Using oral histories to help African villages recognize who they are and where they've come from through family histories and oral histories. Family Gathering's Grant Nielsen talks with Family Search's Oral History Program Manager Brent Hansen and Oral History Project Coordinator Pamela Hirwa about how Familysearch.org has been helping to make these villages better preserve their heritage, and lifestyle in a village where much of the history has only been passed down through oral stories previously.

KSL NewsRadio's Family Gathering connects people and families across many generations. If you are new to family histories, let Family Gathering's host Grant Nielsen guide your search for the family you never knew you had. Family Gathering is sponsored by Family Search. Discover your family history. Explore the world's largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records, and resources at Familysearch.org.

Oral history is more than a history, it really is an identity. Family Gathering's Grant Nielsen talks with Family Search's Oral History Program Manager Brent Hansen and Oral History Project Coordinator Pamela Hirwa about how important family histories in determining their lineage. Oral histories are so important because they describe the people and their way of life. It's how people would identify where they came from and would earn them respect as members of the community.

KSL NewsRadio's Family Gathering connects people and families across many generations. If you are new to family histories, let Family Gathering's host Grant Nielsen guide your search for the family you never knew you had. Family Gathering is sponsored by Family Search. Discover your family history. Explore the world's largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records, and resources at Familysearch.org.

Mike Sandberg and Gregg Richardson of Family Search join Family Gathering host Grant Nielsen to talk about family history for beginners. Gregg's uncle gave up family history when he lost his eyesight. After that, everything was turned over to Gregg, who was surprised to find included in the research was his grandfather's resume.  It turns out his grandfather, whom he had never met, lived in Europe for several years and spoke multiple languages.

Mike had a good experience with family history thanks to an assignment from his daughter.  His daughter had a school assignment that sent him researching his uncle who fought in Vietnam.  He learned about a traumatic experience he had that left him with PTSD. That changed Mike's point of view of veterans.

Family Gathering connects people and families across many generations. If you are new to family histories, let Family Gathering's host Grant Nielsen guide your search for the family you never knew you had. Family Gathering is sponsored by Family Search. Discover your family history. Explore the world's largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records, and resources at Familysearch.org.

Grant Nielsen, host of Family Gathering interviews Mike Sandberg and Gregg Richardson of Family Search who have done genealogy work in West Africa. Villages in Africa don't have many paper records, and much of the family history is oral. Since many families have to travel great distances to get whatever paper records there may be, making sure oral histories are available is a goal Mike and Gregg think they can accomplish. The concept of family is universal, and governments are coming to organizations like Family Search to help them preserve and restore many of the destroyed records.

KSL NewsRadio's Family Gathering connects people and families across many generations. If you are new to family histories, let Family Gathering's host Grant Nielsen guide your search for the family you never knew you had. Family Gathering is sponsored by Family Search. Discover your family history. Explore the world's largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records, and resources at Familysearch.org.

Lots of people feel like they're not good enough at computers to do meaningful family history.  That's especially true with older generations.  The trick is to take smaller steps.. Family Gathering's Grant Nielsen is joined by Mike Sandberg and Gregg Richardson of Family Search who say to try family history on a tablet like an iPad because they tend to be pretty easy to understand. Still not sure? Mike and Gregg help people who are just starting their genealogy and family history journey. Gregg and Mike also suggest looking at options that don't require a lot of computer skill. Collecting photographs and writing or recording memories and stories is a huge benefit to family history.  

KSL NewsRadio's Family Gathering connects people and families across many generations. If you are new to family histories, let Family Gathering's host Grant Nielsen guide your search for the family you never knew you had. Family Gathering is sponsored by Family Search. Discover your family history. Explore the world's largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records, and resources at Familysearch.org.

If you haven't done any genealogy or family history research it can seem like a daunting task. Family Gathering host Grant Nielsen is joined by Mike Sandberg and Gregg Richardson of Family Search to talk about family history for beginners. Gregg and Mike say the best place to start is at home. Record your stories, your parent's stories, and your grandparent's stories. Also, if you have family members who do family history, don't assume that they're catching everything or that there is no place for you as well.  Resources like familysearch.org make it much easier to get involved. Just do a simple search for a grandparent and you'll be surprised at how much is available for you to do.

