Good Day. 

The first time I took the Harbor Cruise around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, I cried.  I put my hand over my heart, and wanted to get everyone on board to stand up and sing America the Beautiful—I was so incredibly moved!  My husband just chuckled, and didn’t quite share my enthusiasm.  ‘But think of the millions of immigrants who came ashore here, seeking freedom from tyranny . . . just imagine how they felt!’ I passionately said to him.  He was not so moved, but then again he grew up not too far from Lady Liberty, so the sites were not new to him.

I come from a very large family—both of my parents had multiple siblings, which means I have a bazillion cousins.  Beyond having great family reunions, I really never thought much about constructing a family tree.  Now perhaps if my parents or grandparents came to America from another country, I would have been inclined to construct my family tree, but maybe not.  Truthfully, I have never cared too much about it … until now. 

 Genealogy is a curiosity for most, a hobby for many and an obsession for some.¹

 Matthew started his gospel with the genealogy of Jesus Christ to establish his Jewish ancestry, all the way back to the patriarch Abraham.  Bloodlines have always been important to the Jewish people—certainly the substantiation that Yeshua came through the Jewish bloodline was critical to prove Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.² That even extends to Jewish people today, giving them the right to immigrate to Israel, (The Law of Return)³. In 1970, that right was extended to include ‘a child and a grandchild of a Jew, the spouse of a Jew, the spouse of a child of a Jew and the spouse of a grandchild of a Jew.^’4 I am aware of this law because one of my relatives just took advantage of it to study in Israel for a season. 

Some folks look up their roots to know about genetic factors, including hereditary disease risks and such.  I have a cousin who is rather obsessed with ancestry, and has planned all of her travels around filling in the blanks of her family tree.  The obsession with ancestry is called progonoplexia ;⁵ perhaps it gets into your skin, and becomes somewhat addictive like getting tattoos for some!

And then it is common knowledge the Mormon Church specializes in genealogy work.  Why?  Well, several nights ago at a social event, I was seated next to a friend who has been Mormon all of his life.  I took the opportunity to ask him why genealogies seem to be such a big thing to the LDS.⁶  ‘Because then we can find which of our ancestors were not baptized or confirmed, and we can do that by proxy for them.  We believe that all people should be given that opportunity.’  Hmmm…

In fact the Latter Day Saints are instructed to help redeem the dead by actively engaging in family history work throughout their lives. The dead are redeemed by the saving ordinances of baptism and confirmation, done by proxy, (by a current-day LDS in good standing in the person’s place), thereby ‘saving’ that ancestor, and making them a member of the LDS church.  All of the ordinances, including baptism, endowment, confirmation and saling of marriages are done in the temple, and in fact is referred to as temple work.⁷ Getting temple clearance, or a ‘temple recommend’ is no small task. The stated reason for doing the genealogical work is because they believe families are forever, including celestial marriages in heaven and so on.  Interesting. 

 Studying Matthew and Luke’s genealogies of Jesus Christ has really moved me.  With Luke tracing Jesus all the way back to Adam—think of that implication!  From before God formed Adam and breathed life into his nostrils, he knew he would give him the choice to obey him completely, or choose otherwise.  God also knew what Adam and Even would choose⁸—and he had already worked out the rescue for their Fall.  His name would be called Immanuel⁹ ~ God with us ~ Jesus.

A prayer:  Thank you, God.  Thank you that the genealogy of your Son, our Jesus, is one of grace.  Thank you God that you grafted me in to your family tree—that sinful as I am, you included me in your plans.  In fact, as the psalmist declared,  “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret,? And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.? And in Your book they all were written,? the days fashioned for me,? when as yet there were none of them.”¹⁰  Use me, I pray to love others to you, O God.  Amen.

1 – Genealogyintime.com

2 – Matthew 1.1-17

3 -  Wikipedia, “The Law of Return”

4 – ibid.

5 – “Why do we care about our ancestors?” Eviatar Zerubavel, www.Salon.com

6 – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is preferred distinction, rather than Mormon

7 – LDSFAQ.byu.edu

8 - Genesis 3.8

9 – Isaiah 7.14

10 – Psalm 139.15-16