2. Extending families in Danish research - a Case Study

 An Example and Guidance to Help Extend Families in Danish Research.

There are many kinds of records that can be useful to extend information known about a person in Denmark, especially after about 1815. Major help comes from the digitization of records that have taken place over recent years. I use three main sources for this digitized information and use the parish records (a fourth main source) to take that information and try to extend it even further with details.

The four sources are:

1. Danish census search system provided by the Danish State Archives (Rigsarkivet) - the Dansk Demografisk Database (DDD)

2. FamilySearch

3. Ancestry.com

4. Rigsarkivet - Parish (church books) collection of scanned images of the actual records.

Finding Where Extending Information Might be Possible.

Look at a family in FamilySearch. I like to look at children in a family where not much information is shown, usually there is no death date and often no spouse listed. Here is an example I will follow in this process.

In this case, there are a number of points to note. First, with Peder Rasmussen, there is no death date given, being merely listed as “deceased.” Also, as you click on the name in FamilySearch, it shows some details including temple work and in this case, there is no sealing to spouse. This usually means that there is no spouse recorded for this person. If the SS is yellow, then there probably is a spouse attached, but not enough information provided to really identify that person (critical dates and places).

Also in this example I note that there are two children listed in the family named “Hans Rasmussen”. This usually means that the earlier child died young and the later child was given the same name, a standard practice in Denmark. In any case, it is good to look for death information for the particular child. Death records can also be useful in that if the person was an adult when died, and there was a spouse, sometimes the spouse’s name is listed and other useful information included to help identify that spouse. For this example, I focus only on Peder Rasmussen.

Research Process Based on Discoveries

At this point there are a number of options to explore. Digitized records can help a lot. Though since there are always problems in records or in digitization, you cannot count on any of these to bring results. It takes patience and a lot of time sometimes (also prayer). 

Here is what I did in this case:

When I see the actual details for Peder Rasmussen (with him as the subject on the FamilySearch page), I click on the 

link in the “Search Records” panel on the right. Sometimes I need to fine-tune the search criteria by moving the controls in the upper left part of the ancestry screen presented:

 -->  (change as shown)

 

This is my usual method, but sometimes a more general focus is necessary.

Look at the list presented in the main panel. Sometimes you are fortunate and find something right away. In this case, I do see a very good match (the 3rd one down the list):

Since we know that he was from Kirke Skensved and the birth year was close, we try this suggestion and it pays off, with death information and a widowed spouse listed. Click and hover on “Denmark Church Records 1812-1924”. In this case his parents’ names also match. It mentions a wife, “Marie Johansen.”

Clicking on the “View Image” gives an image (from which I extracted this and added notes):

died: 1898 21 June                                                                                       born in Kirke Skensved  son of

Jersie town and parish, Thune district         buried 1898  27 June      Rasmus Christensen and wife     aged 58 years

                                                                                                                     Karen Pedersdatter

                                                                                                                  married to Marie Johansen

Often, useful results are not so quickly found. Usually, I have to alter the search to include only death or marriage sources, for example you could do this:

Click the “>” for  “>Birth, marriage & death” to get the three options. Then click on the option desired of those three for that focus, but for this example it is not needed. 

Searching Using the DDD (Census Searches):  https://ddd.dda.dk/soeg_person.asp

When you search using the Danish state archives system, you need to know the county (or Amt) where the family lived. Peder Rasmussen lived in the Copenhagen area, specifically Roskilde county. I note here for this specific example that in some record sets, Roskilde is combined as being in Copenhagen (København) instead of as a separate county. I have not seen any other county handled this way. Locations take a bit of learning and patience. Tune (or Thune in some spellings) is a district in Roskilde county. The DDD considers Roskilde a separate county.

With that, this is my search for Peder Rasmussen using DDD:

Note that Amt = county, Herred = district, and Sogn = parish. The word Vælg means, “choose.” In this case, I chose Skensved parish (Sogn), but I normally do not choose a parish, leaving the search focused on the entire county. Also note in the name the “wildcard” character, %, which is a substitute for any character or set of characters. Since Peder is often spelled Peter, this makes the search work for either. I include birth year (Fødeår) of 1840 in this case, with an interval of 2 years (±). Census years are presented in a list, but you can choose “All Years” (Alle år). For this example, with 1845 selected,  clicking “Sog” for search, I see the single result:

Now click “vis alle felter” to see all fields:

Here we see his family in 1845!  He is shown as 5 years old in that census. “Deres Barn” means “their child.” “Gift” means “married.”