KSL NewsRadio's Family Gathering connects people and families across many generations. If you are new to family histories, let Family Gathering's host Grant Nielsen guide your search for the family you never knew you had. Family Gathering is sponsored by Family Search. Discover your family history. Explore the world's largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records, and resources at Familysearch.org.

It's important to share family histories, and one way to do that is over a delicious plate of homemade food. Food is the basis for so many gatherings, and often includes recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. Grant Nielsen, the host of Family Gathering, is joined by Paul Matta and Wendy Smedley swap stories about their family food traditions and why they are so important to who they are.

Paul remembers visiting Italy, where his grandparents were born.  That gave him a chance to enjoy traditional family recipes where they originated.  That helped him see how things changed over time.  He's been able to integrate some original methods back into the family recipes.

Wendy remembers what his mom called the "Heidi meal" named for the character Heidi.  It included canned peaches, homemade bread, and other things.  It was a favorite of Wendy growing up and she learned later it was a meal they ate when they were broke.  Her mom would get what they had left in the pantry and make it special.

KSL NewsRadio's Family Gathering connects people and families across many generations. If you are new to family histories, let Family Gathering's host Grant Nielsen guide your search for the family you never knew you had. Family Gathering is sponsored by Family Search. Discover your family history. Explore the world's largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records, and resources at Familysearch.org.

Family Gathering host Grant Nielsen talks food with Paul Matta and Wendy Smedley with Family Search.

Paul has  a family recipe featuring a special pepper that doesn't grow locally.  To get the recipe right, he had to procure and keep a special plant.  That shows dedication to family tradition!

Family dinner is a chance to set aside electronic devices and talk about your day.  That's an opportunity to create a family identity.  When you feature traditional family recipes, that's another opportunity to teach your children what it means to be a part of your family.

Paul has a tradition where on their birthday, each family member gets to choose all the meals for the day.  Everyone has their favorites.  Every child will pick sometimes very different things.

They also talk about an exhibit at the Church History Library on Temple Square.  During the holiday, they're displaying family, ward, or stake cookbooks they've collected.  Lots of communities put these together.  Make one for your family.

KSL NewsRadio's Family Gathering connects people and families across many generations. If you are new to family histories, let Family Gathering's host Grant Nielsen guide your search for the family you never knew you had. Family Gathering is sponsored by Family Search. Discover your family history. Explore the world's largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records, and resources at Familysearch.org.

It's all about food on this episode of Family Gathering.  Host Grant Nielsen has learned that food is a huge part of our family history.  Wendy Smedley and Paul Matta of Family Search has some info on collecting your culinary traditions.

Ask your family members about the food they prepare for family events.  Why do they make certain things from scratch that easily come in a can?  Where did recipes come from?  How long have they been making the recipe.  

Try to find the story behind the recipe by asking questions.

If you don't really have family food traditions, start your own.  Look at your family history and find something to reference.  Is your family from Ireland?  Start a culinary tradition that references your Irish heritage.

Always remember that if you don't deliberately record these traditions, they could be forgotten and lost.  

Family Gathering host Grant Nielsen is joined by Wendy Smedley and Paul Matta of Family Search.  They talk about an incredibly important part of family history- the dinner table.

Lots of our great family moments involve food and families often have culinary traditions passed down through generations.

If you want to get your hands on your grandma's secret recipe, send in the children to help her out.  Use those things to strengthen your family.

Holidays are predominantly about food.  Holiday planning is usually meal planning.  What and where do people want to eat?  Picking a date is easy, picking a menu is both more challenging... and fun.

The meals are also a great opportunity to record family stories and traditions.  There are apps from familysearch.org that will  help you do this on the fly.  Then your family will always remember important traditions as well as more contemporary memories.

Look at your family history for culinary inspiration.  Where did they come from, and what is a traditional dish there?  Give it a try!