Ground Breaking for the New St. George
FamilySearch Library South of the LDS Temple
At 8:30 A.M. on the Saturday morning of August 15, 2015, a grateful crowd gathered to witness the long awaited ground breaking for the new St. George FamilySearch Library to be built on the south west corner of 2nd East and 6th South, one block below the St. George LDS Temple in St. George, Utah.
The meeting was conducted by the St. George LDS Area Seventy, Elder Terry L. Wade and was presided over by Elder Alan F. Packer of the First Quorum of the Seventies who is an
Executive Director of the Family History Department for the LDS Church. Also on the stand was the president and CEO of FamilySearch Dennis C. Brimhall, Diane Loosle of FamilySearch Patron Services.
A large audience consisted of many community leaders including . . .
The meeting was conducted by the St. George LDS Area Seventy, Elder Terry L. Wade and was presided over by Elder Alan F. Packer of the First Quorum of the Seventies who is an
Executive Director of the Family History Department for the LDS Church. Also on the stand was the president and CEO of FamilySearch Dennis C. Brimhall, Diane Loosle of FamilySearch Patron Services.
A large audience consisted of many community leaders including . . .
- members of the local Inter-Faith Council, representatives of the LDS temple and Visitors Center, LDS Stake presidents and their wives and the many missionaries presently serving at the temporary FamilySearch Library location at 162 North 400 East, north of St. George Blvd.
 Dan & Angie Call |  Janice Mickelson |
CEO of FamilySearch, Dennis Brimhall After a beautiful musical rendition by Dan and Angie Call, and the opening prayer by Sister Janice Mickelson, co-director of the St. George FamilySearch Library, Dennis Brimhall was the first speaker.
He praising those with whom he works. He encouraged a family history method of first taking a journey of discovery starting with ourselves and from there building a family tree; an opportunity and discovery of truly getting to know and love our ancestors.
To assist in this effort a "Discovery Center" will be built into the St. George FamilySearch Library to offer patrons a marvelous and encouraging beginning in discovering who they are and who their ancestors were. Brimhall emphasized that this "Discovery Center" will be the first one to be installed outside of the Salt Lake Family History Center. The next one of its kind will be added in a Seattle Washington Stake Center and then, hopefully, followed by a location in London. Brimhall emphasized that this method of first discovering our ancestors and then building upon that knowledge is proving to be very encouraging and effective.
He praising those with whom he works. He encouraged a family history method of first taking a journey of discovery starting with ourselves and from there building a family tree; an opportunity and discovery of truly getting to know and love our ancestors.
To assist in this effort a "Discovery Center" will be built into the St. George FamilySearch Library to offer patrons a marvelous and encouraging beginning in discovering who they are and who their ancestors were. Brimhall emphasized that this "Discovery Center" will be the first one to be installed outside of the Salt Lake Family History Center. The next one of its kind will be added in a Seattle Washington Stake Center and then, hopefully, followed by a location in London. Brimhall emphasized that this method of first discovering our ancestors and then building upon that knowledge is proving to be very encouraging and effective.
Many in the audience were gratefully acquainted with the next speaker, Diane Loosle (over Patron Services for FamilySearch), from her outstanding four month stay last year as the temporary Director of the St. George FamilyHistory Library where she lead in the implementation of several new technical and leadership methods.
She expressed her appreciation for the dedication of those who give of their time and knowledge to help others discover their ancestors, and how she felt blessed every day to work among those who love this work and then help other to connect with ancestors in ways they did not even know existed.
She expressed her appreciation for the dedication of those who give of their time and knowledge to help others discover their ancestors, and how she felt blessed every day to work among those who love this work and then help other to connect with ancestors in ways they did not even know existed.
Elder Terry L. Wade Elder Terry L. Wade, an Area Representative for the LDS Church in the Southern Utah Area was the next speaker. He stared praising and encouraging words for the St. George area Inter-Faith Council for their "Caring more about people than they do about their differences."
Elder Wade then shared a special experience he had when he accompanied Elder Alan Packer to a Saturday evening stake conference meeting in which Elder Packer encourage the audience to go home that evening and write a brief paragraph about one of their ancestors and what they meant to them. At the following Sunday morning meeting, Elder Packer encouraged those in the audience to think about how they felt that day about that ancestor of whom they had written.
Elder Wade had taken Elder Packer's request to heart that Saturday evening. He shared his experience of writing a paragraph about his great grandfather, Jasper Carolina Wade, born in 1866. He had never known Jasper Wade personally, but his grand father had told him stories about him. From those stories, Elder Wade realized that he had learned and developed values from both his grand father and his great grandfather. This brief writing had opened a realization to him of the importance of getting to know his ancestors and how they had affected his life
.
Following this experience, Elder Wade decided to take his writing a step further. He added it to the"Memories" section of Jasper Carolina Wade in FamilySearch. He was surprised and pleased to find that other family members had read and appreciated what he had written and then added their stories as well.
He encouraged everyone to take Elder Packer's request to heart and actively follow through. He closed in reminding everyone that families are forever, and we need to do our part in making it an eternal reality.