“Roskilde, Tune, Skensved, Kirke Skjensved Bye” is:

Roskilde = county; Tune = district, Skensved = Parish, Kirke Skjensved Bye = Town  (note that some place names include the letter “j”, which indicates a “yeh” sound)

Now, when I search again in Roskilde, I was not able to find him in the 1890 census, for some reason, but when I tried the 1880 census, I found:

which yielded:

Now I know that Marie Johansen was born (Fødested) in Ejby parish of Copenhagen county and was 34 years old in 1880. I can now search Ejby in the parish records for her birth record. Using her information, specific searches could be made in either FamilySearch or Ancestry.com. I choose to manually search the parish records. The age is sometimes off by a year or two, so I keep that in mind. This also shows that they had at least two children by this time (Rasmus and Karen), which I can try in later searches.

Direct Searching in the Parish Records

Since we have some fairly specific information, I go directly to the Danish state archives for the parish records, looking for her christening in about 1845/6.

The address is   https://arkivalieronline.rigsarkivet.dk/da/geo/geo-collection/5

The record form looks like this (with the first fields chosen, so far):

Each one of these five items shown here represents a set of records, all scanned images, not indexed. The best one in any search between about 1815 and 1892 is usually the one for Kontraministerialbog with the “Ny Scanning i farver - indtil 1892” which basically means that the records are of a more recent scan project and are more readable, but the records go only up to about 1892. For records after 1891 click on the one above it. In this case, we choose the new scan. I click on the plus symbol in front of that line to see:

I click on Fødte kvinder (birth of females) 1834 -  …  1852 which brings up the set of record images for that book.

The image scan appears with a directory list on the left side and other tools on top showing for navigating the scanned images of the book:

This particular book covers the years 1834-1852 for female births and christenings. The first page is displayed (in part) here. Since Marie Johansen was born about 1845-1846, we will need to go a ways into this book. I try 30 on the left and see if I am close. 

Image 30 brought up page 73, late in 1847. I will need to go back a bit to get to 1845.

As I go back page by page, I finally find the record image on page 68, image 25:

In entry 155 on that page, I find the best match and her name was Maria Johansdatter, born 1845, 19 December, christened (Døbt) 1 February 1846, and her parents were Johan Rasmussen and wife (hustru) Kirsten Pedersdatter. (Note also the green boxes by the image numbers on the left, indicating that those records have been seen already by me.)

Marriage Search (a manual search through the Parish record books)

I usually like to try to find the actual marriage record if I can, because that might give additional information, plus, it might help keep me from making an error in assuming I have the right person. Many names in Denmark do not vary much and assumptions often lead to mistaken connections with people of the same names. It is always good to find additional records to make sure you have things right.

In Denmark, people did not move a lot (except when they did!) and marriages often occurred in the birth parish of the bride or the groom. Since the family lived in Skensved later (1880 census), also his birth parish, I will look there first. The oldest child listed in that census was born in Karlslunde, so we might also search there. He was 9 in 1880, so we will start looking around 1870.

Here is my start point for searching in Skensved for the marriage. [Note that in these records, Roskilde is combined with København (Copenhagen) county in the parish records.] I clicked on the last item (plus sign), then marriages for 1848-1891

and found it on image 4 (page 305):

7 March 1868

I am pretty certain now that this is the correct Peder Rasmussen, based on location, age, and the death record showing him married to her. This example ends here.

Note: This process actually surprised me with how quickly I found the appropriate information. Usually it takes a lot more trial runs at such processes over time.

-  Joseph F. Buchanan  -  16 November 2025

1. Danish Family Research - Basic Information

As occasionally mentioned in my blog, I do a lot of family history research in Danish records. Over the years, I have written some guides to help in this work, perhaps to be useful for others. This is the first of four documents. The first is a basic description of the records and language issues involved. The next two use examples showing basic research and research where more detailed focus on the records is required (normal searching methods fail). I hope this is useful for somebody. The last covers sources.

Basic family research in Danish

What can you know about a person?

