Personal History Questions for Latter-day Saints

Creating A Personal History Personal History Questions for Latter-day Saints

If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter – day Saints here is a list of additional questions you might want to include in your personal history. Please feel free to add additional questions that would help a Latter-day Saint to write a more complete personal history.

Early Years

 * Did you receive a LDS name and blessing?
 * Who gave the blessing and who was in the circle?
 * Were you baptized at 8 years of age?
 * Who baptized you and where?
 * Who attended your baptism?
 * Do you remember any feelings you had during the occasion?
 * Did you attend Primary?
 * Are there any spiritual experiences would like to relate from Primary?
 * Can you remember any events having to do with Church during the years before you turned 12?
 * Did you receive the Priesthood at 12?
 * Who ordained you to the Aaronic Priesthood?
 * Describe your feelings about being ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood?
 * Did you advance into Young Woman at 12?
 * Other questions and notes:

Twelve Years and Older

 * Were you ordained to be a Deacon and by whom?
 * How did you feel about your ordination to a Deacon?
 * Were you ordained to be a Teacher and by whom?
 * How did you feel about your ordination to a Teacher?
 * Were you ordained to be a Priest and by whom?
 * How did you feel about your ordination to a Priest?
 * If you went on a mission, when did you start to think about going?
 * Who were your Bishops and what influences did they have on you?
 * Were there any priesthood leaders you remember and what influence did they have on you?
 * What activities were you involved in as a Deacon?
 * What activities were you involved in as a Teacher?
 * What activities were you involved in as a Priest?
 * Were there any Young Women leaders you remember and what influences did they have on you?
 * What activities were you involved in as a Beehive?
 * What activities were you involved in as a MiaMaid?
 * What activities were you involved in as a Laurel?
 * Were you a home teaching companion?
 * Who were some of your senior companions?
 * What kinds of lessons did you teach?
 * Do you remember any of the families you were assigned too?
 * Did you attend Seminary?
 * What influence did Seminary have on you?
 * Any seminary teachers that stick out in your mind?
 * How did you feel about going?
 * Did you graduate from Seminary?
 * Did you go all four years?
 * Did you attend Institute?
 * Do you remember any activities while attending Institute?
 * What influence did the Scriptures have on you?
 * Did you read them on your own or only did so when called upon?
 * Did Genealogy have any interest for you as a teenager?
 * Were there any deaths of family members that had an effect on you?
 * Did you ever do “Baptism for the Dead”?
 * What feeling did you have when you first went to the Temple?
 * Was a Temple Marriage something you thought about at this time?
 * Did you have “Family Night” and what sorts of activities did you do in them?
 * If you were not active or stopped going during these years, tell us why.
 * Do you now feel about that now?
 * Do you wished you had active during those years?
 * What personal development do you feel you missed out on by being inactive?
 * What was your family active or not and why?
 * What was it that got you active again?

Conversion If Not Born Into the Church

 * How did you come into the Church? Describe in detail! (This is what your family will find the greatest help to them in their lives as they struggle with acquiring their own testimonies!)
 * Describe in detail the individual or event that raised your awareness or curiosity about the Church.
 * Who actually taught you the Gospel - missionaries?
 * Describe that person or persons that taught you.
 * At what stage of the discussions did you begin to feel the influence of the Spirit?
 * How much influence did your prayers have on you in your seeking to for know for yourself?
 * Were you familiar with the scriptures and had to have your mind changed on your interpretations of the them?
 * What influence did the Book of Mormon have on you during the conversion process?
 * When and where were you baptized and by whom?
 * Describe you feeling about life before you heard about the Gospel and what you feel now.
 * Write your testimonies for you descendants.

