple,]]>
<![CDATA[and we now share a very special bond.]]>
<![CDATA[I invited them to meet with me again,]]>
<![CDATA[and they eagerly accepted.]]>
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<![CDATA[I believe that all of the skills I have gained over the years]]>
<![CDATA[are certainly critical and valuable.]]>
<![CDATA[But I have understood that choosing]]>
<![CDATA[to be led by the Spirit deepens my contribution]]>
<![CDATA[to Heavenly Father's work.]]>
<![CDATA[[MUSIC PLAYING]]]>
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