It is good to understand what records are available to tell you about a person. As you search for someone or look for a possible missing family member, it helps to know what records usually exist, and how reliable they might be. This depends somewhat on location, but usually records are quite consistent throughout Denmark over the years, especially from about 1815 onward. Before that time, records are still mostly available, but not as consistently so. Danish State Archives and FamilySearch are both good providers.

The most available and reliable records are the Lutheran parish records, primarily christening (birth), burial (death) and marriage records. Also quite useful and reliable are the confirmation records. Every child who reaches the age of about fourteen are confirmed. Often, the confirmation records include birth, christening dates, as well as parents’ names and birth/christening location. Often, the vaccination information is also included. 

Parish records from about 1815 through about 1892 were written as a main or “Hoved” book and a second copy, called “Kontraministerialbog.”  Of the two, I usually find the “Kontra” books more readable, but there are cases where I need to consult the “Hoved” records to find clarification, and sometimes, additional details not written into the “Kontra” copy.

For males, particularly between about 1792 and 1850, all are recorded in military records. These Military Levying Rolls or Lægdruller, trace a young man from birth until about the age of 30, every 3 years, and usually always show the name of his father as well, regardless of whether the boy lives with his father or not or whether the father is still alive at the time of the record. The birthplace and current age are always give as well. When the child moves, it will point to the next location and that next record the previous location.

Also very useful, but somewhat less reliable, are the census records. Generally everyone in Denmark were included in the census records for 1787, 1801, 1834, 1840, 1845, 1850, 1855, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1901, 1906, 1911, 1916, 1921, 1926, and 1930. There are some other census tallies as well in specific places. These records are particularly useful in connecting people in families, but are prone to errors in recording and transcription.

Also included in the parish records are the move in and out records: Afgangsliste (move out), and Tilgangsliste (move in). Depending on location, these show anyone who leaves or arrives in a particular location, along with the opposite place, and often includes age or birthdate, and sometimes other  family members or employers. These are less reliable, but useful in tracking people from place to place.

In some areas, particularly rural areas, probate and estate records (Skiftsprotokolle) are available showing how surviving family members are to be cared for. These are useful to connect families, but are quite difficult to read and are not usually transcribed for searching.

All people were vaccinated (small pox) starting about 1800. Sometimes this information (date and type, sometimes location) is recorded in specific records in a parish, but usually appears in confirmation and marriages records (if at all). This is especially useful in identifying someone with a very common name or if some other piece of information in ambiguous. Vaccination information was mainly recorded in the first half of the 1800s.

Though a person can be readily identified by a specific date and place, and connection to some family member, it is highly recommended that you add as many of these other sources of information and details as you can. Often you will find an unexpected other family member or an error in existing FamilySearch records. Because names are so common, especially before the later 1800s, many errors have been made in including or merging people into the wrong families.

Issues with names

In Denmark, particularly be for the later 1800s, all male children were given as surname, the father’s first name with -sen attached (e.g. Andersen, for the son of Anders), and for females, -datter (e.g. Andersdatter). Patronymic naming was beginning to be discontinued around 1870 and sometimes the child is recorded inconsistently for many years. Also look for abbreviations, particularly names like Johanne Mikkelsdtr (Mikkelsdatter).

Note that it is quite common for parents to re-use names. This usually occurs when a child dies young and parents will use that name on a later-born child.

Often, the recording minister or scribe used name spelling variations, often a “Kr” for “Chr” in names such as Christensen or Christian. Note that other like spellings appear, e.g.  Peder/Peter, Paulsen/Povelsen/Poulsen, Ibsen/Jeppesen/Ipsen, Ole/Oluf. There are some names which are different, but are very similar and often get interchanged. Examples include female names of Maren/Marie/Maria and Ane/Anne/Anna and Kirsten/Kirstine/Kristine/Christine and male names Christen/Christian and Anders/Andreas. Also, particularly in place and person names, “j” is interchangeable with “i” and “e” with “ø.”

The Ø is often also written as Ö, though usually the slash is intended and used.

Locations

The basic location is usually the parish, or “sogn”. This usually is synonymous with a small city or town. An area of towns and parishes are included in a district or “herred”. The basic regional division is the county, or “amt.” The term “By,” or “Bye” refers to a town or village. “Dom,” or “Domsogn” refers to a larger city parish.

