Where do I begin with my Family History?

Many people ask me 'where should I begin when I do family history."  The answer is you begin with yourself.  My church likes every member to find their first 5 generations.  Yourself, your parents, your grandparents, your great grandparents and your great-great grandparents.  You also want to add your siblings, your cousins, your aunts and uncles and so on.  Of course you also want to add in some stories about each person too.  When you start with yourself.  Keep a journal of your life, what things are important to you, where you work, and what your beliefs are.  I used to be really good at this.  I would make a scrapbook for every year.  I've kind of fallen off that in the past two years.  One of my goals this year is to make a scrapbook of this year and the things we do.  I'm not going to go back and do the last two years.  This blog has been record enough for me.  And I call those two years "The Lost Years."  I think in the scrapbook I start this year I'll do a page for each of those two years and note that to me they were "Lost".
Many people I meet out here in Utah, who are members of my church have this to say about family history "my great aunt or uncle did all the work."  I guess that could be true, but I still think it is important that you study what is done.  Don't let your great aunt or uncle be the only one who really knows your family.  Learn about your family, where they came from, what stories are told about different members and perhaps the different time periods they lived in.  In my church we believe that we will live in families in Heaven.  That we will all be connected, if that is true, and I beleive it is, you should start learning about all these people who came before you.  Think of questions you might ask them when you meet them.  I have many ancestors who came from Scotland.  I love to learn about Scotland, and see photo's of it.  My big dream would be to some day go to Scotland.  I've been thinking I'd like to learn a little Galelic.  I'd like to hear some words in this language.   
So perhaps this year I'll share some of what I learn about Scotland as I continue on this Journey of a year of Family History.  I hope I inspire someone to start learning about their family.

Another part of Family History that is very important in my church is Temple worship.  I'm so glad to have moved to Utah where there are so many temples to go to.  And I don't have to travel or spend a lot of money to get there.  I have been trying to go to my Temple twice a week.  The interesting thing about Temple worship is you start with yourself.  Then you continue to go for your ancestors.  I have found I'm such a babe in the woods with Temple worship.  I've a lot to learn.  I have finnished reading a book on Temple worship that I'm now reading through again.  I hope to share qoutes from this book with you.  If you are a member of my church and want a good book to read this is the title
" House of Glory finding personal meaning in the Temple." By S. Micheal Wilcox.   This book has not only opened my eyes to understanding Temple worship, but it has shown me also how to look more differently at the world too.  It is teaching me to think and ask questions more often.  I like this one quote "It is the meaning of things that count in life..."  sometimes I think I go through the day without really stopping and thinking about what things mean around me.  I want to become more aware of things this year.  Both physically and spiritually.
Have a good day.
G.G.