In response to goals set by our local ward and stake leaders, members of our ward have submitted over 5,000 names to the temple over the past 12 months. Ellen and I have never previously witnessed a ward in which fellow members were so aflame with the Spirit of Elijah. In fact, over the past year, it has been catching and contagious enough that we started to get involved ourselves.
Recently, while preparing a family history activity for the Activity Day girls, Ellen attempted to complete her own 4-generation pedigree chart. While she was able to complete most of the information on the pedigree chart, she did not have any information regarding one set of her great grandparents. In particular, Ellen knew nothing about the parents of her paternal grandmother.
This was disappointing to Ellen because she has fond memories of her paternal grandmother, who she affectionately knew as "Ning Ning."1 During the first 6 years of her life, Ellen grew up in a small house behind the home of her paternal grandparents. With such proximity, Ellen frequently visited Ning Ning, who was everything and more that one would expect from a doting grandmother. Unfortunately, Ning Ning died when Ellen was still a young girl. Thus, while Ning Ning would certainly have known the names of her own parents, it appeared that the chance to ask Ning Ning about her parents was a lost opportunity, and that this particular set of great grandparents would remain forever unknown to us.
In doing my own family history research, I submitted a few patriarchal blessing requests regarding my direct-line ancestors who had been members of the church. In doing so, two common themes emerged in most of the blessings I received: (1) family history and temple work were not optional, and (2) unexpected help and assistance would accompany one's efforts to extend the ordinances of salvation to one's kindred dead. Moreover, most of these blessings were explicit that such help and assistance were not reserved solely for the recipient of the blessing, but also for his or her posterity. So my wife and I prayed that these same blessings of help and assistance would be extended to us as we participated in family history and temple work.
As we later learned, one of the files contained a 24-page transcription of an interrogation which US Immigration Officials conducted with Ning Ning upon her entry into theUnited States
As it turned out, the "stranger" who answered our longstanding questions regarding our kindred dead was none other than Ning Ning. In addition, Ning Ning's file contained never-before-seen pictures of Ning Ning when she was still in her 30's, decades younger than Ellen had remembered her. Previously, Ellen had not fully realized what a beautiful, vibrant individual her grandmother had been. Ning Ning's wisdom, patience and tenacity in dealing with US Immigration Officials during her interrogation was truly remarkable, despite the fact that she had never received a formal education, and thus was not able to read or write, but could only sign her name with an "X." Nevertheless, through her recorded responses during these interviews, Ning Ning provided us with unique and valuable information not only about her parents, but also about her siblings and their descendants, thus allowing the ordinances of salvation to be offered to many additional extended family members.
During this process, the beloved grandmother who died when Ellen was a young girl was now becoming less of "a stranger ... from a far country," and more of a close friend, who was working jointly with us to extend the ordinances of salvation to our kindred dead. Put another way, Ellen, Ning Ning, other extended family members, and I were given the opportunity to become "no more strangers and foreigners" with respect to each other, "but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God."4
As we have participated in temple ordinances for our own ancestors, Ellen and I have found much more significance and meaning in "temple work." Indeed, it has seemed much less like "work" than it did previously, and we now prize our own temple blessings even more. Finally, through this process, Ellen and I have bonded with and become more appreciative of other ward members whose drive and enthusiasm for family history and temple work was potent enough to jump-start our own efforts in this area. Indeed, we are most grateful that the Spirit of Elijah in theSanta Monica
Recently, while preparing a family history activity for the Activity Day girls, Ellen attempted to complete her own 4-generation pedigree chart. While she was able to complete most of the information on the pedigree chart, she did not have any information regarding one set of her great grandparents. In particular, Ellen knew nothing about the parents of her paternal grandmother.
This was disappointing to Ellen because she has fond memories of her paternal grandmother, who she affectionately knew as "Ning Ning."1 During the first 6 years of her life, Ellen grew up in a small house behind the home of her paternal grandparents. With such proximity, Ellen frequently visited Ning Ning, who was everything and more that one would expect from a doting grandmother. Unfortunately, Ning Ning died when Ellen was still a young girl. Thus, while Ning Ning would certainly have known the names of her own parents, it appeared that the chance to ask Ning Ning about her parents was a lost opportunity, and that this particular set of great grandparents would remain forever unknown to us.