Sometimes, the records are kept as belonging to two different parishes or places, usually where people are close to both places. Therefore, it is good to know the places near where you are researching and try those places as well. One thing to note about the people who lived at this time in Denmark, particularly those in the rural areas, is that they did not often move much. If you look at a set of people included in a family in FamilySearch and see that some members are born or live in one area and others in a distinctly different area or county, it is probable that some people were merged together that should not have been and need to be separated into separate families. This will take a fair amount of research to straighten things out. Unfortunately, because of the common names used, assumptions are made that are wrong.

Marriages and Children

The customs for marriage and child-bearing might make you question the dates given. The ability to bear children was very important to the Danish people, which led to children being born out-of-wedlock or born/christened at about the same time as the parent’s marriage. Therefore, do not be disturbed if the child was born before you would expect, and be sure to look for children for the couple before the marriage date. The records will likely include “uægte,” meaning illegitimate and the mother’s name listed first. Look later in the record to find the father’s name (e.g. “barnfader:” child’s father). In many cases, they do get married. Divorce (“fraskilt”) is rare before 1900, but does happen.

Infant mortality is a problem here, which is common for the time. In the records, there will be children listed without names, often with the word “dødfødt,” meaning stillborn, but we do not assume that the child did not take a breath before dying, so could have lived a short time. Sometimes you will see “Dodfodt” listed as the name of the child. Instead, the child should be listed without a first name. Rarely is a name given before christening.

Look at the other people listed in the marriage and christening records, especially for witnesses. When a child is christened, usually a woman or girl “carries” the child and sometimes, if it is a baby girl, that person’s first name is given to the new child. Other clues to unknown family members can be found in these names, and they can also be used to verify that you have the correct person, e.g. if you are not sure you have the correct person in the marriage, one of the witnesses might be a father (or uncle or brother), helping to verify your research, especially if that name is unusual.

Handwriting

Good luck. As is true today, there are some people with good handwriting and some whose are difficult to read. A particular issue with these records is the fact that there is an older style of writing in Europe where, for example, an “s” in the middle of a name looks like an “f.” The point is that you need to study handwriting types and have patience in trying to discern the names and words. Be sure to check other entries and pages to get the idea of styles of lettering used by the minister or scribe.

Remember the Reason

Know that people want to be found and the Lord will help. The Danish people were a strong people and god-fearing, but were pretty much controlled by the Lutheran church. Basically, everyone was connected to the church for all their life’s needs, literally from birth until death. When the Gospel was brought to Denmark, around 1850, the people who accepted the missionaries thirsted for scriptures. They were forbidden by the church to have their own scriptures, so they were excited about having the Book of Mormon in their hands. There was much persecution from their neighbors and family, but they were true, many of whom emigrated to Zion. We now can do the work for their cousins and family, years later, and the records are wide open for us. The Lord will help you in this great work.

- Joseph F. Buchanan

Laanjak@gmail.com

Is it so, or is it Not? Who Says it and Why?

Truth. It is such a simple and direct concept, yet it can also be troublesome.

I remember a funny saying I heard years ago that  "All generalizations (including this one) are false."

So much hinges on the knowledge of truth. It determines trust, confidence, peace and freedom, and yet it is the perception of truth that usually drives us.

One main point that came to mind as I considered this topic is that the enemy of Truth is Satan, the father of lies. We are sure that he is the author of most of the lies we encounter. My thoughts, however, led me to the idea that his greatest power is not the direct lie, but what leads us to doubt truth once we have embraced it. Satan's purpose is not only to feed us lies, but is to sow contention, distrust and hate.

Good examples of this can be found the scriptures. In my recent personal reading, I thought of all this as I read in First Nephi, chapter 16:

"38 Now, he (Nephi) says that the Lord has talked with him, and also that angels have ministered unto him.  But behold, we know that he lies unto us; and he tells us these things, and he worketh many things by his cunning arts, that he may deceive our eyes, thinking, perhaps, that he may lead us away into some strange wilderness; and after he has led us away, he has thought to make himself a king and a ruler over us, that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure."

This became the theme of Lamanite complaining against the Nephites for generations: "He (or they) lied to us."

