From Oct. 6 to 13, more than 2,000 visitors flocked to an interactive FamilySearch booth at the Bahía Blanca Plaza Shopping Center in Argentina, launching the Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple open house with enthusiasm and discovery.
The booth offered visitors the chance to dive into their family history, exploring roots and family trees in an accessible and unique way. This celebration highlighted not only the excitement surrounding the new temple but also the importance of genealogical work.
Elder Mark A. Bragg, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Family History Department and FamilySearch, said, “It is a miracle to have a house of the Lord in Bahía Blanca. Today we all feel that emotion, but we must not let it become commonplace. We must nurture the temples with the names of our ancestors, especially with the help of young people, who are the key to connecting temple work with future generations.”
Throughout the week, FamilySearch volunteers assisted the public by helping them create their family tree in just a few minutes, print it and take home a copy with the names of their ancestors, reported the Church’s Argentina Newsroom.
Pablo Schpilman, FamilySearch communications manager in the South America South Area, explained the goal of the event: “We are here at the Bahía Blanca Plaza Shopping Center helping people create their family tree and find the origin and meaning of their last name, completely free of charge. In about 20 minutes, each visitor can take home a printed part of their family history.”
Visitors as well as the volunteers were able to connect with their ancestors and understand the value of genealogy through this experience.
Among the volunteers at the booth was Erik Soza, who said, “At first, I thought genealogy might seem boring, but I discovered that people are excited to learn about their ancestors. Many were moved to tears when talking about their families. Seeing how moved they are by the realization that their family ties can be eternal is a very special experience.”
The mission of FamilySearch is to bring joy to all who participate in discovering and connecting to their family.
Elder Bragg said, “Every time we bring an ancestor’s name into the temple, we take another step toward fulfilling the divine purpose of reuniting God’s entire family.”
The FamilySearch booth at the Bahía Blanca Plaza Shopping Center not only offered a glimpse into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ teachings on eternal families but also inspired meaningful connections, as visitors discovered the personal joy of linking past and present generations within their own family trees.
