1 Luke 2: 3 – Caesar ’ s decree was not only about ta xes, but for a census of the people. Records were vital to Rom e and are vital to family history. Without them, we have no way of finding names of our relatives to take to the temple, or to find out our fami ly stories. Complete a batch on FamilySear ch Web Indexing For a brief introduction to indexing, cli ck here Try the Picture My Heritage activity on the Family Search website. Luke 2: 4 – Joseph returned with his family to the land of his lineage , “ every one to his own city ” What would be the land s of your lineage? T ell your kids or a friend about growing up in your hometown, or about an an ce stor who moved away from where they grew up. Try the Where Am I From? A ctivity on the Family Search w ebsite Luke 2 : 8 – The shepherds ’ jobs made the ir visit to the Savior symbolic of not only His humble circumstances, but also His love and care over us , his “ f lock. ” Wha t are some of the occupations that have made an impact on the li ve s of you and your ancestors? Find and add the occupation of one of your ancestors on FamilySearch. For tips, click here With kids, talk about different jobs you and your an cestors have had an d play charades using those jobs as prompts. Try the Recommended Tasks section to start attaching records to find more about your an cestors. 12 Days o f Family History 1 DEC 2 DEC 3 DEC 2 Luke 2: 1 5 - 16 – T he shepherds received news from the an gels and went to search for the Savior. Searching for records can help you and others find new connections in your family tree. Search for records in FamilySearch. For a quick overview on searching for records, cli ck here G iv e your kids scavenger hunt clues to members of your family tree : you could use cl ues like “ Find an ancestor who was born in Germany , ” or “ Find a fa mily with more than 10 children. ” Lu ke 2:17 – When the shepherds found the Savior, they shared their story with everyone they c ou ld. What are some of the important stories in your family tree? Have yo u recorded the se experiences or shared them on FamilySearch ? Find and read some of the stories from your family tree on All the Stories Attach a story to Fa milySearch – it could be a family legend that has been passed down , Grandma ’ s recipe, or a special piece of adv ice from a parent. Click here for a guide on how to a ttach stories to your family Try the Record My Story activity on FamilySearch. This activity makes it easy to think of stories to add to your own FamilySearch profile, for generations to come to enjoy. Luke 2:18 - 19 – Mary pondered over her experiences, maybe in part to try to understand her part in everything that was happen ing. As we write and ponder our own experiences, we are promised greater understandin g and in spiration. These experiences coul d in spire others as you share them or pass them on in your personal history Take time to reco rd your testimon y, or a meaningful exp erience that has helped you understand God ’ s plan for you. Help your kids start a jo urnal or draw a picture about why they love the Savior. Luke 2:20 – We don ’ t know what the first Christmas really looked like, but pic tures can help us feel connected to our heritage and understand more what the ir lives were like. Attach a picture of a loved on e on FamilySearch. For a brief guide, click here Try the Compare - A - Face activity with your family. 4 DEC 5 DEC 7 DEC 6 DEC 3 Ma tthew 2:1 - 2 – While the shepherds may not have had far to go to find the manger, the wise men c ame from the East to find Him. Sometime s the search for information about our family tree is harder than others , but our perseverance is a way we can show our love to o ur ancestors and the Lord. Learn about more tips and places to search for records on your family. Try the FamilySearch wiki for region - spe cific help, or articles like this to get ideas. Teach your kids something you have learned about doin g family history work, or about Family Search. Matthew 2:4 - 6 – prophets foretold long before that Bethlehem w ould be the birthplace of the Savior The places of our lives and our ancestors ’ can also hold significant meaning. Try the Improve Place Names project on FamilySearch – it only takes a few minutes Try the All About Me activity with your family. Luke 1:36 – Mary ’ s cousin Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist. Their lives and missions were tightly connected. If you have a large family tree, yo u may want to begin researching your “ cousins , ” doing descend a n cy research. Explore the desc end ancy view on FamilySearch to find fam ily members who ne ed m ore research Use the Rel ative Finder to find out who else you may be related to! Luke 2:25 - 33 – Throughout His mortal ministry and beyond, many have struggled to ac cept that Jesus of Nazareth and the Mess iah are one and the same. One common question in family history is how to know whether to merge duplicates. Check out this article or this post for tips “ The keys are to be delivered, the spirit of Elijah is to come, ... and the Saints to come up as saviors on Mount Zion ” – Joseph Smith. Reserve a name to take to the temple Explo re the In - Home Activities page for more ways your family can prepare 8 DEC 9 DEC 10 DEC 1 1 DEC 1 2 DEC