Another word for lie and deception in the Book of Mormon is "cunning."  In Alma the story of Lamoni as he met his father shows this. His father sums up that same attitude and excuse:  "...  thou art going to deliver these Nephites, who are sons of a liar.  Behold, he robbed our fathers; and now his children are also come amongst us that they may, by their cunning and their lyings, deceive us, that they again may rob us of our property. ..."  Alma 20:13

I usually laugh at this one because basically he is saying that the Nephites are just smarter than they are and are using that to exert power over them — "duh,   we are just stupid! "

It appears that the easy way to prove a point and to vilify someone else and accuse them of conspiring to trick us with their secret "cunning.." This seems to apply to our desire to be rid of some unwanted influence, be it an individual or a group of political or religious leaders, or even people who stand firm against some thing we desire. Our fall-back response is to simply say that they lie to us, whether we have evidence of that or not. We assign, not only blame, but also intent or deliberate deception, onto the actions or policies of others. Calling someone a liar is an act of judgement of someone else.  In making such a judgement and attempting to convince others of that judgement goes against what the Savior said about not judging others.

I see that some distrust authority saying that such leaders are using their position and knowledge to just keep us blindly in their power and that we should rebel against it. I see that in politics and also in those who disaffect themselves from the faith.

My concern is about what such an attitude leads people to do. Usually it tears them away from the good that they once had, based entirely on a deception given them concerning their previous conviction.

Of course, it is important to be sure we are not being purposely deceived or misled by those in authority. It is not wrong to have questions. The trouble comes when we start to believe reports or narratives which present what is purported as fact when really it is yet another agenda based on either outright falsehood, or more often, only partial truth, mixed with some deliberate tiny lies. Many times, the distrust sown by these questioners is based on some new or obscure historical "fact." Often, such reports of history have a fair amount of truth, but are interpreted such that they cause others to seriously question everything they previously held and committed themselves to as truth.

Whom do you trust?

Basically, in my experience and understanding, there is really only one source of this Truth. The struggle comes when we turn to God for the truth and feel silence. Often that comes because of some aspect of ourselves that is not in harmony with the nature of our Heavenly Father. None of us are sinless, but if we are not trying to overcome our frailties, not trying to work to live closer to the Spirit, we cannot expect to easily receive answers and truth.  We are expected to do serious work in preparing ourselves and putting our minds in a place where God can speak to us, or even understand how to hear His counsel. The wonderful thing is when those moments of  unexpected clarity come as we just try to make that effort. He doesn't wait until we are perfect or nearly so. He really wants us to know and be sure.

I really believe that the main trouble with the current trend of mistrust and fear comes with the lack of patience necessary to trust that the Lord will direct His people in His own timeline. In that patience, we must not let that mistrust and question of truth lead to meanness and hate. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to hope that others are not as bad as they seem, instead of vilifying them as absolute enemies to be fought at all costs. When we have deep fear, we tend to put up barriers that never lead to any kind of reconciliation. What we really need now, both in the political and the religious arena is patience, compassion and hope, trusting that good will win out. For our part, kindness and respect is needed.

Dealing with Disorder

 I wrote this article a few weeks ago and pondered on whether I ought to post it,           or not.

As I summarized my difficulties dealing with disorder and frustrations of life, I pondered the concept of adversity being trivialized by these minor irritations when so many have to deal with serious issues. What right have I to complain?

Then, last Sunday in our Gospel Doctrine class, the teacher was summarizing the deep anxiety experienced by the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Saints of Missouri and why must they suffer so. I even mentioned my own great-grandfather, who as a child of about 8 years endured the expulsion from Missouri to Illinois where his own father perished in the process. Why the adversity? To gain experience and be better for it? Yes, of course, but in the discussion I brought up the issue of dealing with our own minor frustrations, becoming angry and distracted from what is important. She said that those issues are also real.

So, with all that, here it goes....

- . - . -- . - . - . - . - . - .         .                        .

Dealing with Disorder

I have joked in my well-known and odd humor that "entropy is not what it used to be," (refering to randomness). At times, I have also commented on how life seems to sometimes be a constant war between friction and gravity (meaning that things stick or drop with little predictability). What my esoteric attempts to be funny really hide is my innate dislike of disorder and randomness which results in my reaction to the unexpected. It is an obsession and a compulsion. I want entropy to stop, and get upset at my inability to avoid the inevitable stubbed toe of life.