Conversion to the Gospel if You Were Born into the Church

 * Describe the evolving of your testimony.
 * When did you feel you had one?
 * How did it come to you? Describe in detail! This will be what your family may find as the greatest help to them as they to struggle to acquire their own testimonies!
 * Who would you say influenced you the most to want to seek for a testimony?
 * Was their any kind of crisis in your life that caused to want to seek for own testimony?
 * At what stage of your life did you begin to feel the influence of the Spirit?
 * How much influence did your prayers have in your seeking to know for yourself?
 * Did the Book of Mormon have any influence on you during this effort to gain your own testimony?
 * Describe your feelings about life before you secured your own testimony and what you feel now.
 * Write your testimony to your descendants.

Missionary Experiences
''Wouldn’t this be a good time for a little self-evaluation to determine if we still have the same relationship with our Father in Heaven that we enjoyed in the mission field?'' (Elder L. Tom Perry)


 * When did you decided to go on a mission?
 * How did you come to that decision?
 * Did anyone influence you?
 * What did you to prepare for it?
 * Who was the first person you told that you had decided to go?
 * When did you tell your parents and what was their reaction?
 * When did you first discuss your decision with the Bishop?
 * When did you send in your papers to church headquarters?
 * When did the mission call come?
 * Where were you to be sent?
 * Was there anyplace you wanted to go?
 * Were you disappointed if you were not called there?
 * What were your feelings at the moment you found out?
 * How did you family feel about the call?
 * Did you have a girlfriend at this time?
 * What was her fate?
 * What did the Church require of you to prepare to go?
 * When and where was your mission farewell?
 * Who was on the program - speakers and music?
 * Do you remember what you said?
 * Described your departure to the Mission Home.
 * What day did you enter the Mission Home?
 * Describe the place, your room and your mission home companion.
 * Was this the first time you were ever away form home?
 * How did you adjust to this new condition of being on your own?
 * Describe your activities during your stay in the Mission Home.
 * How did you get there?
 * Who saw you off at the point of departure to the mission field?
 * How did you get there?
 * Who was your first companion?
 * Describe him - where was he from and his personality.
 * Describe a typical day and week in your mission.
 * What was your favorite book of scripture to study and why?
 * What other books were you required to study?
 * Describe the first area you work in.
 * What kind of people lived in it?
 * Describe the geographical setting and normal weather conditions.
 * What did the people do for a living?
 * Was there any historical or economical significance to the area?
 * Was the area “white and ready to harvest” or a little tougher than that?
 * How did you get around?
 * Describe the places you lived in.
 * What kinds of foods did you have to eat.
 * What was your participation in the local church activities?
 * Describe the typical member of the church.
 * Who was your first mission president and your thoughts about him and his methods?
 * Who was your second mission president if you had one and your thoughts about him and his methods?
 * Evaluate their individual approaches?
 * How did you get investigators to teach?
 * What approaches did you use to find people to teach?
 * What kinds of aids did you use to teach with?
 * Who was your first baptism?
 * Describe the events leading up to it?
 * Describe any other baptisms that are special to you.
 * Do you know what has happened to these people today?
 * Describe other people you met that stand out in your memory.
 * What kind of communications did you get from home?
 * How much money did it take to keep you there?
 * What was your typical dress?
 * Describe the Ward of Branch that was in your first area.
 * Describe any of the members that made an impression on you.
 * Were there any conversion stories from any member that you remember that impressed you especially?
 * If you went to a foreign speaking mission, how difficult was the language for you?
 * Describe your first encounters with people when proselytizing for the first time?
 * What was your favorite activity in proselytizing?
 * Describe any contacts that your remember that did not join the Church.
 * What was your typical Sunday like in the mission field?
 * What did you do on your diversion days?
 * How did you celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, etc. if you were out of the US?
 * What callings did you have while a missionary - branch president, mission leadership, etc.?
 * Any experiences you want to note in relation to any of the missionary callings you had?
 * Who was your first “green” companion?
 * Describe him and his attitude about missionary work?
 * Did you ever get any special assignments from the mission president?
 * Did you ever feel depressed and wanted to go home?
 * How did you over come it?
 * If you had a girl friend before you left, did she wait?
 * If you got a “Dear John”, describe the circumstances and your feelings.
 * Do your remember the names of all your companions?
 * Can you describe them?
 * Does any one of them stand out in your mind?
 * What has happened to them if you know?
 * Have you been to any missionary reunions?
 * How did you mission experience effect you for the rest of your life?
 * Did you enjoy yourself?
 * Do you look upon your mission as a reasonable success?
 * Sum up what your mission experience taught you.
 * Did you work as hard as you thought you should?
 * Did you feel after you were out for a while that you were really prepared?
 * What did you wished you had done to better prepare?
 * What advise would you give to others preparing to go on a mission?

