Hannah, The Youth Speaker

Hannah gave this talk a few weeks ago in sacrament meeting. When we arrived at church, Brother Leidich shook Hannah's hand and said, "Are you ready?" For what? Oh, the talk she was supposed to prepare and give? Hannah says, "Yup!" And then she and I started scrambling and scratched out this talk just in time for her to be the youth speaker! That was a close one.

Last Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to go to the Detroit Temple and do baptisms for the dead for the first time. I was excited becuase the other times I had been to the temple, I could only go into the waiting room.

Recently, my dad has been doing geneology on my Mom's side of the family. Sometimes I go down into this office to help him find names. Tuesday night I was able to be baptized for 4 of my ancestors. One was my great-great aunt named Sadie Goldman. I felt happy that I could provide this service for her.

The temple is a sacred place where we can do missionary work for members of our family that have passed away or lived before us. I am grateful that I can be a missionary to them. Hopefully someday I will be able to meet these women in the hereafter. I can't wait to find more names of my ancestors, with my Dad, who need temple work done for them.

I want to share a poem with you called, "My Family Tree".

Oh so many branches
Are on my family tree.
Each one tells a name from
My family history.

Grandma’s there and Grandpa,
And lots and lots of greats.
Each of these fine folks gave
Me all my many traits.

Branches that are empty
Show names we haven’t found.
But I’m sure to find them
If I just look around.

Filling in the branches
Sure makes my tree look neat.
When I know them all, then
My tree will be complete.

I am grateful for the opportunity we have to be missionaries to our loved ones. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.