No one is to blame, usually, but that makes it even worse. When it is unfair, it helps to convict someone else for their meanness. I am not mad at anyone, so that is not sin. After all, if I get angry at myself, who does it hurt?

Deep down, within me, it becomes a spirit of contention.

The Lord makes it clear that those feelings are not from Him:

"For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another." - 3 Nephi 11:29 

Basically, I am stirring up my own heart as I choose to react to my ordinary missteps and the random inconveniences around me.

How can I change? I have consciously, but more often unconsciously, been dealing with this dilemma my whole life.

It is probably this lifetime struggle that prompted me to embrace a scripture, becoming my favorite. It was introduced to me by my semimary teacher many years ago, Keith Perkins, at Granite High school as a senior. It reads:

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean on unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes. Depart from evil."  Proverbs 3:5-7

It is not that I DO trust in the Lord that this is my favorite scripture. Quite the contrary, it is because I generally DO NOT trust Him and trip through life condemning random events and try to analyze life's many crooked paths. I don't "acknowledge Him" and don't let Him "direct my paths."

At times, I think about the promise of that day when Satan will be bound and we no longer are tossed about and tempted, and suffer from the bad stuff others inflict upon us. Recently, though, I asked myself whether this random unpredictability of life will be part of what goes away at His coming. That shook me up. We know that we will live in the Millenium with peace and that contention which comes from the devil will be done away, but will we nonetheless live our lives, interacting with others and with "nature," and not suffer from ailments, death and temptation and Satan's incessant twists, and does that mean that the accidental dropping of the fork to the floor, or the tripping on the rug will also never happen again? (Nor will we be made to suffer from extreme run-on sentences?) Will the winds of life not blow that paper off my desk again for one thousand years?

Of course these examples are intentionally silly. Still, it is those things that push me into my angry reactions at times.

Maybe the change that comes — even now, not necessarily waiting for the Savior to come again — must be made within me. What can be done to change the way I react to random, distressing, unplanned, unexpected, annoying, infuriating, unfair, entropic, ...  life?

The Lord has promised to "wipe away tears from all faces" (Isaiah 25:8, see also Rev. 7:17 and Rev. 21:4). I am now thinking that perhaps that wiping away of tears involves a change within me that brings those tears to my eyes in the first place. Of course, I do not speak of those real effects of life that bring tears. I mean my own perceptions of life's unfairness that bring disproportional reactions in me. Sometimes the scriptures refer to this as "kicking against the pricks" (e.g. Acts 9:5).

Breathe in, breathe out, calm down. These are such nice words but often are the worst things I want to hear at the moment of distress. What temperance can I learn?

Actually, in a recent conference address I was impressed by the topic of temperance given by Elder Ulisses Soares a few weeks ago. He said, "... cultivating temperance is a meaningful way to protect our souls against the subtle yet constant spiritual erosion caused by worldly influences that can weaken our foundation in Jesus Christ." - Elder Ulisses Soares, October 2025 General Conference

Worldly influences — that fairly well describes what I have summarized here. Considering the world, I also remember reading how the three Nephites were not affected by the world: " the powers of the earth could not hold them," and I wondered what that might have been (see 3 Nephi 29:39). Is that what the Millennium will be like for us? Will the winds not blow the paper off the desk? Will that tissue always land in the rubbish bin when tossed?

I hope to have the effects of the world not hold me, but now perhaps I need to learn how to not let these effects affect me. For that, I need to trust in the Lord and let Him change me so that such insignificant things do not turn my soul away from His redeeming love by my becoming angry.

I am sure that is the answer. It is the Lord who can tame that animal within me that reacts to life's stings, whether they are Satan's attempts to foil me or just some random wind of fate. Either way, my response is key. I pray that the Lord can make me better than I am and trust in Him to lift me above the powers of the earth. I cannot do this by myself. With the grace of my Savior Jesus Christ all things are possible.

 - jfb

Christlike attrubute: Charity and Love

This is a talk I prepared and delivered in church last Sunday. I thought I would share it. It gave me a lot to think about, also requiring a lot of introspection for me. I really needed this as well.

-------------------------------------------------

 First, I will talk about how well we know ourselves. 

This goes way beyond standing in front of the mirror and wondering about uneven eyebrows. I mean a self study of what motivates us in life and our spiritual health.