Questions About Your Father
Did he go on a LDS mission?
 * Where did he serve?
 * Did he ever tell you any stories from his mission field experiences?
 * What LDS Church callings did he have through the years?
 * Were there any miracles or spiritual experiences he ever talked about?

Question Abolut Your Mother
If LDS, did she go on a LDS mission?
 * Where did she serve?
 * Did she ever tell you any stories from her mission field experiences?
 * What LDS Church callings did she have through the years?
 * Were there any miracles or spiritual experiences she ever talked about?

Questions of other family members cousins, aunts uncle etc.

 * If they were LDS, did they go on a LDS mission?
 * Where did they serve?
 * Did they ever tell you any stories from their mission field experiences?
 * What LDS Church callings did they have through the years?
 * Were there any miracles or spiritual experiences they ever told you about?

BEGINNINGS OF FAMILY LIFE

 * Where did you go to Church?
 * Give the name of the Ward and Stake.Who was your first bishop?
 * Did he have any direct influence on your early married life?
 * What was your first calling in that ward?
 * What callings had you had in previous wards or branches?
 * Did you get to listen to General Conference?
 * Did you hear any talks that stand out in your mind?
 * What things did you do over the years that were of a deep spiritual nature to you both?
 * Were you able to attend the Temple regularly?
 * Did you do any genealogy over the years?
 * Who or what got you started?
 * What experiences would you like to note that happened to you while you did research on your family?
 * What did this research tell about your ancestors?
 * Can you tell us something about their personalities and problems?
 * Were you able to do any Temple work for them?
 * What experiences did you have when you were in the Temple on their behave?
 * Did you have any other special Temple experiences that you would like to relate?
 * Were there any deaths of family members that had an effect on you?
 * Which of the Standard Works did you like the best and why?
 * Do you have a favorite scripture and why?
 * Relate any special spiritual experiences while reading the scriptures.
 * Did you ever get any help from them to help with problems that you would like to relate?
 * Other questions and notes:

Church Activity From 30 to 40

 * What sorts of callings did you have in the Church in the previous ten years?
 * What calling did you have at this time?
 * Can you recall any experiences in the Church that you look back upon with fondness?
 * Were there any spiritual experiences that you would like to relate?
 * Did you have any conversion experiences with other people would like to tell about?
 * Did you have a favorite General Authority? Why?
 * Were there any General Conferences addresses that particularly impressed you?
 * Any church oriented books that impressed you?
 * Any events in the Church that impressed you?
 * Any General Conference talks that you remember?
 * What were your feeling about the scriptures at this time?

Church Activiy from 40 - 50
What sorts of callings did you have in the Church in the previous ten years?
 * What calling did you have at this time?
 * Can you recall any experiences in the Church that you look back upon with fondness?
 * Were there any spiritual experiences that you would like to relate?
 * Did you have any conversion experiences with other people would like to tell about?
 * Did you have a favorite General Authority? Why?
 * Were there any General Conferences addresses that particularly impressed you?
 * Any church oriented books that impressed you?
 * Any events in the Church that impressed you?
 * Any General Conference talks that you remember?
 * What were your feeling about the scriptures at this time?

Retirement
What were you doing in the Church when you retired?


 * If you went on a mission with your spouse, use the questions listed under MISSION FIELD.
 * If you became a Temple Worker, what Temple did you work in?
 * Any experiences you want to relate in relation to your service in the Temple?