I called this activity The Salvation Race—kinda like the Amazing Race on TV, but the prize is for a completed ice cream sundae instead of a million bucks, and also avoiding all the travel. The idea is that we will have teams of two (randomly picked) and they should go around the chapel completing various activities to earn their sundaes.
Each station will have a waiting line of chairs. Teams can choose to wait in line or to go look for another open activity. While waiting, teams should think about ancestors who are waiting for their work to be done. It’s no fun to wait. But, it might be a valuable lesson on how those on the other side feel while waiting for their work to be done.
It might be a little chaotic having kids pick and choose what to do and when, but it will allow some time-intensive stations (station B, probably) to have small groups and receive personalized attention.
Each partnership will have a card (not unlike the ordinance cards at the temple) which will get signed off by the station leader when the activity is done. The cards can be redeemed for sundaes when completed.
The overall objective is to let the youth see many of the different areas where they can contribute in the work of redeeming the dead. The idea is to give them a bunch of different experiences quickly, and hopefully one or two of them will resonate and they can dive in deeper on their own time.
Station A: CreateFan.com
- Objective: Have each person create and view their genealogy fan chart on createfan.com. Spend some time looking at the chart and seeing opportunities for family history work.
- Reward: Ice Cream
- Leader: TBA
- Location: High Priest room
- Equipment: 1 laptop computer with internet access
- Admittance: only one team at a time (but must have station B done first)
- Notes: Save the generated PDF files for color printing later.
Station B: Get an Account / Log in to Family Search
- Objective: Get each person logged into familysearch.org.
- Reward: Bananas, Cherries
- Leader: Family History consultants
- Location: Family History Library
- Equipment: Library computers, slips of paper for recording login information, membership numbers for youth (get ahead of time from ward clerk).
- Admittance: Depends on how many family history consultants and computer stations available in the family history center.
- Notes: This is a prerequisite for Station A.
Station C: Read Elder Bednar’s talk to the youth on family history
- Objective: List five blessings of doing family history
- Reward: Syrups
- Leader: TBA
- Location: any sunday school room
- Equipment: 10 Printouts of Elder Bednar’s talk (edited)
- Admittance: up to five teams at a time
Station D: Scripture chase
- Objective: Learn how to use scriptures, find a scripture about family history and explain it to a leader
- Reward: Marshmallow Cream, Heath bar, sprinkles
- Leader: TBA
- Location: a sunday school classroom
- Equipment: Scriptures from the library, tables
- Admittance: one team a time
Station E: Complete family history puzzle
- Objective: Create a family from analyzing clues – show the family on a family group sheet
- Reward: Marshmallow cream
- Leader: TBA
- Location: A sunday school room
- Equipment: This was a game created by a family history consultant and made the kids use some detective skills to link together some disparate information onto a family tree.
- Admittance: up to 2 teams at a time
Station F: Watch a Video
- Objective: Have youth realize they possess unique skills they can use to help others with their genealogy
- Reward: Cherries
- Leader: TBA
- Location: Relief Society room
- Equipment: 1 laptop computer, projector, screen
- Admittance: up to 4 teams at a time
Supporting Files:
Special thanks to Theron & Julie Stoddard and Melissa Wright for their help and expertise in family history.
Please add comments below if you have any suggestions, questions, or ideas to improve this activity.
MightyJohnsons 
This was a FABULOUS activity. Our kids loved it and it was a great learning experience for them, too. You are the best, Seth. Thanks!
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