Why do we do what we do in the Gospel?

As we get to the point that we are doing what we do because of our love for our Heavenly Father and Jesus, we come closer to becoming perfected.

I refer mainly to the address by Elder Holland in October 2024 conference - "I am He"

a few points he makes (quoted from the address):

•"... His ultimate defining virtue, His love"

•"And what He actually said was, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” On that same evening, He said we were to “love one another; as I have loved you."

•"So we try to love— with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—because that is the way He loves us."

• (another ) " characteristic of Jesus’s divine charity was His obedience to every word that proceeded from God’s mouth, always aligning His will and behavior with that of His Heavenly Father."

We see this Christlike attribute of love and charity in the example given at the beginning of Elder Holland's words.

"As the soldiers approached, Jesus, in an effort to protect His disciples, stepped forth and said, “Whom seek ye?” They replied, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said, “I am he. . . . As soon . . .

as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.”"

Jesus, as he confronted the arresting force - He met them in love — love for his disciples and even patience (that comes from love) in his approach to the arresdting force. He had love and confidence. That with his divine power astonished the men. How could it have been in a modern scenerio?

review the scenario - not a confrontation, but a peaceful showing of acknowledgement and love...

This differs greatly from stories we usually see or hear:

[crime shows where arresting forces confront villians]

[line in the sand, Captain Cook on Motuarohia Island]

How do we approach our Gospel-related activities?

We act for various reasons and motivations: hope for reward, tradition, status, fear of consequences, guilt, respect for a parent or leader, for praise or recognition.  While these do instill such acts of obedience, service and devotion, until they come from a heartfelt love of God, they will not carry us to the end — we will not be able to endure.

It is an ongoing process, an adventure of learning, of awareness of our ability to love and finding that to be our true motivation, why do we do what we do?

As we accompish things in the Gospel, such as church attendance, tithing, Word of Wisdom, proper choices in the commandments and efforts to serve in the church and temple, be grateful for whatever motivation brought you to this point. They are wonderful. As we become more loving of God and the Saviour, and trust in their love, we build on these motivations to embrace more genuine motivations. We do them out of love and with love that we learn from our Father in Heaven. As we have then moved ahead beyond what motivated us originally, it becomes more likely that we will grow spiritually and in heavenly joy and less likely to complain, judge others, lose traction in the Gospel and become offended.

An example of motivation based on the feelings of the spirit comes from our mission in Salt Lake. One of our sister missionaries serving with us came from West Virginia and had only recently become a member of the church. She was raised in the "Bible belt." She attended bible camps as a youth. While she was at college, she met members of the church and missionaries and received lessons, but did not get to the point of baptism. She still felt something special. After returning home in the summer, she was attending another bible camp and thought to ask the Baptist minister a question that was on her mind. Having felt the spirit as she was taught and attended meetings back in college, she asked the minister how often he felt the Spirit. His reply was that he felt the spirit "once or twice a year." This astounded her. Why not much more as a minister. She learned what the restored Gospel brought to her and joined the church soon afterwards and then came to Utah serving a mission.

The Spirit is a good motivation. It depends on what we do to bring and keep the Spirit with us.

By basing our obedience and choices in the church on a true divine love, we can weather the storms of life that might pull us away from our involvement in the Gospel. 

Elder Holland states: "Jesus was “a man of sorrows,” the scriptures say. He experienced sadness, fatigue, disappointment, and excruciating loneliness. In these and in all times, Jesus’s love faileth not, and neither does His Father’s. With such mature love—the kind that exemplifies, empowers, and imparts—ours will not fail either."

What is it that we can do to go beyond our initial motivations and develop a true love of God as our motivation?

thoughts:

(Learned from temple visit)  As we enter into and are faithful to our covenants, we become more like our Heavenly Father and Jesus.

That is so important: we bind ourselves to Him. He then lifts us as we trust Him.

One way to strengthen that covenental power is to review our spiritual strength. A lot of this comes from the standard efforts: Prayer, regular Scripture study and church and temple attendance. Also key is to review the words of the apostles and prophets, especially from recent conference addresses.

