Save Your Documents - Your Grandchildren Might Cherish Them

Our grandfather Thomas Salinas, like our grandmother Nancy Athena Porter, seemed to leave little in the way of history for us to digest. What I know about my grandmother I am about to publish in a book. Like many who have been caught up in family history of recent I wish there were more. I want to know them. I need to know them. (Thomas is we the Cragun grandchildren's step grandfather). In the Church we are sealed to our families in the Temple in the hope and belief that we will be united together as families). In essence Thomas is the grandfather my grandmother, my mother, and myself would be sealed to. 

So, I am going through old files and along comes a document that provides some new information, with interesting insights, and even more interesting questions. That document (below) was among things I received from my fathers death. Thank you to whomever saw that this document was passed down.

I point out some of the interesting Mormon parts of the document:
  1- This is a certification of Thomas being ordained a Seventy. It is an office in the Priesthood of the church. He was probably made a Seventy to do missionary work. It might confirm the fact that we are told that Thomas and Nancy went on a genealogy mission to Mexico 
  2-  Thomas was ordained by an Apostle and the certificate was signed by one of the most famous general authorities of the church B H Roberts. B H Roberts is a colorful figure in church history and was the Church Historian. Thomas was a member of the church about 1 3/4 years when he was ordained a Seventy. Was that assignment usually bestowed so soon? It's hard to say. You might read the New Testament how Jesus sent the Seventies on assignment. It's neat. But now I wonder about Melvin J Ballard ordaining him. Was that common in 1929, or was it a favor to Nancy, even a way to support her enduring through her trials and setbacks. In my book I will share that Nancy went so to speak from being a Princess of Porterville to being harshly treated by her Uncle, Bishop Arthur C Rich. Did these leaders have a personal  friendship with our Grandma?

Here is the certificate:

Thomas Salinas Ordination Certificate

I assume my mother saved this because it was important to her. It was probably a cherished document passed on to her by her grandmother. Her grandmother raised her and her sister Gloria until my mother married and her grandmother died.

Can you see the value of one simple certificate to a grandchild? Can you see even more how much a life's story would go in this process of the hearts of the Children turning to their fathers?

PS: The beauty of posting items like this on a blog, is that it gives us all access to it. I can even link to it in FamilyTree which will be open to all within the year. All means all, not just members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.