Elder Wade then shared a special experience he had when he accompanied Elder Alan Packer to a Saturday evening stake conference meeting in which Elder Packer encourage the audience to go home that evening and write a brief paragraph about one of their ancestors and what they meant to them. At the following Sunday morning meeting, Elder Packer encouraged those in the audience to think about how they felt that day about that ancestor of whom they had written.
Elder Wade had taken Elder Packer's request to heart that Saturday evening. He shared his experience of writing a paragraph about his great grandfather, Jasper Carolina Wade, born in 1866. He had never known Jasper Wade personally, but his grand father had told him stories about him. From those stories, Elder Wade realized that he had learned and developed values from both his grand father and his great grandfather. This brief writing had opened a realization to him of the importance of getting to know his ancestors and how they had affected his life
.
Following this experience, Elder Wade decided to take his writing a step further. He added it to the"Memories" section of Jasper Carolina Wade in FamilySearch. He was surprised and pleased to find that other family members had read and appreciated what he had written and then added their stories as well.
He encouraged everyone to take Elder Packer's request to heart and actively follow through. He closed in reminding everyone that families are forever, and we need to do our part in making it an eternal reality.
Elder Alan Packer Elder Alan Packer, the closing speaker, stating that our need and desire to discover and know our ancestors is "strongly in our DNA. Families are meant to always be together." He emphasized that knowing our ancestors and learning of them builds our personal character as we glean from their experiences.
Elder Packer built his points upon what he called a "Bow Tie Principle."
There are two sides to a bow tie with a knot in the center. We seem to think of Family History as just about the past, about those who made all the records we are trying to find. "But it is not just about the past. It's about the present and the future. We will be their past. We will be the knot, the center" as we help to unite the family members from the past, the present and the future.
"One side of the tie will be a couple (His family is the example here). They will have a family, maybe 8 children. Then there are possibly 29 grandchildren (He also takes this from his own family). They are the other side of the tie." The stories and values from the past may help to lead them from veering off in different, negative roads of their time. "Family History shares a look at the past to shape the future."
Elder Packer added about his great, great grandfather who was the first bishop in the small town of Cannon, Utah in 1877. He was impressed to gather the records of his family. Elder Packer described those records as having "shaped our lives. His writing helped his children and great, great grandchildren."
Elder Packer stressed that the "Discovery Center" in this new building will be a place with tools to help us discover ourselves. It will help us in our own hearts and minds as we discover our ancestors. He emphasized that these discoveries "will help us to find the center of ourselves through the stages of our lives." In closing he emphasized that we can have an affect on the future for ourselves and for our posterity. "Hearts and minds will be strengthened through personal values that include our family history, and you will motivate others in your family in ways that will effect their lives."
Elder Packer built his points upon what he called a "Bow Tie Principle."
There are two sides to a bow tie with a knot in the center. We seem to think of Family History as just about the past, about those who made all the records we are trying to find. "But it is not just about the past. It's about the present and the future. We will be their past. We will be the knot, the center" as we help to unite the family members from the past, the present and the future.
"One side of the tie will be a couple (His family is the example here). They will have a family, maybe 8 children. Then there are possibly 29 grandchildren (He also takes this from his own family). They are the other side of the tie." The stories and values from the past may help to lead them from veering off in different, negative roads of their time. "Family History shares a look at the past to shape the future."
Elder Packer added about his great, great grandfather who was the first bishop in the small town of Cannon, Utah in 1877. He was impressed to gather the records of his family. Elder Packer described those records as having "shaped our lives. His writing helped his children and great, great grandchildren."
Elder Packer stressed that the "Discovery Center" in this new building will be a place with tools to help us discover ourselves. It will help us in our own hearts and minds as we discover our ancestors. He emphasized that these discoveries "will help us to find the center of ourselves through the stages of our lives." In closing he emphasized that we can have an affect on the future for ourselves and for our posterity. "Hearts and minds will be strengthened through personal values that include our family history, and you will motivate others in your family in ways that will effect their lives."
Co Director - Elder Michael Mickelson This special event ended with a closing prayer by Elder Michael Mickelson, co Director of the St. George FamilySearch Library followed by the multi-shovel ground breaking. Elder Packer invited members of the audience to also come up after the first ground braking to use the shovels and take pictures.
This new 13, 500 square foot FamilySearch Library building is expected to open in the fall of 2016. It will be a gratefully awaited and hopefully long time permanent location after the at least five or more previous LDS family history locations in the St. George area.
In a meeting for the press after the ground breaking, Elder Packer emphasized that the FamilySearch Libraries are open to everyone. Everyone interested in doing family history is welcome to come in to use the facilities and to get help if needed. FamilySearch has 4,800 genealogy centers in 132 countries through out the world to help and encourage everyone to to learn and to have a desire to know of their ancestors.
This new 13, 500 square foot FamilySearch Library building is expected to open in the fall of 2016. It will be a gratefully awaited and hopefully long time permanent location after the at least five or more previous LDS family history locations in the St. George area.
In a meeting for the press after the ground breaking, Elder Packer emphasized that the FamilySearch Libraries are open to everyone. Everyone interested in doing family history is welcome to come in to use the facilities and to get help if needed. FamilySearch has 4,800 genealogy centers in 132 countries through out the world to help and encourage everyone to to learn and to have a desire to know of their ancestors.