In doing my own family history research, I submitted a few patriarchal blessing requests regarding my direct-line ancestors who had been members of the church. In doing so, two common themes emerged in most of the blessings I received: (1) family history and temple work were not optional, and (2) unexpected help and assistance would accompany one's efforts to extend the ordinances of salvation to one's kindred dead. Moreover, most of these blessings were explicit that such help and assistance were not reserved solely for the recipient of the blessing, but also for his or her posterity. So my wife and I prayed that these same blessings of help and assistance would be extended to us as we participated in family history and temple work.
Next, while we were still grieving about this apparent lost opportunity with Ning Ning, I received another ancestor's patriarchal blessing in the mail which stated the following: "... strangers ... will come from a far country ... and acquaint you (with) your dead. They will give you their names, ages, and birth places. And you will go into the House of the Lord ... taking them out of their prison. You will go through all the ordinances of that House for them." In response to our prayers and our efforts in searching after our ancestors, we wondered whether this particular blessing was one which might be extended to us. Might a stranger from a far country, such as China
The next day we received a telephone call from an administrative assistant at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) inRiverside , California
The next day we received a telephone call from an administrative assistant at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in
As we later learned, one of the files contained a 24-page transcription of an interrogation which US Immigration Officials conducted with Ning Ning upon her entry into the
As it turned out, the "stranger" who answered our longstanding questions regarding our kindred dead was none other than Ning Ning. In addition, Ning Ning's file contained never-before-seen pictures of Ning Ning when she was still in her 30's, decades younger than Ellen had remembered her. Previously, Ellen had not fully realized what a beautiful, vibrant individual her grandmother had been. Ning Ning's wisdom, patience and tenacity in dealing with US Immigration Officials during her interrogation was truly remarkable, despite the fact that she had never received a formal education, and thus was not able to read or write, but could only sign her name with an "X." Nevertheless, through her recorded responses during these interviews, Ning Ning provided us with unique and valuable information not only about her parents, but also about her siblings and their descendants, thus allowing the ordinances of salvation to be offered to many additional extended family members.
During this process, the beloved grandmother who died when Ellen was a young girl was now becoming less of "a stranger ... from a far country," and more of a close friend, who was working jointly with us to extend the ordinances of salvation to our kindred dead. Put another way, Ellen, Ning Ning, other extended family members, and I were given the opportunity to become "no more strangers and foreigners" with respect to each other, "but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God."4
As we have participated in temple ordinances for our own ancestors, Ellen and I have found much more significance and meaning in "temple work." Indeed, it has seemed much less like "work" than it did previously, and we now prize our own temple blessings even more. Finally, through this process, Ellen and I have bonded with and become more appreciative of other ward members whose drive and enthusiasm for family history and temple work was potent enough to jump-start our own efforts in this area. Indeed, we are most grateful that the Spirit of Elijah in the
1 "Ning Ning" is a Taishanese pronunciation for paternal grandmother. Because the vast majority of early Chinese immigrants to the United States came from Taishan County , Quangdong Province , China , Taishanese (a variant of Cantonese) was the most prominent Chinese dialect spoken in the United States United States , just as it now is in most other locations of the world, except perhaps Hong Kong .
2 The Chinese Exclusion Act is notoriously known as the only immigration law in US history which denied admission to the United States
3 These files are now known as Chinese Exclusion Act or RG85 files, and are stored at various National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) locations across the United States
4 Ephesians 2:19.
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| Ning Ning holding Ellen (age 3 months) |
1 comment:
Dear David & Ellen: I just want to say that you are a beautiful and wonderful family and your enthusiasm and successful dedication to search for your ancestors is a great example and motivation for all of us. What you have accomplished so far is so amazing! Rosario Jurgens.
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