Here are some examples (mostly from April 2024 conference):

Spiritual momentum - Elder Renlund (Apr 2024) and Pres Nelson "We become vulnerable when we slow down and especially when we stop. If we maintain spiritual momentum by continually “rowing” toward the Savior, we are safer and more secure because our eternal life depends on our faith in Him. Spiritual momentum is created “over a lifetime as we repeatedly embrace the doctrine of Christ.”"

Spiritual slackness   - Elder Christofferson (Neal Maxwell) Apr 2024 - "Being valiant in the testimony of Jesus means encouraging others, by word and example, to likewise be valiant, especially those of our own families. Elder Neal A. Maxwell once addressed “the essentially ‘honorable’ members [of the Church] who are skimming over the surface instead of deepening their discipleship and who are casually engaged rather than ‘anxiously engaged’ [Doctrine and Covenants 76:75; 58:27].” Noting that all are free to choose, Elder Maxwell lamented: “Unfortunately, however, when some choose slackness, they are choosing not only for themselves, but for the next generation and the next."

Elder Cook - Apr. 2024 talk - on entitlement - "He said we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. Regardless of who our earthly ancestors are, each of us will report to the Savior on how well we kept His commandments."  ... "The Lord’s saving mercy is not dependent on lineage, education, economic status, or race. It is based on being one with Christ and His commandments."  ... "No economic or social attainment is necessary. The poor and the rich have the same spiritual requirements. There are no race, gender, or ethnicity requirements. The Book of Mormon makes it clear that all are invited to partake of the Lord’s goodness,"

Elder Soares - Apr. 2024 - Covenant Confidence  - "As we make covenants in holiness before God and commit to follow the Savior, we receive the power to change our hearts, renew our spirits, and deepen our relationship with Him. Such an endeavor brings sanctification to our souls and forms a sacred bond with God and Jesus Christ, who promise that we can inherit the gift of eternal life. The result of this sacred journey is that we obtain a holier and higher confidence for our day-to-day lives within our covenants made through Jesus Christ."

Elder Holland: "When we stand before Him and see the wounds in His hands and feet, we will begin to comprehend what it meant for Him to bear our sins and be acquainted with grief, to be completely obedient to the will of His Father— all out of pure love for us. To introduce others to faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and receiving our blessings in the house of the Lord—these are the fundamental “principles and ordinances” that ultimately reveal our love of God and neighbor and joyfully characterize the true Church of Christ."

As we bind ourselves to God with our covenants and living honoring them, He will lift us above the troubles of the world around us.

It is my testimony that our Heavenly Father loves us and is always ready to lift us as we turn to Him and are raised by our covenants with Him.

Immigration Document, ca. 1919

This is a document I recently discovered, pertaining to the 5th cousin of my grandfather. I find it quite interesting because of the wording of the document and also the description of this man. He was born in Denmark and apparently became a sailor, coming through Japan, then San Francisco and eventually into Biloxi, Mississippi where he declared his intent to become a citizen of the United States of America. He eventually met and married a woman in New York City, she being an immigrant from Hungary. Below the document shown is a transcription of it.

DECLARATION OF INTENTION

Invalid for all purposes seven years after the date hereof

Sou Div. Sou Dist     In the District Court

of Mississippi  ss:  of United States

I, Anders Christian Frank Andersen aged 25 years,

occupation Sailor, do declare on oath that my personal description is: Color white, complexion fair, height 5, feet 10 inches, weight 194 pounds, color of hair brown, color of eyes blue 

other visible distinctive marks tatoo on both forearms.

I was born in Holbak, Denmark on the 30 day of May, anno Domini 1893; I now reside at (on board vessel most of time) home port San Francisco, Cal.

I emigrated to the United States of America from Kobe, Japan on the vessel Pangan, OK Company (Danish company); my last foreign residence was Holbaek, Denmark;

I am not married, the name of my wife is _____ she was born at _____ and now resides at _______

It is my bona fide intention to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly to Christian X, King of Denmark, of whom I am now a subject;

I arrived at the port of San Francisco, in the State of California, on or about the 27 day of December, anno Domini 1917 ; I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy; and it is my intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States of America and to permanently reside therein:

SO HELP ME GOD.

(signed) Anders Christian Frank Andersen

Subscribed and sworn to before me in the office of the Clerk of said Court this 5 day of April, anno Domini 1919

[SEAL]

Jack Thompson

Clerk of the US Dist Court.

By Geo Money Deputy Clerk.