Stories

Two things have been on my mind lately and I wanted to vent. Thankfully they can both be summed up in a single word: Stories.

Without getting into much detail, my husband gave me my Christmas present. Yes it's early, but there was reason as there was a time limit on certain things. And I say singular Christmas present because it's a bit pricey and he's already declared that it represents Christmas and Birthday presents to last at least until 2010. As if I needed any better excuse to read, this gives me the ability to do so anywhere. Now I find myself with more "books" than I know what to do with and the same amount of time to read them. Stories to fill my non-existent time.

The second section touches upon the Family History research I've been working on. One of Dan's distant grandfather's left his first wife and two children (Dan's ancestor) and went west. I have records and plenty of public family trees showing that he had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and later married 3-4 additional women (yes he was a polygamist). Records indicate that he was baptized the same year he left his family and I could only wonder why. Assumptions didn't set well as members of the Church hold family to be very sacred. One possible explination suggested that he joined and his wife rejected him. Another suggests that she was kept from him as he was driven away. I couldn't see any possible reason for him to move to Utah without him joining. I finally got up the courage to email one of his other descendants and that's when I learned more. Though I'm still not sure of the reason (differences of opinion and seeking his own fortune being possibilities) I learned that he actually was on his way to California having left his wife and children behind. The wagon train stopped in Utah to get supplies and a guide where he was taught and then joined the Church. Upon learning of this, his family disowned him. While I cannot say that the situation was any happier, knowing the story somewhat vindicated him and his actions. Facts, numbers, and names are all well and good, but you need the stories to color in the outlines too. Stories to fill in the details. Now if I could only learn his first wife's story...